Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A burst of green energy lit up the night rain from a remote forest.

Aris plunged the Master Sword into the body of a Yiga Footsoldier, one of a few who had made an attempt on his life.

"Certainly nothing unusual for a return to Hyrule," Aris mused. "Or rather...what's left of it."

He continued his fruitless search for survivors amid the desecrated kingdom, which once stood proud and prosperous. Now, however, it lay in shambles.

Aris soon found himself in the ruins of Hyrule Castle, rifling through the worn-down bookcases lining the walls of the library. All of the books were crumbling apart alongside the rest of Hyrule.

All, however, except one.

A red binding stuck out like a sore thumb on a shelf right at Aris's eye level. His curiosity was piqued and he slid the book off the shelf and looked at the front cover.

"'The Record of the Four Cardinal Weapons.'" He read the title aloud. Shrugging, Aris opened the book and began to read.

The narrative opened with a background on the setting: a world not unlike Hyrule. There were differences - and many of them - but the similarities were noticeable.

Then the book told of a harrowing prophecy. One of an apocalypse in the form of monstrous hordes that would spawn from the Waves of Calamity.

Calamity. Aris felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end at the mention of that word.

The narrative turned much more positive as the protagonists of the story made their appearance. They were four heroes, each wielding a different legendary weapon: a sword, a spear, a bow, and a shield. The Spear Hero stood dauntless in the name of protecting his friends. The Sword Hero worked tirelessly to grow stronger. The Bow Hero fought against all the injustices of the world.

"But what about the Shield Hero?" Aris wondered aloud. He turned the page, hoping that the Shield Hero would be profiled next.

Such was not the case. If it was, Aris certainly couldn't see it. The page appeared starkly blank in contrast to the text and illustrations that dominated those before it.

Before Aris could even think to question the blankness of the page, a light burst from the book and engulfed him. He disappeared from the library.

"What the..."

Motoyasu Kitamura was absolutely not expecting this to happen. He held a spear in his hand, but before he could even question that, someone spoke and roused him from his shock.

"Fantastic! The summons was a success!"

A group of men in ornate robes stood before him.

"O brave Cardinal Heroes!" said another one of the robed men. "Won't you please wrest our world from the clutches of evil?"

It was then that Motoyasu noticed the others present with him - all boys around his age. Two looked as painfully ordinary as him, but the third looked entirely different - and certainly far from ordinary.

Upon the request of the robed men, Motoyasu stood in stunned silence with the other two ordinary boys. One of them held a sword, and the other gripped a bow.

Meanwhile, the strange-looking boy stepped forward without hesitation. Motoyasu saw his right arm pulse with a strange green light, and in that brief illumination, he could see some mechanical bits that were just as strange as the boy himself.

"What do you mean your world needs saving?" asked the boy with the bow.

"With all due respect," said the leader of the robed men, "ours is a long and complicated story. But in summary, you are the four Cardinal Heroes spoken of in ancient prophecies, and you were summoned to this world using a ritual far more ancient than any prophecy. Our world is in a most fragile state, teetering on the brink of annihilation. As such, we humbly beg of you, o Heroes...please lend us your strength."

The green-armed boy stepped further forward. "I will do what I must."

Motoyasu could see the strange boy much more clearly now. His golden hair shined in the light coming from the windows in the nearby staircase, and it cascaded down the back of his neck like a waterfall. His ears were elongated and pointed, like that of an elf. His eyes were of two different tints - one green and the other blue. An ornate broadsword with a violet hilt was strapped to his back in an intricate scabbard. Motoyasu noticed his right arm. Sure enough, it was entirely mechanical, like something out of a movie he'd watched. Certain parts of the prosthesis pulsed with green light.

"Forget it," said the black-haired boy with the sword.

"I refuse, too," agreed the boy with the bow.

"You can send us back to our home world, right?" asked Motoyasu. "Maybe we can talk if you're able to do that."

The sword boy pointed his weapon at the robed men. "You brought us here without our consent, and you don't seem the least bit guilty about it."

"And if you throw us out as soon as we restore peace to your world, we'll have just done all that work for nothing," added the bow boy.

Motoyasu was in agreement with them. "You can accommodate our requests, can't you? Unless you want to be our enemies instead of our allies?"

The green-armed elf boy seemed shocked - not at the robed men, but at Motoyasu and the other two boys.

"P-Please, sirs," the robed leader said nervously, "with all due respect, we would like you to have an audience with His Majesty, the king of Melromarc. You may negotiate rewards directly with him."

The sword boy lowered his blade. "Fine. We'll consider it."

The four "Heroes" followed the robed men upstairs.

Aris was appalled at the gall of the other three Heroes. An entire world was at stake, yet the first thing they prioritized was their reward.

Never before have I seen someone like them be so...selfish, he thought. I'll be sure to knock sense into them if I need to.

His attention turned to the group of nobles - men and women all dressed very fancily - in the throne room. Some were glancing at him and murmuring to each other. Aris's keen Hylian hearing picked up some of their whispers.

"I thought all the Heroes had different weapons. Why are there two Sword Heroes?"

"Was the Shield Hero summoned to Shieldfreeden? Or perhaps Siltvelt?"

What are these people speaking of? Aris wondered.

He was roused from his thoughts by a deep, regal voice.

"So, you four young men are the Cardinal Heroes of legend," said a royally dressed man who sat on a grand throne in the castle's audience chamber. "Welcome to the land of Melromarc. I am her king, Aultcray Melromarc XXXII. Please, tell me your names."

The Sword Hero went first. "Ren Amaki. I'm a high school student, and I'm sixteen years old."

He was followed by the Spear Hero. "Name's Motoyasu Kitamura. College student, twenty-one."

Then came the Bow Hero. "I suppose I'm next. My name is Itsuki Kawasumi. I'm still in high school, and I'm seventeen."

"Very well," said King Aultcray. He eyed Aris. "And who are you? I...assume you are the Shield Hero, yet you carry a sword."

Aris nodded, holding out his prosthetic right arm and summoning a shield of the green energy he knew so well. "My name is Aris Harkinian Atreides, Your Majesty. I am seventeen years old, and hail from the land of Hyrule. ...A kingdom which no longer exists."

The king seemed confused but continued with his speech. "Now, then. I suppose you all are owed an explanation as to why you are here. My beloved Melromarc - nay, the entire world - is on a collision course with complete, permanent, and inevitable destruction..."

As King Aultcray told his story, a realization dawned on Aris's mind. The story was almost identical to that of the book Aris had found in Hyrule. Some things, however, were still new to him. One such thing was the Dragon Hourglass - a magical tool that marked the amount of time left until the coming Wave of Calamity. The Waves of Calamity - often referred to as just Waves - were a series of invasions in which monsters poured out from portals in the sky to destroy the world.

According to King Aultcray, the first of many Waves had already come, and Melromarc's soldiers worked together with local adventurers to miraculously stop it. Destruction, however, was still widespread across the kingdom. The second Wave would arrive in less than a month, and it would be much more destructive than the first.

"We severely underestimated their destructive power." King Aultcray tightened his grip on the armrests of his throne. "Once we experienced one firsthand and barely survived,  we realized that only the four Cardinal Heroes are capable of stopping them. So we poured over ancient texts and used them to summon you here, to our world. There is no time to lose!"

A well-dressed man (presumably the king's advisor) spoke up in addition. "And once you repel all the Waves, I assure you that you shall be rewarded most handsomely."

"Will you, now?" Motoyasu seemed pleasantly surprised. "Well, you've got my attention."

"We'll work with you," said Ren, "but don't think you can keep us on leashes."

Aris muttered under his breath, "By the Goddess, these three are more conceited than any 'hero' I've met."

"Very well," said King Aultcray. "Now, I would ask you Heroes to check your statuses."

"Status?" Aris raised an eyebrow. "I...suppose I feel okay."

Itsuki and Motoyasu voiced their confusion, too.

Ren sighed. "Are you three stupid? You didn't notice the little thing in the bottom right corner of your vision?"

"I don't see anything," said Aris.

"I can see it," said Motoyasu. "But if you can't, Aris...maybe try that fancy right arm of yours?"

Aris lifted his right arm, facing his palm up. A small wisp of green energy burst from his palm as Aris felt his soul ripple within him. A small display screen of sorts appeared hovering over his palm, showing various aspects of Aris's health and the like. One thing that stood out was a "level" indicator, showing that Aris was only at a level of one.

Aris Harkinian Atreides

"I remember my dark past so that it does not have to be someone else's dark future."

Age 17

Sex: Male

Level: 1

Class: Swordsman Shield Hero

HP: 150/150

MP: 30/30

SP: ∞

EXP: 0/250

STATS:

ATK: 35

DEF: 30

SPD: 30

EQUIPMENT:

Weapons: Legendary Shield (Soul Energy), Master Sword

Headgear: None

Armor: Traveler's Tunic (+1 DEF), Hide Breastplate (+2 DEF)

Legwear: Hylian Trousers (+1 DEF)

Footwear: Leather Travel Boots (+1 DEF)

"Only level one?" said Itsuki. "That can't be good."

"No shit," Motoyasu agreed. "Can we really even fight like this?"

"Sir, what is all this?" Aris inquired to the king's advisor.

"That is status magic," replied the advisor. "It is exclusive to the Heroes, and it tells you various important things."

"So...what now?" Ren chimed in. "What's the first step?"

"You are to set out on an adventure to strengthen and upgrade your weapons," said the advisor. "Though I am unsure if the Shield functions as the legends told, I am sure all four of you will be able to find your path from there."

Motoyasu smirked, brandishing his spear and twirling it like a circus baton. Aris was slightly impressed, but only slightly.

"Oh, and another thing, brave Heroes," said the advisor. "I nearly forgot to mention that you four cannot travel together as a group. You must recruit other adventurers and travel separately."

"What hinders us from working together?" asked Aris.

"It is said that the Cardinal Weapons repel one another by their very nature," the advisor answered. "If you travel together, it will stunt their development."

Aris sighed. "Very well."

"The sun is about to set," said King Aultcray. "You may rest here for the night and begin your journeys tomorrow. In the meantime, we shall find the best adventurers in the land to join you."

A brunette woman in a yellow gown approached the Heroes. "We have prepared quarters for you, sirs. Right this way."

Aris sat on the edge of an ornate bed in the guest bedroom that had been set aside for him. 

He could hear Ren, Motoyasu, and Itsuki conversing in the room adjacent to his, and as such, he felt a bit guilty for eavesdropping. That guilt turned to curiosity when their conversation became suddenly centered around him.

"What about that Aris guy?" Aris heard Ren say. "He doesn't seem Japanese."

"Or human." Motoyasu posited. "Did you notice his ears? They're all elf-like. His clothes, too. They're like something a medieval adventurer would wear."

"And he didn't seem confused by the sword on his back," added Itsuki, "which means he may be familiar with it. Maybe he carries it on his travels."

"But why does he have a sword?" Ren asked. "I thought I was the Sword Hero."

"That remains to be seen, I suppose," said Itsuki. "He was able to summon a shield out of some sort of green energy."

"I noticed that, too," Motoyasu put in. "Some parts of his right arm glow with that energy. And the arm seems...mechanical. Like a...ugh, what's the word?"

"Prosthesis," Itsuki clarified. "Which means he lost his right arm and lived to tell the tale."

"Sounds like he's a seasoned adventurer already," Ren mused. "But we'll find out tomorrow. We should get some sleep."

Aris silently agreed, slipping under the comforter of his bed and falling into slumber.

Chapter Text

Aris entered the throne room with his fellow Cardinal Heroes as the castle guards ushered them toward King Aultcray. In front of the king stood a large group of people dressed for action. Some carried swords, some carried other weapons, and a few looked like wizards or mages.

"Brave Heroes," said the king. "We have gathered here the greatest warriors in Melromarc. These brave individuals will fight alongside you in your quest to repel the Waves."

Aris was a bit excited to choose who would join him on his journey, so his extreme bewilderment came as no surprise when the adventurers stepped forward instead and began to group up with a Cardinal Hero of their choice.

The bewilderment all but grew when Aris noticed no one had joined him.

The king remained calm. "Sir Aris, I am loath to admit it, but even I did not expect this."

A servant of the king appeared and seemed to whisper something into the monarch's ear. King Aultcray sighed. "I've been made aware of a very disturbing rumor."

"Did something happen, sir?" asked Motoyasu.

"Not quite," replied the king. "The rumor is that the so-called Shield Hero - Aris - is 'ignorant' of this world. Legend says that the Cardinal Heroes have a well-rounded understanding of this land from the moment they arrive, and people seem to think that Aris does not fit this criterium."

"With all due respect, your majesty," Aris interjected, "I'm...not entirely sure what you were expecting. If those legends are as ancient as people say, perhaps some aspects of it were lost in translation."

"That is a possibility," agreed the king.

"You know what, I'm a loner, I don't exactly need all five of the people behind me right now," Ren deadpanned. He eyed his party members. "Whoever can't cut it can go with Aris or get left in the dust."

"Thank you, but that's really no way to treat people," Aris muttered.

"I would suggest splitting everyone up so that each of us has three people," said Itsuki, "but I don't want to destroy everyone's morale by forcing it."

Aris sighed. "I suppose I can travel alone. I'm no stranger to it."

Suddenly, a hand raised from Motoyasu's party, and a gorgeous woman with a scarlet ponytail stepped towards Aris. "Sir Hero, I will join you. If...you'll have me."

Aris nodded.

Motoyasu looked at the redhead. "You sure about this?"

"I'll be fine," the redhead laughed. "Don't worry about me."

"Very well," said King Aultcray. "Are there any others who are willing to join Aris's party?"

The inquiry fell on deaf ears.

King Aultcray sighed. "Unfortunate. In that case, Aris, you will need to recruit members of your party yourself."

"Yes, sir."

"Good." The king addressed all four Heroes. "We shall provide each of you with a sizable monthly sum of money to aid you on your travels. Use it how you see fit. This one time, however, Aris's payment will be higher than the other three Heroes as compensation for his troubles with finding a party. Aris will receive eight hundred silvers while Sirs Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki will receive six hundred silvers." A few nobles approached the Heroes to hand them a bag chock-full of coins. "Here is your money. Please accept these coins along with our eternal gratitude."

Once the Heroes had acquired their funds, the king raised his voice to deliver a final order. "Set off after procuring all necessary equipment."

The four spoke in unison, "Yes, sir!"

The gates to the castle walls opened for the Heroes as they set forth. Aris and his redheaded companion lagged behind a little as the latter introduced herself.

"Pardon me, sir, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Myne Suphia, and it's an honor to work with you."

"Aris Atreides," replied the Hylian, "and your feelings are returned."

"Please, the honor is all mine." Myne held out her hand, which Aris firmly shook. Myne's grip lingered for a moment before Aris pulled back his arm.

"We should be setting off, yes?"

"Yes, we should." Myne grabbed Aris's hand again. "Come on! I'll show you around the city!"

Myne ran through the streets of Melromarc's capital city with Aris in tow, pointing out places of interest and significant landmarks. "I just realized, we should probably sightsee later and prepare for action now," she said after a while. "Luckily, I know a very trustworthy shop near here that sells weapons and armor. I'll take you there."

Aris followed Myne into a small-looking blacksmith shop managed by a burly man with a bald head and a small black beard.

"Hi, there!" the man said jovially. "Welcome to Heatwaker Armory. The name's Erhard. I run the place." Erhard took a closer look at Aris. "Say, I don't think I've seen you around before. You new in town?"

"Yes," replied Aris. "My companion here recommended your shop, so we decided to stop by."

Erhard raised a confused eyebrow at Myne. "Miss, you do look familiar. Have we met?"

"I'm sure we have at some point," said Myne, clinging to Aris's left arm (much to the Hylian's surprise). "I've been here before, after all. Besides, Heatwaker Armory is quite possibly the best equipment shop in Melromarc for anyone looking for quality gear with a low budget."

"Aw, sweet o' ya to say so." Erhard smiled fondly. Suddenly, he eyed Aris - specifically Aris's right arm. "Wait a minute...you're the strange fourth Cardinal Hero, right!? The one who's supposed to be the Shield Hero but has a sword instead?"

"Y-Yes, that is me," said Aris. "I can summon a shield," he demonstrated by channeling green energy through his prosthesis to conjure one, "but I'm still able to use my sword."

"Well, if you're a regular 'round here, I don't give two flying pigs what you wield, kid," Erhard chuckled. "A Hero's a Hero, no matter the weapon."

"Or lack of one, in some cases."

"True that," said Erhard. "Now, with that outta the way, what can I do ya for?"

"Some equipment, if you've got stuff," Aris answered.

"Wouldn't be open if I didn't." Erhard went into a back room in his shop and returned with an armful of swords, laying them out on the counter in front of Aris. "From left to right, I've got iron, magic iron, magic steel, and silver iron all in ascending order of price. All top-notch swords, guaranteed."

Aris reached for the magic steel sword. Just before he could lift the blade, forking arcs of blue lightning erupted from the hilt, shocking him and knocking him back. "Gah! What in the name of-"

His prosthesis flashed green. Aris channeled his energy into it to open his status screen. "What in the name of Farore...?"

WARNING: YOU CAN NOT EQUIP THIS WEAPON

It appeared that Aris could not use any weapon save his shield. Dreading the potential outcome, he attempted to draw Master Sword. His hand gripped the hilt.

Nothing happened. He pulled it halfway out of its scabbard.

Still, nothing.

Finally, he unsheathed it entirely.

The Blade of Evil's Bane remained in his grasp, unhindered by the constraints of the Shield.

"Strange..." Erhard murmured. "All the swords I've got seem to reject ya, but yours doesn't. Mind if I have a look at it?"

Aris held the Master Sword towards Erhard, taking care to not point the blade at him. Erhard procured a small lens from his pocket and looked at the sacred sword through it, like a detective analyzing a crime scene with a magnifying glass. Meanwhile, Aris selected it on his "equipment" display and checked it out.

Equipped Weapon: Master Sword

Weapon Type: Longsword

Acquisition: Discovered in unknown location

ATK: 30+

Equip Bonuses: Sword Beam (fire projectiles when at max HP), Skyward Strike (channel sacred energy for a stronger Sword Beam), Evil's Bane ( × 2 ATK in certain situations)

DESC: "Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight, this sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of its chosen Hero."

"Hmm...at a glance, it's like any other sword, just really ornate," said Erhard. "Normally my appraisal magic would be able to tell me all about a particular weapon, but it didn't tell me squat about your sword. All I could detect was an extreme amount of power...one I've never seen before." He got off the ground and the smile returned to his face. "Well, thanks for piquing my interest! Wanna buy some armor? Yours looks kinda worn."

"I think I'll keep mine for now," said Aris. "If it gets badly damaged, I'll buy new armor. It may just be a hide chest plate, but it's comfortable and it's gotten me out of some hairy situations."

"Fair enough. I'll be waiting for you if and when you come back."

"Understood." Aris turned to Myne. "Where to next?"

"Off to do battle, of course," replied Myne. "We need to level up a bunch, and I wanna see just what the swordsman Shield Hero is capable of!"

Monsters rustled through the grass. Aris's status display indicated them as Orange Balloons.

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED (HOSTILE)

Orange Balloon

Species: Balloon

Habitat: Grassland Meadows, Forests

DESC: "Regarded as one of, if not the, weakest monsters ever discovered, Orange Balloons are common vermin in pretty much every part of the world. Defeating them is as simple as popping them like a bubble."

The small round beasts leaped from the grass and flayed their jaws at Aris as they pounced.

He drew the Master Sword. The sacred blade ripped through the Orange Balloons, popping them like exactly what their name suggested they were. Myne drew a sword of her own and aided him. Aris saw an indicator in his status screen showing that whenever he killed a monster, he gained "EXP" as a reward. He surmised that "XP" was short for "experience".

"I see no challenge here," he mused as he popped another Balloon.

"Well, look who's confident!" Myne laughed. "I like it!"

A sizable swarm of Balloons sprang from the grass. Aris lowered the Master Sword and lifted his prosthesis. The mechanical parts shifted to form what looked like a large cylinder in place of his forearm. From the front of the cylinder shot a bolt of green energy, which ricocheted from one Orange Balloon to another again and again until all of them were gone. The bolt returned to Aris's prosthesis.

Myne was in awe. "So cool...! How do you do that? Just what is that green energy?"

"It's my soul," replied Aris. "Or rather, an extension of it. It takes the form of what I call Soul Energy, which I can use for various purposes. Such as powering my prosthetic right arm."

Once all the Balloons had been taken care of, Aris got to work helping Myne collect the materials the monsters had left behind. He discovered that his Soul Energy could absorb them into his right arm to help his Shield capabilities evolve.

"Is there a limit to how much you can feed it?" asked Myne.

"There doesn't seem to be one," said Aris. "Which would certainly be convenient. On the other hand, though, we might be able to sell some of these for extra money."

"They wouldn't sell for much," Myne pointed out. "Likely only one copper coin each."

"It's better than nothing."

After buying some armor for Myne at Erhard's shop (where some intense haggling had transpired between the bargain blacksmith and the Hylian Hero), Aris and Myne had gone to a local tavern for dinner and shelter.

"Mm!" Aris had a satisfied grin on his face as he ate his meal. "And I thought I was a good cook."

Myne laughed, endeared by Aris's enthusiasm. "I'm so glad you're having a good meal, sir."

"Please, just 'Aris' is fine."

"Very well, Aris. Anyway..." Myne took out a map, "do you mind helping me find some places for us to visit tomorrow?"

"Sure," replied Aris. He examined the map for a moment before pointing to a particular spot. "This is that meadow where we leveled up this afternoon, right?"

"Yes, it is," affirmed Myne. "Tomorrow, I was thinking we could go to a certain village that lies beyond this map. And past the village, there's a dungeon perfect for rookie adventurers. Though, I doubt you're much of a rookie yourself." Myne chuckled.

"I suppose I'm not," said Aris, "but reviewing fundamentals couldn't hurt. And it sounds like a perfect place to level up."

"My thoughts exactly," agreed Myne. "And between my new armor and you to protect me, it'll be a walk in the park!"

"Thank you," said Aris. "You're a treasure trove of information."

"Oh, it's no trouble," Myne assured him. "Oh, but, by the way, Aris..."

Myne picked up her wine glass. "You haven't touched your wine. Aren't you going to drink some?"

"I've never liked alcohol very much," replied Aris. "It impairs my abilities and judgement, after all. I prefer to stay as sharp as possible as much as possible."

"Really? Well, that's quite a shame. But I can absolutely respect your reason for abstaining." She sighed. "Still, though, it is quite a shame. This vintage is simply immaculate." She downed her entire glass in what looked like a single gulp, appearing a little tipsy after setting it down. "I'd love to share it with you."

Myne slid her empty glass across the table, softly clinking it against Aris's full glass.

Aris's cheeks flushed. "A-Apologies, but I really just don't care for it."

"Ah, well, that's a Hero for you, I suppose," said Myne.

"What do you mean?"

"Melromarc is a matriarchy, so women tend to be very well-respected," said Myne. "They always enjoy equality with men, and in some minor aspects of life, there are some advantages of being a woman. In a tavern, for example, it's considered very uncouth for a male patron who intends to drink to turn down an offer for a drink from a woman."

"Is that so?" Aris laughed bashfully. "I guess I'm not very skilled at observing such things."

"Oh, there's no shame in it," Myne assured him. "You're a Hero, so most ladies will let it slide no matter how long you've been here."

Aris yawned. "I think I might turn in early tonight."

"Go right ahead," said Myne. "If you don't mind me finishing your wine, that is. Though, drinking alone can get terribly lonely."

"Have at it. Oh, but...before I leave, Myne?"

Myne lifted her head to look at Aris.

"Thank you for choosing to join me." Aris had a face of complete, genuine gratitude. "You're probably one of the nicest ladies I've ever met. I may have declined a drink with you tonight, but in the future, we'll share the nicest wine we can afford."

"That sounds positively wonderful, Aris," said Myne. "Now, off to bed if you're going to turn in early. Pleasant dreams!"

Aris retreated to the quarters he had purchased for himself that night (he and Myne had agreed on sleeping in separate rooms). "We have two hundred silver coins left after buying Myne's armor," he said, counting his money. "Two rooms priced at thirty copper coins each per night, and meals for two at five copper each...leaves us with just under two hundred silver. It's still plenty of money, but I'll need to secure it."

After finding a safe and concealed place in the room to stash his cash, Aris removed the Master Sword from his back and set it under his bed. Normally, this would be a ridiculously stupid place to hide something so valuable, but Aris knew only he could grasp the Master Sword's hilt, so no one would be able to steal it regardless. Tired from a long day of fighting to level up and haggling with a stubborn smithy, the Hylian Hero was soon out like a dead light bulb.

Aris woke with a start. He'd had a nightmare, and a terrible one to boot. He couldn't quite describe it, but it felt oddly familiar to him.

It was then that he heard a familiar voice: Myne's. She was talking about him, and it didn't seem like she had anything good to say.

"What...?" he said.

The voices were coming from somewhere outside of the tavern, not far from his room. Aris opened the window and sneaked onto the roof with a bit of climbing. Remaining crouched, he shimmied to the edge of the roof and looked down.

In the alleyway behind the inn, there stood Myne, speaking to someone Aris could only describe as pure, unadulterated evil.

The witch-like woman to whom Myne spoke had sickeningly pale skin and very over-the-top makeup, especially in the form of her eyeshadow. A strange skintight hood covered her head, showing a pair of demonic horns. Her long black coat whipped slightly in the breeze, and a staff with a green spherical crystal on one end was clutched in her hand.

"Does he suspect anything?" the witch crooned at Myne demandingly.

Myne bowed her head. "No, mistress Maleficent. He has no idea who he is up against."

"Good, very good, child," said the witch - apparently named Maleficent. "You are shaping up to be quite the apprentice so far. With any luck, you'll far surpass Pete. Though...I suppose that isn't really a high bar to set."

"Thank you, mistress."

"What have you obtained from him?" asked Maleficent.

"Lots of money, his hide chest plate, and a few other bits and bobs," replied Myne.

"You did not find his sword? That accursed blade of ancient legend in that forsaken ruin?"

Myne shook her head from side to side. "I did not, mistress. B-But...well, I did find it, but I could not take it."

Maleficent narrowed her eyes. "And why not?"

"Because when I tried to grab the hilt, it...it burned my hand." Myne showed her bandaged right palm to Maleficent. "And I couldn't lift it by the scabbard, either."

"Hmph. A setback...though only a minor one that was out of your control. I will overlook it."

"Thank you, mistress."

Aris closed his eyes as he lifted his left hand towards Myne and Maleficent. Though the conspiring women could not see this, their bodies became outlined in green Soul Energy as Aris recorded the events of their conversation.

Aris leaped from rooftop to rooftop as he followed Myne to the castle. She was feigning tears and terror as though she had just seen her entire family ripped to pieces. Aris knew this was all a facade, but Myne's motive was beyond him.

Myne entered the castle and began crying to the king and the other three Cardinal Heroes (who were also present there for some reason) that Aris had done horrible things to her.

"She's saying I...assaulted her?" Aris was bewildered. "And in...that sort of way? And then I tried to murder her!?"

Motoyasu, Ren, Itsuki, and the king seemed to buy Myne's testimony.

"That elf-eared bastard!" Motoyasu slammed the butt of his spear into the ground. "I knew something was off about him!"

Myne threw her arms around Motoyasu, crying fake tears into his chest. "I-I-I still can't believe that...that he would d-do such a thing!"

"Did he really do it?" Aris heard Itsuki say to Ren.

"No innocent man would run from the authorities," Ren pointed out. "If he's innocent, my guess is that he'll come blasting through that door any moment and have a way to prove it. Or at least be very adamant about his innocence."

"Not quite!" Aris bellowed from his perch. "I'm storming in through the window, actually!"

Aris leaped from his position and came down with a superhero landing, wincing at the pain in his knees. 

"Aris!?" Motoyasu was furious. He ushered Myne behind him. "You utter scumbag! What the hell do you have to say for yourself!?"

"That I'm innocent, obviously!"

"Bull!" Motoyasu exclaimed.

"Indeed!" King Aultcray boomed. "No Hero would ever commit such atrocious deeds against an innocent lady! Yet here you stand after attempting to take her life in favor of your twisted desires! You shall be executed posthaste!"

"No, not yet!" Itsuki exclaimed. "We shouldn't jump to conclusions until we have evidence from both sides."

"Screw that!" Motoyasu roared. "He's guilty! He ran from the authorities, didn't he? He wouldn't have done that if he was innocent!"

"Think for a second!" Itsuki chided. "Ren, you said if he was innocent, he'd come blasting through the door to tell us that. And while he came in through the window instead of the door, he's doing pretty much everything else you said he'd do."

Were he attracted to men from a romantic standpoint, Aris would have run up to Itsuki and kissed him on the mouth. But Aris wasn't attracted to the same gender, so he didn't.

"We already have enough evidence to incriminate Aris," King Aultcray announced. A nearby soldier presented what looked like a bloodied bra. Even from his distance, Aris could tell that not only was the blood fake, but the patterns were also nowhere near consistent with the blood spatter of a stab wound.

"I see your evidence," said Aris, "and I raise you mine."

The king scoffed. "Surely the evidence of a criminal is nothing but lies."

"Oh, you'd be wrong. But first...a bit of context." Aris held up his prosthesis, pointing to the wisps of green energy within. "I'm sure my fellow Cardinal Heroes have all been curious as to what this is. Myne already knows. This is what I call Soul Energy. It is an extension of my very soul - my spirit if you will. I can utilize it for numerous things, and one of them is...this."

Aris reached into the depths of his soul as he straightened his right arm forward. Wisps of Soul Energy spiraled from his arm and coalesced in front of him to form two figures: Myne and the witch called Maleficent. Their entire conversation played out in real time as though it was occurring then and there.

Once the conversation ended, the apparitions disappeared back into Aris.

"That could obviously be faked!" Motoyasu yelled. "You probably just manipulated it to look like you recorded a conversation between Myne and...whoever that other person was."

"I don't think I believe that," Itsuki whispered to Ren. The Sword Hero slightly agreed, but only slightly.

"Good, Itsuki," said Aris, having heard the Bow Hero's whisper. "You acknowledge the truth. And so will everyone here. See, what I just performed to show you the exchange between Myne and that woman was something I refer to as Memanima Projection. I can watch things unfold and record them with Soul Energy to view whenever I want. Of course, I only use this when I have to. And I feel that the exchange between Myne and her 'mistress' warranted the use of Memanima Projection. Another time I used it was...well, the entire time I've been in this room, actually."

"What!?" the king bellowed.

"I don't blame you for being surprised." Aris played a brief segment of the exchange that had just transpired for everyone to see. "Memanima Projection is something I rarely use, but it always comes in handy when I need it."

"There's no way he could've faked it," Itsuki whispered to Ren. "I mean, this is his soul we're talking about here."

"Aris..." Ren murmured. "Just who are you...? What things have you seen...?"

"You are still not excused of your verdict, Aris," the king declared. "It would behoove you to comply with our demands for the remainder of your time here, lest we have you beheaded here and now."

"Name your price, your majesty."

"Your life will be spared in exchange for your magic - this 'Soul Energy'."

"You know I cannot give that to you," Aris chided. "That would be relinquishing my very being, and...well, I don't exactly fancy doing a thing like that. It's arguably worse than being beheaded."

"Which means both punishments - execution by beheading and Aris somehow giving up his soul - are way too severe for an accusation that's more than likely false," Itsuki added.

For a split second, Aris almost questioned his lack of romantic attraction to men solely because of Itsuki. But only for a split second.

The king completely ignored the Bow Hero. "If you do not wish to relinquish your powers, perhaps you will accept a trip to the guillotine, then."

"Oh, but death is instant release," Motoyasu pointed out. "I say we let him live, but take away that fancy arm of his. That way he'll only be stuck with his left arm. He might be the 'Shield' Hero, but he can still fight with his fancy little sword for all I care." He eyed Aris with a suave smirk. "It's the best deal I've got, so you might wanna take it. Otherwise...well, y'know."

"He'll be mostly even with us at that point," Ren agreed. "If he really is a criminal, then I have a feeling we wouldn't be able to stop him, between his Soul Energy powers and apparent experience with adventures like the one we're set to go on. Aris, I suggest you stand down." The Sword Hero met Aris's gaze with cold eyes.

Aris scanned the room. Ren and Motoyasu both glared at him. The king seemed to be deep in thought. Itsuki had an apologetic look on his face. The nobles present were demanding that Aris be punished swiftly and severely.

"Alright, I'll take your deal, Motoyasu," said Aris. "With one caveat."

"Which is?"

Aris raised his prosthesis toward the window from which he'd entered the room. "You have to catch me!"

The mechanical bits of his arm separated from each other as Aris's palm shot forth like a grappling hook toward the sill of the open window. With the small Soul Energy spiral serving as a rope, Aris practically flew at the window with his arm coming back together to pull him in that direction. He leaped through the window and out into the city, where he jumped from rooftop to rooftop and eventually over the city wall, where he ran into the wilderness.

Chapter Text

Aris trudged through the streets of Melromarc, his head hung low to stay inconspicuous.

"Oi, green boy with the right arm."

Aris recognized Erhard's voice. His mood lifted a little, hoping with all his heart that Erhard would be on his side.

His hopes were dashed expeditiously.

Erhard snagged the collar of Aris's tunic, slammed his back into a wall, and reared his fist. "I heard what you did to that girl you were with. And I oughtta punch your face so hard, your teeth all end up in your stomach and you'll be seeing 'em in the shitter after a few days!"

Tears welled up in Aris's eyes. "...You too, Erhard?"

Erhard stopped. His grip seemed to soften.

He let go of Aris's shirt and lowered his fist. Aris wiped away his tears.

"Never mind," said Erhard. "I'm not gonna punch a kid who's about to cry, no matter how old said kid happens to be."

"Thank you," said Aris. He wanted to hug Erhard as though the smithy was his father.

"Follow me," Erhard instructed. "We should get outta the open."

Aris followed him into a small alleyway, out of the reach of prying eyes and ears. Erhard presented him with a cloak and a metal chest plate. "You won't get very far dressed like that, so think of this as a...parting gift."

"How much do you want for them?"

"I mean, you're broke right now, so we'll call it a clearance sale and leave it at five copper."

"Thank you." Aris accepted Erhard's gift and strapped the armor to his chest before donning the cloak. "You're...You're one of the only people who doesn't avoid me like I've some sort of contagious disease."

"I've never seen a guilty man cry," Erhard replied. "Now...wasn't there somewhere you had to be?"

"Yes. Away from this city."

Aris left without turning back.

Equipped Armor: Iron Breastplate

Armor Type: Standard Overwear

Acquisition: Purchased from Heatwaker Armory (price: 3 copper)

DEF: 3

Equip Bonus: None

DESC: "A cheap Breastplate forged from standard Iron. Its DEF is much lower than the average Breastplate, but it'll do in a pinch."

Equipped Headgear: Traveler's Cloak

Headgear Type: Cloak (Hooded)

Acquisition: Purchased from Heatwaker Armory (price: 2 copper)

DEF: 1

Equip Bonus: None

DESC: "A hooded cloak made of somewhat sturdy fabric. It won't do much in the way of DEF, but the hood can provide both concealment and minor protection from rain or harsh sun."

Bellows and screams of furious exertion echoed through the meadows that day. Aris had elected to let off his rage upon the Orange Balloons.

Aris fought the Orange Balloons tirelessly, popping them all afternoon and well into the rainy night.

Finally, his efforts bore fruit. He leveled up from 1 to 2.

The next day, he managed to sell the many hundreds of Balloon scraps he'd scavenged to a local monster material merchant, who agreed to give him a sizable amount of copper coins for the lot of them. It was a meager sum for so many materials, but Aris took what little he could get. Five of the copper coins quickly found their way to Erhard's counter, along with a note that read "Thanks for the gear, friend".

While Erhard was likely discovering the five copper coins, Aris was scrounging for resources in a nearby forest when he found something that made his heart skip several beats.

NEW ITEM OBTAINED

Hearty Truffle

Type: Food/Ingredient/Crafting Material

Habitat: Unknown Location, Forest Undergrowth

DESC: None

"Hearty Truffles!? I thought those were native to Hyrule!"

Aris didn't waste a single second scooping up all the Hearty Truffles he could carry. How and why Hyrulean flora was in Melromarc, he hadn't the foggiest, but he definitely wasn't going to complain. There were a lot of Hearty Truffles in that forest, meaning that Aris had plenty of food to eat without having to spend a single coin.

From that day until the next, Aris ate Hearty Truffles, choosing to avoid entering the city unless he absolutely had to. He sat against the wall next to the entrance gate one evening, biting into a Hearty Truffle. 

A scream.

Aris jumped to his feet. Someone was in trouble.

A teenage girl no older than Aris half-ran half-walked through the gate out of the city, clad in a torn-up brown dress. The girl had strange animal-like ears atop her head, and a tail protruding from just above her rear end. She was a Demi-Human, Aris noted.

He'd heard of Demi-Humans. He'd even seen a couple. That was when he remembered that Demi-Humans were viewed as an inferior race in Melromarc, and as such were often slaves. Which is why he was not surprised by the heavy-looking shackles on the girl's wrists and ankles.

"S-Someone! Anyone...help...p-please...!" the slave girl yelled in a voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.

A short old man in a posh outfit and a top hat ran out after her. "You think you can escape me, wench!? Get back here, that's an order!"

Suddenly, the slave girl's body was lit up by amethyst lightning. She cried out in agony.

The man in the hat seemed to give an order to something or someone. "Attack! I want her alive, but if she needs to die to submit, use lethal force!"

A quadrupedal reptile resembling some sort of dragon ran out after the slave, whose eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

The slave girl found a stick and picked it up, readying it as though it were a sword. It was clear that she would fight for her freedom or die trying.

The dragon charged. The slave cried out with all her energy, rearing the stick in a fruitless effort to defend herself.

Aris gritted his teeth. Human or otherwise, slave or free woman...he wasn't going to let this maiden suffer. He leaped into action, summoning his Soul Energy shield.

The dragon hit the shield head-on, stopping dead in its tracks. Aris whipped out the Master Sword and cleaved its scalp in two. He turned to the slave and used the blade to sever her shackles.

Before the slave girl could even react, Aris scooped her up in a bridal carry and made a beeline for somewhere safe.

"W-Who are you? Why did you...s-save me...?"

Aris met the slave's gaze with gentle eyes. "Because you needed saving. I was just in the right place at the right time."

The slave girl opened her mouth to speak, but all that passed her lips was a fit of hacking coughs. It sounded like she would lose a lung from her mouth if she coughed any harder. Aris noticed her skin tone - it was deathly pale. Far from natural. This girl was sick, and it had gotten very bad.

"Sit tight," he told her.

Aris got to work. He used some materials to set up a makeshift cooking pot over a campfire and filled the pot with water, filling the heated water with diced Hearty Truffles. With the addition of some other ingredients, the Hearty Truffles became infused with the water, making a sort of Hearty Truffle version of vanilla extract. Aris knew it would likely taste bitter, but knew it would help this poor slave girl.

He handed her a bottle of the Hearty Truffle extract. "Drink this. It should help with that cough."

The slave girl gingerly accepted the bottle and took a sip. Her face impossibly turned even paler as she coughed. "B-Bitter...!"

"Would you rather cough up one or both of your lungs?" Aris made a failed attempt at a joke.

The girl seemed to steel herself before, to Aris's utter amazement, chugging the entire bottle.

"Thank you..." she said quietly. "I...I think I feel better already."

Her voice sounded much clearer, too. Aris found it endearing.

"So, with that taken care of," he said, "what's your name?"

"R-Raphtalia," replied the slave girl.

"Raphtalia..." Aris echoed quietly, repeating the name several times in his mind. "I like that name. It...suits you, somehow. My name is Aris."

"Aris...I think I've heard that name," said Raphtalia. "Y-You're...the Shield Hero. But you use a sword."

"I'm starting to think I should tell everyone not to call me the Shield Hero," Aris mused. "But then again, what else are they supposed to call me? Lord von Pointyears VI?"

That elicited a chuckle from Raphtalia. "Is...that your actual last name?"

"No, no, it's not. Just a joke." He smiled at her. "Seems like you found it funny."

"I-I did."

Aris noticed something on Raphtalia's chest - or, rather, the center of her collarbone. It was a symbol or crest of some kind. "Raphtalia? If you don't mind my asking...what is this?"

"I...I think it's called a Slave Crest," replied Raphtalia. "It prevents me from disobeying orders from my master - the one the Slave Crest is registered to. If...If I disobey them...it hurts me."

"Then I'll try something." 

Aris placed a soft left hand on Raphtalia's Slave Crest. He closed his eyes and whispered something. It sounded completely foreign to Raphtalia; it was a language she had never heard before.

Aris lifted his hand. The crest was gone.

"H-How...How did you...?"

"I made a plea to...a certain powerful individual to free you from your curse," said Aris.

"What about that...language you were speaking? What was it? I-If you don't mind me asking."

"I don't mind." Aris smiled at her. "It is the ancient language of my homeland."

"Your homeland...oh, right. I...forgot the Cardinal Heroes are from other worlds," said Raphtalia.

Silence ensued between them as neither Aris nor Raphtalia knew what they should say next.

"Sir Aris?"

"Please, just 'Aris' will do. But, yes?"

Raphtalia took a deep breath and exhaled. "I...I want to repay you. For saving me."

Aris shook his head. "You don't owe me a thing. I was just doing what was right."

"But...I've seen so many people who had the perfect opportunity to help me and were totally able to choose not to," said Raphtalia. "I...I thought that was normal. And in Melromarc...it kind of is, for a Demi-Human. Especially a slave. But...you saved my life. So...I feel like I owe you my life. You helped me...s-so I want to help you."

"What do you mean?"

"I want to join you, Aris," said Raphtalia. "...I-If you'll have me..."

Aris hesitated. He knew Raphtalia had courage; she'd made a bold escape from her master and been ready to defend herself or die trying when her master had sent out the small dragon. Raphtalia certainly had courage and tenacity. What she lacked, however, was proper combat training.

"Can you fight?" Aris asked.

"Not really..." replied Raphtalia. "B-But I'll learn from you...if that's okay."

"It's perfectly okay," Aris assured her. "I am more than happy to pass my skills on to you. But first...we'll need to buy you a proper sword. And some new clothes."

"Kid, you're back." Erhard seemed pleasantly surprised. "And...you brought a girl with you? Who's she?"

"She's my friend," replied Aris. "Her name is Raphtalia." His eyes narrowed at Erhard. "And I'm aware that she is a Demi-Human, but I expect her to be treated with the respect she is due."

"Hey, I've met quite a few nice Demi-Humans," Erhard said. He turned to Raphtalia with a gentle look on his face. "Nice to meetcha."

Raphtalia gave Erhard a shy wave.

"So, what can I do for you two?" asked Erhard.

"Get Raphtalia a sword she can use, and preferably a cheap one," said Aris. "And do you have any clothes she can wear? She is not very well-protected with what she has on at the moment."

"I gotcha, kid," said Erhard. "And just for you and your friend, the clothes are on the house."

Erhard rifled through his storage closet and returned with an outfit for Raphtalia. "This stuff oughta do it."

Raphtalia accepted the clothes from Erhard and retreated into the privacy of the changing room.

Erhard turned to Aris and whispered, "I saw those broken shackles on her wrists and ankles, is she..."

"She was a slave," Aris corrected before Erhard could finish. "I rescued her. She was escaping from her master, who sent some kind of quadrupedal dragon to attack her. I slew it and got Raphtalia to safety."

"So, you're not gonna use her as your slave?"

Aris was shocked. "In what parallel timeline would I do such a thing!?"

"Whoa, okay, touchy subject.

Raphtalia returned after a few minutes, clad in her new garb.

"Does it fit?" asked Aris.

"Yes," Raphtalia replied.

Erhard laid out a few cheap swords for Raphtalia to choose from. The Demi-Human took one and hefted it. It seemed like she wasn't entirely used to wielding a sword, but Aris could tell she had at least some swordplay experience.

"Have you used a sword before?" he asked Raphtalia.

She nodded. "I...I learned a few years ago. But I never had a chance to use it, so I'm out of practice. I-I hope you don't mind."

"It'll come back to you, I'm sure," Aris said comfortingly. "And I'll teach you a few techniques of my own. But for now, follow me."

Aris paid Erhard for the equipment and led Raphtalia outside, to an empty alleyway. He found a few barrels, all of which were conveniently empty. He set up the barrels on a few boxes as targets for Raphtalia.

"Try to take out all those barrels in one strike," he instructed.

Raphtalia reared her sword and charged. The wood of the barrels was damp from the recent rain, so her cheap blade was able to cleave through all three of them with a backhanded slash.

"Good, good!" Aris commended.

Suddenly, Aris noticed his right arm flashing green. "Huh?"

He opened his status screen. When he looked in Raphtalia's direction, something rippled his soul in a way he couldn't quite describe. On the status screen, he saw a prompt. "'Set as companion?'" Below the query were two selections: "yes" and "no". Aris chose "yes" and on the status screen, Raphtalia's name appeared under his own. He selected her name, and it showed a detailed overview of Raphtalia's attributes: her age (17, the same as Aris), her level (she was at level 1), and her "stats" (as he'd heard the other Cardinal Heroes begin to call them).

PARTY MEMBER RECRUITED

Raphtalia

"No matter how rough the path, I will follow you."

Age: 17

Sex: Female

Level: 1

Class: None chosen

HP: 98

MP: 32

EXP: 0/225

STATS:

ATK: 20

DEF: 10

SPD: 25

EQUIPMENT:

Weapon: Iron Sword (+15 ATK)

Headgear: None

Armor: Traveler's Tunic (+1 DEF), Hide Breastplate (+2 DEF)

Legwear: Traveler's Skirt (Attached to Traveler's Tunic)

Footwear: Thigh-High Leather Boots (+1 DEF)

"A-Aris?" said Raphtalia. "Is...something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm alright. It's...Hero business."

"Oh...okay."

A low growl sounded nearby. Aris's left hand instinctively whipped up to the Master Sword's hilt.

Raphtalia gasped, cowering as terrified whimpers left her mouth.

Aris's guard lowered when he realized no monsters were nearby. "What was that?" he asked. "I thought it was a monster."

"M-My stomach..." Raphtalia whimpered.

"Oh, you're hungry?" Aris laughed to himself. "And here I was, thinking some creature was preparing to pounce on us. Come with me, I'll buy us lunch."

Aris led Raphtalia into a local tavern, as he didn't want to use any more Hearty Truffles solely for food. Murmurs arose among the patrons upon his arrival, especially with Raphtalia trailing behind him.

"Is that the Shield Hero? He really does carry a sword."

"Isn't he the one who ra-"

"Shut up! You want him to hear you and get mad?"

"Why's there a Demi-Human with him? No surprise he's scraping the bottom of the barrel for party members."

"I bet she can barely even lift that sword."

Raphtalia's eyes grew watery as she heard what people were saying.

"Don't let their words faze you," Aris whispered to her. "None of them know the real you. Besides, if any one of them so much as lays a finger on you, I'll send my foot so far into their sphincter that they'll taste the leather of my boot in the back of their throat. In other words, I'll protect you."

Raphtalia seemed to calm down, but only slightly.

Aris placed an order for two cheap lunch meals, one for him and one for Raphtalia. He also ordered three drinks: one cup of water and two of jasmine tea. He loved jasmine tea; it was his favorite beverage. He hoped to convince Raphtalia to try some but chose to order some water in the event that she disliked tea.

Soon, their food was ready. Aris placed the lunch trays on the table, one on his side, and the other in front of Raphtalia.

"Th-This is...for me? All of it?" Raphtalia had a hopeful glimmer in her eyes.

"Of course," replied Aris. "Eat. It's unwise to physically exert yourself on an empty stomach."

Raphtalia didn't even hesitate to grab her fork and start practically attacking her food. It was as though she hadn't eaten a single crumb in weeks.

Aris ate much slower but found himself distracted by Raphtalia's demeanor. He snickered. "Small bites. Don't choke on it."

Raphtalia started calming down and eating more politely, albeit still very excited to be eating with a friend as a normal person would.

Their drinks arrived next. Aris took a sip of his jasmine tea. It was piping hot, just the way he liked it.

Raphtalia, meanwhile, seemed to recognize the water cup in front of her, but not the tea. "What is this?" she asked. "It...smells really nice. Is it for me?"

"Only if you are willing to try it," replied Aris. "It's jasmine tea, a favorite beverage of mine. Be careful, it's quite hot. Small sips. I don't want you to scald your mouth to ashes."

Raphtalia took a tentative taste of her tea. She quickly lowered her cup to keep too much from spilling into her mouth. "It is quite hot...but it tastes so sweet."

"It helps me calm my nerves," said Aris. "I always drink jasmine tea whenever I can after a hard-fought battle."

The two of them finished their meals and drinks before leaving to go level up in the fields.

"Good work." Aris sheathed the Master Sword. "We'll wrap up for the evening and have dinner."

Aris had scavenged some edible ingredients and hunted some meat to make dinner, which he threw together in a cooking pot. Out came a surprisingly tasty meal.

"Aris?" Raphtalia asked meekly.

"Yes?"

"Are you..." Raphtalia hesitated, "...Are you really the Shield Hero?"

"Well, Ren Amaki is the Sword Hero, Itsuki Kawasumi is the Bow Hero, and Motoyasu Kitamura is the Spear Hero...so that leaves me as the Shield Hero."

"But...why do you use a sword?"

Aris had a feeling such a question would arise sooner rather than later. He surmised that Raphtalia was owed an explanation.

"This is no ordinary weapon." He slowly unsheathed the sacred blade, holding it for Raphtalia to see. "It is known by many names: the Blade of Evil's Bane, the Sword That Seals the Darkness...but its true name is the Master Sword. It has a long history, spanning back eons ago, not long after my world was first created by the Goddesses. Those same Goddesses helped to forge the Master Sword. And it is the weapon of the Goddess' chosen hero. But...I am not the first to wield it, and if those legends and fairy tales of ancient Hyrule are to be believed, I will be far from the last. For the birth of a chosen hero comes with the reincarnation of a great evil that the hero must repel and seal."

Raphtalia sat there, her eyes wide with nothing but awe.

Aris met her gaze. "Raphtalia...I carry a heavy burden, but I do it because someone has to. The path of a hero is not an easy one to travel, but sometimes, you aren't given a choice. If I may ask...is this a path you want to walk by my side?"

Raphtalia was silent. She seemed to be contemplating Aris's question. A flash of worry showed on her face.

Aris amended his words. "If you do not have faith in your physical or mental fortitude, that is alright. I will not belittle you for it. In fact, if you want to leave and live the life you want to live, you may. There is no shame or disgrace in abstaining, only in retreat."

Still, not a word passed Raphtalia's lips.

Aris fell into the same silence, awaiting her answer.

Finally, after the longest silence in either of their lives, Raphtalia voiced her decision.

"I...I want to help you." Her hands shook; she was nervous. She clenched her fists to calm herself. A deep breath went in and out of her lungs. "I want to walk by your side...down the path of a hero."

"So you accept the burden that comes with your choice? You accept the sacrifice of...well, everything...that comes with it?"

Raphtalia nodded. "It's one I'm willing to make...that I want to make."

"May I ask why?" Aris tilted his head a little.

Raphtalia took another deep breath. "That day...yesterday...you saved my life. I...I had already accepted that I was going to die if I got caught escaping. And when the slaver sent that dragon at me...I thought that...that it was the end. But I decided that I'd rather die in some semblance of freedom than live the rest of my life in shackles and suffering. I...I was completely prepared to die that day. But...then I realized that my fate had other plans for me. Because your fate...it...it brought you to rescue me. So...if my fate calls me to be a hero...I'm going to answer that call. No matter how inexperienced or weak I might be right now...I'll do whatever I can to get stronger. I'll work as hard as I have to. Like you said, it's a heavy burden...but I'll carry it to the edge of the world if it means saving everyone."

Now, it was Aris's turn to be filled with awe. "I..." he was at a loss for words, "...I couldn't have said that better myself." He sat down in front of Raphtalia, taking both of her hands in his own. "But the burden - the burden of being a hero - it isn't a burden you have to carry alone. My homeland had an ancient proverb: 'It's dangerous to go alone.' At first...I believed it was ludicrous. After all, I'd been journeying alone for a long time before coming here. But now...I know what the proverb truly means. Though there is strength in numbers, that isn't what the proverb refers to. It refers to friends, companions, family members, lovers...anyone a person might form a bond with. Because their bond can be unbreakable - strong enough to hold any load. Even the weight of an entire world...or the entire universe. And the weight of this world lies on our shoulders, Raphtalia."

"Then we'll carry that weight, one way or another. And we won't do it alone. Because..."

The two finished in unison. "It's dangerous to go alone."

Chapter Text

"Hey, these aren't all that bad," the apothecary remarked. "Way better than the ones I usually get. Sir, you wouldn't happen to have a background in medicine, would you?"

Aris shook his head. "I can brew basic elixirs for certain things, but that's where my skills in medicine end, for the most part. Why do you ask?"

"Well, if you're looking for a better profit, I would advise selling the medicines directly," replied the apothecary. "Using the herbs you've brought me, making medicine shouldn't be too hard, even for a beginner. I've got some old tools you can use for it, but they might break soon. Use them carefully."

"Do you want them back?"

"Oh, I don't need them anymore," said the apothecary. "I've got newer, better tools. I really don't care what happens to these old tools." He handed Aris a few pieces of clunky equipment used for medicine-making and potion brewing.

"How much do you want for them?" asked Aris.

"Free of charge," the apothecary replied. "I've been meaning to get them out of my office for a while now."

Binary blades tore through monsters in the forest as Aris and Raphtalia fought side by side. Their XP went up slowly but surely as they defeated beast after beast.

"You're getting better!" Aris cut down a small killer rabbit called a Usapil. "And fast, too. You're a natural at this, Raphtalia!"

"O-Oh, thank you!" Raphtalia sidestepped, dodging a Red Balloon before popping it with her sword.

Before long, the monsters were gone from the area, and Aris sat down at the base of a tree. "Good work," he said to Raphtalia. "Rest up, you've earned it."

Raphtalia looked around nervously, seemingly trying to find a place to sit. Occasionally she would glance at where Aris was sitting and then quickly look away.

"If you want to sit next to me, you're welcome to," said Aris.

Raphtalia seemed relieved as she walked over and took a seat next to him. Meanwhile, Aris got to work with a small dissecting knife, skinning the dead Usapil for its pelt. Raphtalia seemed a little squeamish when Aris started handling the dead monster's entrails and turned very pale when she saw the beast's blood covering his hand.

"Is something wrong?" Aris asked her.

"N-Nothing, just..."

"You can tell me," Aris said gently. "I won't belittle you."

Raphtalia took a breath. "I'm...I'm a bit nervous around...guts and blood and whatnot."

"Oh, that's alright," said Aris. "I was the same way, once. It takes time to become used to having to deal with such things in my line of work if you could call what I do a 'line of work'."

"I'll try my best to get over those feelings," said Raphtalia. "Something tells me I'll have to eventually."

"You will," agreed Aris, "but I promise to help you however I can. And...if it's any consolation, you might just be able to get over your discomfort around blood, because...well, the next Wave of Calamity arrives in barely more than a week. So it isn't a stretch to say we likely will see a lot of blood during the battle. I just pray that blood won't be our own."

"You're...You're going to fight the Waves?"

"It's the entire reason why I'm in this world," replied Aris.

"Then...Then I'm going to fight, too," said Raphtalia. "Right by your side."

"And we'll win the fight. Together."

Just as Aris had finished skinning and cleaning the Usapil's pelt, more rustling sounded from the bushes nearby. Raphtalia jumped to her feet, readying her sword. Aris followed suit.

What emerged from the undergrowth, however, was not at all what either of them was expecting.

A group of small monsters burst from the bushes, their beady yellow eyes locked on Aris and Raphtalia. They resembled large, somewhat humanoid insects with shadowy bodies, round heads, hunched backs, and two little antennae on top of their heads. One of the shadows pounced at Raphtalia, who swatted it away with her sword.

"What are these things?" Raphtalia asked warily.

"I don't know." Aris cut one down with the Master Sword. "I've never seen them before."

More shadows appeared. Some of them were even more humanoid, having tall, lanky bodies and longer antennae. Aris and Raphtalia found them fairly easy to defeat, but their numbers were making the battle tedious.

"There's so many of them!" Raphtalia cleaved through three of the smaller shadows before thrusting her sword into a larger one.

Aris felt his soul ripple as a notification appeared on his status display. He elected to check it after wiping out the shadow monsters.

"Phew...I think...I think that was the last of them." Aris sheathed the Master Sword.

Raphtalia plopped onto her rear, panting heavily as if she'd just run a marathon. Meanwhile, Aris checked his status display.

NEW CREATURES DISCOVERED (HOSTILE)

Shadow

Species: Heartless (Pureblood)

Habitat: Unknown

DESC: None

Neoshadow

Species: Heartless (Pureblood)

Habitat: Unknown

DESC: None

So, they're called Heartless, he thought. And the two variants that attacked us are Shadows and Neoshadows.

Unfortunately for him, the Heartless hadn't dropped any materials, so he was left with nothing to feed to his Shield.

"Those definitely didn't look like monsters one would normally encounter in this world," said Aris. "Maybe further investigation is in order."

"Lute Village..." Aris read the entrance sign aloud. "It seems like a good place to sell our loot."

He and Raphtalia found a local merchant to whom they could hawk their wares. Aris first presented the Usapil pelt. "How much can we get for it?"

"About two silvers, give or take a copper," replied the merchant. "It's good quality, but Usapils are common monsters."

Aris sighed. "Figures. Hey, do you know of any nearby areas where my friend and I could earn a large amount of money in a short amount of time?"

"The ore in the mines just outside the village should fetch a good amount," said the merchant, "but...it's been crawling with monsters ever since the first Wave. These days, everyone avoids the place like the plague." He scoffed. "I dunno what our summoned Heroes are doing, but if you ask me, it isn't much."

Other than framing me for the sake of their own gain, maybe, Aris thought.

He and Raphtalia headed for the mines.

Upon arrival, they took a break to prepare for their descent into the caves. Raphtalia did some warming up with her sword while Aris checked his status display.

It turned out that he had unlocked a variety of new shields that he could equip, including a "Rope Shield". It seemed like a slightly more versatile version of what he called "Grappling Arm", a function his prosthesis had that allowed him to separate its parts and use it as a sort of grappling hook.

New shields, however, were not the only things he had unlocked.

He held out his right arm. "Air Strike Shield!"

In front of him, a burst of Soul Energy gave way to a floating apparition of a shield. "Whoa!" he exclaimed.

It certainly seemed like something that would come in handy.

"Aris?" Raphtalia's concerned face peered through the doorway of the shack. "I heard you yell. Did...something happen?"

The Air Strike Shield disappeared. "No, I was testing something. Are you ready?"

Raphtalia nodded.

"Then let's move."

The duo set off for their spelunking excursion.

"If the situation is too dire, we'll have to retreat with whatever ore we have," said Aris to Raphtalia.

"Right," said Raphtalia, shouldering a pick.

Silence ensued for a minute.

"Um...Aris?"

"Yes?"

"I've been meaning to ask...what happened to your right arm? Why is it...glowy, like that?"

Aris hesitated. A memory came flooding back to him - a bad memory. He recalled a fateful day, a battle against a powerful monster. He and his sister had almost downed the beast, but their second of triumph had been immediately overshadowed by Aris screaming in utter agony as his right arm had been forcefully torn from its socket.

He remembered going unconscious from the cold and from the loss of blood.

The pain he'd felt when he'd finally awoken, realizing his arm was lost.

And the memory hurt.

"I...It isn't something I like to talk about," he said to Raphtalia.

"Oh...I shouldn't have brought it up. S-Sorry."

"I forgive you," he said. "You were curious, and...it's not like you could've known."

They reached an open chasm within the mine. "Whoa, look at this view," said Aris.

Raphtalia's eyes widened with awe. Glowing ore was scattered around in the rocks of the chasm walls, along with a few sizable chunks embedded into the rock near the bluff on which Aris and Raphtalia stood.

Aris took the pick from Raphtalia and got to work.

"That should be plenty." He hefted a piece of glowing ore. "Raphtalia, let's head-"

Raphtalia didn't respond. She was looking at something as she shuddered with fear. A beastly growl echoed through the chasm.

Aris whipped his head in the direction Raphtalia was looking.

From an alcove nearby, two sets of demonic red eyes glowed. They grew closer. A large, hulking canine with two heads emerged. Its fur was black as midnight. The two-headed beast foamed at its mouths as it bared its fangs, staring hungrily at Raphtalia.

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED (HOSTILE)

Two-Headed Black Dog

Species: Wave of Calamity Mini-Boss

Habitat: Unknown

DESC: The Two-Headed Black Dog is one of thousands of monsters that attacked this world during the first Wave of Calamity. Bearing a resemblance to a notorious Wave Boss Monster, this particular specimen lingers on in this world even after the first Wave ended.

It charged.

Raphtalia screamed.

Aris lunged towards her and grabbed her, holding her close to him as he leaped over the edge of the chasm.

He activated his Rope Shield, forming it into a lasso and hooking a sturdy outcropping of rock overhead as he held Raphtalia in his free arm. "Are you okay!?"

Raphtalia was going into hysterics. "Th-That m-monster...! It...I-It killed all the villagers...a-and...mom and dad! I...I-I couldn't s-save them...!"

Aris almost dropped her out of shock. She knows that pain...my pain.

"Where are we going tomorrow, Aris?"

"To a place called Lute Village," the Hylian had replied. "We're going to sell our loot there."

Aris had blown out the candles in the room, casting the room into darkness to allow himself and Raphtalia to sleep.

Aris, however, had not fallen asleep. He'd laid awake in his bed, for a reason he hadn't understood.

An hour had passed. Still, Aris had remained awake.

Another hour. No luck with falling asleep.

Suddenly, Aris hadn't been the only one awake.

Raphtalia had shot up to a seated position with a scream, her eyes filled with terrified tears. She had begun to sob into her hands.

Aris, without hesitation, had jumped out of bed and engulfed her in his embrace. Raphtalia had cried into his shoulder for another hour before finally calming down.

That's why she awoke with a scream last night, Aris realized as he pulled himself and Raphtalia to safety and took cover behind a boulder.

"Is that the monster that did it?" he asked her.

Raphtalia shook her head. "N-No...it just...looks really similar."

"Listen," Aris said firmly. "It may be strong, but it's alone. We can fight it two-on-one. You're not going to die here, and neither am I. We're going to stay alive one way or another, so we can grow stronger and fight to make sure other people don't share the same fate as you...or me."

Raphtalia was scared, but a flash of confusion ran across her face as Aris referred to himself. The confusion quickly faded.

"We may not be able to alter the past and bring your family back," said Aris, "but we can fight for the future of others, to make sure their future isn't the same as your past."

Aris charged.

His shield clashed with the maw of the beast's left head. His eyes widened as he realized his mistake.

Before he could jump back to draw the Master Sword, the right head chomped into his left shoulder. He roared in agony. "Ngaaahhhh!!!"

Raphtalia screamed as she watched blood spurt from Aris's shoulder.

Aris managed to wrest the beast's jaws from his shoulder and got back, drawing his blade. Ignoring the excruciation he felt in his shoulder, he jumped at the beast with an overhead strike.

It dodged. It went for another bite, this time doing a pincer move with its two heads around Aris's hips. Aris barely evaded.

Raphtalia was panicking. She watched in horror as Aris, a mighty hero - her mighty hero - bled out from his shoulder. He was barely able to fight the two-headed dog.

"Raphtalia, run!" he called out at her. "Go, I'll buy time! I...I underestimated this thing! For your own sake, get to safety, please!"

She wanted to run. Raphtalia desperately wanted to flee.

No, she chided herself. I...I can't run.

"I won't leave you!" she cried. "You saved my life, Aris!"

Raphtalia drew her sword and charged. "So it's my turn...to save yours!"

Before the binary-headed beast could react, Raphtalia's sword had already cleaved through both of its necks.

Aris dropped to his knees, the Master Sword falling from his hand and landing on the rock with a clang.

"You...You did it," he panted.

Before he could say more, Raphtalia ran over, dropping her own sword to throw her arms around his neck with a mournful cry. "A-Aris...!"

"Hey, easy..." he said gently. "I'm okay, but my shoulder feels like it's been torn to pieces."

Normally Raphtalia would have apologized profusely, but she didn't seem to care. She did, however, move away from Aris's wounded shoulder.

"Promise..." Raphtalia sobbed. "P-Promise you won't leave me...you...y-you're all I have left..."

Aris felt tears begin to trickle down his face. "You and I aren't so different..."

He sniffled.

"W-Wha...why are you crying?"

"W-Why shouldn't I?" said Aris, his voice breaking a little. "You...if what I'm thinking is right, then...you've seen the same destruction as me. You've seen...people you know, people you love...you've seen them die right in front of you...and so have I."

"You...You know h-how I feel?"

"It's a long story," said Aris, "but...yes. You're...not the only one broken by a terrible past..."

"Then...if we're both broken..." Raphtalia moved back a little to meet Aris's gaze. "We...We can help each other heal."

"That we can, Raphtalia. That we can..."

She remained in his arms for a while.

"We can leave this place when I'm done absorbing the loot from the monster, okay?" he asked.

Raphtalia's grip tightened. "Please...just a little longer...?"

Aris conceded. "I'll hold you for as long as you wish."

Chapter Text

"Whoa! Raphtalia, I hardly recognized ya, kid!"

It was true. From the day Aris had met her, Raphtalia had changed a lot. Her once-matted hair was now soft-looking and beautiful, and there was almost always a cheerful smile on her face.

This must be the real Raphtalia, Aris pondered. I...like this side of her.

"Well, it's all thanks to Aris, I'd say." Raphtalia patted Aris on his left shoulder. Aris winced. It still hurt. Raphtalia quickly moved her hand.

"So, what've you crazy kids been up to lately?" asked Erhard.

"Business as usual," replied Aris. "The first Wave is almost here, so Raphtalia and I decided it was high time for some major upgrades."

As the two men conversed, Raphtalia found a simple, yet good-looking sword. "Wow, this one seems pretty sharp!"

"That's magic iron," Erhard explained. "Wanna buy it? Seems like a good fit for you."

Raphtalia gave the blade a brief test swing. "Aris, what do you think?"

"It's your sword, not mine. I'll let you decide."

"I'll take it, then!"

"Nice!" said Erhard. "That one's on the house. Consider it a gift from me to the two of you, since you're both doing so well."

Equipped Weapon (Raphtalia): Magic Iron Longsword

Weapon Type: Longsword

Acquisition: Purchased from Heatwaker Armory (price: 0 coins)

ATK: 20

Equip Bonus: +5 Max MP

DESC: "A sword made from a magic-imbued variant of Iron. This sword and others like it are often favored by novice adventurers who are learning both Magic and Physical attacks. The mana infused into the blade during the forging process grants the wielder a slight increase in MP."

"Now, then, how about some armor for Aris?" said Raphtalia. "That's the other thing we came here for."

"Right," Aris agreed. "I don't believe I'll get very far with what I'm wearing. But the most we can pay is around one hundred eighty silvers."

"How about somethin' like this?" Erhard gestured to a massive suit of heavy metal armor.

Aris seemed a little perturbed. "Er...I don't think that would be good for me. It looks durable, but I do want to have a sense of uniqueness and individuality with what I wear."

"Then I've got a better idea," said Erhard. "I recently got some of my materials restocked, so I can make something just for you. A made-to-order set of armor, if you will. It'll be something new for me since I've never made a set of armor without making a part to protect the right arm. Wait, you don't need armor for your prosthesis, right?"

Aris shook his head. "It's sturdy enough."

"Alright then," said Erhard. "Gimme until tomorrow to finish it."

"Understood!"

"That was really generous of him to give us a discount on a custom armor set, don't you think, Aris?"

"It was," Aris agreed as he and Raphtalia sat down for a meal at the tavern. The two of them paid for their room for the night and made their way there.

"And this sword, too!" said Raphtalia. "I still can't believe he just gave it away!"

"Maybe he was feeling generous."

Raphtalia's face shifted. "Aris? Is...everything okay? You seem a bit...I don't really know what to call it, but you're acting a lot differently. Your voice sounds...a bit more emotionless than I remember it being."

"I'm just tired," replied Aris. "And...admittedly, a bit worried. Especially considering the next Wave arrives in not even two days now."

"Oh, is that what it is?" Raphtalia smiled brightly. "Come on, I know you can keep your chin up! We can handle it."

"Can we?" Aris sighed. "...I just don't know."

"Hey..." Raphtalia leaned forward, putting a hand on Aris's cheek. "Smile for me."

"...What?"

"You heard me, gimme a nice smile."

"I would if there was anything to smile about," Aris deadpanned.

"There's plenty of things to smile about!" said Raphtalia cheerfully. "You're getting new armor tomorrow, we just leveled up a whole bunch today - I think more than we ever have in a single afternoon, and we made good money from selling that ore!"

"...We did, I guess."

Raphtalia sighed. "That's not working, is it?"

Aris's silence served as her answer.

The Demi-Human suddenly had an idea. "Hey, Aris." She smirked a little. "Do you want to see my impersonation of Erhard?"

"Go for it."

Raphtalia cleared her throat. "Hi there! Welcome to Heatwaker Armory!" she said in a hilariously fake deep voice. "Oh, if it ain't my favorite customer! What can I do ya for, kid?"

Aris stifled a laugh.

"Here, how 'bout I give you a custom set of armor for a concerningly low price?" Raphtalia continued in her fake deep voice, imitating the jovial blacksmith. "You'll rock it, kid!"

Aris stifled another laugh, barely able to do so.

"Oh? Am I making you laugh?" Raphtalia teased in her normal voice. "Come on, don't be shy!"

Aris remained composed.

"Alright, that's it," said Raphtalia. "You, sir, have forced my hand!"

She got up and went to Aris's side of the room, reached for his abdomen, and wriggled her fingers about against his stomach, tickling him.

"H-Hey!" Aris exclaimed. "S-Stop!"

He couldn't control himself anymore. A hearty laugh passed his lips, echoing through the room.

"Aw, are you ticklish?" Raphtalia teased, tickling him harder. "I guess that means I'll have to tickle you harder!"

"N-No!" Aris strained between laughs. "Mercy!"

There was no mercy as Raphtalia's fingers continued their assault on Aris's stomach and hips.

A devious smirk formed on Aris's face as he returned the attack.

"W-Whoa!" Raphtalia stumbled back a little. "Getting-haha!-cheeky, are we?"

"As you sow, so shall you reap!" Aris laughed as he tickled Raphtalia. "Two can play at this game!"

The two of them wrestled each other through the room until they eventually ended up on the same bed, right beside each other, their faces rather close (not uncomfortably so, but enough to make them stop for a moment).

They looked at each other and broke into laughter.

"There's the smile I was looking for," Raphtalia cooed, tapping Aris's nose with her index finger. "See? I knew I could get it out of you!"

"You did," Aris panted. "You certainly did, you rascal."

"Doesn't it feel better to smile?" said Raphtalia.

"It does."

"Told you!"

"So, why are we here again, Jafar?"

"Because, Hades," snapped Jafar, a man with an angular chin and a twisted black beard, "Maleficent said she wanted to introduce us to somebody."

"I just hope this somebody isn't completely useless," scoffed Captain Hook. "Or a dirty traitor, like that brat Riku."

"Oh, relax, Hooky boy," Ursula crooned. "If Maleficent trusts her, so should we, right?"

"I thought I told you not to call me that, you blasted sea witch!" Hook directed a pompously gloved finger at the Atlantean schemer.

"Hey, now," Ursula chided. "Didn't your mother ever tell you that it's rude to point fingers? Or maybe it was that little swabby of yours. What was his name again? Schnee?"

"Smee," Hook corrected.

A portly man with gray sideburns and a white-and-blue striped shirt peaked into the room. "You called, Cap'n?"

"Not now!"

Smee promptly left the room.

"Now then," said Jafar. "Where is that bag of insects?"

"Oh, Oogie Boogie?" replied Hades. "Checked in with him at Halloween Town. Guy couldn't make it. Had some 'stuff to do', apparently."

"Then we'll just have to fill him in on what happens here," said Ursula.

A haughty voice cleared their throat. All conversation stopped.

"Greetings, everyone." Maleficent - the mistress of evil - entered the room. Behind her was a young woman with a scarlet ponytail. "I believe you all are aware of the reason I have called you here today?"

"You had someone for us to meet, didn't you?" asked Ursula.

"Correct," said Maleficent. "Myne, would you care to introduce yourself?"

"Of course, mistress." Myne stepped forward. "Greetings, everybody. My name is Malty S. Melromarc, but I go by my alias, Myne."

"Bit of a looker, isn't she?" Hades whispered to Jafar. "Reminds me of that Megara girl. 'cept apparently Myne here is far from a goody-two-shoes."

"Let's hope so," Jafar whispered back.

Maleficent cleared her throat. Hades and Jafar stopped whispering.

"Myne is my protege, and I order you all to treat her with the utmost respect," Maleficent commanded. "After all, powerful as I am, I am still mortal, like most of us here, sans Hades."

Hades - a gray-skinned man with (quite literally) fiery blue hair and an angular face - raised a hand to indicate himself to Myne. "Hi, how ya doin'?" he deadpanned.

"Anyway, dear old Maleficent," crooned Ursula, "what's our plan?"

"I will explain," replied the witch. "Ursula, you will patrol the seas around that pitiful continent and await my orders to attack. It will take time, but that time will come. Count on it."

"You got it."

"Hook-"

"Captain Hook, if you please," the captain interjected.

Maleficent corrected herself reluctantly. "Captain Hook, you will have a similar job to Ursula. If your crew needs to resupply, you may go into port. However, try to stay at sea for as long as possible. You and Ursula will work together when I command it."

Hook nodded.

"Hades," said Maleficent, "my clairvoyant magic has shown me that the Sword Hero - pathetic young man, that one - will soon slay a powerful dragon on a mountain near a village to the north of the country called Melromarc. Allow him to slay the dragon, but when he does, wait for a certain other Hero to arrive and resurrect it using the beast's soul from the Underworld."

"Got it, but 'a certain other Hero' doesn't exactly narrow down who I'm waitin' for here," Hades said flippantly.

"You will know," Maleficent chided.

"Jafar," said Maleficent, "I already gave you your assignment. I believe you know what to do."

"Naturally."

"Wow...it actually looks and feels nice!" Aris had an excited smile on his face.

"Doesn't it?" Erhard said proudly. "I tried coming up with a name for it, but I kinda drew a blank at that point. If you wanna name it, I'll leave it up to you."

Equipped Headgear (Aris): Hero's Cap Replica

Headgear Type: Special Pointed Cap (custom-made)

Acquisition: Purchased from Heatwaker Armory (part of Hero's Equipment set, total set price: 150 silver)

DEF: 3

Equip Bonus: Master Sword ATK+

DESC: "A floppy, pointed green cap made for the Swordsman Shield Hero. You've never seen a cap like this, but it almost feels as if you were destined to wear it..."

Equipped Armor (Aris): Hero's Tunic Replica

Armor Type: Special Tunic (custom-made)

Acquisition: Purchased from Heatwaker Armory (part of Hero's Equipment set, total set price: 150 silver)

DEF: 3

Equip Bonuses: Sword Beam ATK+, Skyward Strike ATK+

DESC: "A custom-made tunic for the Swordsman Shield Hero. You've never seen a tunic like this before, yet there's something familiar about it..."

Equipped Armor (Aris): Hero's Armor

Armor Type: Special Breastplate (custom-made)

Acquisition: Purchased from Heatwaker Armory (part of Hero's Equipment set, total set price: 150 silver)

DEF: 10

Equip Bonus: Shield DEF+

DESC: "A piece of custom-made armor for the Swordsman Shield Hero. It's just your size, protecting everything necessary while also allowing for easy movement."

Equipped Legwear (Aris): Hero's Greaves

Legwear Type: Special Greaves (custom-made)

Acquisition: Purchased from Heatwaker Armory (part of Hero's Equipment set, total set price: 150 silver)

DEF: 5

Equip Bonus: None

DESC: "A pair of custom-made greaves for the Swordsman Shield Hero. Despite being made of durable metal, they don't hinder your movement at all."

Raphtalia's eyes sparkled as she stared at Aris. "So cool...!"

He looks so dashing! Raphtalia thought. It's like...It's like he stepped out of my childhood fantasies!

A horse's whinny stopped their conversation.

Nearby, a crowd of onlookers watched as knights rode on horseback through the main street of the city.

"Everyone in town is really on edge now," Aris noted.

"Of course, the Wave's almost here," said Erhard.

"Yes, but I don't have a way to gauge when and where it's going to happen," Aris sighed.

"Wait, did no one tell you about the Dragon Hourglass?"

"Oh, right, the king did mention that," Aris realized. "But where is it?"

"The top floor of the church," replied Erhard. "Ask one of the Sisters there. They should be able to bring you to the hourglass."

A nun dressed simply in white led Aris and Raphtalia through an empty hallway to a large room. "It is here."

Aris and Raphtalia stepped into the room, staring up in awe. An ornate hourglass towered over them; the sands were almost emptied from the top.

"Whoa...so this is the Dragon Hourglass," said Aris.

His arm suddenly flashed green. A beam of energy shot from the hourglass to his arm and from his arm to the hourglass. A timer appeared at the top of his status display.

"Just over twenty hours..."

A familiar voice approached. "Well, well, well, look who it is!"

Aris turned to see none other than Motoyasu Kitamura, clad in a pompous set of his own armor.

"Come on, don't tell me you're still using that old stuff you had before," Motoyasu said flippantly.

"In your perverted dreams, perhaps," Aris deadpanned.

Raphtalia leaned toward Aris's ear. "Do you know these people?" she whispered.

Aris gritted his teeth. "Unfortunately." He stepped away from the hourglass and prepared to leave."

"Hey, answer Sir Motoyasu when he speaks to you!" Myne shouted.

Aris whipped around towards her, shifting his prosthesis into its blaster form. "Start holding your tongue before I burn it to cinders in your damned mouth!" He turned to Raphtalia, lowering his voice. "Come, we're leaving."

Raphtalia jogged to catch up. Aris, however, briefly stopped as he saw Ren and Itsuki enter the room, dressed in their own new armor. They went up to the hourglass with Motoyasu.

Aris turned to the three. "If any of you - any of you - try to hurt my friend," he gestured to Raphtalia, "I'll gut you like fish."

"May I...?"

Aris looked up from his crafting. "What?"

"Did...Did something happen between you and the other Heroes?" Raphtalia seemed concerned.

Aris turned his head back around. "I don't want to talk about it. You wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth."

"I trust you," Raphtalia assured him. She lowered herself from the bed and sat behind Aris, gently hugging him around his waist. "You can tell me."

Aris took a deep breath. "Okay...promise me you won't leave...?"

"Why would I leave?"

Aris hesitated. "At the beginning of my time here, the day after I was summoned, that redheaded woman in Motoyasu's party - Myne is her name - she joined my party as the only member. She was warm, friendly, and sweet. Like you are now. But the next day, everything changed. She tried to frame me for...assaulting her. And everyone believed it. Now I'm...kind of a social pariah pretty much everywhere in town. And the worst part? I had hard evidence to prove she was lying. I can even show you now."

"What do you mean?"

"An ability I have," said Aris. "It's called Memanima Projection. I can use my Soul Energy to record an event happening in front of me, and then play it back whenever I want. And the night before Myne framed me, I recorded...this."

Aris tapped into his Soul Energy, playing back his recording of Myne's conversation with that horned witch.

"Who was she talking to?" Raphtalia asked as Aris ended the playback.

"Someone named Maleficent," said Aris. "A fitting name, I have to say. Though...something tells me this is bigger than just whoever Maleficent is. Something is going on here, and I want to get to the bottom of it."

"Then I'll help you." Raphtalia tightened her hug. "Whatever it takes."

Adventurers had awakened at the crack of dawn in preparation for the coming invasion. Aris, though a Cardinal Hero instead of an adventurer, was no exception.

"Aris?" said Raphtalia.

"Yes?"

"I just..." Raphtalia hesitated. "I wanted to...to say that...I'm truly grateful and honored to have met you. You...gave me medicine to cure my sickness, you gave me hot meals, but...most importantly, you taught me how to survive, and how to fight. Because of you, I am proud and honored to walk the path of a hero, right by your side. You...gave me a reason to keep living. You are my reason to keep living."

Aris turned to look at her, a gentle look on his face. "You gave to me just as much as I gave to you. You stood by my side when no one else would. And you didn't do it because you had to, either."

Raphtalia nodded. "I did it - and still do - because I want to. Because there is no one whose side I would rather stand by." She stepped forward to meet him, grasping his hands in her own. "Wherever you go, Aris...I'll be right there with you. You are my strength...and I am yours."

All the while, the timer continued counting down. Second by second, time passed.

Finally, after the longest minute of Aris's life, the timer reached zero.

The sky bled crimson as Aris and Raphtalia disappeared from the capital city streets in a burst of light.

"There it is, the Wave!" Aris pointed skyward.

Amid the crimson backdrop were swirling vortexes of blue, sending out swarms of what, from a distance, looked like gnats. These, however, were much larger monsters.

Raphtalia gasped. "Over there! It's Lute Village!"

"Was everyone evacuated in time?"

As if on cue, a signal flare shot into the sky, exploding in a burst of color.

"That appears to be our answer," said Aris. "Raphtalia, get ready! We're going to Lute Village!"

Aris plucked a blade of grass from the ground.

"What are you doing?" asked Raphtalia.

"Summoning our transportation."

Aris lifted the blade of grass to his lips. He used it as a sort of whistle, playing a simple three-note melody.

His prosthesis shined with Soul Energy. The energy flowed out from Aris, coalescing in front of him to form a majestic mare with chestnut fur and a blonde mane. The mare's body was outlined with Soul Energy green as it reared on its haunches and let out an ethereal, echoing whinny.

Spirit Summon

Epona

Summon Type: Mount

DESC: "The soul of a mare who lived long, long ago. There is an old legend that she was the steed of a powerful hero who traveled through time."

Aris clambered onto the mare's back, helping Raphtalia into the saddle behind him. "Go, Epona! Hyah!"

Epona whinnied as she started to gallop toward Lute Village.

Chapter Text

A man in a bandana closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, waiting for the end.

The end never came.

A resounding clang echoed through Lute Village as Aris blocked the blade of an armored zombie with the Master Sword. He pushed against the undead warrior's strength, knocking it down with a Spartan kick before stomping its head to mush. Another zombie approached. It fell to Raphtalia's blade.

"Sir, are you alright?" said Raphtalia.

"Get him and the other villagers to safety," Aris told her. "I'll see if I can't buy you time."

Raphtalia nodded and started getting the bandana-clad man to safety.

Aris, meanwhile, sprinted for the horde.

"One of the Heroes!" exclaimed a villager, who was defending himself with a pitchfork. "It's the swordsman Shield Hero! He'll save us!"

Aris cleaved through the head of a zombie, killing it. "Listen, everyone! I'll keep these monsters busy, so follow my friend and get out while you still have time!"

He ran through the village, saving lives. "Air Strike Shield!" 

The green shield apparition blocked a zombie from hurting a merchant. Aris cut it down with his sword.

"Shield Prison!"

A hollow sphere of shields came into existence around a cowering mother and daughter, protecting them from a swarm of wasp monsters.

Aris channeled a small amount of Soul Energy into the Master Sword, willing its blade to glow green. "Keep your eyes on me, you undead wretches!" he exclaimed. "I'm the one you want!"

The zombies charged. Aris began mowing them down with the Master Sword.

Why do I do these things? he asked himself. Why is it that heroes risk their lives to help complete strangers?

Raphtalia beckoned the evacuating villagers toward her. "Everyone, come this way! I know a way to safety!"

The villagers didn't hesitate to follow her.

"There's too many of them," Aris muttered to himself. "I can't do this alone, but the villagers need protection while they evacuate."

His priorities shifted from killing the horde to minimizing damage to the village.

He saw a large wooden watchtower. He had an idea.

Aris sprinted for the tower at breakneck speed. He held out his prosthesis and used its "Grapple" function (as he'd come to call it) to carry himself to the top of the watchtower.

At the top of the watchtower sat a bell, presumably as an alarm for incoming monster hordes.

Aris reached up and rang the bell as fast and loud as he could. All attention was on him now.

The tower buckled. The zombies had begun to either climb it or try to tear it down. Aris couldn't tell.

He noticed a jar of lantern oil and a lit lantern, the latter of which barely had any oil left.

He decided to give it some oil.

Aris poured the lamp oil all over the floor of the watchtower, allowing some of it to hit the zombies climbing to the top. He took the lantern and slammed it into the floor, shattering it and causing a fire to break out across the watchtower.

He jumped.

"Parashield!"

Aris held his right arm above his head, his forearm horizontal across his scalp as though covering his hair from the rain. A new shield appeared on his arm, resembling a large hand glider. He used it to float to the ground without hurting himself.

He landed, however, right in the middle of a zombie horde.

Aris drew the Master Sword and cut them down with a warrior yell and a spinning slash.

The ground shook beneath his feet. Aris turned to see a hulking titan of a zombie towering over him.

The undead titan raised its axe and swung down at him. Aris dodged to the side and jumped up behind the zombie, slicing its back open. The zombie roared with agony.

A familiar voice called out his name. "Aris!"

"Raphtalia!"

Raphtalia leaped into action, driving her blade hilt-deep into the giant zombie's skull.

"Everyone's safe!" Raphtalia landed back on the ground.

"Good work," said Aris. "Can you fight?"

"Until the cows come home."

"Perfect. Let's get to work."

The Hylian and the Demi-Human battled side by side, downing swaths of zombies and other monsters.

"Their numbers aren't thinning!" Aris exclaimed as he cut down a zombie.

An earsplitting roar echoed through the air.

A gargantuan beast bearing a strange appearance soared over Lute Village with an even stranger pair of wings, dropping what looked like magic bombs on the swarms of the undead.

The monsters' numbers were significantly thinned.

Aris cheered, silently thanking whatever this creature was for helping out.

The creature, however, had other ideas.

It turned its massive head towards Aris and Raphtalia, letting off another earsplitting roar. Aris noticed a black heart-shaped emblem on its large lower jaw.

The beast swooped low, aiming directly for Aris and Raphtalia.

Aris picked up Raphtalia and dove to the side, barely evading the attack.

"What in the good name of Hylia!? It's attacking us!?" Aris readied the Master Sword.

His status display flashed.

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED (HOSTILE, BOSS)

Storm Rider

Species: Heartless (Emblem)

Habitat: Unknown

DESC: None

"It's a Heartless...that would explain the hostility."

The Storm Rider roared as it spread its wings. Bolts of lightning rocked the decimated remains of Lute Village. The smell of ozone filled the air as Aris and Raphtalia dodged the lightning.

With a roar, the Storm Rider attempted another swooping attack. An idea suddenly popped into Aris's mind.

"Raphtalia, move!"

The Demi-Human did so, fending off a group of zombies as Aris stood firm in front of the Storm Rider. He ran towards the diving giant, meeting it in the middle. Just before it could crush him, however, Aris slid under the Storm Rider, barely grazing its underbelly. He raised the Master Sword into the body of the Heartless, leaving a massive cut.

The Storm Rider screamed in pain.

The cymbal-like appendages lining its body clashed together, summoning magical explosives as the Storm Rider carpet-bombed the remains of Lute Village.

On the ground, hordes of smaller Heartless appeared. Aris's display identified them as Shadows, Soldiers, Neoshadows, and Large Bodies. Raphtalia didn't hesitate to start combating them. Aris was too focused on fighting the Storm Rider to tell her otherwise.

Loretta Atreides didn't know what was going on.

Yesterday, this world had been completely fine. Life had been peaceful, even enjoyable.

Today was a different story.

She'd heard talk in the streets about "Waves of Calamity", but didn't believe them. She believed them now, though.

"Thank the Goddess for my Ancient Blasters." Loretta readied a device resembling a handgun, made from Sheikah technology. She fired a searing beam of blue energy at a monster, leaving a sizzling hole in its flesh. Her other blaster dished the same treatment to another monster.

Loretta ran through the forest, shooting down monsters along the way. Their numbers didn't thin; they only increased.

Soon, though, she was relatively safe. She found a crowd of people taking refuge in a nearby cave. A group of strange shadow monsters was approaching them. Loretta readied one of her blasters, shifting it into its Plasma Whip mode before bringing down the shadows and running into the cave. "What's happening here!?"

"A-A Wave!" one of the people exclaimed. "We...We had to evacuate our village! The swordsman Shield Hero and his friend are defeating the monsters there!"

Swordsman Shield Hero? Loretta was nonplussed.

"I don't know who either of those people are, but I'll see what I can do to help them!" Loretta rushed towards a distant village without another word.

"Brother!? What are you doing here!?"

Aris recognized the voice immediately.

"Loretta!" he cried. "You're here!?"

"I am, what's going on!?" Loretta readied one of her blasters and took out a Heartless.

"It's a Wave of Calamity!"

"Yeah, I know that!" said Loretta. "But what in Hylia's name is that thing!?" She pointed to the Storm Rider.

"I'll explain once it's safe!"

Loretta raised her blasters and fired a barrage of lasers at the flying Heartless. Aris readied his prosthesis and sent off a volley of Soul Energy beams.

The Storm Rider seemed to change its plans.

It landed nearby, roaring as it summoned two glowing walls of deadly magic. A ball of crackling lightning began to appear and grow between its horns.

"That can't be good!" Loretta rushed toward it.

"What are you doing!?"

"I have an idea, follow me!"

Aris complied, sprinting after his sister.

Loretta leaped over the Storm Rider's head, using her Plasma Whip to hook one of its horns. She pulled back with all her might. Its head barely budged, but it was enough to save Raphtalia from a head-on beam of deadly lightning.

Lighting built up within the horn Loretta had hooked. Her body suddenly seized up with an electric shock. Aris's eyes widened as he realized what needed to be done.

"The horns!"

He rushed for the Storm Rider's head, cleaving through the horn that was pumping electricity through Loretta's Plasma Whip and into her body. Loretta fell backward and barely staggered to her feet.

The Storm Rider flew back into the air.

"Fall back!" Aris said to his sister. "I'm going to end this!"

He leaped from the ground to a rooftop, jumping towards the flying Storm Rider. He used Grapple to pull himself onto the Storm Rider's back.

He reversed his grip on the Master Sword, holding it blade down. He raised the blade.

Aris plunged it into the Storm Rider's back. The Heartless roared.

He stabbed it again. Another roar pierced his ears.

Having slowed down, the Storm Rider's back proved safe to be stood upon. Aris wobbled upright and landed a strike to the Storm Rider's other horn. Using Grapple, he leaped off the Heartless's head and pulled himself towards the ground with the Master Sword held out, cutting through the Storm Rider's neck.

The giant's head separated from its body in a burst of darkness. The entire body disappeared in a flash, releasing a giant heart.

In the sky, the blue vortexes combusted in a burst of light. The crimson heavens gave way to the beautiful bright blue of a summer afternoon.

Loretta hobbled over to her brother. Aris gasped at the sight of his wounded sister. "Are you okay!?"

"Y-Yes...I'm alright," Loretta strained. "My leg hurts. Good quick thinking, taking out that monster's horns."

"I noticed they were conjuring the lightning, so I acted accordingly."

"Just what was that thing?" Loretta wondered aloud. "It isn't like anything I've ever seen before."

A voice interjected into their conversation. "Aris!"

Raphtalia ran over. "I finished off the last of the Heartless," she said. "And I just let the villagers know it's safe to come back."

"Good," said Aris, "but..." He sighed. "...I just wish we were able to protect more of the village. The damage will take months - maybe even years - to repair."

"It's better than leaving nothing at all," said Raphtalia. "And...we survived, didn't we?"

"...We did."

Loretta cleared her throat.

Aris and Raphtalia turned their heads toward her. She had a smirk on her face.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend, brother?" she teased.

Raphtalia's eyes widened as she gasped, "B-Brother...?"

Aris laughed. "I almost forgot. Sister, this is Raphtalia, my...currently my only companion in this world." He turned to Raphtalia. "Raphtalia, this is Loretta. She's my sister."

"Older sister," Loretta corrected.

"Yes, by all of three minutes."

Raphtalia chuckled. "I don't think you ever told me you had a sister."

"To be fair, I didn't think we'd be seeing her," Aris pointed out. "But I'm glad we are. It's...been a while."

"Yeah," Loretta agreed. "It's...good to see you, little brother. And Raphtalia won't be your only companion anymore."

"You...You want to travel with us?"

"Of course!" said Loretta. "Why shouldn't I? We're family, after all. We should be looking out for each other."

"We'll all look out for each other," said Aris. "You, me, Raphtalia...we'll all keep each other safe. It's what friends do."

PARTY MEMBER RECRUITED

Loretta Nohansen Atreides

"Even strength must bow before wisdom and knowledge."

Age: 17

Sex: Female

Level: 19

Class: None chosen

HP: 110/110

MP: 50/50

EXP: 208/450

STATS:

ATK: 30

DEF: 15

SPD: 69

EQUIPMENT:

Weapon: Sheikah Blaster Pistols/Whips

Headgear: None

Armor: Sheikah Jumpsuit (+3 DEF)

Legwear: Sheikah Jumpsuit Leggings (Attached to Sheikah Jumpsuit)

Footwear: Sheikah Jet Boots (+2 DEF, +20 SPD)

Chapter Text

"For their valiant efforts during the Wave of Calamity," proclaimed Aultcray Melromarc XXXII, "Sirs Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki will each receive 3,800 silver coins. I have set aside five hundred silver coins for the swordsman Shield Hero."

Before Aris could claim his financial reward, the king continued, "However, since the funds are offset by the cost of repairing the damages to Lute Village and various other towns outside of the capital, Sir Aris will not receive the money at this time."

Aris wanted to punch the king's lights out but decided against it.

"Hold on, that can't be acceptable," Itsuki interjected. "He may not have been there to deal with the Wave's main boss monster, but the people of Lute Village are giving him and his party all the credit for saving them. He deserves at least that much money."

"Besides, you could just as easily have used our rewards for repairs," Ren added. "Yet you didn't. I may not like Aris that much, but I know what it feels like to be flat-broke, and it's tough. Just give him the money."

The king sighed. "Fine. I shall give him the five hundred silvers, but no more."

I suppose it's better than no money at all, Aris reasoned. "Thank you," he muttered to the king.

Loretta narrowed her eyes at the king. "Now, if you'll excuse us, your stinginess, I think my friends and I have better things to be doing than standing around in your stuffy audience chamber."

She and the others were gone before the king could tell them off.

"That was bold of you to talk to the king like that," Raphtalia said to Loretta. "A bit...foolish, but definitely bold."

Loretta shrugged. "No one gets to mess with my brother like that. Except me, that is."

"Why only you?" asked Raphtalia.

"Because I let her," replied Aris. "With the caveat that I can retaliate her mischief with some of my own."

"You can, but mine always beats yours." Loretta nudged him with her elbow.

"Oh, does it now?" Aris gave Loretta's blonde ponytail a playful yank.

"Ow! Mind my hair, you heathen!"

The twins shared a laugh.

"So, where are we going?" asked Raphtalia.

"To an apothecary I know," said Aris. "I've got some things to sell him."

"Ah, sir, you're back," said the apothecary. "Your timing couldn't have been better."

Aris tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"I have something here for you." The apothecary reached below his shop counter and set a thick book on top of it. "I've got a lot of relatives over in Lute Village, and they told me how valiantly you saved them. So, I decided to give you a little something for your hard work."

"What is it?" asked Aris.

"An old grimoire of mine," replied the apothecary. "It has recipes for more advanced medicines than the ones you normally craft by hand. As potent as those medicines are, the ones in this book are much more effective."

"I'll see if I can't brew any of them." Aris reached for his money pouch.

"Oh, you don't need to pay a thing." The apothecary held up a hand to stop him. "It's free of charge. After all, it wouldn't be a reward if I made you pay for it."

Aris, pleasantly surprised, opened the book and skimmed the pages. His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the words. "I...don't think I can read this world's writing. I suppose I'll have to learn how."

"That should help you," said the apothecary. "And, there's something else. The old lady at the magic shop asked to see you. Said you helped her grandchild in Lute Village."

"Ooh, healing magic, a most rare magical affinity indeed!" said the old mage. "It's not often I meet someone with one."

"What about Raphtalia?" asked Aris.

The mage gazed into her crystal ball. "She possesses an affinity for both light and dark magic. Both can come in handy, especially illusion magic."

"And me?" Loretta chimed in.

"Lightning!" the mage replied excitedly. "A very versatile element, I must say. Now, with that taken care of..."

The mage rummaged below her table and pulled out a book, handing it to Aris. "This is one of my best magic grimoires. I want you to have it, free of charge."

"Free?"

"Oh, but of course!" replied the cheery mage. "It's the least I could do for you after you and your friends saved Lute Village and my grandson. Though...I'd have preferred to give you a crystal ball instead."

"What advantage do crystal balls have over grimoires?"

"Using one can imbue you with the magical power sealed within it," said the mage. "They're easier to use than a grimoire, to put it simply. And I heard the royal court ordered a bunch of them for all the Heroes."

"Every one of them but me, I'm willing to bet. Either way, thanks."

"Oh, please, it was no trouble at all!" said the mage. "Learning magic from a grimoire may be a bit difficult, but just keep at it and you'll get there!"

"...and then the duck says, 'Got any grapes!?'"

Aris and Raphtalia howled with laughter at Loretta's joke. "Where did you learn that one?" Raphtalia panted after she recovered.

"A comedian never reveals her secrets," replied Loretta.

"Isn't it a magician instead of a comedian?" Aris pointed out.

"I stand by what I said."

More laughter ensued.

Raphtalia, however, stopped short. Aris and Loretta noticed. "Raphtalia?" Aris started to worry. "Is something...wrong?"

Raphtalia was shuddering. Her eyes were widening and her face had gone pale. She pointed ahead.

Aris looked. His heart skipped multiple beats when he saw a familiar face.

It was the same pompously-dressed slaver who had made an attempt on Raphtalia's life.

With not even a second to spare, Aris grabbed Raphtalia and pulled her into an alleyway. Loretta dipped into the alley with them.

The slaver passed without noticing them.

Raphtalia, who had apparently been holding her breath, let out a sigh of relief. "Is...Is he gone...?"

Loretta peeked out of the alleyway. "Yeah, the coast is clear."

"He was leaving his tent for some reason," Raphtalia noted aloud. "And he was going the same direction I went when I escaped from him."

"Escaped?" Loretta's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I..." Raphtalia hesitated.

"Do you not want to talk about it?" asked Aris.

"N-No, it's okay," said Raphtalia. She took another deep breath to compose herself. "I...I was a slave. And I was under the control of that man who just passed by. He's a slave trader."

Loretta's eyes widened. "You were a slave!?"

"Y-Yes...I was."

She whipped out one of her blasters. "Who hurt you!? Who was it!? I'll make them regret ever being born!"

"Easy, easy, sister," Aris chided. "We don't need to resort to first-degree murder...yet."

"Then what should we resort to?" asked Loretta.

"Well, I suppose we should find a way to send a message," said Aris. "We already have what he thinks is something that belongs to him," he smiled at Raphtalia, "so how about we take more things from him? Just so he knows how it feels to lose the things you care about."

Loretta's face turned devious. "Ohoho, I like your thinking, brother."

Aris looked to Raphtalia. "You can come with us if you'd like, but I won't make you."

"I...think I'll stay here," said Raphtalia. "I wouldn't go back to that awful place if my life depended on it."

"Fair enough."

"Should we just take everything?"

"Sister, you know we can't do that," said Aris. "We wouldn't be able to carry it all."

"Then we'll just take something small," Loretta decided. "But enough to send a message."

"Like one of these, maybe?"

"One of wha-oh."

"'Monster egg lottery,'" Aris read aloud. "'Win a monster chick that doubles in value if you take care of it right. Guaranteed at least a Filolial.'"

"What's a Filolial?" Loretta wondered.

"I don't know," said Aris. "Maybe one of the eggs will help us find out." He snagged one of the eggs from the middle of the tray.

"There's these cushioned cases here, too, they seem like they'd fit the egg," Loretta pointed out, grabbing one. Aris deposited the egg inside.

"What did you find?"

"This." Aris showed Raphtalia the monster egg he and Loretta had procured.

"I think that's a Filolial egg," said Raphtalia, "but I could be wrong."

"Speaking of," said Loretta, "what is a Filolial, anyway?"

"There's one right there." Raphtalia pointed to a large bipedal bird with fluffy brown feathers. It was pulling a cart filled to the brim with goods and seemed positively overjoyed to be doing its job. "They love pulling wagons of all kinds. They're fast, too."

"Then we should hatch this one," said Aris. "It may come in handy."

"It should," Raphtalia agreed.

So, in combination with leveling up (particularly helping Loretta catch up to Aris and Raphtalia), the trio had to take care of an egg. Luckily, however, the egg was surprisingly low-maintenance. All that needed to be done was for it to be kept warm and undamaged, which was achieved by simply keeping it in its case and not bringing it out during leveling-up excursions.

Thanks to this, the egg hatched in an unbelievably short amount of time.

"Raphtalia! Brother! The egg's hatching!"

Aris and Raphtalia shot awake to the sound of Loretta's voice. Sure enough, cracks lined the alabaster shell of the egg in its cushion.

A piece of the shell separated from the egg. Pinkish-white feathers lay beneath it.

In an explosion of eggshells all across the room, the resident of the egg made her presence known with a jovial chirp.

A tiny chick sat within the egg, spreading her little wings wide. With more happy chirps, she jumped onto the top of Aris's head, seemingly hugging him.

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED (PASSIVE)

Filolial

Species: Filolial

Habitat: Worldwide

DESC: "Filolials are domesticated birds, popular as work animals and sometimes as pets. Even wild Filolials have almost no fear of people. This friendliness is almost never used against them, however, as most people find it hard to dislike Filolials. This juvenile Filolial seems to really like you."

"Aw, I think it likes you," Loretta cooed. "Or...maybe it just thinks your its mother."

"Either way, it's adorable!" said Raphtalia.

The chick jumped from Aris's head to Raphtalia's hands. "Oh! Hi there, little one," Raphtalia said, affectionately tapping the chick's beak.

"We have to name this little bundle of cuteness!" Loretta gushed.

"I think we should keep the name simple, but memorable," Raphtalia suggested. "Enough so we can remember it. How about 'Filo'? It's what she is, after all. It's short for Filolial."

"Eh..." Loretta was reluctant. "It seems a bit too simple."

"I like Filo," Aris chimed in.

Loretta sighed. "I guess I'm outvoted. Filo it is!"

"Man, it's barely been a week since she hatched, and she's already fully grown!"

Aris couldn't believe it himself. Filo had developed shockingly quickly; it was almost suspicious. 

Either way, Aris wasn't going to complain. Filo was big enough to be ridden now, so he decided to take her out for a test run.

He took Filo into the fields with Loretta and Raphtalia, mounting the bipedal avian. 

"Alright, girl," he said, "let's see what you've got!"

As if on cue, Filo took off at breakneck speed.

"Whoa! By Hylia's hair, you're fast, girl!"

Filo chirped happily as if to thank Aris for his praise.

"Huh? What's going on over there?"

Aris, Raphtalia, and Loretta took Filo with them to find Myne and Motoyasu standing before a crowd of Lute Village's residents, giving them an announcement. Motoyasu seemed to be riding a bipedal dragon, not unlike the quadruped the slaver had sent to kill Raphtalia when she had first met Aris.

"In light of his valor during the recent Wave of Calamity," declared Myne, "Sir Motoyasu Kitamura is to be proclaimed the ruling lord of this region."

Motoyasu had a suave look on his face.

"To aid the rebuilding efforts," Myne continued, "we decided to levy a toll. Fifty silvers to enter the village, and fifty to exit."

Displeased protests sounded from the crowd.

"That'll ruin us!"

"We won't have anything left to buy food tomorrow!"

Myne narrowed her eyes. "You dare defy the orders of your lord!?"

"I do!" Aris bellowed from the back of the crowd.

Myne gasped and scoffed. "Oh, it's you. What are you doing here!?"

"Keeping your dirty hands off this village!" Aris shouted back.

"This isn't your village, charlatan," Myne jeered. "It's Sir Motoyasu's now. You have no right to question him. Or, for that matter, you have no right to even be here at all! Leave at once, you miserable criminal!"

"I wouldn't mind that," Aris countered. "Anything to not have to deal with you. But on the other hand, I don't think the villagers are too happy about whatever little scheme you intend to cook." He addressed the arrogant Spear Hero. "Do you have any idea how much it costs to stay at the inns here!?"

"Er, uh...no...?"

"One silver per night, with food included," Aris informed him. "The toll you intend to charge is equivalent to a hundred nights at an inn just to enter and exit the village once! Did your brain take a vacation, or does it not function at all, to begin with!?"

The villagers shouted their agreement.

"He's right!"

"You can't just show up here and call yourself our lord, we already have one!"

"It was the swordsman Shield Hero who defended us from the Wave!"

Myne was furious. "You dare question a royal decree!?"

The knights in the area pointed their spears at the unruly civilians.

Aris raised his voice further. "I suggest you cease this folly before I sever your heads and hang them on my Christmas tree this coming December!"

This, of course, was an empty threat. He knew the world needed the Cardinal Heroes, and, begrudgingly, that Motoyasu was one of them.

Myne, however...he would jump at a chance to cause her pain.

Meanwhile, Myne was suddenly jumped by a group of strange people in black-purple cloaks and masks. All of the masked people were women, strangely enough.

"I trust you know who we represent, Princess Malty," one of them said calmly as she swiped the scroll from Myne's hand.

"I...I do, but why are you here?" Myne was confused, and seemingly a bit afraid.

"For you, of course." The leader of the masked women handed Myne (Malty?) a different scroll. Myne reluctantly accepted it.

Her eyes widened and her teeth ground against each other as she read the scroll. "How could this be...!?" she seethed.

Myne lowered the scroll, pointing a judgemental finger at Aris. "Swordsman Shield Hero! I demand that you participate in a competition for the right to rule this village!"

"I accept, but I don't intend to rule this place," said Aris. "I intend to make sure you don't."

"Are you ready for this, Filo?" Aris cooed to the Filolial. "Mister Spear Hero thinks he can show up anywhere and own the place, doesn't he? Well, we're gonna give him a reality check today."

Filo cawed excitedly.

"Pffft, hahaha! Lame!" Motoyasu jeered. "You're riding some bird and not a dragon? You're practically begging to lose."

Filo, understandably furious, reared one of her legs and slammed it into Motoyasu's groin, launching him into the air.

"Yes!" Aris cheered. "That's a good girl, Filo! You do that whenever you see him, okay?"

Filo nodded happily.

Myne gasped. "Sir Motoyasu! We need healing magic, quickly!"

Aris was howling with laughter. "You might be able to heal his groin, but you'll never heal his pride after that stunt!"

Myne growled at him. "You dirty cheater!"

"It wasn't my fault he lacked the mental capacity to know that you shouldn't anger a Filolial!"

"The race will be three laps around the outside of the village," the village elder explained. "The first to reach this gate after three laps will be declared the winner."

Motoyasu, now healed, mounted his dragon. Aris patted Filo's neck. "You can do this, girl," he whispered to her.

"Three!" the elder declared.

Filo and the dragon got into a preparatory stance.

"Two!"

The dragon growled. Filo started swiping her leg along the dirt as if she were a bull preparing to charge.

"One..."

All were silent. Aris felt his heart racing.

"Go, go, go!"

Filo immediately pulled ahead of Motoyasu and his dragon, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"What!?" Myne exclaimed back at the starting line. "How!?"

"Woohoo!" Aris whooped as Filo passed Motoyasu. "This will be easy! You'd best come with an appetite, Motoyasu...because you're going to eat our dust! Come on, Filo! Let's show this fool what we're made of!"

Filo cawed and chirped cheerfully as she increased her speed.

Motoyasu coughed as his face was caught directly in the dust cloud Filo was leaving in her wake.

Up ahead, a knight recited some sort of mantra - an incantation. "As source of thy power, I order thee - decipher the laws of nature and create a pit in front of me. Earth Hole!"

"Whoa!"

Aris pulled hard on Filo's reins, nearly knocking her over. "Sorry, girl!"

"No!" Raphtalia cried.

Motoyasu laughed as he passed by.

Filo was back on her feet before anyone knew. As Aris passed by the start/finish right behind Motoyasu, he reached out and flicked Myne's forehead. "Die in that hole back there!"

Myne rubbed the newly formed bruise right on the center of her forehead. Meanwhile, Aris was ahead of Motoyasu once again.

"As source of thy power, I order thee - decipher the laws of nature and heed my command to slow the speed of my target. Speed Down!"

Aris gasped and winced as he felt Filo slow down beneath him.

"Come on, Filo! We can't let him win!"

Filo agreed and shook off the spell with ease. The avian thundered past Motoyasu like Usain Bolt passing a toddler.

"What are you doing!?" Motoyasu shouted at his dragon. "Run faster, for fuck's sake!"

"Maybe treat your steed with some respect and it'll consider listening to you!" Aris jeered as he sped by.

"One more lap, you two!" Raphtalia cheered as Aris began his third and final rotation. "Don't give up yet!"

"No mercy!" Loretta roared excitedly. "Show this arrogant son of a female canine who the real hero is!"

Aris watched in shock as Motoyasu was hit with a spell - one that increased his speed. Motoyasu didn't seem to realize that it had barely any influence on the race. He was slightly ahead of Filo, but not enough for it to be anywhere substantial.

However, it was enough for Motoyasu's dragon to kick dust right into Aris's face, forcing him to bear left.

"We're heading right for that hole," Aris muttered. "But we can't fall in! I won't lose! Air Strike Shield!"

Filo launched off of the Air Strike Shield like it was a springboard, leaping over the hole and over Motoyasu's head.

"Just try to top this one!" Aris laughed as he soared overhead.

Filo and the dragon were sprinting for the finish line, but Filo was well over a meter in front. 

"Come on!" Loretta cheered. "Finish strong, finish strong!"

Filo's beak tore through the finishing tape.

"You did it!" Raphtalia was all smiles as she ran over to Aris, greeting him with a cheerful hug. "Great job, both of you!"

"That's my little brother!" Loretta cheered. "That's how it's done!"

"Brilliant racing!" the village elder commended as he approached. "Thanks to you, we can rest easy knowing we can put full focus on reconstruction."

"If there's anyone you should thank, it's Filo." Aris patted the avian's feathers.

What he didn't notice was that she'd transformed. Filo had turned much chubbier, fluffier, and (admittedly) a lot cuter. 

Aris looked up and noticed.

Filo gave him a playful chirp.

"What in the name of-!?"

Before he could say more, Myne cut him off. "You cheated! You never said your Filolial was really just the fat tub of lard I'm looking at right now!"

"It only transformed after the race was over," the village elder chided.

"Right!" Aris agreed. "And if there's any cheater here, it's you and your band of goons! Those holes in the road weren't there when I was scouting the course before the race! Good thing I did, too. And I have these."

Aris cast Memanima Projection. It showed knights reciting incantations for spells: Earth Hole - to create the pit in the ground, Speed Down - to slow down Aris and Filo, and Speed Up - to speed up Motoyasu and his dragon.

"Wh-What!? That witchcraft again!?"

"The swordsman Shield Hero is correct."

The masked women from before had arrived on the scene before one could say "knife".

"We detected evidence of magic on the course," explained their leader.

"I...It was...look at him!" Myne pointed an accusing finger. "He's the one who cheated, him and that ball of feathers and fat!"

"False," said the masked leader. "His magical affinities are healing and support - in combination with the power of his very soul: his Soul Energy. His Demi-Human friend's affinities are light and darkness, and the affinity of his twin sister is lightning. We detected earth magic, which matches none of these."

When in Farore's name did they learn so much, and how did they find out? Aris pondered. Have they been spying on us?

Myne scoffed. "We'll leave for now, but we will be back. Count on it."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Aris shouted after her.

The elder cleared his throat, calming Aris's anger instantly. "Sir, once again, the whole of Lute Village thanks you for your help. We are forever in your debt."

"You don't owe me anything," said Aris. "Especially not your money. You need every bit of coin you can get to rebuild."

"B-But, sir!" said the elder. "With all due respect, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I let your deeds go unrewarded! So please, let us give you at least something!"

Filo started tapping the top of Aris's head with her beak. Aris looked up at her. "What is it?"

Filo pointed with her wing.

"A wagon?"

"A-Aris?" Raphtalia groaned. "Can...Can we stop? I think I'm gonna-"

Aris stopped without hesitation. "We'll camp out here for the night, but get out and let it out."

Raphtalia jumped from the wagon and ran to a nearby bush, where she deposited the half-digested remains of her lunch from her stomach through her mouth and onto the ground.

Later that night, after Loretta was out cold with sleep, Aris lit a campfire and set up bed rolls for himself and his companions. He gently laid Raphtalia down onto one. "Do you feel better?"

"Y-Yes..." Raphtalia stuttered. "I'm...I'm sorry about...well, you know..."

"You haven't a thing to apologize for," Aris said gently. "Though...we'll very likely be traveling by wagon for the foreseeable future."

"In that case, I'll try my best to curb the motion sickness." Raphtalia sighed nervously. "I'm such a burden..."

Aris immediately refuted that. "No, no, don't you dare say such things. Don't you even think such things. You are not a burden, Raphtalia. And if you think you are, you're lying to yourself."

Raphtalia chuckled a little. "Okay, okay, I get it." She sighed. "What did I do to deserve you...?"

"Maybe it was fate," replied Aris. "Well...meeting you wasn't a part of my plans for life, or even for being in this world, but I don't regret meeting you. I never will."

Raphtalia blushed.

"Raphtalia?" Aris looked concerned. "Your face is red. Are...Are you sick?"

He placed a gentle hand to her forehead. That only made Raphtalia's face redder.

"Hmm..." Aris's brow furrowed. "No, your temperature feels normal. But why are you so red if you aren't sick...?"

Raphtalia barely managed to stop herself from laughing. Was he always so...dense? she thought.

She pushed that thought aside for now.

"Aris?" she said.

"Hm?"

"Thank you, again." She smiled up at him. "For everything. Saving me, teaching me how to fight, being there for me...all of it. You've done so much for me, and...I just feel like I owe you my life."

"You don't owe me a thing, Raphtalia." Aris smiled back. "I'm a friend, doing what a friend does."

"I-If you don't mind," Raphtalia stuttered, "could you...I...w-would you mind s-sleeping next to me tonight? N-Not sharing a bed roll or anything like that, just...next to me. I-I really like being near you."

"I don't mind." Aris moved his bed roll next to Raphtalia's. "I like being around you, too."

The two of them were out before long.

Meanwhile, Filo, who had been untied from the cart, walked up to Loretta and nudged her awake. "Ugh, Filo..." Loretta groaned. "What is it?"

Filo, a smile on her beak, reached out with her wing and pulled Loretta into her side. "H-Hey!" said Loretta before realizing something.

Filo's feathers were soft as a pillow.

Loretta snuggled up to the Filolial, a satisfied smile on her face as she fell asleep once again.

Loretta slowly felt herself drift back into the waking world, morning sunlight filling her vision. "Loretta..." said a worried Raphtalia. "Loretta!"

The former princess snapped fully awake, sitting straight up. She noticed Aris standing a few meters away, facing off into the distance and covering his eyes. "What's going on?" Loretta asked.

Raphtalia pointed.

Loretta looked down towards her right leg. Leaning against her was a little girl with long blonde hair, and noticeably, a lack of any clothing whatsoever. That explained why Aris had his eyes covered and was looking away.

The child stirred and began to wake up. Her eyes opened, revealing a twin pair of sparkling blue irises.

The little girl suddenly shot to a seated position, a small pair of white-feathered wings unfolding from her back. Loretta was bewildered. It couldn't be...no, it just couldn't.

The girl got to her feet and started walking towards Aris. Loretta shot up and stopped her. "Wait!"

The girl turned around. "What?"

Loretta reached into a bag she carried and pulled out some old clothing she'd been keeping for some odd reason. It was small enough to fit the little girl and big enough to cover the important parts. "Now you can go talk to him," said Loretta.

The little girl nodded cheerfully, skipping off towards Aris. "Papa, hi!" she chirped.

"Who is she?" said Raphtalia.

Aris shrugged, his eyes still covered. "How would I know?"

"You can look now," said Loretta. "I gave her some clothes."

Aris removed his hands from his eyes, turning around to look at the girl. She smiled at him as if she were a child smiling at her mother.

Suddenly, it hit him.

"...Filo?"

PARTY MEMBER RECRUITED

Filo

Age: <1

Sex: Female

Level: 10

Species: Filolial Queen

HP: 100/100

MP: 30/30

EXP: 11/375

STATS:

ATK: 45

DEF: 30

SPD: 85

EQUIPMENT:

Headgear: None

Armor: Worn Dress (+1 DEF)

Legwear: Worn Dress Skirt (Attached to Worn Dress)

Footwear: None

Chapter Text

Small clinks echoed through Erhard's shop as beak met steel.

"So, what's the deal, here?" asked the blacksmith of Heatwaker Armory.

"If I remember correctly, Filolials have a king or queen leading each flock," said Raphtalia. "Those kings and queens have transforming abilities and disguise themselves as normal Filolials."

"I thought that was just a myth," said Erhard. "And you're saying she can transform into a human?"

"Yes," affirmed Aris. "But-Filo, don't do it now, your clothes ripped when you transformed into a Filolial."

"Oh, okay!" chirped Filo.

"So," said Erhard, "I assume you didn't just come here to flex your Filolial Queen on me."

"No, we didn't," said Aris. "We're here to buy her some clothing. She keeps ripping them every time she transforms."

"Is there something she can wear that won't do that?" asked Loretta.

"Well, that isn't exactly my area of expertise," replied Erhard. "Try the tailor down the road. But for now, have this. Another customer left it here, it should fit her."

Erhard handed them a small pink dress.

"Oh my goodness, she's just the cutest little angel!" the tailor cooed. 

Filo turned back to Aris. "Papa, am I really that cute? I wanna know!"

"Er...I suppose so?" Aris seemed a little anxious.

"Oh, come now," admonished the tailor. "Compliments are essential to little girls so that they stay just as cute when they get older!"

"Are you...really my papa?" asked Filo. "Or something else?"

"I mean...I guess I am," replied Aris.

"Okay, what about Raphtalia?"

"I can't say for sure."

"Oh, alright!"

"Anyway," said the tailor. "What can I do for you?"

"We're looking for clothes that stay intact when she transforms," Loretta explained.

"Oh, I can certainly make something like that," said the tailor. "Did you bring any magic thread with you?"

"I...have no clue what that is, nor that we needed any."

"Transformation outfits always use thread created from the wearer's own magical energy - called mana."

"So, they're always custom-made?" asked Raphtalia.

The tailor nodded. "Always! So, if you can get me some magic thread...I'll be more than happy to make this darling little angel the cutest dress you've ever set eyes upon!"

"Magic thread, you say?" The kind mage from the magic shop seemed intrigued. "You certainly could weave it here, but...now isn't really the best time. You see, the gemstone in my loom recently broke, and I'm struggling to find a new one."

"Would it be expensive for us to buy one?"

"Yes, but that's the least of my worries," replied the old mage. "They're extremely hard to find. Some people don't even believe they exist. So...I suppose I'll have to wait and see if I can obtain a new gemstone as soon as possible."

Filo's cheery young voice interrupted. "Whoa, what does this thing do?"

"Oh, this?" said the mage. "It's my crystal ball! It measures one's magical affinity. Hey, why don't we see what yours is?"

Filo nodded eagerly.

"Oooh, okay! Consider this one free, since I'm feeling generous today."

The mage looked into her crystal ball for a minute, before looking back at Filo.

"Wind!"

Filo hummed a cheerful melody as she pulled her wagon up the road with Aris, Loretta, and Raphtalia inside.

Aris took something out of his pocket: a small token with text on it. He'd received it from the elder of Lute Village as an extra reward for winning the race against Motoyasu. According to the elder, it was a merchant's pass - and it allowed him to pass though certain gates or checkpoints without paying the toll that was required of everyone else.

"Aris," said Raphtalia, "I...I remember I asked you before, and you said you didn't like to talk about it, but...what happened to your arm?

"Well..." Aris hesitated, "...I suppose you ought to know."

Loretta continued for him, "a few years ago, Brother and I were wandering our homeland after a great disaster happened. We had been in fights before, so we were equipped for battle. But the battle we faced in the Tabantha Snowfield...it changed us forever. Aris in particular."

"We had an encounter with a Silver Lynel," said Aris. "One of the most dangerous monsters there is in our homeland."

"And...you lived?" asked Raphtalia.

"I barely did so," replied Aris. "Sister miraculously emerged with minor injuries. But I lost something I knew I would never get back."

He motioned to his prosthesis.

Raphtalia gasped. "Your arm..."

Aris nodded. "Yes. My right arm was torn from my body near the end of the fight. That was the last I remember of that battle. Apparently, Loretta finished off the Lynel before carrying my unconscious body to shelter. There, she bandaged the bloody stump where my arm had once been before we traveled the rest of the way back to our home."

"After that," said Loretta, "I spent the next few months hard at work on something to hopefully replace Aris's arm. And...well, it did. I used the ancient technology left behind by a race called the Sheikah to construct a prosthesis. But there was one thing I couldn't find: a power source."

"That was when I discovered the untapped power of my soul," said Aris. "The very essence of my being...that is what allows me to control my prosthesis."

"Papa, I don't wanna interrupt your story," Filo interjected from outside, "but there's someone running up ahead of us."

Raphtalia stopped the carriage beside the running man, who slowed to a halt and bent over, panting heavily.

"Sir, is something wrong?" Raphtalia asked.

"Please...!" the man panted, "...I beg you! Give me a...Give me a lift in your carriage!"

"Huh?"

"I need to get this medicine to the village up ahead," said the man. "It's where my mother lives, and she's deathly sick! Please, it's urgent!"

Loretta turned to Aris. "How long do you think it would take Epona to get there at full speed?"

"Not long," replied Aris. He jumped out of the carriage, turning to the man. "I can take you there."

Aris held up his prosthesis, channeling Soul Energy out of it. Swirling waves of green came together in front of him, forming a familiar ghostly mare. Epona reared on her haunches with an ethereal whinny. Aris climbed into her saddle. "Get on, let's go!"

The man, shaken up a little, climbed into the saddle behind Aris.

Aris snapped the reins. "Hyah!"

Epona broke into a brisk gallop, speeding up the road toward the man's village.

"Halt, you have to pay the toll!" said a spear-carrying gatekeeper up ahead.

Aris didn't stop. He took the merchant's pass from his pocket and hurled it at the gatekeeper. "Catch! I'll pick it up on my return trip!"

Luckily, the gatekeeper caught it. Epona cleared the closed gate with a mighty leap.

"Mother...I have the medicine."

The old woman lying in bed turned over slowly, her eyes fluttering open. She coughed as though she'd pass up a lung.

"Would you mind boiling some water?" Aris asked the man. "I can administer the medicine in the meantime."

"R-Right." The man left for the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Aris noticed an unlocked skill on his status screen. "'Potion Enhance'..."

He took the bottle of medicine in one hand and used the other to gently lift the head of the sick old woman. She accepted the medicine as he decanted the bottle, allowing it to enter her mouth. She gulped it down slowly but surely.

Her eyes opened fully. "Thank you so much..."

The man had re-entered the room with a bowl of steaming soup. "M-Mother...you're okay! The medicine...it worked already?"

The old woman sat up in bed as if she had never been sick in the first place. "Yes," she said. "The pain went away instantly." She turned to Aris. "Thank you, sir."

Meanwhile, the man followed Aris outside. "Um...sir, if I might ask, what kind of magic did you use to enhance the medicine?"

"I would advise not questioning it too much," said Aris. "The more you do, the less sense it's going to make."

"Oh, before you go!" The man took a bag of supplies and materials, handing it to Aris. "You should be able to sell these for one silver. I-It's not much, I know, especially considering what you've done for me and my mother, but I'm afraid we're tight on supplies right now."

"Don't worry about it," said Aris. "You...really didn't have to give me this, you know."

"I wanted to."

"Well...if you insist. I suppose I'll be taking my leave, then."

"Thank you again, sir," said the man. "Safe travels."

From that day forth, Aris and his friends began something of a medicine delivery service, charging meager amounts of money to transport people or medicine to places that needed them.

One such endeavor had them transporting a rather eccentric merchant.

"I still can't believe I'm traveling in a wagon with the Savior of the Heavenly Fowl," said the merchant.

"The what of the what-ly what?" Aris raised a confused eyebrow.

"The Savior of the Heavenly Fowl," the merchant repeated. "You have quite the reputation, sir. Word is that the Savior and his comrades drive a carriage drawn by a god of domesticated birds to travel the lands and heal the sick."

"Um...Brother?" Loretta pointed up ahead. "I'd hate to cut your conversation short, but..."

"There's a bunch of people blocking our path," Raphtalia finished.

Aris leaned out of the front of the wagon. Sure enough, a gang of gruff-looking bandits stood between Filo's wagon and the rest of the road.

"Whoa, now!" called out their leader. "Y'all can just stop right there."

Filo slowed to a halt.

"Nice bird, stranger," one of the bandits said to Aris. "Speakin' of birds, a tiny little one told us a certain accessory merchant was hitchin' a ride with ya. Don't try an' hide 'im, we know he's in there!"

The merchant dropped lower into the wagon, cowering in fear.

"Just hand 'im over quietly, and y'all can get outta this with yer lives intact, at least," another bandit sneered.

"Meaning you'll take everything but." Aris jumped out of the wagon. Raphtalia and Loretta followed suit.

"Hah! Sharp as a tack!" a bandit laughed.

Some of them were pointing at Raphtalia and whispering. "Hey, fer a Demi-Human, that one's pretty hot."

Another whispered, "Ya think she's hot? Look at her!" He pointed at Loretta. "Seems we're in fer a good night, boys."

Aris drew the Master Sword. "If you touch my sister, I'll turn all of you into a flesh puzzle for the local morgue!"

"Don't even think about it, kid!" the bandits jeered. "We got ourselves a class-upgraded bodyguard who can beat ya to a bloody pulp!"

A black-haired man in a rather posh outfit stepped forward from the crowd of bandits, drawing his sword.

Aris felt something on the back of his left hand.

He looked. A triangular symbol composed of three smaller triangles glowed gold on the back of his hand, with the bottom right triangle shining brightest. He knew what this mark was.

Loretta had a glow on the back of her hand, too: a similar mark, though hers emphasized the bottom left triangle. She nodded at Aris.

Aris nodded back. "Timeshift!"

Around Aris, time slowed down.

Soul Energy covered his body. Aris seemingly transformed into a light green drop of water, splashing onto the ground.

Amid the slowing of time, he burst from the earth beneath the bandits, cutting them down with a rising spin slash.

Loretta leaped into action, activating her Plasma Whips. She extended them to their full length, tying up every single bandit.

The flow of time returned to normal.

Raphtalia and Filo joined the twins in surrounding the bound bandits. The former drew her sword.

"L-Look, some other trader told us to jump the guy ridin' with ya 'cause he was 'posed to have a buncha nice shit!" the leader exclaimed.

Aris ignored him. "What do we do now that they're tied up?" he asked his comrades.

One of the bandits called him out. "Hey, ya wouldn't happen to be that swordsman Shield Hero, would ya? Ya fit the description that's been goin' 'round."

"Oh, so you can tell the local militia my party and I assaulted you in cold blood, is that it?" Aris shot back.

"Bet on it!" the bandit laughed. "And ya can also bet they'll take our word over yers any day o' the week!"

Loretta gritted her teeth. She'd had enough.

She held out her hands, summoning a burst of golden light to form a bow and arrow. She drew back the bowstring. "Is there anything you'd like to say before I reduce you heathens to a pile of cinders!?"

"That, friends," said Aris to the bandits, "is the Bow of Light. A sacred weapon created by the goddesses of my homeland. Its arrows can tear through almost anything. I recall seeing one pierce a rock. So...I imagine you might have an idea as to what they could do to your flesh."

"W-Wait!" the bandit leader cried. "B-But yer that Savior of the Heavenly Fowl fella! Ya can't just go 'round murderin' people!"

"Says the rotten criminal with more blood on his hands than in his entire body," Loretta retorted. "I wager you've probably killed an entire village's worth of innocent travelers for your twisted, selfish desires. Think of our encounter as their revenge from beyond the grave."

"N-No, wait, please!" the bandit leader sobbed. "We-We'll give you all we've stolen! Just let us live, p-please!"

"Loretta, lower the Bow," Aris told her.

Loretta reluctantly dismissed the Bow of Light from her hands.

Aris turned to the bandits. "I will spare your lives," he said, "but I expect you to return everything you stole to your victims. And if you can't return something because its rightful owner is dead by your hand, I expect you to sell it and give the money to those who might need it."

"Y-Yes, sir!" the bandits cried. "Anything! Just don't hurt us!"

It had taken several hours, but the local militia finally finished taking everything the bandits had stolen and returning the items to their original owners. The bandits had been apprehended posthaste.

Raphtalia breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad we didn't kill them."

"I wasn't actually going to," said Loretta. "Though I certainly wouldn't have minded."

The accessory merchant ran up to Aris. "Thank you ever so much, sir!"

"Think nothing of it," said Aris. "I'm merely doing my job."

"Oh, but please, let me repay you," the merchant replied. "I can offer you all the knowledge and connections I possess. Just say the word and I'll help you whenever you need."

"Really?"

"But of course!" said the merchant.

Aris spent the coming days learning a plethora of skills from the merchant. He learned how to process metals, craft gems, and imbue them with magic. At the forefront of his lessons, however, was the way of the merchant. He learned how to be an effective salesman, advertising his wares to appeal to consumers alongside dealing with stubborn hagglers.

The merchant invited Aris to join a sort of club called the Trader's Grapevine, a group of merchants who would exchange wares, socialize, and share knowledge. Aris learned a lot from the more experienced merchants and taught some of them the basics of self-defense to use if they were ever robbed.

Perhaps the most surprising things Aris learned, though, were the actions of the other Cardinal Heroes.

Rumors ran amok that Motoyasu had saved an entire village from famine by introducing some kind of superfood.

Ren had moved to the southernmost reaches of Melromarc in search of monsters to slay. One merchant reported that the Sword Hero had managed to slay a powerful dragon.

As for Itsuki, however, the rumors were all over the place. Some said he had retreated to the mountains to train. A few reported that the Bow Hero had gone dungeon-crawling in search of treasure. Others said that he had traveled to a small country north of Melromarc and led their resistance against a tyrannical dictator.

The accessory merchant had become a close friend of Aris and his party and had given them a myriad of information and connections, as he had promised. But one day, Aris received one particularly important thing from the merchant - perhaps the most important of all.

Chapter Text

"I'm surprised you managed to find that gemstone so quickly!" said the woman from the magic shop. "Just how did you do it?"

"I had some assistance from a few merchants," replied Aris. "One of them helped me make a deal with a local mining company to help look for it. They found it quickly...but I'm afraid obtaining it won't be so simple."

"Right," added Loretta. "What we're looking for isn't exactly in the safest location."

Raphtalia pointed ahead. "I think we're here."

The party disembarked from the wagon with the magic shop owner in tow, entering a nearby cave.

"I think I know this place," said the old woman. "It was once the headquarters of an infamous alchemist. At least...that temple we saw was. I never heard anything about this tunnel."

"The mining chief told me that no one dares to enter this cave since monsters began nesting inside," Aris informed everyone. "Stay alert."

The group soon found themselves in a room clearly man-made, housing an opened chest with a strange inscription carved next to it. The chest was filled with naught but the stale air of the cave.

The old woman leaned down to inspect the ancient inscription. "'We fervently pray that the accursed Biositos seed never leaves this cave,'" she read aloud. "'It is a twisted incarnation of our wish that no man, woman, or child ever suffer the pangs of famine ever again.'"

"Whatever it was," said Loretta, "someone seems to have beaten us here."

Filo pointed nearby with her wing. "Guys, over here! There's another tunnel!"

There was, in fact, another tunnel.

Aris beckoned everyone to follow him through the dimly lit passage, channeling Soul Energy into his finger to use as a sort of torch.

"That's a monster footprint," said the old woman worriedly. "And goodness, it's a big one."

"We might not be alone in here," Aris cautioned everyone. "Stay aler-whoa!"

The tunnel went dark. Aris's vision was shrouded in purple.

"Aris!" Raphtalia cried.

"Stay calm!" Aris told her. "What's happening?"

Aris felt his mind begin to crumble as he heard a jarring voice within his head.

"I'm sick of tailing this elf-eared faker all the time," Raphtalia sneered within his conscience. "Oh, I can't wait to kill him. In fact, I think now might be a perfect time!"

Raphtalia, meanwhile, was whimpering and grasping her temples.

"I don't need that damned Demi-Human," she heard Aris seethe within her mind. "She can go back into slavery or die a painful death as far as I'm concerned."

"Don't let the voices deceive you!" the old witch warned. "These monsters tap into your psyche and make you hear the last thing you want to hear from the last person you'd want to hear it from!"

Aris yelped. "Something cut me!"

The old witch didn't hesitate. "As source of thy power, I order thee - decipher the laws of nature and restore our sight! Anti-Blind!"

The purple shroud disappeared, revealing a swarm of hungry-looking bat monsters.

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED (HOSTILE)

Voice Gengar

Species: Psychic Bat Monster

Habitat: Caves

DESC: "Though individually weak, Voice Gengars are hard to deal with in large numbers, which is why when you find one, you're bound to find a large swarm. They prey upon adventurers, using their uncanny psychic abilities to project auditory hallucinations to the ears of unsuspecting travelers. These false sounds often take the form of the last thing the victim wants to hear."

Loretta jumped in front of the group. "Chain Lightning!"

Forking arcs of glowing electricity crackled from her fingertips, frying the bats to smoldering ashes.

"Is...Is everyone alright?" the old witch asked.

"I'm fine," replied Raphtalia.

Aris fed the bat monsters' loot to his Shield. "'Voice Gengar Shield'. I don't see how that would help me. Now then, let's keep moving."

"Excuse me, papa?" said Filo. "Y-You wouldn't abandon me like you said when we were attacked by those monsters, would you?"

Aris shook his head. "I wouldn't dream of doing a thing like that."

"There's a blue light up ahead!" Filo pointed out.

Everyone rushed toward it.

They found themselves in a massive, open cave filled to the brim with glowing blue gems.

"This is it," said the old witch.

"Not yet," Aris cautioned. "Look."

A hulking monster slept in the center of the cave. It resembled a lion and had what looked like a snake for a tail. The snake seemed to be a separate conscience from the lion, as it was awake. It turned towards the unwelcome intruders, hissing at them.

"That's a Nue," the old witch noted. "This one's on the smaller side, but it's no less dangerous."

"This isn't good," said Raphtalia. "The gems we need are right here, but there's no way we can get them without waking it up."

"Then we'll just have to make sure it doesn't!" Loretta drew her blasters and charged in. Filo followed behind her without a second thought.

"Sister, no!" Aris exclaimed. "Grr...I suppose we don't have a choice now."

He drew the Master Sword. Raphtalia drew her own blade.

Raphtalia sprinted at the Nue with her sword at the ready, only to be dodged and knocked to the ground. Filo protected her with a powerful kick to the Nue's side.

The old witch raised her wand. "Zweite Fire Blast!"

Loretta lit up the Nue's burning body with blaster bolts, adding to the searing heat of the flames.

Aris decided it was his turn to attack. He landed a few slashes on the Nue, but ended up blocking its paws as it bore down on his Shield.

The Nue's face flickered with lightning.

Filo gasped. "Papa, get back!"

Aris used Spirit Drop to vanish into the ground via Soul Energy, reappearing in a puddle of greenish liquid far away from the Nue.

"We need to be careful of that lightning," Aris said. "But how do we attack it?"

Raphtalia stepped behind the Nue, disappearing into thin air with a flicker of light. This was Hide Mirage, a spell she'd learned recently.

The Nue turned in her direction.

"Raphtalia! It knows you're there!"

The Demi-Human barely managed to evade the pouncing beast. She cried out as one of its claws scraped her left arm, leaving a large cut.

"How did it know?" she said, retreating. "Could it see me?"

"It didn't see you, it heard you," the old witch corrected. "Nue are very sensitive to sound."

"Sound...that gives me an idea!" Aris switched his equipped Shield to the Voice Gengar Shield he'd just unlocked. It resembled a megaphone, making it perfect for his plan.

He held it up to Filo's beak. "Yell into this as loud as you can! Everyone else, cover your ears!" he said.

Filo inhaled, letting out an earsplitting scream.

The Nue roared in agony as its eardrums ruptured. Blood spurted from its ears.

Filo stopped.

"Zweite Fire Blast!" yelled the old witch.

The Nue howled as it burned. Loretta ensnared it with her Plasma Whips.

Aris and Raphtalia charged the bound beast from either side, cleaving their swords through its body to cut it into three.

"Is everyone safe?" Aris asked.

"I think we're alright," replied the witch.

Raphtalia winced, covering her wounded arm. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine."

Aris noticed her manner and ran over to help her. "Did it hurt you?" he asked gently.

"I...Yes, it did," said Raphtalia. "It got me on the arm when it was pouncing earlier."

"I can take care of that for you." Aris took out some bandages and wrapped them around the wound on Raphtalia's arm.

Raphtalia's cheeks turned a little red as he did so.

Loretta had a knowing smirk on her face.

Aris finished wrapping Raphtalia's arm. "Is that better?"

"Better," replied Raphtalia. "Thank you."

Aris smiled at her. "Anything for my closest friend."

"Hey!" Loretta exclaimed. "I thought I was your closest friend!"

"You're my sister," Aris shot back.

"Fair enough."

"Guys, look!" said Filo. "The gems are so pretty!"

Aris took a small hammer and broke a small piece off.

"Euhhh..." Filo moaned as she spun the wheel of the loom, "I'm starting to get really tired..."

"Don't worry, child," the old witch assured her as magic thread emerged from the spinning wheel. "That's just your mana being transformed into the thread. Keep it up for a little longer and you'll be done."

"I can fix some lunch for you when you're finished," Aris offered.

"Will it be yummy?" Filo asked hopefully.

"Absolutely."

"Then I'll keep going!"

Keep going she did until the thread was complete. "That should be enough," said the old witch. "You can take this to the tailor down the road and she should be able to make that dress."

That was exactly what they did.

Equipped Armor (Filo): Filolial Transformation Dress

Armor Type: Magic Thread Clothing

Acquisition: Obtained magic thread crystals from Alchemist's Cave, Dress woven by and purchased from Sunrise Boutique Tailor (price: 75 silver)

DEF: 4

Equip Bonuses: Transformation-Friendy (will not tear when wearer transforms), +20 DEF in Filolial Form

DESC: "A custom dress woven from magic thread and made specifically for Filo's human form. The tailor didn't lie, it's easily the cutest dress you've ever seen - especially on Filo."

Filo stepped out of the fitting room in her new garb. It was a white dress with blue accents and a dark blue ribbon on the front.

"How do I look?" she asked the group.

"Great," Aris told her. "The blue matches your eyes."

"Yay!" Filo ran over and embraced him. "Thank you, papa!"

Raphtalia crossed her arms. Aris didn't notice.

Loretta sidled up to the miffed Demi-Human, nudging her with her elbow. "Seems like someone has a case of jealousy," she teased quietly.

The tailor gushed, "Isn't she just the cutest!? I did my very best to incorporate every little bit of Filo's charms and I gotta say, I think I did a great job! I used white as the base color to match her wings, and then added some cute little frills to match her feathers! And since I figured it'd contrast well with her blonde hair, I went with a blue ribbon!" The tailor squealed. "She's just adorable!"

Aris couldn't help but start to agree, not in a romantic sense, but in a protective sort of way. Filo's charm and innocence were things he took a silent oath to protect and preserve at all costs.

Perhaps he truly was her father after all.

Chapter Text

"Why would Lerno Village need so much of this herbicide?" Loretta wondered aloud.

"Hickwaal didn't specify that," replied Aris. "He just said they need an enormous amount of it and fast."

"I think I see why they needed it now," Raphtalia said worriedly. "Come look."

Aris and Loretta leaned out of the front of Filo's wagon.

The path along which they were traveling was covered in snaking green vines that seemed to get thicker the further they moved along.

"Guys, look!" Filo beckoned. "There's a wall up ahead."

Aris narrowed his eyes. "I think I might have an idea as to what happened here. Filo, can you get us there any faster?"

"Full speed ahead, papa!"

Filo broke into a brisk run.

"Oh, we can't thank you enough!" praised an elder - presumably the leader of Lerno Village. "This place was on the brink of falling prey to the vines just like our village!"

"Haven't you tried burning them?" asked Loretta. "They're plants, so surely they would be weak to fire."

"We've tried everything we could think of, including that," replied the elder. "We even tried getting help from some local adventurers, but they haven't come back ever since they set off earlier."

"What exactly happened to your village?" Aris asked.

"It was already overrun by the vines long before you came here," said the elder. "And to add insult to injury, the plants became monstrous fiends and started attacking us!"

A scream echoed in the distance.

"The adventurers went to level up and see if they could clear some of the vines," said the elder, "but as I said, they haven't returned yet. I...I begged them to stay because the village is much too dangerous even for them, but...they didn't listen."

"Papa!" Filo interjected, speaking to Aris. "I can find them for you!"

"You wouldn't mind?"

Filo shook her head. "Not at all! I'll be back in a flash!"

She vaulted over the towering wall surrounding the refugee camp and set off at full speed.

Filo returned before long, setting the wounded adventurers on the ground. "There were plant monsters everywhere," she reported. "And some of them spat this weird purple stuff at me. I don't know what it was, but I had a feeling I shouldn't touch it."

"I'd wager it was some sort of poison," Aris reasoned. "It's a good thing you trusted your instincts. But why would these adventurers leave the safety of this camp despite the extreme danger of facing the plant monsters?"

"They might not have been all that smart," Filo pointed out.

"Well, I wouldn't jump to that conclusion."

Meanwhile, the encamped villagers were murmuring among themselves.

"That Filolial...it's talking?"

"That must be the Heavenly Fowl!"

"Which means the one she's talking to is the Savior!"

The elder approached Aris. "Pardon me, good sir, but you wouldn't happen to be the one who drives the carriage drawn by a certain Heavenly Fowl, would you?"

"I mean...I suppose that's what people call me in this area," said Aris. "Why do you ask?"

"Sir..." The elder looked worried. "...i-if it's not too much trouble...please, heal our sick."

Raphtalia's eyes widened. "There's people who are sick here?"

"Yes," replied the elder. "The plants are parasitic, it seems. Some of them have inhabited the bodies of our people, and caused them to become terribly ill."

Aris rose to his feet. "Show me where they are. I'm going to try to heal them."

The elder took Aris and his friends to a larger tent within the refugee camp. Inside the tent, very many people lay in cots or beds, looking deathly pale. A lot of their veins were bulging beneath their skin, looking like green vines with actual leaves growing out of them.

"Aris, try the herbicide," Loretta suggested. She knelt next to a bedridden victim and lifted their head a little.

Aris gently spoke to the sick person. "Hello," he said. "I...I'm unsure whether or not you can hear me, but I'm going to give you some medicine. If you can, try to make sure it goes down the right path in your throat."

He slowly decanted a bottle of herbicide, trickling some into the sick person's mouth. The patient took some of it down the proverbial hatch. It helped, though only a tiny amount.

"Try pouring the rest of it on the vines growing out of them," Raphtalia offered.

Aris did so. The vines in the patient's veins withered away, restoring her skin to normality as the leaves shriveled up and died with the vines.

Aris's status screen notified him of an unlocked skill: Potion Enhancement.

Using this newly acquired skill, Aris amazed the elders of Lerno Village by healing their sick.

"Now, with that taken care of," he said upon completion, "sir, which way is your village? I have an inkling that the source of these vines is there."

"Actually," Loretta interrupted, "how did all this happen in the first place?"

Aris changed his question. "You know what, I'm curious about that, too."

"Our village was ravaged by a great and terrible famine," replied the elder, "until the Spear Hero came into town."

"The Spear Hero?" Aris had to resist a burning urge to punch something. "What did he do?"

"When he heard what was going on," said the elder, "he traveled to the southwest to search some ruins, and returned with a seed that had been sealed there hundreds of years ago."

Aris's eyes widened. He remembered something like this.

During the excursion to acquire a gemstone for magic thread, the lady from the magic shop had told him and his friends about the seed that had been sealed within the cave.

That utter idiot! he mentally screamed. Motoyasu, what in Hylia's holy name were you thinking!?

"At first," continued the elder, "we had no idea it would come to...this. In fact, we were overjoyed when the plants started proliferating and bearing delicious fruit."

"But...they grew too much and left your village overrun," Loretta finished.

"Indeed," said the elder. "Furthermore, during the famine, we recalled an old legend passed down in this area. It tells of an alchemist who lived long ago, not far from here. He created a powerful seed - called Biositos - and, for some inexplicable reason, sealed it away. I...I believe we were blinded by our hunger and desperation when the Spear Hero brought that very seed to our village."

"So...you knew the Biositos seed was a bad idea?" Aris narrowed his eyes. "Or was it because you had no other choice?"

The elder hung his head in shame.

"Whatever it was," said Aris, "it won't change the fact that your home will be saved one way or another one way or another. I'll make sure of it."

"Y-You will?" The elder's mood shifted drastically. "Oh, thank you ever so much, sir! W-We'll pay you for everything - treating our sick, the monster extermination - all of it!"

"I don't care so much about your money as I do about making sure you all have a proper home to return to," said Aris. He turned to his comrades. "Everyone, board the wagon. We have weeds to pull."

Filo and Raphtalia took down a creation of Biositos, leaving an eruption of poison and plant matter in their wake.

Loretta pointed. "Everyone, that tree!"

The tree of which she spoke had a large red flower at the top of its trunk. The large round center of the flower opened, revealing a monstrous eyeball.

"If I know monsters," said Aris, "I would wager that the flower is our target."

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED (HOSTILE)

Biositos

Species: Ocular Parasitic Vegetation

Habitat: Unknown

DESC: "Grown from an ancient seed thought long dead, Biositos has overtaken this village. Like a weed in a garden, it suffocates and drives away those different from it and spreads itself wherever it can at all costs. It possesses near-instantaneous regenerative properties, but surely there must be some kind of weakness... "

"Which means if we destroy it, we win," added Raphtalia. "I hope."

"Leave it to me, papa!"

Filo charged Biositos with reckless abandon. She reared her strong Filolial right leg and slammed it into Biositos's eyeball.

More vines shot toward her, forcing her to retreat. The eyeball regenerated in a sickening, squelching burst of white pus.

Loretta sent a barrage of blaster beams at the eyeball. An ear-piercing shriek rocked the party's ears as Biositos regenerated again.

Aris tossed Raphtalia a small bottle of liquid. "Get up close and douse it with this herbicide!" he said to her.

Raphtalia nodded. She jumped onto Filo's back and the two advanced on Biositos together.

Filo leaped through the vines towards the eyeball with the agility of a gazelle and the strength of an elephant, jumping from vine to encroaching vine. Though she appeared to be quite the portly avian, she was extremely nimble.

Raphtalia leaped onto a vine from Filo's back, cutting down a few other vines before jumping back to Filo. "Good one!" the Filolial commended.

Loretta gasped. "Watch out!"

Filo managed to evade Biositos's defenses in time, but Raphtalia was not as fortunate. She found herself ensnared in the vines, her arms tied at her sides. Her sword fell out of her hand and clattered to the ground below.

Quickly noting her compromised position, Raphtalia managed to reach down far enough to hold her skirt in place.

Loretta aimed at the vines holding Raphtalia and fired a few shots, only for the hanging vines to easily move out of harm's way.

"I can't get a clean shot!" Loretta exclaimed. "And my Plasma Whips aren't long enough to reach!"

"Hold on!" Raphtalia yelled back. "Let me try something!"

She managed to shimmy her arm out of the ensnaring vines, producing the bottle of herbicide Aris had given her. Raphtalia tried to pour it on the vines holding her in place. Biositos moved the vines so that Raphtalia now hung upside down, preventing her from freeing herself. Sighing, Raphtalia dumped the herbicide onto one of Biositos's roots, which happened to be right below her.

The roots regenerated faster than the herbicide could destroy them.

"I can't...get loose!" Raphtalia strained.

"Don't move too much!" Aris shouted at her worriedly. "You might fall! Stay there, I'll think of something!"

That was exactly what he did. Aris remembered unlocking a new skill earlier, at the refugee camp. It had been Potion Enhancement. Using that, he had managed to use the herbicide to cure every sick person in the camp.

If the enhanced herbicide removed the parasitic vines from the people, he reasoned, then perhaps they'll be able to remove Biositos from this plane of existence.

Aris took out a few small bottles of herbicide, holding them between the fingers of his right hand. He drew the Master Sword, dousing its blade with the plant-destroying fluid.

He charged. Loretta took two bottles and followed behind.

As the vines shot forth to capture him, Aris swung the Master Sword through them. The sacred blade tore into Biositos's vines, eliciting another shriek. The lacerated vines began to wither.

Loretta, meanwhile, used a different route. She took to the overrun rooftops of Lerno Village, leaping toward Biositos from one of the roofs. Her Sheikah-made boots began to glow with blue energy as azure flames burned from the soles, propelling her toward Biositos's eye.

She hurled one of her herbicide bottles at the vine from which Raphtalia hung, freeing her. The other went flying toward Biositos's eye.

Raphtalia, now freed from her botanical bondage, began to plummet to the ground below. Aris noticed.

He pushed off a withering vine with his legs, launching himself toward Raphtalia.

He caught her. He shielded the back of her head with his prosthetic right arm. His arm of flesh wrapped tight around her waist, keeping her close to him.

They landed. They rolled along the ground for a moment as Biositos finally withered away. They quickly stopped moving.

Aris had ended up below Raphtalia, still holding her. His entire body hurt - naturally, as he had just thrown himself to the ground. The pain was minimal, however.

Raphtalia pulled back slightly, enough to look into Aris's eyes. Her own eyes were filled with a melting pot of emotions: panic, relief, and awe. Her cheeks were dusted with a hint of scarlet as she noticed the position she was in with Aris.

"Are you alright?" Aris asked her.

"I-I'm okay."

Aris waited for her to stand so he could do the same. Raphtalia, however, seemed to linger for a brief minute. Her head found solace on Aris's chest as her ears twitched. Her tail wagged back and forth.

Loretta cleared her throat.

Aris looked to his right to find his elder twin sister standing over him and Raphtalia. Loretta's hands were on her hips and a wry smirk was on her face. "So, are you lovebirds going to help Filo and me gather up all those seeds Biositos left behind? Or do you want to lay there for a while longer?"

Raphtalia's entire face turned bright red as she shot to her feet. "L-Lovebirds!? L-Loretta, it's not like that!"

Loretta laughed. "I'm joking with you."

Aris stood up and followed the girls to help pick up the seeds. His status display notified him of a new skill.

"Thank you ever so much, Savior!" the village elder praised as Aris, Loretta, Raphtalia, and Filo returned to the refugee camp that night. "Or...I suppose you're the swordsman Shield Hero, correct?"

Aris nodded. "I am. Now, then, my comrades and I disposed of the monster, but we have other business to attend to soon, so I'm afraid we won't be able to clean up the remaining vines."

"Oh, it isn't any trouble for us to do it," said the elder. "We can take care of them soon."

"Good," said Aris. "So, with that taken care of, I'll be turning in early tonight." He yawned.

Aris retreated to Filo's wagon, setting up a small pillow on one of the benches. He pulled his cloak over his body like a blanket, laid his head on the pillow, and drifted into sleep.

Meanwhile, Raphtalia, Loretta, and Filo were having a small bonfire with the villagers to eat supper and celebrate the defeat of Biositos.

"Wait, Miss Loretta," the elder interjected as Loretta was telling her story, "you mean to say your boots can propel you to high speeds in the air?"

"I do indeed!" said Loretta. "Here, I'm going to demonstrate for you."

Loretta clambered onto a nearby rock and practically exploded into the air with a burst of blue flame from her newly christened Jet Boots. She landed atop the wall of the refugee camp before jumping back down, landing with a forward somersault.

"I used them to launch myself at Biositos's eye so I could use the herbicide on it directly, and I managed to free Raphtalia from the vines along the way," she said.

"And I would have gotten hurt from the fall since I was high up," said Raphtalia, "but Aris managed to catch me."

"Oh, he did, yes." Loretta smirked. "And that resulted in the two of you being in a rather...provocative position."

Raphtalia's cheeks burned hotter than the bonfire and redder than the Biositos seeds. "L-Loretta! I told you, i-it's not like that, I swear!"

"Ah, but your blush is betraying that sentiment," Loretta teased.

Raphtalia hid her face, much to Filo's and Loretta's amusement.

Therein lay Raphtalia's personal dilemma, one that had begun afflicting her mind only recently. It was her feelings toward Aris. She wasn't quite sure of what those feelings were, however.

Was it deep, close kinship - did she care for Aris as a friend closer to her heart than any other? Perhaps.

Was it a sort of familial bond, as though she had known Aris from birth - did she care for Aris the way Loretta did? She doubted it, but it wasn't impossible.

But...maybe it's more than that, Raphtalia thought as she ate and eventually prepared for bed. When I think about him, I feel so warm inside. When I'm with him, I feel at home, I feel safe, and I feel like nothing bad can happen...at least, nothing bad enough that we can't overcome it. But, then again...I feel a little nervous, too. I get butterflies in my stomach when he looks at me, and...I don't know why, but...I love that feeling. Maybe I...I really do...n-no, I can't. I shouldn't be feeling things like this. I mean, his sister is traveling with us, and she might not approve of me being...intimate with Aris.

Raphtalia tossed and turned that night, unable to find her way into slumber.

"Aris?"

The Hylian in question looked over his shoulder. Raphtalia was approaching him from the wagon, her figure backlit by the picturesque sunrise.

To Aris, she looked positively radiant.

Aris pushed aside that thought. "Yes?"

"What are you doing?" Raphtalia looked over Aris's shoulder. "Is that one of the Biositos seeds?"

"It is," replied Aris. He covered the seed with some dirt. "Watch."

He stood back. Raphtalia looked a little apprehensive.

The ground glowed with Soul Energy as the sun rose higher. The seeds began to germinate almost immediately, sprouting from the loamy soil. The sprouts grew taller, developing broad leaves and red, bulbous fruits that appeared deliciously ripe and juicy.

Aris picked one. He opened his mouth and chomped into it. "Mm!" he smiled contently, chewing the bite of fruit and swallowing it. "Doubtlessly the best fruit I've ever tasted."

Loretta approached, having woken up earlier. "How did you do that?"

"After we defeated Biositos," said Aris, "I unlocked a Plant Modifier skill. I used it on the seeds I planted earlier to prevent them from mutating into another Biositos monster while also increasing their growth rate and productivity in terms of fruit-bearing. I did that on all the seeds last night, just before I went to bed."

"So, are we keeping them?" asked Loretta.

Aris shook his head. "We're going to give them to the villagers. A famine is what caused all this trouble, so it would be utterly senseless if we discovered a bountiful food source only to keep it for ourselves."

"Thank you again, sir!" the elder cheered joyously. "You not only freed our village from the peril of that monster, but now you have given us the most wonderful gift we could ask for!"

"Think nothing of it," Aris told him. "I wouldn't be a true hero if I didn't make sure to attend to the root of your problems - that being the famine. As such, the Biositos seeds are yours for the taking."

"O-Oh, but we can't just take these seeds from you," said the elder. "You have done so much for us! Surely it would be only fair if we gave you something in return! So, rather than merely taking the seeds...we can buy them from you!"

Aris was intrigued. He certainly did need any money he could obtain.

He agreed to sell the seeds to the villagers, who, in return, paid him handsomely.

Though the villagers purchased most of the seeds, Aris was still left with multiple boxes of them, alongside several baskets of fruit. The fruit would likely rot before he and his party could do anything with them.

Unless... Aris thought.

Hickwaal lowered his lens and the Biositos seed Aris had shown him. "This is a very impressive seed, my friend," he said. "I'll be more than happy to buy as much as you are willing to part with. The fruits, too."

"We have a deal, then?" asked Aris.

Hickwaal nodded. "I must say, your showing of the best of your products truly exemplifies the knowledge of a merchant. Not to mention, your ruggedness and survival skills speak to your expertise when it comes to traveling. You really do have the makings of someone who could succeed in the world of economics."

"Speaking of traveling," said Aris, "is there anything else we might be able to do? Our schedule is open for the next few days."

"There is something," replied Hickwaal. "Vanora Village has requested some goods - specifically a local inn there. It isn't far from where we are, so you should be able to deliver the supplies quite easily. Furthermore, Vanora is renowned for its historic hot springs. You might be able to relax awhile there. So, would you be willing to do this little job?"

Aris nodded. "Consider it done."

Aris and his party arrived in Vanora Village late in the afternoon.

"Thank you so much for bringing the supplies," a maid said to Aris as she unloaded a box of items. "We've been waiting for these for a while now."

"I'm glad to help," said Aris. "Do you need assistance unloading the boxes?"

"My coworkers and I can take care of it," replied the maid. "In the meantime, feel free to relax in the hot springs. They're not far from here."

"Oh, Raphtalia! I didn't know you were here."

Raphtalia lowered herself slightly, further concealing her nudity beneath the steaming water of the hot spring.

Loretta, who was wearing something akin to a mix between a bikini and a sports bra, waded into the water, sitting about five feet from Raphtalia.

"I thought you had to go into hot springs naked," Raphtalia mentioned.

Loretta shrugged. "I feel uncomfortable being in the nude while outdoors. I'm surprised you aren't, though." She sat down approximately five feet away from where Raphtalia was sitting. Loretta leaned back, putting her hands on the back of her head as she sighed contently. "Ahhh, this is something I could get used to."

"There really is nothing like a relaxing bath after a hard day's work," Raphtalia agreed. "And just look at that view."

Loretta looked over her shoulder, gazing at the sprawling landscape ahead. "Yeah, it's quite pretty."

The girls sat in silence for a few minutes, relaxing in the soothing heat of the spring.

"Loretta," said Raphtalia, "has...has Aris come up here yet? I have a feeling he'd like this hot spring."

"Well," replied Loretta, "I told him I was going to relax here for a while, and he decided to stay in the town until both you and I return. He said something about 'respecting a lady's privacy'." She chuckled. "He always was a chivalrous one." She suddenly eyed Raphtalia teasingly. "Why, did you want to bathe with him? Perhaps...alone?"

Raphtalia's face burned scarlet. This had nothing to do with the heat of the water.

"There it is again, that blush," said Loretta. "Surely you feel something for Aris."

"I-I don't, I swear!" Raphtalia said bashfully. "W-We're friends...nothing more."

"You needn't lie to me," said Loretta. "I saw the way you were looking at him after he broke your fall when you fell from Biositos's vines."

"Th-That...That was...!" Raphtalia stuttered. She was at a loss for words.

Loretta stayed quiet, waiting for her to finish.

Raphtalia took a deep breath. She exhaled. "Alright...I...I like him. I think. Well, I...I wouldn't really know...I've never really been in love with anyone."

"Really?" Loretta's curiosity was piqued. "Hmmm...tell me, what do you feel when you're around him? And try to be as detailed as you can."

"Alright..." Raphtalia took another deep breath. "I...When I'm with him, especially when we're alone...I...I have this strange fluttering in my heart...and, well, in my stomach, too. It's like I'm a jar of butterflies, and all of them are trying to escape by flying headfirst into the walls of the jar. But...it's a good feeling."

"Keep going," Loretta prompted.

"I...I feel safe when he's with me," said Raphtalia. "Like nothing bad could happen without us being able to overcome it. A-And...his eyes...I could stare into them for hours..."

"By Farore, I believe I have a diagnosis!" Loretta exclaimed. "Raphtalia, you're...sick. Lovesick."

"I-I really am in love with him?"

"If what you said is true, then yes," affirmed Loretta.

"Y-You're taking this really well," Raphtalia pointed out.

"Of course I am," said Loretta. "What gives you the idea that I wouldn't be?"

"Honestly..." Raphtalia hesitated. "I...I thought you wouldn't want your brother to be in another relationship. Especially not after what happened with him and that Malty girl."

"That was Malty, not you," said Loretta. "You're everything Malty isn't...and that's a good thing. Besides, I may be protective of my brother, but I don't want to dictate every minute detail of his personal life. And even if I was more...controlling...I would still approve. Of you, I mean."

"Y-You would?"

Loretta nodded, a smile on her face. "I would. Raphtalia...you're practically perfect for Aris. Like you were fated to meet him from the moment you were born. Maybe it's fate, maybe it's luck, but that really doesn't matter. Raphtalia, I...I don't just approve of you wanting to court my brother. I want you to court my brother." Loretta laughed quietly. "After all, his love life has always been a lonely one. I don't recall him ever having a significant other. You would be his first. And...to me, that would just make it all the more special."

"H-He'd be my first, too," said Raphtalia. "But...it feels...I feel selfish about...wanting that. A-Aris has done so much for me - he freed me from slavery, cured my sickness, taught me how to fight...all that and more. So...I feel like me asking to be his girlfriend would be too greedy of me."

"If I know my brother," said Loretta, "he wouldn't see it that way, regardless of whether or not he feels the same way towards you. And if he doesn't, I know he would still want to be around you, even if only platonically. So...just tell him how you feel, as soon as you feel comfortable doing so. Even if it's only to get the proverbial weight off your chest."

"I-I will," Raphtalia affirmed. "When the time is right...I'll tell Aris that I love him."

Raphtalia's heart was racing. The beating of her heart was not out of anxiety - it was out of excitement. Aris, she thought, I'll tell you soon.

Chapter Text

"Hey, have you ever heard of Latium?" one maid asked another.

"I think so," replied Maid #2. "Isn't it that legendary crystal from around here?"

"Yup!" said Maid #1. "Legend has it, that if you put it into a charm and give it to the one you love, you and that person will live a charmed, happy life!"

"Heh, maybe I should find one for my husband."

Or maybe I should find one for Aris, Raphtalia thought as she eavesdropped.

She had been unable to sleep that night, and as such had elected to take a walk and clear her head. Raphtalia didn't want her feelings for Aris to cloud her judgement and abilities, but she wasn't going to let go of them, either.

"Where can you find one?" asked Maid #2.

Maid #1 chuckled. "In the nest of the Gogoku bird. It's really rare, so...well, good luck trying to find it."

Raphtalia had left the inn to search for the Gogoku. The crisp night air blew across her body, giving her a bit of a chill.

"Once I find that Latium," she said to herself, "I'll make it into a charm and give that to Aris. Hopefully, he'll understand my feelings for him, and..."

Her face turned beet red at the thought of what might happen next. Would he actually...kiss me like that? she thought. He seems like he'd be more of a chaste person when it comes to romance, but...well, it's not out of the question.

She was roused from her thoughts by flashes of darkness appearing before her. Neoshadow Heartless emerged, their backs hunched and their beady yellow eyes focused on Raphtalia. The Demi-Human drew her sword.

The Neoshadows pounced. She cut them down with ease.

More Heartless appeared. She recognized them as Large Bodies, but there was one that looked somewhat different, in terms of wardrobe.

The anomalous Heartless reared its head and breathed great balls of fire at Raphtalia. Searing flames hurtled in her direction.

Raphtalia tried to run. More Large Bodies intercepted her.

The unknown Heartless reared its head again. Raphtalia flinched.

"Wind!"

A foreign voice exclaimed in front of Raphtalia as a boy jumped between her and the flame-breather. A barrier of wind formed around the boy, shielding Raphtalia from the fire. The flames were absorbed by the wind and sent back to their origin, incinerating the Heartless.

"Thunder!"

Forking arcs of glowing electricity rocked the remaining Large Bodies, dispatching them instantly.

All was quiet now. The boy who'd saved Raphtalia turned to her with a smile. It was then Raphtalia noticed his strangely spiky brown hair - and his very unusual outfit.

"You alright?" the boy asked her.

"Oh, I'm okay, thank you," said Raphtalia. "Those Heartless probably would've been my end if you hadn't shown up."

"You know the Heartless?"

Raphtalia nodded. "My friends and I have encountered them before. You do, too?"

"Yeah," replied the boy. "I fight Heartless like it's my job. I mean...it kinda is." He chuckled.

Raphtalia laughed with him.

"Say, ma'am," said the boy, "have you seen a girl with short red hair around? She wears a lot of pink, and she's got blue eyes, kinda like mine."

Raphtalia thought for a moment. She didn't recall anyone like that. "I don't think I have, why? Is she a friend of yours?"

The boy blushed. "Eh...you could say that. I'm looking for her. We got separated a while ago, and...well, I'm really worried about her. I know she can handle herself, but I can't help but be a little scared she might be hurt."

"What's her name?" asked Raphtalia. "Maybe I've heard it somewhere. It's a shot in the dark, though."

"Her name's Kairi," replied the boy.

"Oh, I definitely haven't heard anyone with that name," said Raphtalia.

The boy looked crestfallen. "Oh...okay. Sorry to bother you, then."

"Hey, hold on," said Raphtalia, "you don't have to apologize. I mean, if anything, you did save me from the Heartless. The least I could do is maybe try to help you find your friend."

The boy's face lit up. "You'd do that?"

Raphtalia nodded. "Of course! I have some friends who might be able to help you out, too. We're doing some traveling, so if you come with us, we might be able to find Kairi somewhere along the way."

"I like that idea!" said the boy.

"Actually," said Raphtalia, "I'm looking for something right now: a crystal that's housed in the nest of a rare bird found only in this area. Would you want to come with me? I wouldn't mind some company."

"I wouldn't mind at all!" The boy smiled.

Raphtalia and the stranger continued down the path.

The boy turned to her. "Hey, I never caught your name."

"Oh, sorry about that," she apologized. "I'm Raphtalia. And you are?"

"I'm Sora."

Sora

"My friends...are my power!"

Age: 16

Sex: Male

Level: 40*

Class: Keyblade Wielder

HP: 211/211

MP: 51/70

DRIVE: 9/9

LIMIT: FULL

STATS:

ATK: 162

DEF: 150

SPD: 90

EQUIPMENT:

Weapon: Kingdom Key (+30 ATK)

Headgear: None

Armor: Third Journey Shirt (+0 DEF), Third Journey Jacket (+2 DEF)

Legwear: Third Journey Pants (+3 DEF)

Footwear: Third Journey Shoes (+3 DEF)

The two of them continued down the path.

Suddenly, Sora had a smirk on his face. "Hey, I just got an idea."

Raphtalia looked intrigued. "What is it?"

Sora quickly got into a running stance. "We race! Whoever finds the nest first is the winner!"

The boy took off at a run.

Raphtalia started after him. "Hey, no fair!" she shouted. "You didn't warn me!"

Sora laughed. "I do this to my friend Riku all the time, and he still wins!"

Raphtalia sucked in air as she tried to keep up. Her efforts were fruitless.

Sora turned around and started running backward. "Come on, slowpoke, keep up!" he teased.

Raphtalia's eyes widened as she noticed something.

Sora was nearing the edge of a cliff.

She gasped. "Sora, watch it!"

Sora looked over his shoulder and screamed as he teetered on the edge of the bluff. "Wh-Whoa!"

"Hang on, I'll help you!"

Raphtalia didn't reach him in time. She was able to grab Sora's hand, but such a feat only resulted in her plummeting off the edge of the bluff with him.

They came to a screaming landing. Luckily for them, this landing was atop something soft.

Raphtalia winced. "Ow...my tail..."

"My butt," Sora quipped. "You alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," said Raphtalia. She patted the soft surface on which she and Sora had landed. "Good thing whatever this is cushioned our fall, huh?"

A beastly growl sounded off near them. The thing beneath their rear ends rumbled to life.

Raphtalia noticed its red eyes, filled with anger and a hint of hunger.

"I, uh..." Sora looked nervous, "...we should start making tracks."

He and Raphtalia bolted away as the massive silver-furred boar began to give chase.

Raphtalia went pale as she noticed a gap in the path ahead. "Oh, great, now what!?"

Sora took a deep breath. "Raphtalia, grab my hand!"

She did so, clasping Sora's left hand in a death grip that might have broken the bones of a weaker hand, like Filo's.

Sora held out his right hand. A small beam of blue light appeared near his palm, summoning what looked like an oversized skeleton key. The bow of the key was square-shaped and gold in color. A small chain hung from the butt end of the massive key, holding a peculiar emblem of three circles.

Still holding Raphtalia's hand, Sora slammed the tip of his key into the ground near the gap in the road, swinging himself and Raphtalia in a circle with the key as their axis. Their bodies suddenly became engulfed in pinkish-purple energy. They burst forward in the air, landing against the face of the cliff to the left of the road. Sora kicked off the cliff face, pushing himself and Raphtalia to safety on the other side.

The boar cried out in rage, furious at its failure to chase down its targets.

Sora slid to a halt, bending over and panting. "Hah...that was...that was a close one."

Raphtalia smiled at him. "Thanks, Sora."

He smiled back. "No worries. Happy to help." Sora got back up. "Now...where do we find that crystal you were looking for?"

Raphtalia's ears twitched with anticipation. "I think that's a Gogoku," she whispered to Sora.

Sora shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I'm...not exactly from around here."

"I can tell," replied Raphtalia. "But we'll put a pin in that discussion."

"Right." Sora and Raphtalia crept toward the slumbering avian. A purple glint flashed beneath the feathers of its chest. That was the Latium.

Sora slowly reached for the crystal. "Don't mind me, birdie," he said quietly. "Just trying to get this."

The Gogoku woke up with a startled screech and hysterical flapping.

Sora recoiled his hand. "Hey, birdie, I'm sorry!" he said gently. "I'm just trying to get that crystal you were sitting on."

A familiar growl rumbled behind him and Raphtalia. The silver-backed boar had reached them.

It charged. The duo dove to either side, barely evading its fury. The Gogoku grabbed the Latium crystal in its talons and took to the air, managing to escape the enraged beast.

Its nest and eggs, however, were not so lucky.

"No!" Raphtalia cried. "Come back!"

The boar turned back on itself, facing Raphtalia and Sora. The latter saw the destroyed eggs, the yolks and whites of which were spattered across the ground. There were even what looked like the mangled remains of an unborn chick among them. At the sight of that, Sora clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. "That thing just killed an unborn baby," he seethed. "No Keyblade Wielder should let that slide!"

He summoned the large key - presumably his "Keyblade" - to his hand again.

Equipped Weapon (Sora): Kingdom Key

Weapon Type: Keyblade

Acquisition: Unknown

ATK: 30

Equip Bonus: Damage Control (damage taken decreases by 0.5% when at low HP)

Shotlock: Ragnarok

Formchanges: Arcanum Hammer, Sonic Greatsword, Strike Blasters, Guard Break Gauntlets

DESC: "May your heart be your guiding key."

The silver boar dragged one of its forefeet across the ground, ready to charge.

Sora narrowed his eyes at it.

Raphtalia stood firm by his side, drawing her sword.

The beast charged.

Sora jumped in front of Raphtalia. "Defense!"

A translucent energy bubble formed around him, stopping the boar in its tracks. The barrier burst into white light, knocking back the beast.

Raphtalia leaped into action, raising her sword for a killing blow.

The boar fell to the might of her blade. It dropped to its side, moving no more.

Sora cheered, spinning his Keyblade like a circus baton before shouldering it. "That's all she wrote!"

"Easy enough," Raphtalia breathed, sheathing her sword. "Shame we couldn't get that Latium, though."

"Speaking of," said Sora, "why were you looking for it?"

"I..." Raphtalia's cheeks turned pink, "...it's an old legend in this area that making a charm out of Latium and giving it to someone you have feelings for will help them understand that you love them. I...I was trying to find a piece of Latium so I could make a charm to...t-to give to someone I really li-l-love."

Sora smirked. "Wow, seems like you really care about them, huh? Who is it?"

"Y-You'll meet him later, I think. But...with the Latium gone, what can I give him...?"

She and Sora eyed the boar, turned back to each other, and nodded.

"But how are we gonna get it back to the town?" asked Sora.

Raphtalia smiled. "I know someone."

Filo shifted her weight with the boar on her back. "Man, how did you and this Sora guy kill this thing? It's really heavy."

"It's a long story," replied Raphtalia. "One that is probably best saved for later."

"Hey, you two!"

Two young men, who seemed to have been doing maintenance on the town's central fountain, ran over. "Is...Is that a Silver Razor Back you're carrying?" one of them asked. "It's like that thing on the fountain statue."

Raphtalia followed the man's pointed finger. Sure enough, the statue in the center of the fountain depicted, among other things, a boar strikingly similar to the one Filo had on her back.

"They're really valuable, Silver Razor Backs," added the other fountain worker. "Especially since we use them in our town rituals. We could buy it from you, and for good money."

Raphtalia and Filo met each other's gazes. They had an idea.

Sora looked confused. "What loop am I out of here?"

"This is for me?" Aris held an ornate box in his hand, admiring the quality-made crafting hammer inside. "It seems rather expensive."

"Yes, it is," said Raphtalia. "I...I got it as a gift for you. I wanted to show you my thanks for...for everything you've done for me. I-I mean, you've helped me in so many ways, so...even just buying something like that for you...I don't think it'd be nearly enough to repay everything you've done for me."

Aris smiled gently at her. "I...Raphtalia, you really didn't need to do something like this."

"I know," said Raphtalia, "but I wanted to. You...You deserve it, really."

"Yeah!" Filo added. "You've done so many great things! So Raphtalia decided to do something for you!"

"Well...I may not have asked for anything in return," Aris stepped towards Raphtalia, "but that doesn't mean I'm not grateful."

He set down the crafting hammer and took Raphtalia in his arms, holding her in a gentle embrace.

Raphtalia's breath hitched and her face turned crimson. She slowly returned the gesture.

"Actually," she said, her voice muffled as her face was buried in Aris's shoulder, "I...didn't really do all that stuff alone."

"Really?" Aris was curious. "Who helped you?"

"I did!"

As Raphtalia let go of him, Aris looked to the door of the room to find the source of the voice. It was a peculiarly dressed young man with spiky brown hair and eyes as blue as the sky.

"Sorry I'm late," the youth said to Raphtalia. "Some Heartless spawned in the town square, so I took 'em down."

"It's alright," replied Raphtalia. She turned back to Aris. "Aris, I'd like you to meet Sora. We ran into each other while I was out last night."

"Nice to meetcha!" Sora said cheerfully.

"Greetings, Sora," said Aris.

"Sora's looking for a friend of his," Raphtalia explained, "and, well, he was wondering if he could travel with us in case we find her instead."

"Yeah," Sora added. "I promise I'll do my best!"

Aris nodded. "Welcome to the team, Sora. I look forward to working with you."

"Right! Same here!"

The last prince of Hyrule and the link to all exchanged a firm, friendly handshake.

Chapter Text

As the rest of the party slept soundly, Aris was wide awake and hard at work. Little clinks sounded through the room as the head of his new crafting hammer tinkered with some new accessories he was making. Soon, however, he was finished. Four pieces of handmade jewelry sat on the table in front of him.

Aris smiled, pleased at his work. He took the accessories and silently crept towards his slumbering friends, lowering to their level to make sure the accessories would fit them.

He started with Raphtalia, taking the magic bangle he'd crafted for her and gingerly lifting her arm to compare the bangle's diameter to that of Raphtalia's wrist. It seemed like a perfect fit. Aris lowered Raphtalia's hand.

He approached Loretta next, comparing the thickness of her ankles to a pair of anklets. These, too, seemed a perfect fit.

It was Sora's turn. Aris reasoned that he likely didn't need to check the size of the chain he'd crafted for the Keyblade Wielder, as Sora already had one hanging in a parabola-like shape from his belt, somewhat like a wallet chain. He should be able to simply exchange that chain for this one, Aris thought.

Suddenly, a bit of rustling could be heard from Sora's jacket. Aris looked curiously, knowing it was too small to be a monster.

A strange-looking creature - somewhat resembling a bipedal cricket - sprang from Sora's clothes. The little cricket was dressed in a top hat and tuxedo. "Oh, you must the that Aris fellow Sora told me about," said the dapper cricket. "I don't believe we've met. The name's Jiminy. Jiminy Cricket."

"Er...no, we haven't," said a confused Aris. "I never knew Sora had a talking cricket in his coat."

Jiminy laughed. "I suppose you didn't. I don't come out much, seeing as I'm not really able to help Sora in combat, but I stick around with him so I can keep track of his adventures in my journal. I saw you fitting those little trinkets you made for everyone, so I thought I'd take a moment to introduce myself. After all, any friend of Sora's is a friend of mine - and that means I'll be writing a bit about you in my journal if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all, Jiminy," said Aris.

"Good, good," said Jiminy. "I'll be taking my leave, then. Good night."

Jiminy disappeared into Sora's clothes.

Finally, Aris knelt down next to Filo, eyeing the hairpin he'd made for her.

Filo's eyes suddenly fluttered open. Aris hurriedly concealed the hairpin in his sleeve.

"Mm...papa?" Filo groaned groggily. "What's wrong...?"

"I'm merely checking on you, Filo," said Aris. "I had a bad feeling something had happened, but I suppose that was only a pang of anxiety." He gently patted her head. "You needn't worry. Now, back to sleep with you."

"Okay..." Filo yawned and dozed off in an instant.

Aris was helping his comrades pack up their camping equipment, loading it into Filo's wagon.

"Guys, look!" Sora pointed down the path nearby. "There's someone coming."

It was an older woman accompanied by a young boy. The woman had a large backpack and a walking stick. Both the woman and the boy with her looked downtrodden, as if something terrible had happened to them.

"You folks would do well to turn back now," the woman warned. "While you still can."

"Yeah," croaked the boy - her son. "If you keep going on this path, you'll die."

"What do you mean?" asked Aris. "We heard there was a village down this road."

"There is..." said the woman, "but...it isn't much of a village anymore. It's a graveyard now...almost all of it. The village was devastated by a plague...and even our wise elder was infected."

Aris and his friends loaded up onto Filo's wagon. "Then we definitely intend to go there," said Loretta. "Your people need help, so we're going to provide it."

The party set off down the path.

The woman, meanwhile, shook her head, disappointed. "Oh, you naive children...if only you knew..."

Filo's wagon trundled into a desolate village. The empty town square looked as though it had once been bustling with life.

Now, however, the entire village was a ghost town.

"Hey!" an old man's voice beckoned. "What brought you to this god-forsaken place?"

"The plague," replied Aris. "I brought medicine. My companions and I are willing to assist you however we can."

"Wait, that Filolial..." The old man gasped. "Is that the Heavenly Fowl!?" The gentleman suddenly had an uncharacteristic spring in his step as he ran down a nearby dirt path. "Doctor, doctor! The Savior is here! He and his friends are going to help us!"

Sora leaned out of the wagon, raising a confused eyebrow at Aris. "What was all that about?"

"It's...a long story."

The village doctor received Aris and the others with a warm, but desperate welcome. "May I ask, sir..." said the doctor, "are you really...him?"

"I wouldn't say I'm everything the rumors say I am," said Aris, "since I'm certainly no expert healer. But I have medicine, and lots of it. My friends and I will put it to use healing the infected here."

"That would be more than enough," said the doctor. "I can't make nearly enough medicine for everyone. The infected come in faster than I can make medicine to heal them."

Aris and company followed the doctor into the village hospital, where they were greeted by a nurse. "Oh, welcome back, doctor," said the nurse in an unusually cheery voice. "Are these people with you?"

"Yes," replied the doctor. "They've brought us medicine." He turned to Aris. "I...know you said nothing about money, but I will pay as much as I can for the medicine. At this point..." He sighed, "...it's the best thing we can do."

"You really need not pay a thing," said Aris. "Your people need help. So we're going to help them."

Aris started administering the medicine, using Potion Enhancement to increase its potency.

"Thank you so much, sir," the doctor said tearfully. "Here. You said you did not care for money, but we thought paying you for your trouble was the least we could do."

"Fifty silvers...plenty of money," said Aris. "You...really didn't need to pay me."

"We wanted to," said the nurse. "Thanks to you, we've...well, we've stopped the immediate problem."

"Wait," Loretta interjected, "the infected people were only the immediate problem?"

The doctor nodded. "Correct...if the corrupted mountain air keeps blowing into the village...more and more people will become sick."

"What about the mountain?" asked Sora. "Is something polluting the air?"

"Around a month ago," replied the doctor, "there was a titanic dragon nesting on the mountain. It was slain by the Sword Hero."

"I recall hearing rumors about that," said Aris. "But how is that connected to the plague?"

"After the Sword Hero slew the dragon," said the doctor, "our village became something of a tourist attraction for adventurers. They came to see the corpse of the dragon, as well as purchase supplies for their travels. That helped the economy greatly. But...one day, a particular adventurer collapsed out of nowhere, and more soon followed. The dragon's dead flesh had begun to rot, emitting some sort of poisonous gas into the air. The winds from the mountain have been blowing the gas down the slopes and into our village ever since."

"That would make sense," Loretta stated. "Meat rots when left out for too long. But...why didn't Ren remember that?"

"Haven't you tried getting rid of the body somehow?" asked Raphtalia.

"We can't," said the nurse. "The mountain is crawling with dangerous monsters. And...recently, we've seen some...really terrifying ones. They capture people, cloaking them in some sort of dark energy...and turn the captive person into one of their own."

Sora gasped. "The Heartless...!"

The nurse continued, "Because of that, the only ones who ever really dared to climb the mountain were the adventurers. But...with the plague, none of them dare to climb the mountain."

"Furthermore," said the doctor, "due to the dragon's poison, I believe the very ecology of the mountain has shifted. Given the consequences, the average adventurer wouldn't dare to even look at the corpse. And those that do approach it...well, they aren't typically above average in skill, but...in recklessness."

"Is the royal court aware of what's going on here?" asked Aris.

The doctor nodded. "They are. We were supposed to receive a delivery of medicine soon."

"But...they said the Heroes are too busy to help us, so...really, all we can do is wait and hope the plague doesn't wipe us all out."

What in Hylia's name would those so-called Heroes prioritize over saving a village from an epidemic like this? Loretta wondered.

"Cancel the request," said Aris. "Tell them you don't need it anymore. My friends and I will scale the mountain and clear away the dragon's remains."

"Wait!" interjected the doctor. "You don't mean to tell me you all are going to climb it yourselves! It's far too dangerous."

"You said that the average adventurer wouldn't dare go up the mountain," said Sora. "But we're not your average adventurers."

"Good thing we managed to grab these masks before we left," said Sora. "Otherwise, we'd probably be sick, too."

"If one of us does happen to get infected," Aris told everyone, "do your best to stay about two meters away from them."

"You know," said Raphtalia to Aris, "I'm kind of glad Filo refused to leave behind the wagon. We might have been able to travel much lighter without it, but it makes hauling the supplies much easier."

"I concur," said Aris. "But, even if we didn't need the wagon, I don't think I could ever bring myself to separate Filo from her most prized possession."

Suddenly, Filo slid to a halt, almost catapulting the occupants of the wagon. "Filo!" Raphtalia exclaimed. "What's going on!?"

Filo pointed with her wing. "Look!"

A swarm of Heartless had intercepted them.

Sora smirked. "Filo, keep going. I've got an idea."

"Okay...if you say so, Sora!"

Filo started running again.

Sora put both of his hands on the wagon.

Pinkish-purple energy shrouded Filo and the wagon. Filo's speed skyrocketed. She careened right through the horde of Heartless.

"What was that?" Raphtalia asked Sora as the energy dissipated. "I think I saw you use that stuff the night we met, when we were running from that boar. But I never got to ask what it was."

"I call it Flowmotion," said Sora. "It helps me reach places most people can't. Heh, I honestly didn't think I could use it on all of us plus Filo's wagon, but I guess it worked."

Aris and his party clambered up some rocks, tools resting on their shoulders. Before them lay the body of a massive reptilian beast - the dragon Ren had slain.

Raphtalia coughed. "Wow, the air here is terrible."

"Ditto," said Sora.

"If anyone feels sick, retreat," said Aris. He equipped a recently acquired shield, called the Chimera Viper Shield. It gave him notable resistance to poison.

Loretta groaned. "We likely should have eaten before coming here," she said. "This air isn't quite doing good things to my digestive tract. And looking at such a large, rotting corpse isn't helping, either."

"Guys?" Raphtalia interrupted, sounding very worried. "Is...Is it just me, or does anyone else smell...sulfur?"

A cloud of smoke burst in front of the dragon. A figure emerged from it.

Sora's eyes widened as he gasped.

The figure was tall, with an angular face and skin gray as stone. His hair was quite literally made of fire; blue flames burned atop his scalp. He wore a dark-colored robe held together by a skull-shaped pin.

"Hey, hi, how you doin'," he deadpanned. "Name's Hades. Lord of the dead? Ruler of the underworld? Some call me Pluto? Eh, eh? Ring any bells?"

Aris raised an eyebrow. "I...have no clue who you are."

Sora stepped forward, Keyblade in hand. "What are you doing here, Hades!? I thought my friends and I took you down when you took over Olympus!"

"Oh, good, at least someone knows who I am," Hades quipped. "Shame it had to be the little Key-brat. Hey, where's those two clowns that're always tailing you?"

"Don't you talk about Donald and Goofy like that!"

"Whoa, whoa, hey, touchy subject, I get it!" Hades lifted his hands, feigning backing off.

"You never answered Sora's question...whoever you are." Raphtalia narrowed her eyes at Hades. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, me?" Hades laughed a little. "Just a job for an old friend of mine. I'm sure the little squirt with the Keyblade knows who I'm talking about."

Sora gritted his teeth. "Maleficent. You're working with her again."

"Ba-Ba-Ba-Bingo!" replied Hades. "Now, look, I'd love to stay and catch up, kid, but unlike the rest of those gods lounging on Mount Olympus, I've got a full-time gig back in the Underworld."

"Then go back there, mind your own business, and stay out of ours!" Sora shouted.

"Ah, but that's where the problem is," Hades countered. "See, my business right now is making sure you little nitwits can't do yours. And it's all gonna be thanks to my...unfortunately dead reptile friend here."

Hades lifted his hand, summoning a wisp of green energy. Aris gasped upon realizing what it was.

It was a soul.

Hades reared his hand, miming a throw. The soul hurtled from his hand and into the dragon's corpse.

Tremors shook the ground. The dragon's empty eye sockets glowed with green Soul Energy. Its focus was entirely on Aris and his party.

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED (HOSTILE)

Undead Dragon King

Species: Zombified High Dragon

Habitat: Forsaken Mountains

DESC: "The gargantuan remains of a powerful dragon, refused death by Hades. Its rotting flesh emits noxious, sickening poison, but the bones beneath are brittle."

Hades started stepping back. "Now, again, I'd love to stay and watch, but I've got some important stuff to do back home. Toodle-loo!"

The Lord of the Dead retreated into a nearby cave, which seemed to be shrouded in greenish smoke.

"Loretta, Sora, follow him!" Aris called out.

"Right!" said Raphtalia. "We'll try to take down the dragon!"

"We're on it!" Sora and Loretta made a beeline for the cave into which Hades had retreated. This left Aris, Raphtalia, and Filo to deal with the zombified drake.

"I hate dragons!" Filo exploded into the air with a push of her legs. Her foot connected with the left side of the dragon's head.

The dragon inhaled. Clouds of noxious gas formed around its maw.

"Filo, get back!" Aris shouted. "Raphtalia, behind me!"

Both Filo and Raphtalia retreated behind Aris.

A greenish bubble of Soul Energy formed from Aris's right arm. A blast of toxic wind rocked the barrier. Not all of it was warded off. Raphtalia started coughing.

"We can't fight this thing!" Raphtalia strained, her voice hoarse. "It's...It's too strong! Hades, he-"

"I'm aware," Aris interjected. "We need to regroup, or we'll be finished."

"Not if I finish this dragon first!"

Filo charged without another word.

"No! Don't fight it alone!" Raphtalia exclaimed, pushing her vocal cords to their limit.

The zombie dragon struck Filo back with a swipe of its head.

"Filo! We need to go now!" Aris shouted at her.

Filo was too brave - or too reckless - to hear him.

The dragon opened its maw. Filo was imprisoned within its mouth.

It swallowed.

"Filo!!!" Raphtalia cried.

The dragon did not care. It sent off another blast of noxious fumes.

Aris blocked them with his shield as Raphtalia cried.

He closed his eyes.

This isn't happening... he thought. It...can't be happening. I...I was only just beginning to have some semblance of a happy life in this world...and a kind party of friends to stand by my side, and...now it's all going to fall apart...

A foreign voice intruded upon his mind. Ḑ̶͓͓̩͚͍̤̼̙͚̓̈͂̔̌̒́O̷͍͆͊͂S̷̨̢̲̺̞̻͐̅̋̂̑̈́̎̎̾ͅͅṪ̸̘͖̲̺͇̩̰͉͚̊̈́͑̿̉̈͊͜ ̸̝͙͚̏͗Ṱ̴̱̺̹͙̬̝͈̦̬́́̽͗̌H̶̬͓̠͎͔̞̝͇̩͔͛̍̇͂̎Õ̶̼̟̤͖͓͈͉͕͕͊̀̽̃̂̿̎̐̕U̷̙͕̱̳͗̓̋́̒͒̀̊̄ ̴̧̱̻̭̔͊͛́͛Ş̴͓̲͚̇̊̀͊̓͊͜͝Ẻ̴̛̺͔͚͕͔́̔͑͜Ê̵̞̠̭̊͋̆͗͊̉̈́̚͜Ķ̴̝͗͑̆͐̈́͐E̶̜̗̤̎̆͛͒̃͋̐̚̚͝T̷̨̺̠͚͓̙͍̎ͅH̴̨̨̞͈̰̜͉͕̩́ ̶̨̧̟͎̞͙̫́̿̉̎́P̶͖̮̙̯͋Ô̴͔̜̬͒̚͠ͅW̷̫͔͖̻̰̘̰̗̑̿̌̇̾̀̚̕Ȩ̴̙͈̱̺͔͉͉̜̅̒̍̈́͜R̴̢̛̩̩̭̰̠̱͈̫̬͑̎̆͂͒̒̍͝͝?̴̝͓̹̹̹̾̽̽̓͠  it crooned.

N-No... Aris thought. Not power...strength. Strength to protect what matters. To avenge what matters.

Ǎ̶̛̛̰̠̯͐̄͌̃̀̕͝Ḩ̷̨̢̗̙͑͌̔̔́.̵̰̯̓̑̔̈́̓̀̌̽͝.̸̣͚͔̔̑̄̐͐̈́̚͠.̷̺̊̈̽́̈́̊͗̅R̸̡̡̛͉͈̝̟̘̂͑͆͛͐̚͘̚͝E̷̛͎̋̓̾͂̈́͛̑͝V̴͓̣̗̫̓̐̚E̵̢̢͇͚̤͎͖͖̼̓͆͒̒̚͝N̵̛̬̠̹͍̘̭̂̊̉͊̂̈́Ǧ̷̹̣̈́̽̕͜͝͝Ḛ̸̻͚̜̥̼̻̈́͆̀̕ͅ,̷̣̻̳̣͍̙͇̟̞̭̅͊̈̋̂̀̈̉̑ ̸̧̖̮̜͖̳͒͒̐̈̋́̑̇̽̈T̸̡͉̜͈͙̈́̃͌͊̌̿͒̇̓ͅH̴̪̠̗̯̗͝ͅE̷̝̰̓͠ͅŃ̵̼̤̃͂͌̋̐̎,̸͒̋̾̊͗͐͘ͅ said the voice. Ǐ̸̼̼̣̫̤̙͔͕̂̇͆̊̇̾͋ ̶̘̪̤̪̫̞̥͕̤̳́̽̃̀̾͘͝Ą̴̛͚̦͉͕̻̱̱̺̀͋͗̋̾̉̈́̎͝M̶̨͈̻͈͈͖͚̓̓̉̌̈̓̋̈͘ ̵̨͓͙̰̼͎̩͖̭̑͆͒̔̿̀̑̊ͅC̶̨̢͍͙̻̩̝̃̑̊͗̈́́͜͝Ę̷͖̹̭̣̩̲̫̜̬̅̂Ȓ̸̢̘̋̓̆́̐́̋T̴͈̼̘̥͇͙͓̼̪̂̃̽̎͐̀̒̕ͅÁ̶̙̤̤͔̎ͅÎ̴͔͖͉̮̉̂̋́͑̇͗̚͝N̵̹͇̾̓̿͂͠L̷͈͍͕̭̱͎͎͒͒Ý̷̡̡͎̘̝̻̞͙̯̞̑ ̵͉̻̩̜̤̪̺̠̼̘̔̀͊̏̿̐̉̄̓C̷̡͍͑̅͐͝A̵̬̍P̴̬͈͈̲̬̫̗͌̑̏Ą̵̧̧̺͈̳͔̥̂͝B̶̢̳̥̙̯͇̹͎̙̐Ḷ̴̮̝̣́̂́̀͝Ę̸̨̳̪̟̩̘̘͕̟̎͂̏̋̓̀̕ ̸̝̱̠̫̮͔͈̾́̂̅͝Ò̶͚̲̇͒͑F̷̢̧̩̟͙̲́͂̐͘͜ ̷̡̥̼̯͔̲̭͊̍͐̑̽͗́͜H̴̡̨̡̥͈̳̙̙̤̿̈́̄̎E̴͚̺͆̆͑̒͆̈́̍̚͝ͅL̴̟̞͖̦̣̄̅̅͋̂̃́̒͘͘P̴̡̨̮͎̻͓̾̃̈̚I̷̻̟͂N̵̟̙͖̺̻̥͓̦͈̔͌̚͜G̶̢̡̢̟͎̫͍̔̿̌̊͂͑͂́͊͜ͅ ̴̖̫̪̫̘͓̪̊̏̈́T̸͎̘̹͈̦̳̤̠̮̠͝H̴̨̧̛͔̪̙͙̱̣̪̃̈̓̿̎̀͂̀͌Ē̵̢͈͍͉̳̬̼̪͙̂̇̀̀͊́͋Ê̶̛̛͖̼̘̫̼͖͉̟͗̄͆͆̚ ̷͚̭̱͐̈̚Ȧ̴̧̛̛̮̫̻͖̩̦͉̜̺͂͒̒͝C̶̣͈̹͔̭͉̎̈̒̍̈̕͝Q̶̢͉̂̎̍͒͊̓̄͜͝U̶̺̾͒́̎͐̆̿͘Į̵̣͇̆̂͒̿͛̕͝Ȓ̸̨̟͉̘̻̣̓̈͂̂̂͋͂͝ͅE̴̮̺͊̋͗ ̶̦̰̞͐͗͑͊̕̕͝T̶̛͎͓̥̥͚̙̉̃́ͅH̸͖̺̤͛̅̐͒͘Y̸̳͒̎͑̀ ̴̥̞̌́͂̀̓̔́̎͠V̶̧͕̺̣́̓̏̌̚E̵̼̰͇͊͋̊̌̿̿̆́͒N̵̹̹̞͚̜̭̼͚̝̆̄͗̐̉́̔̇G̵̨̲̭͔͕͇̥͙̱̏̃̐̂̌ͅE̶͍̱͕͑̑̀͝A̸͔̙̼̙͖̝̯͐̉̊͌̀̍ͅN̵̢̟͖͇̯̣̩̟̰̋̔̽́̅̑̽C̶̡̡̣̻̱̖̗͕̍̾E̶̜͙̪̤͍̽̐̉́͐.̶̮͚̖̙̙̬̞̺̦̃̇̾̒̈́̆͛̚͜͝ ̸͈̟̤̱͂̓͊̂͛̓S̶̺͉̎Ŏ̸̢͔̟̘̼̲̻̳̪͋͋̓͜.̸̪̑̈́̀̂͗̉̚͝.̷̲̹̤͎͕͈̹͍̲͆͌͛̔͐͒͆͘ͅ.̸̘̦̻͖̦̥̠̓̓̓̋̅͆͝ͅĮ̶̗̺̼̥͇̹͇̙̗̍̄̄́́͛̈̕ ̸̢̺̱̘͇̣̜͔̬͐̽̉̌S̵̢̰͎̜̅͗̀̍͒͒̄́̽͝H̵͔̫͇̻̫̥̪̝͚̝͒̊͝A̷̝̪̫͍͓͍̞̤͒̔͝ͅL̶̡̲̰̬̹̻͙̿͘̕L̴̡̨̝̜͈̦̞͐̓͋͐̿́͘ ̸̛͍̺̈́̅̄͜H̶̯͕͍̯̥͗̐̈́̈́̈̆̾̕Ó̷̯̻̘̲̺̠͎͇̆̈́͘Ȗ̶̜̜̹͎͎͚͎̉͛̇S̵̪̲̫͛̆̓E̶̦̮͉̟̙̟͋̋̉́͋̾̕ ̸̧̼̓̎̃̆̽M̷̤̙̝̩̦̪͙̒͜Y̵̧̠̦̮̟̺̘̌̍̆̿̈͆̑̍̅̕ ̴̲͇͚̼̬̱̠̯̂̀̓̐̿̊̋P̷̰̈́̿́̈͘Ȍ̶̧̹̺̹͈̥̘͎̠͎̅W̷̛̖̪̭̺̦̝̑̌͆͆͘̕Ȩ̷̛͇̲͙͓̤̖̘͆͊̾R̴͇̖͌̆̒̿̓͠ ̷̧̡̰̳̤̳̠̌̓̂͂̾͗̽́W̸̲͜͠Ḭ̴̩͗͆̍̇̉̿̾̽͆̚T̴̢̪̮͈̜̳͙̰̮̘͒̾̔̏͑̀̾̈́͋H̴̲̱̬̦͎͖̝͙̜̔̏͗͆̀̈Ĭ̶̡̤̟̘͖̺͕̩̬̊̇̍͝N̶̠̩͉̯͑ ̸̲͈̠̒͌̎̊͗̾́̽͂͝T̴̛̠̬͚̩̦̤̍͐̊̆̒́̚H̵͕̳̍E̷͇͓̖̝͒̀̓͝͝͝Ę̷̛̣̹̘̮̺̤̥̰͋̏̓̏̒͛͂͌͘.̴̤̝͙̝͍͕̲͗̽̅́̓̓͒̓̕͘.̷̺̘͗ͅ.̵̨̛̳̪̰̭͚̍̓

Aris felt it engulfing him. White lightning crackled all over his body. This...This is for you, Filo...

His body began to transform. Gone was the Soul Energy in his prosthetic right arm, replaced by forking arcs of white lightning. His green clothes gave way to a pale blue chiton on his left shoulder, leaving the right side of his upper body exposed. His hair turned alabaster white. Red markings like a tiger's stripes appeared on his cheeks, and a blue v-shaped mark was on his forehead. He opened his eyes. His irises and pupils were gone. Aris's empty white eyes crackled with lightning.

The Master Sword disappeared from his back. A giant greatsword appeared in its place, having two blades crossed over like a double helix.

Ǎ̴̡͚̰̜͚̝̹͔́̑̐̑̔̆͗̂͘ͅR̵̟̬̓͂Í̵͙̲͖̄͐̎̍̕S̵̟̺̗̬̿͒̌̈́̚͜ ̸̧̘̬̜̉̋͋Ḧ̴͉͓̘͔͎̱́̽́͜ͅÅ̶̳̰̥͎̪̤̼̻͔̿Ṙ̸͔̠͔̠͕̻͕̱͔K̴̝̳͔̙͛̊̿͆̑̔͛̋̓̕ͅḬ̸̟̇̌̋Ņ̷̧̤͔̞̐̆̎̔̇̊͌̀͌̃Í̶̢͚̗̮̤̒ͅǍ̴̧͔̰̞͖̉͜ͅN̶͔̮͗́́̽ ̶̙̪̆A̶̘̙̯͉̬̯͊͒̅͝T̷̢͉̭̦̗͚͎̰̉̓̇͝R̶̢̪̀̑̄̉̿̄́̎̈́Ę̶̢͙̙̘̬͓͗́͊̍͐̈́͋̈I̴̠̤͖͎̤̖̥̠͎͆͗̈́̒̆̓ͅD̵̢̢̰̱̤̞̞͕̘̎͠ͅE̷͍̟̳͑̓̑̿͊̈̏̕̚̚S̸͙̘̺̯̩̪̯͆͐́

"̸̩̱͙͐̇͌̔̕A̶͍̠̭̤̲̬͓̳̋N̵̘̣̯͛́͋͘G̶̨̣̙̠͕̃͌̌̀͐̔̃͝Ȩ̵̱̪̙̺͚̟͇̖̒̋͌̈́͒͂̉͜R̴̘̺͉͠ ̶̙̘̘̻̯̙̠͗̐͛́͛̄̀͂͝A̷̧̨̲̥͓̟̟̗͋̀̓͐̈̽͜͠Ņ̸͔̯̖͖̣͔̠̯̄̂Ḑ̵̛̰̗̰̖͙͒̐̎͂̃̎͋ ̴̛͎͖̜͚̎̒̌̈́͑̈͗̍̂H̷̟̼͇̾́̉̽Ạ̵̢̓͋́̊̅̈̾͑T̵̲̘̞͋̔̂͊͝E̶͉̤̩̿̑̑̓̿̑͋ ̵̰̮̒̈́̐̂͗̍Ą̷̨͔͇͚͔̲̺͉̾̔̚͘R̴̨̗̪̊͋͐̀̒̚̚ͅE̵̡̟̞̜͖̺̮̭̝͖̓̅̑̆͐̚ ̸̫͇̟̺̗͇͍̻͙͐́̋̇́̈́̉̃͝͝S̶̱̈́͒́̏́͒̅͂͠Ư̷̳̟͆̆͗̆̂̋̂̾̋P̷̡̡̹̠̞̮̑͑̐̔Ṙ̶̨̘̰̘̹̩̓͝E̷̦͓̍̎̐̉͌̋̋̕͝M̶͗ͅE̸̡̲͚̹͍̰͇̐̄̋͘̚͜.̵̻̲͎̳͒͂̅̍͊͆̈́͘͝"̷̧̻͉̟̹̲̠͛̈́̌̿̑̆̾͒̚͜͝ͅ

A̷͓͉͓̫̥̋̽̀̇͜G̷̗͖̤̹͙͗͋̒̈̽̽̚Ȩ̷͇͙̘̬̱̪̎̃̔̽̽̀̈̍͘͝:̵̩͗̂̔̉̆̕ ̴͇͉̱͒͂̽̋̌̔̚͝͝͝a̶̧̛͕̅̿̉s̷̩̱̮͕͍̥̫̈́̏͐̇̕͝F̴̡̭̝̱̠̺̝̼̯̰̒̾:̴̛̣̤̋̎̀̅̂́̈́a̸̢͈̋̃͆ķ̷̟̞̘̻̙̿̔̆̓͆̃̃͜͠͝͠ͅj̴̧̠̼̟̤̠̺̉̀̎͝ͅf̷̳͓̯̮͆̽͆̓ș̵̡̮̣́́̽̒͛̑͑̕͝͠a̶̼̰͕̞͍̰͑:̶̤̠̂̃̉͂̕j̵̧̧̰͗̀̑̃̈́͘͠ŝ̷̛̯̭̭̱̹̭͔̻̓͗͐̽̏̄̕f̶̗̫̻̟͓̄̐̕K̸͚͚̔̓̃l̶͊́͆̄̈́̒̕͘ͅͅͅa̷̟̮͙̠͈͎̤̞̠̖̋̿́̏:̷̛̯̱̜̼̘̥͖̤̪̀̿͒̈́̐͘ͅf̵̯̗̣͊̐̋̓H̸͈̟͗͝Ș̵̮̭͐͌̌̀̇N̵͈̟̦̼̅́̉̅̇̈́́̄̚͜͜͝K̷͔̜̃͐̑̉̾͂̉̔͝͝A̴̧̢̛̰̰̗͉̫͚̗̳̎͝:̴̛͈̟̅̐͊l̴̤̤͖̥̩̪̻̪̮̱͊̍̇̆̌̎̈́̕F̸̬͍̻̻̫̪͔̬͙̑̍̃̿̓̚ͅB̸̧̧̺͓͕̭̰͍͍̗́̇́̀͌͛́͝Ǵ̴̘̝̂̂̽̊̕̕͠U̷͙͌̈́̾̈͊͝P̴̛̝͑̆̏͋̃Ȧ̵̫D̶̡̧͉̥̝̺͖̝̘͒I̷̛͍̭͝͝S̸̙͖̫͇͉̆̀̽Ǭ̶̜̪̝͈̥͆̉̎̋̔ͅͅM̵̢̬̘̩͓̹̯͔̥͒̎̅͛̅́̚͜Ḟ̴͕̫͒ḭ̶̺̑̀̂̊̕͠l̷̛̛͖͖͉̩̫̪̬̭̺̝̑͒̉̔̅a̸̧͍̞̻̥̹̦̦͊͗̃d̶̡̟̻̓̃͛̀͝͠j̷̖͖̘͍͉̠̳̇́̎̋͘͘͝f̵͙̲̤̠̰̱̜̮̋̆͋̀̽̋̔̕a̸̧̛̬͈̻̬̦̓̀i̴̛̩̫̣̗͓̠͖̭̞̾͋ͅṋ̶͓̦̼̦̤͔̄̂͗͑́̇͋͒ͅf̸̡̻̳͌I̸͙̱͔̯̜̲̔͊͋͛̈́͌̔͝D̴̰͆́̊̿͝Ò̴̤̫͓̪͉̤̖̜̺̌͛͜P̵̨̳̭͋̂͂̊͆͐̅̊̿

S̵̰͕͚̟̩̥͊̂͒̊͂Ë̵̢̼̘̕X̸̨̧͔̭͇̫͈̱͚̽̀̉̀̿̉͗̾͝ͅ:̸̨̳̤̗̺̽̾͐̐̇̉ ̸̨̢̺̥̝̰͍̯̻̀͂͋̂͐͂̕M̴̨̪͈̩͕̞̮̐̈́́̿̂̇̽́A̴̛͕͍͇̪͎̘͔̝̋͐͒̓͜͜͠͝L̵̩̻̣̮̐͑̍̐̒́E̸͇̣͒͛́͋̀̿

Ļ̵̘͎̭̮͙̝̯͉̲̎͆̑́̋̾̈́͐̆͠E̴͙̊̐V̸̨̟̱͓̳͈̿́͒͑͂̚͠Ë̸̡̼̲̩͖̠̭L̴̨̜͖̝̪͈̪͈̫̓́͜:̶͎͗̔̄̎͘͠ ̵̧͚̩͎̺̫͕͓̩́̄Ā̶̩̳͉̱͎͓̥̦̈́̀̀̓̋̇̑̕̕ͅf̵̢̬̮͚̳̯̖̜̑͂͑̉͋̇̃ͅF̴͚͖̺̱͙̥̂̋Ȧ̸̝͕̗̮̩̦̠̜̻͂́̑͆̎̐͛̒̀Á̶̮̉̃̒͗L̴̙̆f̷̡̗̖͎̯̩̱̰̆̀̀̊̚̕͘͘̕d̴̠͉̹̩̹̝͌̽͊̂ā̵̙͌͒̀̀̅͊̿͘͝f̵̛̙͂͌F̶̞̼̝̜͠Ȧ̶̟̱͈͖̟͍͚̯̓͊́͠ͅS̷̲̾f̷̖̈́͒́͊͝͝K̷̤̾́̅̍̈́͠L̵̨̙̫̖̲̠̥̝͍̈́̿̊̒̓̇̐͛́̚f̸̳̞̹̭͔̠̗̤̩͍̈̋̓͆̽̇͐k̵͙̮̦͓͇͇̘̮̒̑́̃͂̓͆̓͜͜͝d̵͇̻̱̥͓̋̇͜͜ṡ̴̰̣̪̿̀̔͋̇͑̋̑̔:̴̩̊̌̀͑͒͝͝͠J̴̥̥͔̽́̓̐̽̽͘F̵̢͓̤͙̭͇͌̀̉͗͂͜K̷͇̭̖̹̲̙͚̭̫͚͋̅́̈́͝:̶̧͎͈̮͓̞̰͔̇͠F̷͚̜̯̗̻̪̩̫̌̏̐K̴̲̖̳̥̗͇̙͔̥̱̒̈́͠:̸̡͖͈̯̏̂̆j̶͍͈͑͒̓̈̍̌͋f̶̙̜̽͌̎̽͌̓̀̚͝͝Ả̸̢̡͉̺̙̞͔͆̂̏̔̈́̒̓͜͝

C̸̡̹̾̀̆͋̊L̴̙̞̯̣̬̳͖̥̜̏̀͌̀́̄̐̓͛̚A̵̝̪̳̳͍͛́̌̌̀̀͆͠S̸̡̺͕̞̹͔͙͎̽͛̈́̋̈̊͠͝S̷̡͇͔̹̝͛̋̾́̈:̵̙̣̰̮͆͆̏͛ ̸̛͙̯͙͚̪̹͕̤̫̪͂̈́̃̽̊̈́̏F̷͎̭̹̭͈̂͆͌̽̈I̶̛͎͖̝̟̞̥̝̒͑̈́̂̇́͝͠Ẹ̸͐̌͋͂̀͜R̴̢̧̹̙̹̐̅̇͂̉́̃͘C̶̨̬̣̖̝͚̮̩͘͜Ę̵̧̼̼̼͎̳̺̘̜́ ̸͈̠̼̬̜̺̓̕D̸̨̫̳̫̰͓̖̄͊͛͊̿̊̚E̶̖̭̱͒̾̄̇͂̑Ī̶̛̦̞͈͚͖͎̲̌̇͐͒́̕T̵̛̺̺̰̠͚͕̪͓͔̹̀̾̈́̉̐͐̒Y̴̡͖̤͚̮̩̥̖̔ͅ

Ḥ̸̮̘̥̝͍͠P̴̛͔̙͙̫̯̠͙̔̈́̊͆͠:̵̫̹̙̖̬̎́͊͒ͅ ̸̛͉͓̟͎͇̰͎̱̀̊̿́̈́̓̀̃͑f̶͎͗̾̉͑͊́͛̓̋d̶̢̳̆̑́̏̍́̂̑j̶̛̞̥̘K̶̢͉̱͉̪͐̊̄̾̑͋͊͝L̶̗̪͎̥͖̬̒̅͋́͛;̴̡͎̯̩̝̝̜̥̑̏̊͗̀̂̕̕͜Ā̷̩̹̒̋̋̎̈̈́̊͝͝S̸̹̳͌̊͜J̸̻͕̭͔͍̐̎̆͂͜F̶̥̬͉̱͙̲͓͗͛̍̉̈̓͝K̸̲̺̰̮͔̄͑̎́̈́̊͑̾̃̏͜Â̶̧̡̨͑̐̀̓͒̀́S̴̨̠̟̝̮͉͖̀̏̌́̇̏̈́̒͘̕;̷͔͖̹̻͕̘̂̌̃͆̔̒̇͝͝Ņ̴̡͖̫̣̼̪̼̃̌́͐͊͠͠à̸̧̱͕̯͚͉͎̼̟̍̈́̒͌̆̂̊̕͝F̷̤́͛̔͘K̵̢͓̗̦̻͖͖̾̓͗͌̾̈̅̏̚͠L̴̤̩̭͛;̴̭͍͈͓̪̘̝̙̂̈́͂D̵̼̲̞̋͑͊͆̃͝K̶̰̬͍̲͙͆̿̊́̎͘͝ĺ̷̮̪̬̕:̵̡̼͎͔͖̭͚̥̂͘D̵̥͎͉̆̊̊̑̓̀F̴̢̡͇̹̼̊̾̾/̵̢̨͎͙́̄̚a̴̰͕̬̋̄̾̀̒̎̕f̵̘̪͓̙̳͍̮̼̐̋̆̂́j̵̛̛̻̯̼͇̓͋̓̏̋̕̚̕K̵͇͎̦̠̯͕̐̂ͅL̷̩͎̅̐̂;̸͚͙͈̬̹̾̄̽̊̚͘͠å̵̪̞̦̈̊͊͊̒̈̀̆j̸̢͈̯͖͕̺̳̰͊͑͊̓̎d̷͖͚̃͑́͝͝f̸̛͉͉̖̲̜̗͆̈́k̸̢̭͚̐̀̈́̎͠L̸̨͉̩͓̬̹̫͗̑̈́́̓̿̎̑̈́͜P̷̢̲̪͎̾̎͗̓̉̀̕͠ͅs̵̜͓̜͓͙̼̮̱̲͓̽̇̽̈́̊͐̿͆̊j̴̧̢͈̻̗͉͕̉͛̍͌́d̷̨̼̘̳̭͑͗̄̓̒̊͜K̷̛͖̺̠̺͍͖̦̳̰̠͆͊̏̽́̀̈F̸̨̧̬̠̝̣̲̤͉͛̒̿̀͘Ḷ̴͔̥͇͎͗̆̌;̴̨̪̙̮͈͚͔̖̰̈́̀̾h̸̢̬̗̠̪͚̭̻̼̓̌͒̈́̄͘͝s̵̨͖͓̗̝͈̻̆̓̽͆̉̈́͆͗̃̑͜ͅͅủ̶̡̘͓͕̬̤ͅi̴̬̫̣͙̓̆̈́̊͊̈́̅o̶̡̨̡̥̻̠̥̮͙̤̐̑̃͂̔̊̒̓̄̕p̷̫̱̭̩̮̐͒̇̈̉͌́̎̋f̸̛̪͉̱͇̫̰̪͑̆̍ñ̶̳͙̭͕̼̻͎͉̜̋́͜ḻ̸͓̝͇̱̺̓̍͠a̴̘̮̼̓̈̿̽͛̃̌ḗ̷͇͙̠̻̥̝͓̾i̴̲͚̦͒̒̂̅͌͋̈͛̀L̴̗̈́̇͂͗͛̒̃͠F̴̣̺̟̳̈͂m̷̢̢̛͓̺̳͊̌̂̎̽̽̃̚a̶̗̫̯͕͎̐͑͊

M̶̹̥̰̺͇͙͊̑̔͜P̸̢̛̦̟̪͖̽̈́͊̃͊̚:̷̹̘̹̞͍̹͙͕̪͋̈́͌̂̈́ ̸̢̟̝̝̟̥͙̼͗̍̕ͅk̴̨̢̖͈̺͈͚͎̃̑̃̏̚j̸̱͎͕̱̔̀̌̄̑̓̓̀̒̕ş̴̦͇̼̟̼͇̣̟͊͑͂̽̌́̀̽̔͘ͅd̴͉͉̟̖̓̀̅͂̓̇f̷̛̛͇̟̘̖̏̐͌͒8̴̥̖̻̝͙̙̄́͂͋̉̓̇͐̚͠0̷̻̻̜̓̿̂̌̀̕9̷̰̪̖̠͈̳͍̃̓͐̂̈̕͠3̵̧͍̬̯̬̱̯̙̈̍Ȩ̴͎̙̈̍̿̑̍̉̋̕ͅ8̵̢̠͕̻͇̇̚M̴̭̘̙̞͍͔̄͐͊̂Ì̷̻̦̼̬͎͌͘͝ͅF̴̨̗͎͎̼͇̄̈́̒͗͆͒͝D̶͕̀̌̀͛̚ḷ̷͇͕̪̤̤̮̼̅̇̄̋͋͌͠n̸̘̅f̵̨̳̼͕̾͝͝a̸̭̱̜̫̻͚̓͊̈́͠i̴̡̼̻̣̬͂̍̅̈́̆̿ͅỡ̷̡͓͍̦̣̪̙̮̍̈́f̷̨̡̝͚̬͙̻̓̃̄͗̃̅͊́͐͝p̶̏̓̿͘ͅl̸̡͉̳̙̮̪͔̦̯̼͊͌̅̅̄͆͑̈́d̴̡͈͎̙̳̘͔̠̅̀̄̆͋͋͝N̸͙͔͕̤͔͚̤̟͇̫̈́̑S̵̤̩͎͓̮̼̦̼̹̔̃̒̐͋͗̉m̷̲͙͓̻̋_̴̡̥̰͉̲̼̼͔̾̀0̶̢̱͍͖́̀͋̈͒̒̊͜͝͝D̷̟̬̬̖̟͉̑S̵̺̦̲̗̟̱͓̹̀͗̑̈́̀̏̔͂̉̄M̶̧̺̰̩̤̫͖̊̇̈́9̵͕̺̝̻͎͂̈̽̍̄͐͘͠ͅD̷̲͎̺̀P̶̢͙͙̦̻̙̣̑̓̈́ͅf̶̩̣̱͕̒́̚I̸̤͉̥̥̪̠̘̭̞͂̿̇̽͜͝O̴̡̢̬̰͓̔̓̓̎̅̇͛͘͜P̴͓̭̗̍͋͊͋͝d̶͇̤̄̇̀̍̽̏̆̓n̴̬̬̣̓̆͊́́͊̊̚̕

S̶̲̈́̇̀P̶̡͉̠̤̳͕͖͔̞̹͌̊͑͗:̶̨̨̮̹͉̹̣̣̊̀̊̇̑̾̆̈̊̈́ ̴̨̟̱͗̐͐̅̄̆͐̋̾∞̴̡̲͚͎̳̣̱͆̍̃̐̔́͜ͅ

Ě̶̦̞̫̞̣̬̝̤̔̏̌̌̔̏̚X̵̡͈͂͌͑̓́̿̕͘͝P̴̧͕̰̣̺͙̟͙̾̎̈́̐̽͑̒͗ͅ:̴̥̟̤͓͉̝̦̩̘̑ ̵̬̞̻̋̈͆͌̚͘D̴̙̲̦̀̓ͅͅF̶̞̳̗͎̂͑͋͌̎N̷̩̞̠̙̺̯̭̓̂͠Ą̴̛̻̜̽͊̎̒̓S̷̜͇͚̞̞̩̾̈́̋̎͆̕͜ͅK̵̰̩͓̩̯̋͐̽̍̆̄O̸͕͍̓͑͊̌̅P̴̼͙͕̦͆͆͂̓̄͂̃͌͂F̸̪͎͓͚̌͒͋̉̂͠Ņ̸̢̱͙̭̹̔͆̽̓̽̑̊̏͂̚Ä̷̢̰̫̮͂̅́͘̚ ̸̰̬͎̳̘̥̻̙̌͗K̴̛͈͚̗͈͈̰̈́̇̽͋̑̂͜S̶̨̛͇̥͂̇͗́̒̾̓;̵̡̛̹͉̅͒̈́L̵̛͕̙̻̦̖̤͙̼̝̠̓̍̎̆̚͠I̸̡̱͕̳̰̾́͘͝͝͝O̴̝̞̟̻̼͕͎͂̈͒͂̚ṕ̷͕͂̈̾͝n̷͓̲͕̰̪̫̲̫͈̣̈́͘͝͠f̵̦̯̫͔̭̭̓̾͊͗̒͜͠ ̶̬̳̘̩̣̀̏̈l̸̞̙̞̻̫̭̗͍̯͎̏̀̅̽̾͋̅̒̔̒a̴̢̞̬̯̖̦̲̿̈̆͆̏͒́͌͘͘f̸̼͔͎̭̦̼́́̂̾̀͝ͅ ̶̯͎̜̞̥̘̫̗͍̇̈́̋̏̅̆͊͗́̓í̵̧̨̢̗̝̤̘͚̐̄͆͜͠á̴̱̊̚o̵̢͚͕̰̰̳͕̭̖̅͗̃̉͠ṕ̸̞̫̝̤͉̔̍̾͋̚f̴̡̨̜̘̤̙̱̄̀̀̋̈́̈̀̓ ̴̧̺͓͇̜̠͗̓̐͂͛̚̕͜b̴̡̼̙̩̣̳͕̼͇̈́̓̄b̵͇̣̥̞͎̯̟͖̱̈́̈͋d̵̰̺̙̝̳̞̜̦̓͋̂̄̀̔̈́̈͊̔ͅͅn̷̡̞̖̜͕̘̂̒͋w̵͙̜͎̳̋͆í̵̭̺͓̹͔̫͛̾̈́ų̶͇͓̂̈̿̓͑́̚)̶̮̳͕̳͍̼͊̋̀̈́͘(̴̡̭̜̘̳̲̺̝̋̒d̵̛͇̺̺̤̹̟̟̱̜̏͜f̸̛̺̯̖̹́̈́ ̸͉͚̙͕͈͖̬̮́͛̄̚e̵̙̓̿̐̇̇́͂̀̄̚w̶̫͆̓͊(̴̡̺͔̤͝*̵̭̤̦̃̽f̷̡͈̟͚͆̄͆͂͐̄̒̈̇͠h̶̢̹̆͌̓̐͒̄͆͋̚ͅ

Ṣ̸̛͇͈̪̭̞̖̬̘̟̉̃͘T̷͈̫̩̥̞̻̥̠̠̀̀̿̅Ä̷̟̟̳̠́̔̔̂T̶̢̜̟͔̳͖̫̲̃̿̈́̍̈́̈́̚S̸̨͔̬̤͕̬̦͖̃̓̆͐͆̅̍̆͒:̵̨̛͉̲̺̅̂̐̓̀̄̆͘ͅ

A̵̟̤̱͈̗͎̺̓́́̔͘T̴͖̘̈́̎́̎͋͑ͅK̶̪̿͜͝͠:̴̤̿͗̊̈́ ̵̼̹̭̖̰̈́͋̑͑̄̑̒̓͊ͅF̴̛̬̲̹͗͗̋̏̋̊ͅḮ̵̝̪̭͈͛̈́̽Ḏ̴̟̮̻̼͈͎̦͛́̽J̸̳͎͉͑̒͝ͅĄ̴̡̡̡̳̙̳̻̍̎͂͒̈̈́͜͝Ò̶͉̮̠͉̮̫̀͊̈̅͊̄̅͘͜ͅP̵̢͉̯̞͓̹̝̝̤̄̌͜N̵̝̳̫͆̓̓̑F̸̛̘͍̪̳̻͓̱͓̘̤͒̓̒͑̅̈́̿͘ ̴̢͔̤̉̍̂͘͝͠A̵̰͋̄̇͋̂̋P̴̡̤̻̹͖̦͔̯͚̩͛̀Ǫ̸͖͍͙̮͙́̏͗̂͆S̶̞̟̾̎͊̐͌̓͘͝l̷̪͎̜͙̓͂̌̾̔͜ĩ̴̲͇̭̫̱̣͙͌̉ṇ̷̱͖́̇F̴̌͒̈́ͅ-̸̧̛͇̦̺́͋̇(̶̝̳̱̘͍̳̞̘̊͋͌͊̓̒͘*̷̢̧̛̖̯̰̟̼͎̱̼̒̒ì̷̧̗̥̣̺͖͓̉̑͠ͅo̶̧̤̣̖̲̳̭̦͑̌̕p̶͖̻͎͔̭̬̤̋̃͒̔͜ņ̷̮̤͚͖̥͓̏́̀̕f̵̨̢̰͉͚̳͂m̴̨͇̩̻̼̫̤̖̘̎́̄̓́̆͊ͅi̵̬̽ͅP̵̪͊̃̊̒̆̂̿Ŏ̷̺͎̰̫̼̋̒͗͘̕F̶̨̰̝̺̰͓̤̜̺̒̒͗̀̉͛̚ͅP̶̯̭͂̇̔̀̋͂͝H̵̰͇̱̬̩̱̰̽S̸̗͔͍̩̻̭̱͚̀͋̃̌͋͌8̸̨̡̱̩̪̹͔̣͈̍̅̃̓̏̈́̊͜9̶̢̬̜̩̩̒̏̈͊͝

D̵̬̑̐̾̑̓͋Ȅ̴̡̧̛͇̎͆͗͆͘͝͝F̸̯͈͉̏̓̈́̃̊̄̕̕͝͝:̸̡̗̭͖̈ ̸̤̯͚̞̅̓̉̊͊̕D̸̗̃͐̈́́̀̕F̶̪̓J̶̧̻̖̘̣̯̪͛̿͒̋̋͒̉̀a̵͉̤̋k̶̛̟̰̫̱̟͕͈̲̪̅̃̓̉͜o̸͙̜̓͆̒́̎͝p̴̭̙̓͝Ņ̴͖̗͔͓͚͈̬̰̎͗̎͜F̶̮̟̔ṵ̷͇̤̝͍͍̬̜͉͛̅̀̚F̵̧̺͓̜͖͊̉̑̽̈́̈́͘͝9̷̛̦͙̝̓̆͋̽8̵̣͇͙̑̌͠s̸̺̳̈̈́õ̸̮̮͍͉̓̃̓̃̅̈̚H̷͔͔̹̩̮̊̅̅f̶̝͕̠̳́̑͆́̾ͅj̶̠͚̺̟͒ͅ8̵̢̥̮̲̣̻̺̙̆̎͜ͅ8̵̫͋͌̚9̶̛̝͕͈̫̹̖̫͓̫̰̎̍̊(̴̨͕͈͇̩̻̄͆́ḭ̸͇̗̅̍̆́͗̑͌̉̈́ḣ̸̩̃̀̂́͌̈́͜i̴̧͚̹̰͕̹̞̹̻͗͆̽̅̉̚͜n̴̢̮̖͚̳̯̗̍̋́̓̑̏͌̃͐͆ͅo̶̼̘̩̅̄̓̇̉̋̋̾̕͜F̷̯͕͕̭̤̞̊̓̉̆ͅś̵̛̠͍͈̘͂̀̑͂̃͛̈m̴̧̢̛̗͉͉̦͓̞̙͐̉̋̋͑̕͘f̷̨̘̜̝͇͕̍ǘ̶̢̲͈̙̀̕K̶̨̆̂͗̏̉̽l̵̡̪̗̪͊́̅́͑̚̕̚͠͝n̷̡̝͔̺̤̪̯̻̣̽̚a̷͍̹̱͔̜̩̦̰̓͂:̸̡͚̻̫͍̦̥̠̀͋̑̉͆͆̄͗͠

Ŝ̶̡̗̯̫̜̹͖̖̳͐̌͗͋̕͜P̶̛̦͙̺̹̥̻̯̽̓̂Ḑ̴͙̬̟̪̥͓̬͕̐͊̈́̇̐̕:̸̛͎͈̹̩̂̄͐͌̾̆̕ ̶̳̤̋̒̎͒̆̉͠A̸̢͚̤̝͖̰̯͆̀͆͛̔͒Ṉ̵̛̤̑̂͊͠S̴̝̠̉̊̿͋̕Ḋ̵̨̢̙̤͓͉͚̫͓͗̾͌F̶̨̦̲̩̬̠̿̒̐ͅẢ̴̖̝̼̣̱͔̰͙̀̑͠ͅȘ̶̞͎̤͌̀̑̅̿̈̓͘͝P̶͇͖͖͝ͅỌ̵̼̌̄̃̈͐̈͑͌̉U̶̥̯̜̖̇ͅF̵̡͕̭̠͇̩̠̻́͌͑̏̂̃A̴̦̱̖͙͓̯̖̟̱͌̊̽̓̄́̓̓̌͘ͅL̸̗̳͂͑̽K̸̻̘͚̠̗̞͛̍̅̍͛̄̃̾F̵̦͍͇̱̟̼͇̆̈͋͐́̇͘̕ͅ ̷̘̼̩̬͈̳͇̘̀P̴͕͎͂̄͋̀Ŏ̸͓́A̶̻̦̣̟̤̞͚̖̎͌̈̄͗̎D̶̗̗͌̽̀̎̋͗̉̉͘L̷̻̜̝̺̊̅̿̓̂̐̽̑̚͜Ṉ̶̢̧̯͓͚͕͍͖̄͆̏̀̉͜H̵̛̻̐͒̕p̵̡̰̠͙̭̆̊̽̒̎̌́̍̉ŏ̵̧̡̘̠̞͙̿̀̑̽́̉̽̚͝ả̵͚͇́͜l̷̥̊͑̓̽͐i̸̮̼̭̟̋͜*̸̉̑̓̃̆̆̀̔̄̕͜n̵̡̢̡̛̘̱͍͎̞̺̭̂̄̓̅̔̇ś̵̢͂͐͊̃̂̃͂̆̈ă̶̛̛͍̺̲̰͆͋̋͝͠m̶͓̗̙̜̈́(̸̛͕͚͕̠̄̊͘͝p̷̢͕͉̗̹̀͗̒̓̏̾͘͝͝o̸̬̓̊̿̏͋͗̊̈͝f̷̢̺̝̟̮̰̰͉̀͛̆*̸͎͓͕̒̾̆̚̚H̷̢̝͙̼͍̟͓̰̾̃Ņ̸̫̖̖͖͔̼̉̉̀́͝ ̶̫̺̗̖͊͋̂͌̐̚á̷̢̧̞̺́͛͒̋̅̃̇s̴̡̨̻̼̤͌͊̾́͋ͅd̴̛̝̬̃̑̾̌͑

E̴̥͔̫͊̈̈́͆̀̒͛͐̀͜͝Q̶͈̩̏́͑̄͐͑̿͗̚U̴̯̥̟̟̻̹̳̪̭̗͑͆̿̇I̴̧̺͖̯̓̿̍̄P̷̞̝̝̦̞͍̯̖͋̈́͐͑͋̊̀͝Ḿ̶̘̽̎̊̆̇͑͋͜Ę̷̞̘̽͂͒͋̓͗N̷̛̬̖̹̠̑̌̿̑͝ͅT̸̢̧̻̠͕̬̙̯̳̬̈́͘:̶̛̦̼̏̔̈́͐͒̅͠͝

W̸̨̟̠̫͇͙̹͛̈́̏́̆̀̈́͛́̈́E̸͎͎̥̙̒A̴͈̘̲̰̫̯̞̠͌̑͊̃̾̏̈́͊̓P̸̡̛̫̙̯̘̫͐̌̈̃͘Ơ̸̙͕̙̞͚̜̻͈̰̂̑̒́̎̉͗͘͘͜N̴̡̧̻̫͖̝͓̯̿͗̏̅̕͘̕Ş̴̹̦̬̖̫͎͈͇̫̃̐̅̾̂͛͝:̶̧̺͇̮̰̾͆ͅ ̷͙̦̳̩̊͂̀́̾̌̔͠ͅF̵̢͙͖̝̠̮͇̝̤̫̑͌̂͑́͌I̷̡̫͉̟̦̹̙̩͓̅̈́̿̃Ë̶̘̩͕̹̩̝͎̠́̈̀̄͑̊Ŗ̶̝̳͚͍̟͉̯̓̾̋́͋̿͑͝ͅC̷̢̟̪̹͈͍̗͍͆̆̅E̴͈̦̊̏̓̀̈̚͝ ̶͇̙̖̰̊̋D̶̩͈̹͂͐͘͝E̵̯͕̩̠̫͉͕̠͙̊̑̌̄̊͆͝ͅḮ̸͓̠͖̤̞̀T̸̳̱̤̟̪̪̦͇̤̆͛͛̽̈́̽͘͜Y̵̢̧͖̦͚̞̯̘̦̦̓͑́͗̿̑̅̏͆̊ ̶̡͉̝̜͚̤̅̉̇̅̉͋̉S̷͈̲̜̦͌͋̏̆̈́͑̅̑Ẅ̶̩́Ơ̵̧̢̢͓̼̬͒̆̃̈́͂̚̕R̸͎̦̈́̊̒͌̔̓̋͝͝D̴̡̛̛̗̰͓͌̉̈͑̿̀ ̴̜̪̻̠̮̰̦̩͚̣̈́͗̀̓̾͝+̸̨̛̤͉͉͍̰̼͕̙̱͋̕͝͠͝ ̴̧͖̯̬̝̫̮͂̈͝͠S̵͓̱̣̹͓͓̺͌̄̇̀͘͜H̵̨̖̙̺̻͕̯̣̱͔͑̂̈͠Ī̷̞͎͙̝̭̻͇̼̀̎͐̇̈́̂̅́̚ͅĖ̸̢̛̹̙̠̐̉̓̄̂͠͠L̶̙̰̝̮̭̯̜̀͑̾̂̌̎͛͘͜D̴̯͋̅͑̄͘

H̵̜̞͉͖̅͜E̷̛̥̖͚̜͖̩̊͑Å̷͉͕̩̼͇͆̀̕͠D̸̺̼̺̩̠̱̘͎͎̤̍G̵̥̲̣͝E̷̢̝͉̖͋͌̚A̶̫͚͉̜͙̤͌̓̑͌̈́̉̈́̊͂̑͜R̴̠͙̦̤̥̗͠ͅ:̴̧̡̢̢̯͚̘̭̞́͗͌̀͑̄͋͠ ̸̡̛̟̮̼̦̭̟̤͍̿̇̀͂͗̎́F̶̧̨̥̜̩̞̬͚̠̿̋͌̕̕I̸͇̝̒͑́͆̿̚̕Ë̶͙̥͎͔͑̂̅̐̄̃̋͘Ȓ̷̘̥̰̄C̴̨̛̩̤̳͚̳̰̤̩̋̇͆̎̅͜͝͝E̴̯͍͉̲̋̿̒͐͜ͅ ̴̨̙̹͕̭̀͋D̸̳̙̣̘̓̌͑̊̒̕͜E̴̛̬͎̓̈́͊͋͑Ǐ̶̖̝̭̰̻̣͝Ţ̴̨̙̭̘̉͑Ỷ̴͍̄̑̌̅̉ ̵̭͍̟̺̒̄͘̚̚͝͠͝Ç̴̬̗͎̝̬̒̓͌̈́̾̈́͂̈́͘͝À̷̹͉͉̮̭͌̈́̍͌̋͒̃̎P̸̼̣̗̦̳͛̋̇̃͌͘͝

A̶̡̡̰͕͚̱͌̓͑̂̂̔̔̕R̸͈̝̱̞̩̞̠͕̤̆M̸̡͔̫̠̲̜̓O̸͍̘͕̹̗̰̳͖̻̽̈́̕͜Ŗ̶͍͔̰̠̙̼͐͒̆:̵̮̘͈̱̯̉̉̀̋͌̿͐ ̴̡͔̎F̶̡͓͉̬̠͈̐̓́̾̀̓̇͒̕͘ͅI̸̛͙̰͚̤̲̤̎̀̄̐̒͝͝Ē̸̹̬̜͔͚̔R̵̨͉̬̙̻̓̋̕C̸̩̤̑̈́̃́̂̅ͅE̷̗͔̫͔̩̓͗͊̀̿͌ ̸̢̢͈͙̮̗̱̑̆̀̀͌͊͜D̸̢̜͍̥̬̖̜̺͕̓͌͑Ȩ̵̪̗̝͙̋͒͐̇I̸̧̛̗̍̃̀̄̈͝T̵͔͖̈́̅͐̿̂̓̀Y̷̲͈̱͍̳͖̰̯͓̑͊̀͋ ̶̛̬͉͈̗̲̙͇̭̞̈́̽͑̿Ţ̴̢̯͎̥͓̽̀̏̇͗Ṳ̸͉͔̥̱͍̭̻̂̎̃̊̇Ņ̸̛͍̼̭̆́̃̾̒̄̂͗I̵̝̙̯̗̜͎͈̹̓̎̽̐̓̍͗̑̓̔C̴̢̼̱̑̐ͅ ̴̬͖͇͔͍͚̱̰̞͚͛+̸͇̳̙̼̦͑̊̓̾̄̓͘ ̵̛̦́̌̿̐̀̃͝͝C̴̦͊͗͋̈́̐̈́̈̈́͝͠Ḧ̵̠́̔̋̄̆̿E̵̫̊̐͒̕Ŝ̵̱̘̦͓͍̩̜͚̀̏̿̄̂̔́̅͛T̴̼̗̹̳̱̄͛̊̕P̴̘̠̀̈L̷̡̥̝͚̤̼̅̔́͊̎̂̾͘͜À̶̺̰̝̜͇̩͗̌̀̋͂͆̽̕͠Ṱ̴̛̛̅É̴̦͍͠

L̵̞̬̯̬͉̭͎̰̼̤̀̆̅̌̓͐Ê̸͓̘̠͜G̶̖̬̱͈̭͕̞̎̆̈̒̾́͆̈́W̸̯̮̘̝͙̦̤̜͒Ḛ̵̡̟̲̖̣͕̠̙͎́͒̃̀A̴͕͙͍̮̲͊̏Ṟ̵̢̢̰̤͉͚͉͙̊̾͜:̸̣̪̼̦̝͇̗͕̃ ̷̢̟̹͕͇̟̳̭̙̺̈̚F̶̧͔̰̱̦͔̎͆͘I̶̺̺̰̰͒̏̌̓̀̚͘͠E̵͍̹̝̟̙̱̅̉R̶̨̛͆̄̂̏͌́Ć̴̗̩̰̆̄̋̕͝͠E̷̩̺̘͖̍ ̷̠̻̱̥̜̪̳̣̺̄̅͑̍͋̒D̴͎̼͕̎̀͐̌̐̈́̐̕͜Ę̶̥̞̰͚̬͙̣͛̈̓͒͛͑́͒͝I̵̗̪͇̼̫̞͉̱͈͎̿̃̐͘Ť̷̢̮̥͕̞͖̉͗̃̅́́̽͒͠Y̶̠̯̠̝͉̐̈͑͠ ̴̢̛͖̳͙̯̠̑̅̊̒̾̽̕͘Ľ̸̘̤͕͇̞͓̙̘̒̓͗̀̿͛̈̑̚E̵̬̼̰͇̥̬̠̟̮̤̎͗̈́̀̀̂͊̈̚͠G̸̱̦̐͊̓̽G̴̜͕̐̑͒̍͌̉͝İ̵̙͕̝̦̊̎̀̕ͅN̷͖͙̟̼̙͈̟̗̺͈̏̐̐̏G̴̯͓͒́͋́̊͠S̵̡̠̖̪̟̥̫̒̉̚

F̶̲͔̾͛Ơ̶͚̦̼͉̇͆̆̊̂͆̒Õ̶̺͚͚T̵̯́W̴̹̙͎̻̬̦̥̝̍͆̀̈́̕Ę̴̧͇̻͙̜͎̔͑̑͜Å̷̞̹̖̣̝͓̭͉͊̐R̵̢̖̬̱̉̔́̈́͂͋͝:̸̡͕̼̫̱̮͍̜̩̼͐̉͋̂̽̀ ̵̥̦̖́̏̑̕F̷̻͇̥͚̭̟̪̻̣͖́I̸̧̳͍͉̗͐̌̎ͅḘ̸̢̧͉̩̺̬̤̋͛́R̸̤̲̪̈́C̴̪̫͓̳̥͓̞̠̓̇̍͑́͝ͅĘ̴̺̥̹͚̹͒̄̎͜ ̸̰͓̙̊D̵̮͉͙̙͚̞̗͆̾̀ͅE̴̹̹̩͚̣͒I̸̡̢̭̖͖̫̱̮̺͋́̆̓̐̒͝T̵̡̯̮̻̗̺̰̹̝̐͌̏̋͌͑̅̈́̚͝Ŷ̸̦̬̆̀͜ͅ ̸̨̛͎B̷̧̡̟͍̱̻̭̝͖̞̀͛Ǭ̷̨͈̟͙̹̫͒̓̊̕O̷͔̪̺̝͐͌͐͐̄̀̽Ț̸͙͙̖͛̐͋͗Ŝ̸̨̞̗̘͒̀̓̊̔͝

Raphtalia held her sword in a white-knuckled grip. "Y-You killed her...!" she strained. "I won't let you get away with this!"

Beside her, Aris got up. His blond hair billowed in the wind. He walked toward the dragon - slowly, with his head hung low.

"A-Aris!" Raphtalia cried. "No...!"

He didn't hear her. The dragon raised its front hand.

It slammed it down. Aris was crushed. A cloud of dust erupted from the impact site.

"No..." Raphtalia dropped her sword. She fell to her knees. "I...They're gone..."

She heard something. Electricity crackled in front of her.

Someone was stopping the dragon's hand. It was Aris...but it wasn't quite the Aris whom Raphtalia knew.

"Y̷̨̡̻̬͙̽͌̈̔̓̿̎͝Ǫ̸̫͕̠̥̃͐̏́̄Ụ̵̧̨̺̹͕̳̋̅̉͂͋̾͝͠ ̷̦̬͙͓̰̐̾́̄T̶̹̊͆͆͒̉̀͌̔̈́O̴̫̤͚̗̼͋̎͜ͅO̴̞̅́̀̈̀͑̚K̶̼̲͓̬͕͊͋̅̏̃̽ ̵̻̜͍̇̑͝͝͠Ḿ̵̤̩͈̣̈̐̄̈́̎̓ͅY̸͍̳̽̑͒͌̃ ̷̩̀D̷̡̡̢͇̻̻̘͎̂̐́́̇͋͝͝Ǎ̵̢̧̘͚̩̣͕͈̤̮̎̂̎̈̇͝Ú̴̞͋̆̒̃̉̇̾G̸̛̖̟͗͘Ḧ̴̡̟̺̺̟̘͔͇́͗̉͑͋̑͒͂̀͝T̶̖̗̥͌̇̿̑́̿̀͆͗̊E̵̢̮͉̩̥̰̒͆̀̎͐̊͂̕͘R̷͇͓̙̯̲̩̕ ̷̨̧̻̗͑̌́̂̀͝F̴̢̳̹͕̽̀̿̒R̷͇̚Ó̸̹̪̲̲̞̺͓͎̹̿̔́̌͗M̸̨̺̮͔̖̻̲̮͉̜̐͗͂̄ ̸̨̙̰͈̹̈̾͂M̵̢̱̦̝̮̅̓̒̆̕E̴͎͔͆͂ͅ.̷̮̤̦͉̙͕͙̝͔̻͊̑͝.̷̢̖͔̪̠̱̰̤͎̼̂.̷͓͇͌̾̒̈̀͜ " Aris seethed, his voice echoing with ethereal rage, ".̷̲͚͋͗̒͂̆̌͂͘͠.̴̢̤̞̬͍͒̓̔̂.̵̛̹͙̊S̷̨̘̮̮̮͔̩͙̘͈̐͌͘͠O̸̡̩͔̞̙̭̼͒̊̇́́̉̆̚͜͜ ̷̨͙͎̂̈I̸̭͗'̷͔͚̹̽͒͛̿̆̓̀͂̕M̶̲͇̹͕̈͜ ̴̜̉̄́͂̑̾̚̚G̷͔͑̋́̑͘̚Ò̵̢̺̘̯̙Ï̷̡͚̟̥̗̜̙̱̄́͊͊̉͂̓͒̕ͅŃ̵̨̥̦̣̫̰͇͖͍̯G̴̙͚͐̈́̌̉̽͐́̅͝͝ ̴̡̢̭̻̳͚͌̈Ť̵̯̟̤̟͕̔O̸̧̧̙̘̫̬͒̀̈̾̃̔ ̸̢̧̨̘̤͇̬͆̄̓̀̊͒̈̍̿ͅṪ̶̨̯̲͉̹̥͍̭̠̈́̿̑̏̚Á̸͚̙̫̥̏̂́̆̆͠K̶̹̽̔͋̈́͗̐͘Ȇ̷̯͑̓͐̎ ̵͕͈̜̤͙̽̋̌̆͌̊͒͜͠E̸͕̙̎̃̔̈́̔V̶̺̋̈ͅͅẸ̷̝̮͓̞̹͕̅͐̃̊R̷͔̥̿̈̔̏̈́̓̕Ÿ̸̡̩͚̼͓̞́͐̈́̀͒̆̊̑͠Ṭ̷̢̨͙͚͓͈͍̪͂̍͂̿H̵̛̙͍̝̤̜͙͉͓̘̃̋ͅỊ̷̗̖̫̝̝̙̰͓̗̀͊̉̓̈́͐̕N̶̡̬͎͓̰̝̜̪̼̖̈͌͑̐̔̽̊͂̋͋G̵̡̲̩͕̰̞̞͖̳͈̿̓̓͛̇̈́ ̷̤͕̝̩̻̭̱̃́̑̒̈F̸̨̹͕̳͍̩̐̑̀͝R̵̭̮̣̖͇̖͈̰͍̮̃̇͛̅Ȏ̴̤͉́͆̈́̇̄̋̈͌̕M̸̱̞̌̈͊̅̈́͊̑ ̴̢̉͒̓̀͋͋̉̇Ỳ̴̨̙̻̘̻͔̺̪͇̑̀Ớ̵̢̱̯̩̗̙̪̞̳͂̅̀̋̅͝͝Ư̶͉͕̮̫̖̮̬̌́̆́́̊͛̚͝ͅ!̴̧̺̘̠̤͒͌́̂̈̈̆͒̚͝!̸̢͍̗̱͔̯͈͓̒́͜!̷̢̛̙̞̟̟̗̗̀͜ "

An explosion of white lightning erupted from Aris's body, slamming the dragon into the mountain.

The dragon roared at him. It swung its tail.

Aris drew his massive helix-shaped greatsword. He swung it to his right, effortlessly severing the dragon's tail before it could hit him.

"Ṣ̴̗̖̫̈̏̋͐̉͐̌U̷̯̐͗̏̆͂̑͘̕C̴̛̰͑̑̑̂̇H̵̨̡̡̪͍͚̺͙͈̤̔́̀̓̅ ̷̙̻̠̲̦͎̏̃̆͋̔͑̚F̵̧͔͚̞̰̗̫̀͜O̵̪͂̓͋̂̄̂̈͝L̷̛̦̹̬͈̆͂̿̓̌̓̇̇L̷̗͕̻̪̐̈́̔̂͛̎́̎̕͘͜Y̸̠̗̻̪̖̝͓̒͜.̵̱̮̫̹̜̙̦͉͚͍͗̎̽̈̏̐͗́.̶̨̨̙̺̬̎͐̈̽͌͂͆͠͝.̸̘͍̫̱̝̈̀ " he sneered. "Ÿ̴̜͕̯̘͈̘͎̔̌͆̎̄̂̋͋̚͜O̶͙͌̆͊̕U̶̦̮̥̬̿̂ ̵̩̤̝͆͑̀͒͌̌͒̎͘͠T̴̡͍̋́̉R̶̘̯̺̖̎Ũ̵̡̟͈̹͕͓̤͔̳͛͘͜Ĺ̴̢͈̺̠̊Y̷͇͌̊̀͑͘ ̵̳̘͎̯̼̣̖̠̀͑̿͂͑͗̚͜͠A̷̘̎̀̎͆̃̈́̊͋͊̾R̸̨̹͚̝̯̾̐̕Ë̶̜̬̒͋̏͐̏̾̚ ̵̲̫̬̝̹̤̠̎̽̌͐A̴͇͍̘͍͛ ̵̧̧̢̗̼̮̜̭͚̏͑́̒̾̎̒M̶̖̝̲͙̮̪͋̑̚I̵̧͇͕͇͚̫̰͍͋̇̆͂̓͊̈͜Ń̴̻̬̺̠̣̈ͅD̶̬͙͚͍̹̫̠̑̍̃̏͐̔̓͌̈́͠L̴̛̲̠̈E̶̥̦̺͌̈̈̊̒́̾̍͊Ŝ̵̨̜̬͉̱̋̌̚̚͝S̶̖̗̓̈́̀ ̸̤͈͚͚̥̼̩̜͉͌̈́ͅB̵̯̍̉̀ͅE̷͙̳̹̦̥̟̗̊Ȁ̴̘̗͈͕̙̇̏̈́́̕S̵̰͖̠̄͒́̐͋T̸̲̰̀̃̐̊͗̽͌͛͊.̸̘̤͈̥̖͖̬̪͍̈́̎̂̍͒͝͝ ̷̧̳̯͚̮͉̤̆̃̈́̈́̾͊̃́͘W̸̛͇̻̓̈̅̊̃̚͝Ĥ̷̹̭͙̟̫̭͓̼́̀̒͜Y̵̼̺̳͖̺̍̓̏́́̉͜͜͝͝ ̶̧̧̛͕̥͖̯̦̟͒̿̈́̇͂̎̃̇͝H̷̺̘̥̓́̌̄̎A̸̧̱̲̮̹̐̓͜ͅD̴̡̮̮͐̓́͊̃̈́̓͠͝Ȩ̷̥̰̌̔͂̓͠Ş̸̧̗̬̐͂́̑̋͘ ̴̡̙̳̟͐͛̇̇͂̃̋͘͘͝C̸̛̲̍͐̅͂͐̈́Ḩ̵͖̼̌͋͐̚͝Ȏ̵̤͉̜̃͛̇̑̈̀Ş̸̡̝͍̺̖͓̘̣̩͑͌͋̎Ě̶̜͕͚͕͊ ̴̢͚͚̌̽̒̎͝T̶̻͍͍̀O̷͕̩̫͒̅͑̿̌̈́͘͘ ̶̦̺̺͚͕̳̜͛̈̈́͒̐R̸͈̝͔̯͈̳̥̹̝̙̈́̏È̵͎͍̀͜ͅS̶̨͔̭̬͎͚͓̟̩̪͑̑̓́̏͌̌͒̏̓Ů̶̥̬͕͕̑̌̋͐̔̀̚̕Ŗ̸̰͖̣͖͈̰̪̬̿̽̊̿̾̃R̵̡̲̟̦͌Ẻ̴̦̘̯͈̱́̓͑̿̔̚͝C̸̝̭̥͇͂́̄̂̇͂̈̚ͅṬ̶̨͘ ̶̛̖̹̄̐̂̾̉͌̋́͝Y̵̳̜͈͐O̷̥̩̪͖͛͘U̴̯͈͈̝͓̳͔̅̽ͅ ̵̧̢̻̤͍̺̦̻̖͆̚I̶̱͚̯͇͍͉̼͉̟̙͒̅͂̃̎̄̐̌͠͝S̴͇̟̱̥̠͆̑͜ ̶̤̣̪̝͊͐S̷̰̳̺͙̦͚̗͙̾͑́͋͑̓̋͝ͅȎ̶͚̮̗̟̊̈̽͐̈́̐Ṃ̷̖͎͎͋Ę̴̓͒̈̽͒͑͊͒͛̕ͅṬ̸̥̀͝Ḧ̸͚̦̙̰̞̅I̴̜̟̯͈͔͌Ǹ̴̖̳̓̍ͅG̵̛͖̝̝̞͈͙̘̠̾͋́͗̎͑ ̷̡̬̬̖̦̟̭̙͊Ȋ̷̳͛͠ ̸̰̯̯͙͓̖̓̎̀̑͆͐̔͜Ẃ̷̡̭̭͊͊͆̎̅̐I̷̲͔̙̜̯͉̘͑͂̉̏̏͂́̐̒͌L̸̟͗L̴̖̓̓͠ͅ ̷̡̱̦͙̦̘̝̬̉͊͗̋́ͅĻ̶̛̜̰̘̽͌̅͛̐̽I̴̥̒͌̏̀̈́̈̀̌͘Ḱ̶̺͍̯̲̋̓͒̊̈̑͘Ę̷̘̬̻͉͓̪̻̻̀́ͅḶ̶̨͍̬̥̀Y̶̤͈̙͌̏̿̃̉́́̃͗͐ ̶̢̭̰̪̩̖̪̯̬͑̃̈̾͊͋̔̇̀͐Ņ̶̨͉̼̮̻͔͖̼͊E̸̢̡̲̗͍͈̳̬͕̍̂͐̓͌̎̊͘͠V̶͓̈́̉̊̾͛̔̌Ȩ̴͉͖̯͓̫̇̇̌̀̕͜R̶̜̼̳̽͂ ̷̡̡̛̱͔͇̊̍̇̈́̀̚U̶̱͖̔͑̓̽͒́̒Ń̷̼͈̜̳Ḓ̵̨̨̩͌̈́̾̇̒̔̅̊̚E̸͔͙̾̓̓̆̋R̵̦̥͘͜ͅS̶͍̝̏͂̀͒̊̓̂̚͘͘T̶̛̙̻͔͎̐͋̎̎̽̉͌͐̊A̴̻̠̭̍́̉̑̚̚͠͝N̴̛̝͈̙̼̺͒̋͑͐͝Ḑ̸̩͍̘̻͙̎̈́.̷̜̤̳̪̲̑͝ ̸̹̼͙̥̟̇͂N̸̢͈̠̥̗͕͙͎̂͘O̸̢̰̬̜͋̉͆̐̃Ẅ̸̨̭̠͈̙͓̳̩͉̞̄̈́.̸̲̹̣̣͓͒̌.̶̧̻͓͚̦͌̂̒́̂̃̊͝.̶̧͈̣͓̝͛͜I̸̗̜̺͈̩͍̣͔̎͊́̐̀̈͐̚͜'̵̡̪͇̦͌͌́͊́̚̚͜M̵̥̔̌ ̷̦̲́G̸̞̦̈́Ö̸̧̧̯̟͈͇̇̀̍͐́̎̒͘̕I̵̛͖̮̹̭̬̱̩͊͒̐̿̚N̴͓̳͒͝Ġ̵̻̊͗̒͒͠ ̸̧̛̜͍̻̽̇̒͛̄͊̀Ţ̵͕̮̣͈̆̌̀̉Ó̵̧̽̊ ̵̛̭̜͌̀̏͆̑̀̈́̃M̸̢̤̰̫̆̾̊̾̚̕͝Ă̵͚͎͕͇̬̏̊̀̚Ķ̷̟̭̱̘͗̀͋E̴̡̲̦͔̘͈͍̰̞̻͌̉ ̴̢̧͙̱̪̙̠̒͆̿̄S̶̡̛̺̳̺̫̟͕̪̝͔̀́̄́̐̈̓͗̚Ư̸̱͇̿̐̈́͆̔̓̎R̸̝̘̻͔̞̩̾̉͊̍̉̕Ẽ̴̙̙͍̹͓͇̔͋̈́̒̌̓̑͝ͅ ̷̪͕̗͋̓̅͊̈́̀́̑Ÿ̵͉̥͕̘͓͙̭̪͈́̽͐̇̋͆̂͗͠O̸̝͖̪͇̐͝͝U̵̢̝͈̱̘̖̪̰̎ ̴̨̻̠̯̜̦̞͙̼̫͊́͛̃̐̽̈́̚̕͘Ş̶̧̠͖͚̞̼̯̞̺̈́̃̓̍̆̂͌̕͝Ų̵̨͓̳͚͓̼̱͊͑͋͂͌̀̽̅͠F̵̢̺͙̈́F̷̮͖̀̃̒̚Ȩ̵͉̟̲̍̍̑̓͒̉R̵̨͕̞̯͙̰͔̞̒̍͗͑͘.̵̣̲̦͆ͅ.̵̧̨̛̬̹̣͉̜̯͔͇̀̀̎̈́̽̚.̵̤͕̞̹̗̩̝̫̂̋͗̈́̏͝ͅ"

The dragon was powerless to stop him as he charged, his greatsword ready to slice its undead body to ribbons. Aris leaped into the air.

He closed his eyes. Around him, all was darkness - an endless abyss.

From the abyss came a voice. A soft, warm, loving voice. "I...I want to help you."

It was Raphtalia. The same Raphtalia whom Aris had freed from slavery. The Raphtalia who had stood her ground in the face of fear and trauma. The Raphtalia who had fought alongside Aris in the previous Wave of Calamity.

And though Aris was unaware, this was the Raphtalia who loved him more than anything.

"I want to walk by your side," said Raphtalia, "down the path of a hero. Because..."

Aris spoke in unison with her. "...it's dangerous to go alone."

Aris snapped back to reality. His enraged form was gone. His body had returned to normality. "Oh, gods..." he said, his voice breaking. "What...What have I been doing...?"

A hand gripped his arm. Aris looked to his left.

It was Raphtalia. She had a few injuries on her body. They looked like burns - left from powerful lightning. It was as if she had been standing atop a tall metal building in the middle of a thunderstorm while holding her sword up high. 

"Aris..." she croaked, her voice scratchier than a broken record. "Y-You're back...You're okay..."

Raphtalia's eyes closed. She fell limp on the ground.

Aris didn't let himself cry. He calmed his nerves and held out his hand. "As Shield Hero, source of thy power, I order thee...Decipher the laws of nature and heal my target! Fast Heal!"

Magic flickered from his hand onto Raphtalia's body. Nothing else happened.

"Come on...Fast Heal!"

Nothing still.

"No...not like this...!"

The dragon slowly lifted its head.

"Her death...Her blood is on my hands..." Aris began to sob.

The dragon thrust its hand to crush Aris. 

White lightning erupted from his right arm. A new shield appeared, made of blue and green metal, with a front side resembling a screaming face. "YOU WILL NOT TAKE HER FROM ME!!!" Aris roared.

The lightning seared away the skin on the dragon's hand.

Aris was able to keep the lightning in check, stopping it from hurting Raphtalia.

I can't defeat the dragon without this...this power, Aris thought as his mind and heart raced. But I can't allow it to consume me...lest I lose control of myself and hurt those I...love.

He looked at Raphtalia as he finished that thought. Love? Why would I think that?

Aris found himself between a rock and a hard place.

The dragon's underbelly began to convulse. A large bulge formed on its body.

Suddenly, with a final, agonizing roar, the beast fell to the ground. The green glow left its eyes. It moved no more.

The white lightning dissipated. "What...What happened?" Aris breathed.

"A-Aris..."

He looked down to his left. Raphtalia's eyes were open.

"R-Raphtalia!" Aris dropped to her level, taking her into his arms without hesitation. He held her close, cradling her to his chest like his life depended on it. "Y-You're alive...I thought...I thought that I had..."

"I-I'm alive...thanks to your healing," Raphtalia strained. "And...it seems like you managed to defeat the dragon."

"But...Filo..." Tears began to form in Aris's eyes. "I...I lost my daughter before I had even come to terms with the fact that she was my daughter..."

"She would be proud..." said Raphtalia. "She wouldn't want you to cry. She'd...Filo would have wanted you to keep moving forward. I...I know I would...if it had been me. Either way...you defeated the dragon, so...her death is avenged now."

"But...I don't believe I killed it myself," Aris told her. "I...It just...dropped. And all I did to it before that was knock away its hand."

The bulge in the dragon's underbelly had moved to its side. The skin ruptured, bursting open with oozing pus. A ball of white feathers tumbled out.

It was Filo. But she was far from dead.

She shifted her weight and sat on her haunches, a pleased smile on her face. "Phew, I'm finally out!"

"F-Filo..." Raphtalia began to cry. "Y-You're alive!"

Aris said nothing. His tears finally released themselves as he ran to Filo, throwing his arms around her as he sobbed. "Y-You're alive...You're safe..."

"P-Papa..." Filo embraced Aris with her wings. "You know I wouldn't just do something like that without saying bye."

"I...I thought I had lost my daughter..." Aris tightened his hug.

"Y-Your...daughter?" said Filo. "You mean...me?"

Aris nodded.

Filo gasped happily. "So you really are my papa!"

Aris nodded again, smiling through his tears. "Yes, Filo...I'm your papa. I...I always have been...and I always will be."

Filo changed into her human form. She jumped towards Aris, who caught her and cradled her in his arms.

"I'm not going anywhere, papa," said Filo. "I'm always gonna be here for you. No matter what."

"And I'm going to do the same for you, Filo," Aris replied as his tears finally faded. "Because no father ever abandons his daughter."

Suddenly, a blast of rock shook the ground. Something had been sent flying out of the side of the mountain.

It was the body of a massive, muscular, three-headed black dog monster. Its size dwarfed the two-headed one that Aris and Raphtalia had faced in the mines so long ago.

Raphtalia gasped, shaking for a moment before she realized something. Then, she calmed down.

"What is it?" Aris asked her. "Is that..."

"No." Raphtalia shook her head. "It's not the one that...destroyed my village. But that one..." She pointed to the dead canine, "...that one's a lot bigger."

"Gee, ya think?"

Raphtalia gasped. Aris turned his head. Filo cheered.

Sora and Loretta had returned from their little excursion.

Within Sora's pocket, Jiminy was hard at work with a pencil and paper. "That's another one for the journal," he said to himself.

Chapter Text

"This...It's an entrance to the Underworld!?"

Sora's voice echoed through a vast cavern over a bottomless pit. Wisps floated around the air, barely visible as they passed by. What they were was beyond Loretta's knowledge.

"The...Underworld?" Loretta was confused.

"It's Hades's home," Sora explained. "I went here a few times a while back. Hades had resurrected a guy named Auron from the dead and tried to get him to kill a hero named Hercules. Auron went against Hades at first, but then Hades managed to sort of brainwash Auron into working for him. My friends and I managed to get Auron to snap out of it, and then we took down Hades. And, uh, believe it or not, that was only the second time I had to fight him. The third time...that's a long story."

"Then I won't bother asking."

Loretta followed Sora further into the Underworld.

"Hello? Is someone there?"

Loretta froze in her tracks. The voice had startled her. Sora, however, seemed to recognize it.

"Meg!?" he exclaimed. "You're down here!?"

"Sora, is that you!?" the woman apparently named Meg called back. "Why are you in the Underworld?"

"I could ask you the same thing!"

"Eh...touché, I guess. Where are you?"

"Stay where you are!" Sora shouted into the darkness of the caves ahead. "I've got a friend with me, we'll come find you!"

Loretta followed Sora as Sora followed the sound of Meg's voice.

They eventually came upon a tall, slender woman with a poofy auburn ponytail and a lavender dress.

"Meg!" Sora ran over to the auburn woman and exchanged a high-five with her. "I'm so glad you're okay! How've you been?"

"Pretty good, actually," Meg replied.

"Oh, and how's Herc?" asked Sora.

"Wonderboy?" Meg blushed. "We're...still going strong, as usual."

"Good, good," said Sora. "Oh, hold on." He gestured to Loretta. "This is my friend Loretta. I'm traveling with some friends of hers to find Kairi."

"Oh, yeah, Kairi. Your girlfriend," Meg teased. "She went missing again?"

Sora nodded, a crestfallen look on his face. "Yeah...but we'll find her!"

"You really haven't changed." Meg chuckled. She turned to Loretta. "Hey. I don't think we've met. Name's Megara. My friends call me Meg."

"Loretta," replied Loretta, shaking Megara's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"So, Meg," said Sora, "what're you doing in the Underworld?"

Megara sighed. "Hades. Again. He's been trying to get me back on his side of the whole 'him versus Olympus' schtick. But it won't be working." Megara looked around for a moment. "Don't think I've ever seen this part of the Underworld, though. Never heard about Hades planning renovations."

"Maybe this has always been here," Loretta suggested.

"Good point."

Sora pumped his fist. "Loretta and I can get you out of here. Come on!"

Sora took off at a jog. Loretta and Megara rushed to catch up.

"The exit to Thebes should be just that way!" Sora pointed to a tunnel ascending upward and out of the ground. Megara rushed towards it.

Suddenly, a low, loud, beastly growl shook the cavern around them.

Megara sighed. "Oh, I guess he's sent the doggie after us."

"The...doggie?" Loretta was even more confused.

"You'll see in a minute," said Megara.

A gargantuan beast of a monster burst from the nearby cave wall. It was a massive, three-headed black dog, foaming at its three unnaturally large mouths.

"Yep, that's Cerberus!" Sora summoned his Keyblade. "Meg, get out of here! We'll hold him off!"

Megara left in a hurry. "Be careful!"

"We will! Don't worry!"

Loretta and Sora nodded to each other.

Sora advanced on Cerberus directly for a frontal assault. Meanwhile, Loretta ran around the edge of the room, lighting up Cerberus with blaster beams while Sora kept the canine busy.

"Alright, doggie!" said the Keyblade Wielder. "Ol' Sora's gonna teach you some new tricks! And I'll show you some of mine, too!"

In a flash of light, Sora's Keyblade transfigured. Sora held it by the shaft of the blade now, with the guard rotating a few degrees to resemble the head of a hammer.

Sora jumped over one of Cerberus's incoming heads as it chomped down on the air where he'd been standing. He brought the hammer down onto the head. The sickening crack of bone echoed in the cave. Cerberus's right head had lost several teeth.

Loretta lashed out with both of her Plasma Whips. They coiled around the neck of Cerberus's middle head. 

The triple-headed beast roared and writhed, attempting to shake off the unwelcome leash. Loretta resisted with all the propulsion power her jet boots had to offer - which, unfortunately for her, wasn't much.

She was sent flying into a wall, the blow largely cushioned by her jet boots thrusting against her velocity.

"Good thinking!" Sora said to her. "The middle head is his weak point!"

"Then we should focus on it!" Loretta replied. "You already eliminated the rightmost head!"

"Got it!" Sora's Keyblade returned to its usual form.

Cerberus's leftmost head reared back and roared, sending a fireball from its gaping maw.

Sora's Keyblade changed forms again, this time resembling a pair of gauntlets. An uppercut sent the fireball into the ceiling.

That section of the ceiling - the one impacted by the fireball - began to collapse. A large piece of rubble struck the leftmost head, killing it.

"Now for the middle one!" said Sora. "And I've got an idea!"

He shifted his Keyblade back to its usual form. He jumped towards the middle head.

Before it could bite him in half, Sora jammed his Keyblade into Cerberus's splayed jaws, forcing them to remain open. Cerberus tried to shake him off with all its might, but Sora's legs were able to hold fast.

Loretta leaped into action with her jet boots, taking Sora's place and rapidly firing lasers into Cerberus's mouth. "I hope you're hungry!"

She felt Cerberus bend its legs, preparing to jump. She, too, jumped, away from Cerberus to prevent it from crushing her against the ceiling.

In mid-air, Cerberus let off another fireball. Loretta whipped up one of her blasters and shot it, detonating the projectile. Cerberus was sent hurtling through the cave ceiling, exposing it to open daylight and causing the beast to fly into the distance.

"...Well, I suppose that explains the random monster corpse that came flying in from the distance after the dragon went down," Aris mused.

"I still don't think that's as crazy as Filo somehow managing to kill the dragon from inside," Sora retorted.

Everyone shared a hearty laugh.

"Oh, actually, guys!" Filo chimed in. "Speaking of me being in the dragon's belly, I found something while I was in there."

"Oh?" Aris was intrigued. "Care to elaborate?"

"Sure!" said Filo. She took something out of her dress pocket. "While I was tearing up the dragon's stomach, I found this big purple crystal. It was glowing a bit green, too. I think that may have been because of that Hades guy."

"I think so, too," Raphtalia agreed. "He seems to have a lot of power over souls."

"He does," Sora confirmed. "He's the god of the dead. At least...in his own world. But now he's meddling in other worlds because he's working with Maleficent."

"But, in any case, the crystal," said Aris. "Something tells me it might have been the source of the dragon's power in life and was refused death by Hades."

"That tracks in my book," said Sora. "Maybe it's connected to the dragon's heart."

"Possibly," Loretta agreed.

Raphtalia started coughing. Her knees buckled and she almost fell.

Aris, quick to take action, scooped her off her feet and held her in a bridal carry.

"Oh no, what happened?" Filo sounded worried.

"We need to get back to the village immediately," said Aris. "Raphtalia's sick and needs medicine. We can come back here to dispose of the dragon's corpse - and probably that of Cerberus, too - once she has adequate treatment."

"No!" Raphtalia strained, pushing her vocal cords to their limit again. "We...We have to get rid of the body first. Both the bodies. Even if Cerberus isn't poisonous like the dragon, it may still cause problems if we just leave its body here."

"We can't! Not with you on the verge of death!" Aris had tears in his eyes again. "Raphtalia, I...I already lost everyone but my sister...I...I can't lose you, too!"

"Wh-What...?"

"N-Nothing," Aris said, brushing it off. "I...Merely a slip of the tongue."

"Aris..." Raphtalia smiled gently at him, reaching up to cup his cheek in her hand. "You don't have to worry...okay? I'll take the medicine after we get rid of the bodies. If we don't, Hades might revive them again, putting us back where we started."

Aris sighed. "You're right...You're always right."

Raphtalia staggered to her feet as Aris gently set her down. The party went to work cleaning away the corpses of Cerberus and the dragon.

"The mountain wind is as good as new now," said the doctor to Aris. "Thank you, sir...Thank you so very much."

He offered him a pouch stuffed with coins.

Aris pushed it back towards the doctor. "No. I don't want your money. Use it to heal Raphtalia...please. I don't care what it costs...just make that girl well again...!"

Tears formed in his eyes. Filo looked crestfallen as she held his hand. "Papa..."

Aris hugged her. Filo hugged back.

"Curing her completely will be difficult," said the doctor. "We can treat her symptoms so that she can function better physically, but we cannot remove the curse completely."

"Curse?" said Loretta.

"Yes, and a powerful one to boot," said the doctor. "It came from the dragon's poisonous breath, I'd wager. We've done all we can already - wrapped her with bandages soaked in holy water, that is. But our holy water isn't pure enough to alleviate a curse such as hers."

"Then where can we find some that is?" asked Aris.

"The church, in the capital," replied the doctor. "They should have the holy water you need. So...please, keep this money for when you do."

Aris reluctantly accepted the coins.

The nurse suddenly opened the nearby door, leaning into the room.

Aris whipped his head in her direction, a hopeful glimmer in his eyes. "Is she..."

The nurse nodded.

Aris rushed into the room past the nurse, seeing Raphtalia with bandages on her arms and forehead. Raphtalia had risen to a seated position in her bed. She smiled at Aris. "Hello."

Aris had tears in his eyes as he made for Raphtalia's bedside and threw his arms around her.

"W-Whoa..." Raphtalia blushed a little, lurching back at the sudden hug.

She was far from against it, however, and wrapped her arms gently around the worried Hylian.

Filo, Loretta, and Sora entered the room. "Hi!" said Filo. "How're you feeling?"

"Better," said Raphtalia, continuing to hold Aris in her arms like it was nothing. "Not quite as good as before, but at least I'm not bedridden. I'll be out in no time."

"I never knew zombified monsters could be so powerful," the nurse remarked. "And I can't believe you all made it out alive!"

"That...almost wasn't the case," Raphtalia pointed out. "I got careless and ended up hit with a lot of the dragon's poison breath...and its rotten flesh."

Aris's grip on Raphtalia tightened. "No...it was my fault. I couldn't keep you safe enough."

"Don't you blame yourself," Raphtalia chided. "It's in the past now. We all made it out in one piece, didn't we?"

Aris sighed. "You're right."

"And besides..." Raphtalia gently ran her fingers through his hair, "I wouldn't have been mad at you even if it was your fault."

"But I would be angry with myself, even more so than I am right now," Aris refuted. "I...I always feel that it's my fault whenever something bad happens to you."

Raphtalia blushed.

The nurse leaned to her ear and whispered, "He really cares about you, doesn't he?"

"Yeah..." said Raphtalia. "I...I guess he does."

Raphtalia felt her heart flutter. Seeing Aris so concerned - so worried - for her safety made her feel fuzzy inside. She was falling even deeper in love with him now.

The nurse left the room, wishing Raphtalia a speedy recovery.

Aris sighed again. He softly held Raphtalia's hand. "I'm...I'm really sorry."

"I told you, it's not your fault," Raphtalia reminded him.

"It is," Aris refuted. "I...When I witnessed Filo getting eaten by the dragon - or rather, what I thought was Filo getting eaten by the dragon - I...I lost control of myself. I let my anger...my desire for revenge...I let it take over my mind and my judgement. I could have easily hurt you in that form..."

"That may be so," said Raphtalia, "but I was able to calm you down, wasn't I? I'm willing to deal with something like this measly curse if it means you're safe."

Loretta and Sora started whispering to each other and chuckling.

Aris eyed them. "And just what are you two laughing about?"

Sora averted his gaze playfully. "Nothing," he said, dragging out the "o".

Aris changed the subject. "But, in all seriousness..." He held Raphtalia's hand, using the other to hold Filo's. Sora and Loretta drew closer. "I...I don't want to let you down. Any of you. I may wield a sword, but I'm still the Shield Hero. That means my job is not just to attack, but to protect. And that is what I intend to do...to the bitter end."

"We'll protect you, too!" Sora assured him. "We've got your back!"

"Aris, we're family. You're my brother." Loretta placed her hand on his shoulder. "We may have separated after we discovered the gateways to other worlds...but that doesn't mean I ever stopped caring about you. Not even for a single moment. Every day when we were separated, I would worry that you were dead...or worse, subjected to unending suffering and torment in a place where I couldn't be there to save you. So I'm not going to go anywhere, brother."

"Right! Neither am I!" Filo chimed in. "I'll be here for you, papa! You, Raphtalia, Aunt Lorie, and Uncle Sora!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Aris interrupted, stopping her. "I know we're having a serious conversation here, but this needs to be addressed. Since when did Sora and Loretta become your uncle and aunt?"

"Well, you're my papa, right? That means you're my father," said Filo. "And Loretta's your sister. That means she's my aunt!"

"That makes sense," said Aris, "but what about Sora?"

"He felt left out," Loretta explained. "So she started calling him her uncle."

Sora chuckled bashfully.

"I see," said Aris. "And...what about Raphtalia?"

Sora smirked. "I think you know the answer."

Aris's face turned beet red. "I told you, i-it's not like that!"

Everyone shared a laugh, sans Aris and Raphtalia, who were both fire engine red.

After a hearty laugh, everyone prepared to head to bed for the night, letting Raphtalia stay in the hospital.

"A-Aris?" Raphtalia beckoned.

Aris stopped, turning over his shoulder.

Raphtalia's cheeks were still a little flushed. "Would you...Would you be...W-Would...I...um...I-I want you to...stay with me...tonight. I-If you don't mind, that is."

Aris smiled at her. "I won't go anywhere tonight, Raphtalia."

Chapter Text

Run.

That was all Rino could do.

She'd been betrayed, abandoned, and sold into slavery.

All because Myne didn't like her.

A man's voice shouted after her, ordering her to "get back here" and "serve me like a good slave".

Rino had tears in her eyes. She couldn't take this anymore. She refused to take this anymore.

Luckily, she was fast on her feet and managed to outrun her assailant.

Rino sat down at the base of a nearby tree, hugging her knees to her chest. Her tears would not be restrained any longer.

The hairs on the back of her neck suddenly stood on end. She looked up from her knees. Monsters surrounded her - anomalies she didn't recognize.

Their bodies were barely visible in the darkness of night as if the monsters were made of pure shadow. All that indicated their presence was multiple sets of beady yellow eyes.

Rino shot to her feet and bolted away. The shadows gave chase.

She retreated into a forest. Still, the shadows pursued her.

Rino's foot caught on a tree root. She fell face-first into the damp earth beneath her.

The shadows crept upon her.

"Take that!"

Someone leaped in front of her. They wore a strange black coat and held a pair of even stranger swords - ones that resembled keys. The warrior cut down the shadows with ease.

The keys disappeared from his hands. The hooded warrior turned to Rino, holding out his hand. "Come on, we gotta get outta the open!"

Rino grabbed his hand, not knowing what else to do.

"Hey, I think that one likes you, Mel!"

Melty Q. Melromarc laughed as a Filolial's feathers tickled her skin.

Ness - the boy in the blue and yellow striped t-shirt, red and blue baseball cap, and yellow backpack - chuckled as he held out a piece of jerky to feed the Filolials. "Here you go, guys. Eat up!"

Ness Itoi

"Hey, me! I found my cap that you lost."

Age: 12

Sex: Male

Level: 25

Class: PSI Powerhouse

HP: 40/40

PP: 255/255

EXP: 48/360

STATS:

ATK: 100

DEF: 51

SPD: 41

EQUIPMENT:

Weapon: Magicant Bat (+80 ATK)

Headgear: Twoson Greased Lightnings Baseball Cap

Armor: Striped T-Shirt (+1 DEF), Yellow Backpack (+0 DEF)

Legwear: Denim Shorts (+2 DEF)

Footwear: White Socks (+1 DEF), Red Sneakers (+1 DEF)

The Filolials happily accepted Ness's offering of jerky.

Melty's laugh wore down as her face fell.

Ness looked concerned. "Mel? Is...Are you okay?"

Melty sighed. "Ness...I'm worried. We've been separated from the others for hours now. I mean, we have all these wonderful Filolials here to keep us company, but what if we never find our way back to the capital? I'm expected to be there soon...but if we don't find a way back, people will get worried. And that's the last thing I want."

"Mel..." Ness put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, 'kay? We'll find a way back, somehow. I've always found a way when there didn't seem like there was one. We can't give up yet. Trust me, Giygas would've wiped out my world, your world, and every other world if I had given up along my journey. So we're not gonna give up here. And if something does happen," Ness gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "I'll keep you safe."

Melty responded with a grateful smile and a gentle embrace. "Thank you, Ness."

"Guys!" Filo pointed with her wing. "I heard talking coming from that way."

Aris led the group as they crept through the forest to investigate.

They emerged from the undergrowth to find two children - a boy and a girl - playing with a flock of Filolials. 

Sora suddenly trodded on a twig, snapping it.

The Filolials raised their heads in alarm. They rushed off at the sight of Filo.

Filo licked her chops. "Those birds looked really yummy. I could chase 'em down."

"Y-You are aware those were Filolials, right?" asked a concerned Aris. "You're a Filiolial, Filo. That would be cannibalism."

"Wait!" a foreign voice interrupted. Aris turned to see it was the girl, who had dark blue pigtails. "You're...You're a Filolial?"

"Oh, me?" Filo gestured to herself.

The boy shot to his feet, eyes wide with shock. "And you can talk!? That's awesome!"

The girl squealed excitedly. "I've always dreamed of talking with a Filolial, and here I am, doing it right now!"

The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like dried meat. "You hungry? I've got food."

"Oh, wow, thanks!" Filo trotted over to the boy and plucked the meat from his hand, munching on it happily.

Meanwhile, Aris, Raphtalia, Loretta, and Sora whispered among themselves.

"Could she be from that village?" said Sora.

Raphtalia shook her head. "She's a bit too well-dressed. I'd guess she's the daughter of a noble family."

As they whispered, Filo introduced herself to the boy and the girl. "My name's Filo," she said. "What about you guys?"

"I'm Melty, but you can call me Mel," said the girl. She gestured to her companion. "Oh, and this is my friend, Ness."

Ness gave Filo a smile and a wave. "Hi." He handed her some more dried meat, an offer which Filo happily accepted.

"Filo," Aris called out. "We have some work to do in the village, but you can get to know your new friends for now."

"Can I!?" Filo said excitedly.

Aris nodded. "Don't be wandering off too far, though."

Filo jumped into the air with joy. "Yay!"

A poof of dust and feathers gave way to her human form. Ness was absolutely flabbergasted. "You can...what am I even looking at!?"

"I can transform!" said Filo.

Melty squealed. "That's so cool! You're amazing!"

Sora smiled warmly. "Seems like they're hitting it off."

"Indeed," said Aris. "And they seem to be handling the revelation of Filo's abilities very well. Which is a good thing, because I suppose Filo could benefit from befriending children like her." He raised his voice to tell Filo something. "You can spend the day with Mel and Ness, but return to the inn at sunset, alright?"

"Okay!" Filo sang.

Raphtalia winced as Aris placed new bandages over her old wounds.

Aris stopped when he noticed. "Are you hurting?"

His eyes were filled with worry. Why am I suddenly so worried over her? he thought. I...I don't believe I'm usually like this with anyone...not even my own sister.

"I'm fine, Aris," Raphtalia assured him. "Don't worry about me, okay?"

Aris sighed. "I'm so sorry...had I been able to keep you safer, this would never have happened to you."

"Aris," Raphtalia chided, "I thought I told you to stop blaming yourself."

"I...suppose you did."

The door opened. Filo entered the room. She seemed to be more cheerful than usual - which certainly was saying a lot.

"Oh, hello," said Aris. "You're back. How was your time with your new friends?"

"It was great!" said Filo. "I made such great friends today!"

"You mean Mel and Ness - those two kids, right?" asked Raphtalia.

Filo nodded. "Mel told me she's traveled to all sorts of cool places! Oh, but Ness - hey, papa, you know how you're from another world, right?"

"Yes?"

"Ness is from another world, too!" Filo gushed. "And he's an adventurer, just like you, papa! He's really strong!"

"Is he?" Aris was intrigued. "How so?"

"He can use this stuff that comes from his mind!" said Filo. "It was, like, these weird glowy beams of energy!"

Psychokinetic energy? Aris wondered. Why would someone so seemingly ordinary as Ness be able to use something as unusual as that?

"Did Mel tell you what she and Ness were doing out there alone?" asked Loretta.

"Uh-huh!" said Filo. "Mel got separated from the rest of her people while she was traveling away from home. Ness was going with her since he's a friend of hers. They got separated when Mel found those Filolials and got distracted. Ness said he tried to stop her, but he couldn't, so he kinda just gave up."

Separated? Aris thought. 

Speaking of Melty and Ness, the children in question entered the room.

Melty did the talking. "I apologize for showing up at such a late hour," she said. "But, could you...um, would it be a problem if...if Ness and I traveled with you for a while? It won't be for long."

"We were on our way to the royal capital to get Mel back home," said Ness. "But we got sidetracked by those Filolials and Mel's bodyguards kinda just left us behind."

Bodyguards? Aris was even more curious.

Melty took a deep breath. "Filo told us you're leaving for the capital city tomorrow morning. W-Would you please consider taking Ness and myself with you?"

"I don't need to," said Aris, "because you're more than welcome to join us. It may take multiple days to arrive there, so I hope you won't mind sleeping outside when we can't find an inn."

"We can do that!" said Melty.

Ness nodded. "Right. I've camped before."

"Then go rest for the night," said Aris. "We're going to leave at dawn tomorrow."

Aris sat alone by the fire the next night.

He heard footsteps behind him. He turned over his shoulder, praying it wasn't a Heartless or some other monster.

Fortunately, it was Raphtalia. She draped a blanket over Aris's shoulders.

"I'm not terribly cold, you know," said Aris.

"Maybe," said Raphtalia, "but I don't want you getting sick on me."

She sat down next to him. Loretta slept soundly nearby, while Sora had ensconced himself into Filo's wagon, from which his snoring could be heard.

Filo herself slumbered peacefully in front of Aris and Raphtalia, in her Filolial form.

"Wait a second," Raphtalia realized. "I don't see Mel and Ness anywhere."

"You...don't?" Aris's voice dropped as he noticed something.

Mel's clothes lay on one side of Filo's slumbering form. Ness's were on the other side.

Aris crept toward Filo, careful not to awaken her. Raphtalia followed behind him.

"She...She couldn't have..." Raphtalia looked worried.

"She did say those Filolials looked delicious," Aris pointed out, "despite the fact that she is one. But...sh-she would never dare to eat a person. I...This can't be happening."

Raphtalia shuddered.

"P-Perhaps we should pretend nothing ever happened," Aris suggested. "I...I don't quite fancy the idea of admitting we let Filo eat a nobleman's daughter. But I'm not sure about Ness. Melty, however..."

As if waiting for a cue, a familiar blue-haired head sprang from Filo's feathers. "What is it? I'm trying to sleep."

"Mel! Oh, thank the Goddess!" Aris breathed a sigh of relief. "Wha...What are you doing? And...where is Ness?"

Ness emerged from Filo's right side. "Yo."

Neither Ness nor Melty seemed to be entirely clothed.

"Okay, there you are," said Aris. "What are you two doing in there?"

"They wanted to sleep in my feathers," Filo replied groggily.

"Right," said Ness. "She's...really comfy. You guys have gotta get in on this, seriously."

"But...you both took off your clothes?" said Aris, realizing how suggestive their situation was.

Melty shook her head. "I'm wearing a nightgown right now."

"And I've still got my shorts on," Ness added.

Raphtalia leaned into Filo's feathers. "Oh, wow...she really is soft..."

She fell asleep instantly.

Aris bent down to pick up a feather that had been shed from Filo's body. "Do these have some sort of sleep-inducement capabilities?"

A gust of wind blew the feather from his hand before he could conduct further analysis.

Sighing, Aris leaned into Filo's feathers and fell asleep.

"Who...Who are you? A-And...w-why did you save me?"

The hooded figure remained silent for a moment as he led Rino into a small, empty cave.

Finally, he replied, "Because I couldn't just sit back and watch someone get hurt. I..." He sighed, "...I know what it feels like to be used. To be exploited. To be treated like nothing more than some...some tool. To be told you're nothing, and that you'll never be anything more."

"But...why?" asked Rino. "Why would people do that to you?"

"I...I don't know," replied the figure. "Maybe they mistreated you for a similar reason. I've moved on from those people now, I've got friends back home, but...sometimes I still remember those days."

The figure reached into his coat and pulled out a small box. He opened it to reveal a bunch of bars of light blue ice cream.

He pulled out two of them and offered one to Rino. "Here. You...seem like you could use a pick-me-up."

Rino tentatively accepted the ice cream.

"I should warn you, though," said the hooded figure as he raised his ice cream bar to his concealed lips. "The flavor's a little...unusual. Definitely not what you'd expect."

Rino lifted the ice cream to her mouth and took a hesitant taste. She recoiled a little. Salty... she thought. Wait, no...sweet!

This ice cream tasted divine. The wave of saltiness hit her tongue first but was pleasurably soothed by an immaculately sweet aftertaste.

She indulged in the ice cream more.

The young man in the hood chuckled a little. "I guess you like it, then?"

Rino nodded. "Y-Yes, I do."

"That makes two of us," mused the figure. "Sea-salt ice cream is my favorite food. I always share it with my friends back home."

"It tastes like it's meant to be shared," Rino agreed. "Say...sir, I...could I...ask your name?"

"Only if you don't mind telling me yours."

Rino took a breath. "Okay. I'm Rino. And you are?"

The figure paused for a moment, lifting his hands. He lowered his hood.

Golden hair and blue eyes shined in the moonlight as he smiled.

Roxas

"I am ME! Nobody else!"

Age: Unknown (appears 16)

Sex: Male

Level: 40*

Class: Keyblade Wielder

HP: 211/211

MP: 70/70

STATS:

ATK: 172

DEF: 140

SPD: 110

EQUIPMENT:

Weapon: Oathkeeper & Oblivion (+40 ATK)

Headgear: None

Armor: Black Coat (+3 DEF)

Legwear: Black Coat Pants (+3 DEF)

Footwear: Black Coat Boots (+2 DEF)

Chapter Text

"Thank you again for escorting me home." Melty curtsied.

"We're happy to be of assistance," said Aris.

"Papa," said Filo, "can I help Ness walk Mel home?"

Aris nodded. "Of course."

Filo tagged along with Melty and Ness as they strolled toward Melromarc Castle.

Melty turned over her shoulder and waved. "Farewell! Until we meet again!"

"See you!" Loretta waved back.

"Take care of yourself!" Sora added.

"Now," said Aris, glancing at Raphtalia, "about that holy water..."

Aris, Raphtalia, Loretta, and Sora entered the extravagant church not far from Melromarc Castle.

Aris looked to his right and found a pair of nuns whispering to each other. Aris opened his mouth, about to speak when the women of the cloth suddenly dropped to their knees. "His Holiness," they said in unison.

Aris turned his head to see an old man in ornate religious garb enter the main room of the church with two priests on either side of him. He had heard of this man before. He was the Pope - the highest-ranking religious figure in Melromarc.

Though Aris did not practice Melromarc's religion, he elected to try his best to embrace the land's culture.

"Ah, you must be the swordsman Shield Hero," said the Pope. "Welcome to our humble church, my child."

"With all due respect, sir," said Aris, "I don't quite have time for pleasantries. My friend is afflicted by a strong curse, and I need the most powerful holy water you have in order to cure her."

"Holy water, you say?" The Pope raised an eyebrow. "Is that all you require?"

Aris nodded.

"Of course," said one of the priests following the Pope. "Have you brought an offering?"

"What offering would I need to make?" asked Aris.

"For the most powerful holy water we have," said the priest, "you must offer one gold coin."

"Done." Aris reached into his money bag and took out a single gold coin - one of many he had acquired from his brief stint as a traveling merchant.

"Aris, you can't!" Raphtalia grabbed his hand. "That's...That's too much!"

Aris firmly grasped both of Raphtalia's hands. "It doesn't matter. Not to me. I'm willing to give up all the money in my bag and more if it means healing you."

Raphtalia's cheeks flushed bright red.

Aris relinquished the gold coin to the Pope and his priests.

"Much appreciated." The Pope turned to one of the two nuns in the room. "Would you please fetch some holy water for the swordsman Shield Hero?"

The woman of the cloth left and returned a minute later with an ornate bottle.

Aris felt that something was amiss. He used an appraisal skill he had attained to analyze the bottle. "Ma'am - or, Sister...whichever it is...with all due respect, this doesn't quite seem like the best holy water a church such as yours would have."

The Pope looked a little surprised. He turned to the nun. "For what reason have you brought the low-quality holy water, Sister?"

The Sister blushed, embarrassed. "Well, uh...I..."

"The Lord is compassionate to all, without exception," the Pope chastised her. "If you did this in favor of your personal beliefs or views, you must repent. I hope I have made myself clear."

"I..." The nun bowed her head, "...I'm terribly sorry. I will fetch the proper holy water."

She left in a hurry.

The Pope turned back to Aris. "I apologize for Sister Vidal's behavior. She is not very...experienced as a woman of the cloth. Only recently, not long after the Heroes were summoned, did she join the Sisterhood."

"It doesn't bother me," said Aris, "as long as my friend can be cured."

Sister Vidal returned with a more ornate bottle. Aris used his appraisal, finding that it was of very high quality. He nodded to the Sister. "Thank you."

The party left in a hurry.

"I wish the guy hadn't been so harsh on Sister Vidal," Sora sighed. "The girl's just doing her best. And he said it himself: she's new to her job."

"All that matters is that we have what we came for," said Aris.

"Hey!" a voice beckoned. "Shield Hero!"

Aris whipped his head in the voice's direction.

There was a knight - a young knight, no older than Sora - running toward him.

Aris gritted his teeth. "It was only a matter of time. We have to run!"

The party took off, fleeing the knight.

"Why are we..." Raphtalia panted, "Why are we running?"

"Right," Sora agreed. "We can take 'em! It's just one guy!"

"True," said Aris, "but I have an inkling it's me he wants. Sora, Raphtalia, Loretta - scatter and hide. I don't want all of us to be caught in one fell swoop if this is an arrest. Raphtalia, see if you can't get Filo. We might need to flee the city, and we can't take the wagon without her."

Sora nodded. "We'll meet back up at the wagon!"

Loretta leaped onto a roof with her jet boots. Raphtalia ducked into an alleyway and started toward the castle. Sora used Flowmotion to bounce off of a wall and launch himself to the roof of the church.

Aris drew the Master Sword, standing his ground as the knight closed in on him.

The knight ran up to him, stopping just short of the Master Sword's outstretched point.

"Sir!" he panted. "I...I don't want to fight you! I'm not with the soldiers!"

Aris kept the Master Sword raised, but his face softened with utter confusion. "You...what?"

"I am not here to arrest you, sir, nor am I here to fight," said the armored youth. 

"What reason do I have to trust you're not lying to me?" Aris cautioned.

"Please...sir, trust me."

The youth looked desperate.

Aris pitied him. He lowered the Master Sword. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Ake," replied the youth.

"Well, Ake, my name is-"

"Aris!!!"

Aris turned around to see Motoyasu leaping at him with his spear raised.  He backed away from the impact, which left a spiderweb of cracks in the road.

Passersby gasped and murmured among themselves in shock.

"Why here!?" Aris shouted at the Spear Hero. "Someone might get hurt!"

"Shut your ass!" Motoyasu swung his spear at Aris.

Aris activated his Chimera Viper Shield to parry the blow.

"Where's that slave girl!?" Motoyasu demanded.

"Slave!?" Aris exclaimed. "I have no slaves!"

"What about that Demi-Human!?"

"I rescued her from slavery! Is she the one you're after!?"

"No, not her!" Motoyasu backed off a few paces, keeping his spear in a tight grip. "The blonde girl!"

"Loretta!? She's my twin sister!"

"No, the other blonde girl! The one with the wings! I saw her with you, so don't try lying to me!"

"Filo!?"

"So that's her name!" Motoyasu's anger suddenly gave way to shock. "How can you make her your slave!?"

"She isn't a slave, you cretin!"

Motoyasu ignored his response. "I-I've never seen a girl so perfect! She's...She's absolutely incredible! And she looks just like a little angel!" Motoyasu chuckled. "And...admittedly, I'm kinda into that."

Aris gritted his teeth. "You're sick. Lusting after a child!? You're the lowest scum I've ever set eyes upon! Were we not in the middle of a public place, I would ensure your bloodline ends with you!"

"Oh, yeah, that reminds me," Motoyasu seethed, "that fat bird is yours, too, right? In that case, I'll send both you and your overweight chicken to hell! Air Strike Javelin!"

Motoyasu reared his spear as if to throw it. A beam of red energy shot at Aris.

Aris blocked with his shield. The beam ricocheted into a market stand, spilling produce all over the road.

"Chaos Spear!"

Motoyasu let off a flurry of thrusts. Yellow energy seared the air as it flew at Aris, who dodged every single projectile.

Motoyasu growled. He charged with his spear ready to turn Aris into a Hylian kebab. "I'll skewer you like a fish!"

"Wait! Spear Hero, you can't!"

Ake held out both his arms as he sidestepped in front of Aris. Motoyasu angled his spear just past Ake's head, barely missing the tip of Aris's left ear.

"Y-You're in the middle of a street!" Ake exclaimed. "If you want to fight, please take it somewhere where no one will get hurt! This is no place for a duel!"

"Then let's just fix that, shall we?" crooned a familiar voice.

Aris looked over Motoyasu's shoulder. The hatred in his heart flared up at the sight of Myne flanked by multiple soldiers.

Myne addressed her guards. "Surround them."

The soldiers drew their swords and encircled Motoyasu, Aris, and Ake.

Myne lifted a scroll. "Ladies and gentlemen," she declared, "by the power vested in me by the crown, I hereby deem this place the site of an official duel between the Spear Hero and the Shield Hero."

"The only power you'll be vested with is the power of my sword cleaving you in half!" Aris shouted at her.

Another familiar voice - this one much more pleasing to Aris's ears - joined the debacle. "Put your weapons away at once!"

The knights turned in the direction opposite Myne. They gasped as they sheathed their swords and dropped to one knee.

Arriving on the scene was Melty, accompanied by some guards of her own.

"I cannot allow the Cardinal Heroes to fight amongst themselves," she announced. "Especially not where people could be hurt."

Myne gritted her teeth. "Wh-Wha...What are you doing here!?"

Melty stepped forward with confidence. "Ah, there you are, sister. It's been quite a long time, hasn't it?"

Sister... Aris thought. Hold on. If...If Myne is actually Malty S. Melromarc, a princess...then...then Melty is...Melty is a princess, too!?

"You really should know that no amount of privilege can cover a mess like this," Melty chided. She addressed Motoyasu. "Spear Hero," she said, "look around. Surely no hero would call himself as such when he puts innocent lives at risk because of his anger towards another."

Motoyasu lowered his spear. He knew she was right.

"Sister,"  Melty narrowed her eyes, "your little 'games' have gone on long enough. Longer than enough."

Myne laughed. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just doing my job as an aide to the Spear Hero."

"Oh, so I guess that means your job is to make him fight in a public place and risk hurting or killing innocent people," Melty countered. "That may just be grounds for arrest, you know."

Myne narrowed her eyes. "You dare defy your older sister?"

"I'm sorry, were you chosen to inherit the throne?"

That prompted Myne to pipe down.

"That's what I thought," said Melty. "And...if I have to, I will inform Mother about this."

"Aris! There you are!"

Raphtalia, Loretta, and Sora ran over. They had Filo with them.

"What happened?" asked Sora.

"Motoyasu exercising his lack of a brain," Aris quipped.

The Spear Hero in question stepped forward, lowering himself to Filo's eye level and grabbing one of her hands.

"Filo, right?" he said gently.

"Uh...yeah, that's me," said Filo.

Motoyasu shook his head and sighed. "Oh, you poor soul. That Aris is probably working you like some sort of pack animal, isn't he?"

"Oh, but I love pulling the wagon!" said Filo. "It's great exercise. I'd say you should try it sometime, but..."

Motoyasu clenched his left fist. He turned to Aris. "You swine!" he shouted. "You're making a child work like a pack animal!? If any one of your cronies should do that, it's your stupid fat bird!"

Filo tensed. "Oh...it's you," she muttered. "You're the guy who called me fat...and now you're doing it again."

A poof of dust and feathers, and Filo had attained her Filolial form. Her nostrils flared. "Now I know why my friends hate you so much, Spear Guy! And I hate you too!"

"Wh-Whoa!" Motoyasu backpedaled in fear. "Th-This...Yeah, this is awkward..."

Filo reared her leg. "Get him, Ness!"

A strong avian foot slammed into Motoyasu's family jewels, launching him into the air.

"PK Flash!"

A ball of warbling green energy hurtled towards Motoyasu in mid-air, exploding into a blast of light. Motoyasu went flying into the distance.

"Yeah! Spear Guy's blasting off again!" Filo cheered as she returned to her human form.

Ness ran over and high-fived Filo.

Myne gasped. "Find Sir Motoyasu and get him a healer, quick!" she barked at her guards.

"Savio-No, wait...you're the swordsman Shield Hero." Melty approached Aris. "I must speak with you urgently."

"Kid, would you explain just what the hell's going on here?" Erhard asked impatiently.

"Party business," Aris replied. "It's classified."

"Look, ya gotta let me in on this," said Erhard. "I run this place, after all. I kinda have at least some right to know."

"We...couldn't really think of any other place to discuss this away from prying eyes and ears," said Raphtalia.

Aris turned to Melty. "So...who are you...really?"

"I am first in line to the throne of Melromarc," she replied. "Melty Q. Melromarc is my full name."

Ness snapped his fingers. "And there's the big reveal."

"So you're going to become the next queen?" said Loretta.

Melty nodded.

"But isn't it the older sibling who usually gets to be king or queen?" Sora mentioned. "So why you instead of your sister? I mean, I'm not complaining, but I'm curious."

"Yeah, her sister wasn't exactly the most well-behaved kid," Ness replied. "Far from it."

"I see she retained that from her childhood," Aris remarked.

"Aris," said Melty, "at first, I wasn't sure if you were truly the swordsman Shield Hero. But now that I know you are..."

"What?" Aris raised an eyebrow.

"Melty," Queen Mirellia had said, "I would like you to do a favor for me."

"Of course, mother," Melty had replied.

"Return to the capital and reprimand the king for his outrageous and unjust treatment towards the swordsman Shield Hero," the queen had requested. "Ordinarily, I would do so myself, but..."

"I understand, mother," Melty had assured her. "Ness and I will set out as soon as we can."

Melty was about to continue, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door.

Ness got to his feet. "I'll get it!"

He opened the door, and in walked Ake, two other armored men, and two youths in mage's robes.

"Forgive us for the sudden intrusion," said Ake. "We...uh...We wish to accompany you, swordsman Shield Hero. E-Even if only during the Waves."

Ake continued, "I and several of my friends were in Lute Village during the previous Wave, during which we saw you fighting to defend it. You acted with such courage that inspired us to want to help you in any way we can."

"Wait...is that why you were chasing after me earlier?"

Ake nodded. "Yes! My friends and I collectively decided we should ask to help you during the next Wave, however we can."

"But why specifically alongside me?" asked Aris. "If you want to help fight the Waves, you can do so without a Hero."

"That may be true," said Ake, "but this isn't just about fighting the Waves...it's about helping you."

One of the mages - a boy - stepped forward. "We all hail from Lute Village. You saved our home from destruction...and you saved me, too. I trust you've met my grandmother, right? She runs the magic shop."

"Oh, I remember!" Aris smiled. "Heh, it truly is a small world sometimes, isn't it?"

The mage boy chuckled. "It can be."

"You helped us greatly," said Ake, "so we want to return your kindness and courage."

Aris had an idea. He reached into his bag and pulled out a silver pendant. "Take this," he said. "It should be worth around 150 silver coins. You may sell it and use the money to purchase some better gear for yourselves."

"Oh, th-thank you!" said Ake.

Aris tossed him the pendant.

Ake pocketed it. "We'll be back shortly, once we've better equipped ourselves."

He and his comrades left hurriedly.

In the meantime, Raphtalia purchased herself a new chest plate while Aris turned over his armor for Erhard to repair and upgrade.

Raphtalia gasped and whimpered, hiding behind Aris.

"H-Huh?" Sora looked confused.

Aris pointed ahead.

There was the pompous old man in the top hat again - the slaver who had held Raphtalia captive so long ago.

"It's a long story," said Loretta. "Oh, brother..." She smirked, leaning toward Aris's ear, "do you want to see if we can't steal something else of his?"

Aris nodded.

The twins rushed off to pilfer the slaver's tent.

Not long later, they returned with what looked to be a set of six metal claws. They were hollow inside, so it seemed they were made for Filolials.

"Look what we found!" Loretta showed the group their find. "Filo, I think these might be something you could use."

Equipped Weapon (Filo): Wyvern Talons

Weapon Type: Filolial Claw Protectors/Sharpeners

Acquisition: Stolen from Beloukas's tent

ATK: 25

Equip Bonus: None

DESC: "A set of metal claw covers designed for trained Filolials to use in battle. They're razor sharp and tear through flesh as though it were thin paper."

"Motoyasu! There you are!"

Myne ran over to the fallen Spear Hero, who clutched his groin after Filo's powerful kick. "Uuuuuugh..."

"D-Don't worry, I can heal you!" Myne said desperately.

"Tryin' to heal him, are you?" sneered a strange voice.

Myne looked around. "Who said that? Who's there!?"

Someone stepped out of the shadows of the forest, approaching Myne. The figure wore a long black coat with a hood concealing his face. "So you're the one who sold her off."

"S-Sold who off?" Myne feigned confusion, but she didn't do a very good job. 

And she certainly knew who this hooded figure was speaking of.

"Don't you play dumb," the figure seethed. "I know what you did to her. Luckily, I managed to get her out of slavery."

"S-Slavery?" Myne laughed awkwardly. "Who're you trying to fool?"

"No one," the figure replied. "You're trying to fool yourself. And me."

Myne growled. She drew her sword, a weapon she barely used. "That's enough out of you!"

Roxas hadn't expected Myne to be this aggressive, but somehow, he wasn't entirely surprised.

He sidestepped her reckless swing with ease, summoning Oblivion and Oathkeeper.

Roxas attacked. Myne barely dodged. Her sword clashed with Oathkeeper's blade. Oblivion punished her severely, leaving a bleeding gash in her hip.

Myne staggered back. "Wh-What...are you...!? S-Surely you can't...you can't beat a comrade of the great Spear Hero!"

Roxas laughed out loud. He'd never met someone more delusional. "Get real! I'm not the one bleeding out right now. Also, your precious Spear Hero's over there on the ground, holding his crotch."

"Shut up!" Myne shouted.

She held her hands out at her sides.

Pools of darkness flanked her on both sides. Neoshadow Heartless emerged from the pools.

Myne pointed at Roxas. "Attack!"

The Neoshadows charged. Roxas had no choice but to forget about Myne and fight off the Heartless.

Meanwhile, Myne poured some sort of potion on her bleeding hip and limped over to Motoyasu, carrying him away from the scene.

Chapter Text

Raphtalia winced and whimpered as Aris pressed a holy water-soaked bandage into the curse-induced wound on her right arm.

Aris stopped applying pressure and met Raphtalia's gaze. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes," said Raphtalia. "Actually, it's not so bad. It stings for a second at first, but then the pain goes away pretty much immediately. And it feels like the wounds heal really fast."

"Good." Aris added another bandage. "In...other news...the next Wave will arrive in about ten days."

"Right," Raphtalia agreed. "We should be prepared for anything and everything."

"And given the high risk of casualties in the smaller towns and villages outside the capital," Loretta added, "we should try to procure as much medicine as we can."

"Maybe we can spend the next few days looking for potential areas we might have to fight in," Sora suggested.

Ness, meanwhile, sat in the corner of the room, looking rather glum. Loretta looked at the young boy. "Is something bothering you?"

Ness sighed. "Yeah...it's...I'm just not really used to being away from Melty, is all."

"How long have you two known each other?" asked Sora.

"A while," replied Ness. "I've been in this world since a few weeks before the Heroes were summoned. At first...I was homeless. Just wandering around, sleeping under trees, that sort of thing. But then I met Melty. She took me to the castle, helped me clean up since I'd gotten so dirty, she even washed my clothes herself. And then she gave me money to stay in an inn not far from the castle. I...I feel like I owe her a lot, and I've felt that way since she helped me. So I asked to travel with her when she had to leave the capital. And...since then, I've kinda acted as her bodyguard along with being her friend. So...well, it's kinda hard to be away from her."

Loretta smiled fondly. "You care a great deal about her, don't you?"

Ness nodded. "I...I've been trying to find time to look for a way to my home world, but I can't bring myself to leave her behind."

"What else do you like about her?" asked Sora. "Aside from how she helped you?"

"Oh, boy, I could go on for days," Ness mused. "She's...I don't know if words are enough to show how amazing she is. She's smart, wise, kind, funny...I don't think there's a bad bone in her body. And...one time, she told me her goals for when she's queen. One of them...is to end Demi-Human slavery. That's when I knew she was different - someone worth protecting. A girl worth fighting for."

As Ness spoke. A revelation dawned on Sora's mind. Could...Could Melty be one of the Seven?

While that conversation was transpiring, Aris and Raphtalia were having one of their own.

Raphtalia overheard Ness's words and frowned, tears welling up in her eyes.

Aris leaned closer. "R-Raphtalia? Is something wrong?"

"Aris..." she said, "o-once the Waves are gone, and...and all of this is over...what will you do?"

Aris thought for a moment. He had been so focused on preparing for the coming Wave that he never gave any thought to what he would do when the Cardinal Heroes were no longer needed.

"I'll likely return to hopping between worlds and fighting evil in them...as I did before," he said finally. "That's the reason I would like to be able to defeat the Waves quickly and efficiently - other worlds need me. They need a hero."

Raphtalia's voice began to break at her realization. "Th-That...That would mean I'd never see you again...wouldn't it?"

Aris gasped, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I...I don't know...but I don't want to have to leave you. I know I will eventually...but...well, I...I suppose I could come and visit you occasionally, once I'm back to my travels."

"I..." Raphtalia shuddered at Aris's touch, "...I don't know if that would be enough. I...I want to stay by your side because I promised you I would."

Aris averted his gaze with sorrow. "I...During my travels, I...I try my best to not become too attached to anyone in particular...because I know that I will always have to leave them, one way or another. And...I don't want to have to see them saddened by my departure...and I don't want to have to leave such people behind. But, you...I don't think I can help but grow attached to you, Raphtalia. So...perhaps we really don't need to separate at all."

"What do you mean?"

Aris met her gaze again, gently holding her hands with his own. "If you would like...I would be more than happy for you to join me on my journey."

Raphtalia gasped. Her hands squeezed Aris's. "I..."

She didn't know what came over her. She started to lean in a little.

Aris wasn't stopping her.

Raphtalia's leaning screeched to a halt when Sora noticed. The Keyblade Wielder cleared his throat, beckoning their attention as he smirked teasingly.

"Err..." Aris blushed, "...w-we should turn in for the night."

"Hold on, what!?"

The gatekeeper sighed. "Yes...sadly, even with a trader's pass, you need to pay a toll. It's only two silver, but it's still stupid. But, well, I don't make the rules. Ever since the..." he hesitated, "...it's hard to talk about. Things...they haven't been so well in the village these past few weeks."

Aris exhaled, taking two silver coins out of his pouch and handing them to the gatekeeper.

Before Filo could pull the wagon through, Aris stopped her. He turned back to the gatekeeper, reaching into his pouch again and producing a few more silver coins. He offered them to the gatekeeper. "Here. I'll give you a few extra coins if it helps you get by."

The gatekeeper accepted the extra money with gratitude. Filo pulled the wagon into the village, which Aris noted was in noticeable disrepair.

The ruling governor of this region likely isn't fit for his position, Aris reasoned in his mind as he and his comrades conducted their business in the village. If I still needed to pay a toll despite having a trader's pass...

As Filo's wagon trundled into a very much defunct village, Aris and his party were bombarded by people so skinny their bones were almost visible. They had been starved for a long time.

"P-Please, sir..." one of them croaked with a voice so hoarse it sounded as though a frog were in his throat, "w-we'll trade whatever you want for food...please..."

Aris stepped out of the wagon. "We can provide that, but what happened here? Would the royal court not have sent you aid by now?"

"We're...not from Melromarc, you see," said one of the starved villagers. "W-We're refugees from a small country to the north."

"We heard about an adventurer who was sent from this place to muster a resistance force and start a revolution in our country," said another one. "And...now this."

"This...adventurer," Aris said, curious. "What was he like?"

"We're not sure," said one of the villagers, "but the rumors say he wielded a bow."

"A...bow?" Aris gritted his teeth at the realization.

An infant started crying in its mother's arms.

"We need to help these people," Loretta decided.

"I agree," said Aris. "We're going to set up an emergency kitchen."

For the remainder of the afternoon and well into the evening, Aris and his party cooked appetizing, tasty meals for the starved villagers, not daring to charge even a single copper coin.

"Is this really everyone from your village?" asked Ness as he handed a bowl of soup to a villager.

"Y-Yes, and no," replied the villager. "We're...We're all that's left. Everyone else is dead - killed. After the revolution, well, our lives did get a little better at first. But then the resistance started taxing us even heavier than the ruler they overthrew."

"But...why?" said Raphtalia. "Why would they do that?"

"I'm...not very well-versed in politics," replied the villager, "but I'd wager they realized it takes a lot of money to run a country, even a small one. In hindsight, perhaps the previous ruler was thinking the same thing."

It had been a few days since the incident in the defunct village.

"The Wave will arrive tomorrow," Aris announced to his party. "Though it seems our preparations are nearly complete. I just need to pick up my new armor from Heatwaker Armory.

"In the meantime, can we get lunch?" asked Filo.

Aris nodded, taking the party into a small tavern to grab a bite to eat.

"So, I overthrew this tyrant in a country to the north," said Itsuki to Ren, "but you know what happened after that? When I went to the guild to pick up the reward, they'd already paid it to someone else."

"I had something like that happen, too," Ren mentioned. "Lost a job request completely out of the blue."

"I think someone might be going around impersonating you and me," Itsuki reasoned.

Ren nodded. "Seems like there's an impostor among us."

A woman cleared her throat and approached Itsuki, handing him a slip of paper. "Itsuki, we just received another request to overthrow a torn lord not far to the north. What do you make of it?"

"From the guild?" Itsuki took the paper and read it. "So...the local lord is heavily taxing the townsfolk."

The woman nodded. "Way beyond the court's set limits, too. And he's using the money to hire mercenaries to execute dissenters."

Itsuki chuckled to himself. "Interesting. Looks like someone needs to learn that with great power comes great responsibility."

Someone to Itsuki's left spat out a drink and started laughing like a hyena.

"What's so funny?"

Aris and his party looked up from their meals to find Ren and Itsuki standing over them.

Ness laughed. "Were you bitten by a radioactive spider or something?"

Itsuki looked nonplussed. "...What?"

"Oh, you don't get the reference?" Ness sighed.

Itsuki narrowed his eyes at Aris. "It's you, isn't it? You're the one who's been impersonating us and stealing our jobs."

"What would I have to gain from that other than some extra money?" Aris pointed out.

"And beef with the two of you," Sora added.

Itsuki opened his mouth to refute.

Aris stood up. "You've been putting more of your attention on playing vigilante because you seem to think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread," he quipped.

"Right!" Loretta agreed. "And what's more, you're far from good at it."

"What do you-"

Aris leaned closer to Itsuki, raising his voice slightly. "You were that adventurer who helped the resistance in the northern country, weren't you?"

Ness chuckled and whispered to Filo, "Nothin' like dinner and a show, am I right?"

"I...was," said Itsuki.

Aris narrowed his eyes. "Then allow me to inform you what happened after you completed your mission: the new leader began taxing the people even harder than the old one - the one you dethroned. The people were left with no money to buy food and had to flee their country and attempt to make a life for themselves in an abandoned border village. And that was after the new leader executed almost all of them for not paying his heavy taxes. You did nothing but put that power into new hands - worse hands. You didn't solve any problems; you only created more."

"Don't change the subject!" Itsuki admonished. "We're talking about-"

Ren held out a hand. Itsuki held his tongue.

Ren turned to Aris. "How do you explain my case?"

"It wouldn't happen to be related to some sort of...epidemic, would it?" Aris asked knowingly.

"So you do know," said Ren. "Why'd you steal that job?"

"Because you failed to do it correctly," Aris retorted. "The carcass of the dragon you slayed began to rot, releasing noxious fumes that caused an epidemic - one that nearly wiped out the entire village."

Ren's eyes widened. "It...what?"

Aris nodded. "My friends and I cleaned up that carcass - after some heathen named Hades resurrected it and turned the beast into a zombie that nearly killed us! Does that answer your question, Sword Hero?"

"That...really..." Ren was almost in tears.

Aris narrowed his eyes further. "I speak the truth. If you disagree, I suggest you travel to that village and see for yourself - see how much blood lies on your charlatan hands. And you as well, Itsuki - the deaths of each and every refugee from that northern country - every single one is because of your failure to solve the problem correctly."

Ren noticed Raphtalia's bandages - and the purple-ish burns peeking out from under them.

"I..." Ren hung his head shamefully. "...I'm sorry."

"You believe him!?" Itsuki was appalled.

"Why shouldn't I?" asked Ren. "He has no reason to lie. Besides..." He glanced at Raphtalia, "look at the burn on her arm. That must've come from the poison...right?"

Raphtalia nodded.

Ren met her gaze. "Again...I'm sorry."

"Just...don't make a mistake like that again," Raphtalia cautioned.

"Right," said Ren. "If...you don't mind me asking, does it still hurt?"

Raphtalia shook her head. "Not as much, no. I've almost fully recovered, actually."

Ren smiled just a little. "Good. Now...if you'll excuse me."

He returned to his table to finish his meal.

Meanwhile, Aris and his party got up to leave the tavern.

Finally, Aris and his friends arrived at Heatwaker Armory. Erhard stood outside as if expecting their arrival.

He smiled at the group. "Hey, welcome back. Aris, I just finished those upgrades you wanted."

"Good," said Aris. "Would it be alright if I put on the armor now?"

Erhard nodded. "Go right ahead, kid."

Aris disappeared into Erhard's shop to don his newly upgraded gear.

He emerged with his trademark armor, this time with a new cloak fastened around him by an ornate medallion with a purple crystal embedded within.

"That cloak is a recent addition," said Erhard. "I worked with the tailor who made Filo's dress, and she said she had some magic thread left over. So, she wove that cloak."

"If it was woven from magic thread," said Aris, "what can it do?"

"Simple," said Erhard. "Just imagine...no one can see you. You're completely out of sight, no matter where you are, even right next to someone."

Aris closed his eyes. He opened them as his party gasped.

"What!?" exclaimed Loretta.

"Papa! Where are you!?" shouted Filo.

"I can't see him!" said Sora.

"I-I'm still here!" said Aris. "But...you're unable to see me?"

Raphtalia's face lit up at the realization. "Oh, he's invisible!"

Aris reappeared just as suddenly as he had disappeared.

"That's amazing!" said Ness.

"Isn't it?" Erhard laughed. "I call it the Cloak of Shadows. You can use it to turn invisible like you did just now. But be careful - people can still hear you, and if they get close enough, they can touch you, too."

Equipped Headgear (Aris): Cloak of Shadows

Headgear Type: Magic-Imbued Cloak (Hooded)

Acquisition: Gift from the owner of Heatwaker Armory

DEF: 2

Equip Bonus: One With Shadows (Allows the wearer to become invisible at will)

DESC: "Woven from magic thread, this cloak not only provides the same benefits as a normal hooded cloak, but also gives you the ability to become one with the shadows by turning invisible at will."

"Understood," said Aris. "Even so, this is incredible."

"Oh, and about the armor," said Erhard. "That crystal medallion holding the cloak together gives your armor an automatic repair ability. That way, you won't have to pay me every time it gets damaged."

"Really?" Aris was confused. "I would have assumed you welcomed the payment."

Erhard shrugged. "I was feeling generous. Besides, even I don't like to work all day, as much as I love my job."

"Oh, he's here!"

A familiar face - multiple, in fact - rounded the corner. Ake and his party had arrived.

"Ah, it's you again," said Aris. "What is it?"

"We've purchased some better equipment for ourselves," said Ake. "I...I like to believe we're prepared for the Wave tomorrow."

Aris used his status magic to analyze Ake's party and their equipment. Sure enough, it was significantly stronger than the gear they had been wearing before.

"It will do just fine," said Aris. "Ake and company - welcome aboard."

"Wonderful!" Ake cheered.

"Now, we have less than twenty-four hours until the Wave arrives," said Aris. "We should discuss our plan."

"Right!"

Everyone followed Aris into Erhard's shop.

Erhard sighed. "Seriously!? I run an armory, not a conference room."

"Oohoohoohoo! It's almost time! Oogie's pullin' out all the stops for this one!"

Malty sighed. "Will you please take this seriously, you overgrown rucksack full of insects?"

"Hey, relax a little," Oogie Boogie chided. "I barely ever get to help Maleficent these days, ever since what happened back in Christmas Town. That little runt with the Keyblade and those two clowns helped that Jack Skellington guy send me packin'. But Jack ain't here this time around."

"That doesn't mean we can goof off," Malty warned. "Whoever this 'Jack Skellington' is - chances are our enemies are ten times stronger."

Chapter Text

Today was the day. Barely five minutes remained until the Wave would arrive.

"What are all these swords for?" Aris gestured to the multiple crates of swords Erhard had loaded into Filo's wagon.

"I had some spare weapons lying around," said Erhard, "so I thought I'd lend 'em to ya in case something happens. Still, though, I'm impressed you guys managed to get so much medicine in such a small amount of time."

"Even this might not be enough," Loretta worried. "There isn't any telling what will happen during the Wave. We need to be as prepared as possible."

Loretta's words reminded Aris of something. "Oh, I almost forgot. I made some things for you all," he said to Loretta, Sora, Filo, and Raphtalia.

The four of them looked curious.

"Raphtalia, would you hold out your hand for me?" Aris asked.

Raphtalia complied. Aris took the magic-imbued bangle and slipped it onto her wrist.

"What's this?" Raphtalia asked.

"It can boost your mana generation," Aris explained. "Or...MP, as I've seen it referred to in my status menu."

"Hey, what about me?" Filo whined.

"Don't worry, I have something for you, too." Aris took out the hairpin he'd crafted and gently set it into Filo's hair. "This will double your speed in both human and Filolial form, and you won't lose it when you transform."

Filo squealed with excitement, throwing her arms around Aris. "Thank you so much, papa!"

Aris chuckled, returning the embrace of his surrogate daughter. He turned to Loretta and Sora next.

To Loretta, he gave a pair of ornate anklets. "These will boost your mobility the same way Filo's hairpin boosts hers, and it will also make your lightning magic more powerful."

He turned to Sora and presented the chain he had made. "I...don't quite recall what this does, but I know it will help you."

Some rustling sounded within Sora's clothes. Jiminy Cricket popped out.

"I think I might know," said the chronicling cricket. "It looks similar to an Acrisius chain. I've seen Sora wear those before."

"What does an Acrisius chain do?" asked Aris.

"I recall it boosts Sora's elemental magic resistance," replied Jiminy, "along with his defense."

"Then it should be useful to you," said Aris to Sora as he offered the chain.

Sora accepted the replicated Acrisius and attached it to his belt. "This'll work. Thanks, Aris!"

Aris smiled at him.

Jiminy Cricket retreated to his spot in Sora's clothes.

"Sir," said Ake to Aris, "the Wave is almost here."

"Right," said Aris. He turned to Erhard. "I suppose the time has come, then."

Erhard nodded. "Yeah. I'll be waiting in my shop for when you return. Don't die out there, kid."

"I'll see that none of us do."

The clock ran down to zero. The sky bled crimson once again.

The party had been teleported to a familiar village.

"PK Rockin'!"

Ness unleashed an onslaught of psychokinetic energy on a horde of monsters, saving a civilian's life.

The rescued villager looked at Ness in shock. "H-How did-"

"No time," said Ness. "Everyone else already evacuated, now go!"

"R-Right!"

The villager left in a hurry.

Two of Ake's swordsmen were suddenly ambushed by a hulking, armored Heartless.

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED (HOSTILE)

Defender

Species: Heartless (Emblem)

Habitat: Unknown

DESC: None

Before the Defender could clamp its shield's jaws around one of the fighters' legs, Sora leaped into action, blocking with a Reflega spell. The resulting light burst left the Defender stunned. Raphtalia lunged at it for the kill. The Heartless disappeared in a burst of darkness upon the final blow.

Loretta grabbed a hulking bipedal reptile with her Plasma Whips. She hurled it into the distance.

"Those were far from the last remaining monsters," Aris cautioned everyone. "Keep fighting!"

Nearby some rabid dog-like monsters pounced together at an old, gray-haired woman.

Aris, expecting to see mangled remains, was bewildered to find the elderly lady start fighting back - and winning.

The canines both easily fell to her bare hands.

"How did she-" Filo was appalled.

The old woman turned toward Aris, moving one of her hands vertically while pressing her other hand into a fist and holding both hands together. She bowed her head in respect. "Thank you very much for your earlier assistance, swordsman Shield Hero," she said. "I am forever in your debt."

Aris was nonplussed for a moment. Suddenly, it hit him. "Wait...it's you," he said upon the realization. "You're the old woman whose son needed that medicine, correct?"

The woman smiled and nodded. "I am indeed," she replied. "And thanks to you, I feel better than ever."

A Neoshadow crept up behind her. Before anyone had a chance to let out a warning, the woman turned around and knocked the Heartless flat, once again with naught but her physical power. "Hah! Weaklings like these are nothing to me." She flexed her right bicep. "In my adventuring days, monsters far and wide would tremble at the name of Elrasla Grilaroc!"

"Did you put steroids in that medicine?" Ness chuckled, nudging Aris with his elbow.

"Sir!" Ake ran over to Aris. "All the villagers are evacuated. Ness helped us escort the last one to safety."

"Excellent," said Aris. "My party and I will move out and search for the 'boss monster'...or whatever it was the other Heroes called it. I trust you and your comrades can minimize the damage to this town."

"Understood, sir!" said Ake.

"Yeah!" Elrasla chortled in agreement, clapping Ake on the shoulder. "Leave this town to little ol' me and these young whippersnappers here. You guys find that boss monster and kick its rotten hide back to wherever it came from!"

"Sure thing, granny," Ness quipped. "Just...try not to push your luck."

"Raphtalia, Loretta, Filo, Ness, Sora!" Aris called. "We're moving out!"

"Got it!" Filo lowered herself so that Raphtalia and Ness could ride on her back. Aris summoned Epona and climbed into the ethereal saddle. Loretta's jet boots roared to life.

"Wait, what about Sora?" asked Raphtalia.

"I can keep up!" replied Sora. "Watch this!"

The wandering islander summoned his Keyblade and hurled it in front of him. The Keyblade inexplicably flew upward and high over Sora's head, changing forms in a burst of light. Its various parts had been resized and rearranged to form what looked like a windsurfing board hovering in midair. Its gleaming sail was made of pure light, shining through the crimson haze of the Wave.

Sora pumped a fist as he jumped onto his Keyblade Glider. "Let's move!"

With that, the party set off.

"Is that a ship?" Ness pointed skyward from his position on Filo's back. "What, now we've got pirates to deal with?"

"Wouldn't be the first time..." Sora muttered to none but himself.

Small explosions rocked the wooden hull of the floating pirate ship. "Don't let up! Keep firing!" a familiar voice commanded.

The ship's cannons fired spheres of searing steel at Itsuki the Bow Hero. A mage from his party cast a magical barrier to block the oncoming projectiles.

Aris pulled Epona to a stop beside Itsuki, dismounting and dismissing his ethereal steed. "What's going on?" he demanded.

Itsuki acknowledged him with barely a glance. "My party and I are trying to attack the statue on the ship's bow," he explained. "That summons the Soul Eater, which is the Boss Monster of this Wave."

"What of Ren and Motoyasu?"

"They're on the ship." Itsuki gritted his teeth as he fired another shot to no avail. "I tried to tell them to help me attack the statue, but they didn't listen."

"We'll relay the message to them," Aris told the Bow Hero.

"Thanks."

Aris held out his right arm, which once again gleamed with emerald light. A large creature appeared before him - avian, with a wide bill and crimson feathers that were accentuated by Soul Energy.

Spirit Summon

Crimson Loftwing

Summon Type: Mount

DESC: "The persisting spirit of a rare bird cherished by an ancient people who inhabited floating islands high in the sky. This particular Loftwing is a rare breed, and is said to be the soul of a legendary hero who descended from sky to surface to battle a powerful demon."

Aris mounted the Crimson Loftwing with Raphtalia in tow. With a great flap of its glowing wings, the spirit took to the skies. Loretta and Filo followed by jumping around the face of a nearby cliff, the former propelled by her jet boots. Sora ascended skyward with his Keyblade Glider, taking Ness with him.

The party landed on the ship's deck together.

"Guess I was right," Sora said, again to himself. "Pirates."

Ren was locked in a fierce duel with a reanimated skeleton, clad in the garb of a pirate captain. Motoyasu, meanwhile, used his powerful spear to ward off gargantuan tentacles from an unseen creature.

"Motoyasu, you idiot!" Ren shouted. "We have to take down the Skull Captain first!"

"No, shit-for-brains!" Motoyasu shot back. "The Kraken should be public enemy number one! The Soul Eater won't spawn otherwise!"

Aris cleared his throat very loudly - enough to command everyone's attention as he and his party arrived on the scene.

"This is neither the time nor the place to be quarreling like little children!" he chided.

Motoyasu sighed. "What're you doing here? Don't you have some little village to save right now?"

"Hold your tongue, you perverse failure!" Loretta yelled. "Lest I burn it to cinders in your unholy mouth! You say my brother is only capable of defending small villages, but you know not where he has battled in the past! You are clueless to the disaster we were forced to endure at nine years of age! Yet we endured regardless! I would wager that when you were nine years old, all you knew was being spoiled rotten!"

"Like the sorry excuse for a hero you are!" Ness added.

"Hey, I'm at least trying to contribute!" Ren exclaimed in his defense. "We have to kill the Skull Captain-get off me!" He was interrupted by an assault from the very monster he spoke of, "otherwise, the Soul Eater won't spawn."

Aris decided to heed Ren's advice. He held out his arm to analyze the Skull Captain.

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED (HOSTILE)

Skull Captain

Species: Maritime Undead

Habitat: Unknown

DESC: "An endlessly reviving menace that haunts this floating ship during this Wave of Calamity. Old legends tell of a ruthless pirate who commanded a bloodthirsty crew, and that the Skull Captain is what remains of that pirate - whose bones were refused death by his own hatred. Slaying his body will only cause him to reanimate again, but perhaps it would be prudent to remember that in life, the Skull Captain was the type of leader to send his crew to battle while he skulked in his own shadow..."

Its own shadow... Aris pondered. He eyed the Skull Captain as he smacked away a Kraken tentacle with the Master Sword. Beneath the Skull Captain, he saw no shadow - likely caused by a lack of sunlight. If we don't have sunlight to cast a shadow, we can make our own light.

"Raphtalia, light magic!" he exclaimed.

The Demi-Human nodded, reciting an incantation as quickly as she could. "As source of thy power, I order thee - decipher the laws of nature and illuminate my surroundings! First Light!"

Like a flashbang thrown by a soldier, Raphtalia lit up the deck of the ship with a burst of light. The Skull Captain shielded its face, protecting its nonexistent eyes from the flash. A shadow was cast where it stood. The shadow almost seemed to writhe in pain.

"Attack the shadow!" Aris shouted, readying the Master Sword.

He drove his blade into the wooden deck of the ship, piercing the shadow like a knife through a turkey. Sora joined him, striking the shadow with his Keyblade.

A beastly roar rocked the ship as the Soul Eater took shape, appearing as a ghostly fish with pale scales and a demonic grimace.

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED (HOSTILE)

Soul Eater

Species: Third-Wave Boss

Habitat: Unknown

DESC: "The Boss Monster of the third Wave of Calamity. It is said to have been the beast that slew the notorious pirate who became reanimated as the Skull Captain. As a ghost, it is immune to almost all physical attacks, and therefore must be fought via magic or other means. Soul Eaters attack and feast on the souls of their prey, preventing those souls from every reincarnating. To lose one's soul to the Soul Eater is to be forever consigned to oblivion."

Ren reared his sword. "Thunderbolt Slash!"

Itsuki, who had managed to reach the ship's deck amid the fray, piled on more firepower. "Thunder Shot!"

Motoyasu joined in. "Lightning Spear!"

Forking arcs of crackling electricity did nothing to faze the Soul Eater.

"Jeez, it's sturdy," Itsuki remarked.

The Soul Eater roared, a ball of green energy appearing in its gaping maw as it prepared an attack of its own.

Aris, Sora, and Ness stood firm in front of everyone else.

"Air Strike Shield!"

"PSI Shield!"

"Defense!"

An Air Strike Shield from Aris, a PSI Shield from Ness, and a Reflega spell from Sora worked in tandem to fend off the oncoming attack from the Soul Eater.

"Wind magic time!" Filo cheered. "Tornado!"

Aris held out his right arm. A burst of green energy replaced his human-looking hand with a strange device that resembled a small dragon's head. A stream of fire shot forth from the mouth of the dragon, swirling into Filo's Tornado to transform it into a cyclone of searing heat.

"What was that?" Raphtalia asked.

"A Flame Emitter," Aris replied, "but we haven't the time to fully explain."

He readied another Spirit Summon. The ethereal avatar of a young girl appeared. She wore ornate clothes endemic to desert-dwelling people, carrying two curved scimitars in her hands as she bombarded the Soul Eater with a resounding clap of lightning.

Spirit Summon

Riju

Summon Type: Companion

DESC: "The spiritual avatar of a young Gerudo chieftess who lived and reigned thousands of years ago. With the help of a legendary hero, she claimed a sacred relic that amplified her abilities and cemented her as the Sage of Lightning."

Filo unleashed Tornado after Tornado, amplified by Sora's elemental magic and accompanied by Riju's lightning.

Even this, however, was not enough to defeat the Soul Eater. Aris realized what had to be done.

Raphtalia looked worried. "Are you...?"

Aris nodded. "I'm going to use it. Or...at least, I'm going to try."

Raphtalia sighed. "Just...promise me you'll stay safe...okay?"

"Raphtalia..." Aris placed a tender hand on her shoulder. "...I promise."

Smiling, Raphtalia stepped back to allow Aris some space.

He closed his eyes. Aris began to will every ounce of rage within him to grant him strength.

His eyes opened. An ethereal void surrounded him.

"̶̼̖̺̩̀͜T̸͇͙̰̣̟̺̈́́͠H̶͍͋̓O̴̺͛́Ů̶̡̢͓̫̻͆ ̴̯̱͖̠̼̯̮͌̀̌̌̉H̶̛̪͕̘̜̓́̇̍̅̓̕A̵̢̢̫̦̹̝̹̰̅̈͆̒̈́͌̇͝Ŝ̶̢̱̹̖̠̞̗̋̎̒T̵̡̮̰̯̦̺̿͐̾ ̷̳̭͔͓͇͐̊͗̉̄Ć̷̛̣͕̀̅̅̾̚A̴̝̮̺͈̯̯͔̬̍̂̌͑͠Ĺ̶̢͚̤̼̏̌͜L̵̢̳̠͖͓̤̎̃͋͊͠ͅḘ̷̲͕̪͚̭̣͒̈́͂͜T̶̛̖̗̃̽̾̃͊̚͝H̷̨̢͍̭̻̭̘̍̓͊́̇͗ͅ ̸̨͇͇̹̌̎͘Ǔ̷̧̳̦̺̈́̃̆̊P̵͉̋̓͐̕O̷͍̱̓͒̃̐̉̂̒͝Ņ̸̜̦͍̳͉̬̈́͆͂̋͌͒̋͜ ̸̢̢͛̀̇̈̕̕͝Ḿ̶̠̫̫̟̃̄̎͒͋́̈́Y̷̖̆͊͜ͅ ̴̡͍͉͙̭̇̿̆̊͘͝P̵̨̰͕͈̂̔̓̅̄͂̓Ơ̸̜̓̑̌̂̓̂W̴̡̨̝̞̜̰̐̀̈̔̏̒̎E̴̹̼͌̈̾̈́̎͆R̴̨̭̬̺̒͐́̑͜ ̶̼͇̋͘͝A̸̧̧̳̓G̴̛̣̦͚͕͓̹̩̒̋͒͗͑͂͝Ā̸̢̞̟͕̲̼̲́͋̕I̴̺̪̻̗̦̐͜Ň̶̛̛̜̝̭̽́̋̆͝ͅ,̸̧̛͉̰̯̳̀̀̓̎̈́ ̷̡̜̲̠͈͍̖̺́̀̓̕͝͝H̶̨͚̥̖̘̀̑̓͗̎̎͆͘E̸͓͌̑̈̑̀͛́R̸̲̂́͊͆́Ó̸̧̖̮̜̫̘̬̤̋͒͠,̴͚̪̏̒̌̚"̴͉̟̟̰̩̗̈́̓̕ crooned a familiar, demonic voice.

Aris nodded.

"̴̳̬͕̈́̃͘S̶̢̟̠̞̹̉͒̈́̆̄̚͜Ō̶̬̠̈͑ ̶͚͈̝̹̺̐́͛̕̕͝͝B̷̭̓͂͌͛̽̓͊͝E̵͇͇̺̱̖̫͐̑̊̎̈̈́̑͌ ̵̲͇͓̭͊̐I̴͎͈̎̓̊̿̽́̕͝T̷̢̞͇̬̙́̄̑,̵̡̙̘͎͙̏̌̓́̍̌͝ ̴̧͌̈́̚͠T̸̢̛̹̥̰̋̈́̅Ḣ̴̗́̄E̸̹͙̞̥͖͛Ņ̸̛̼̭͕͔̲̲̣͌̈́̒̽͐,̷͓̳̃̒̾͛̋̔̀"̴̫̖̺̺͕̠̂̐́͛̃͆͝ said the Fierce Deity. "̸̺̉͌͑W̸͖̔͒I̸͉͕̟̊̒T̴͓̦̥̈́Ḧ̶̭̹̕ ̷̗̻͝M̸̨͚̼̀̅Ȇ̴͉̟,̵̟̍̆ ̸̮̲̻́̕T̷̥̞̒̕͜H̵̝́̈O̷̺̼͐͝U̶̹̣̔ ̸̢̪͓̀̂͋A̵̢̦͋R̸͕̐T̸̢̤̀̈́̕ͅ ̸͓̩͆̿O̸̮̲͊̑ͅN̶͍̓E̴̙͂̊̈́ͅ.̴̮̳̞̀ ̵̟̓̍W̷̛͎͑̋Ỉ̴̯͚͠Ţ̷͎͓̏̀͋H̶̛̠̔ ̷̡̲̆Y̸̲͉͋̌̇Ô̴̭U̵̻̗͉͋́͗,̵̭̽̕͜͝ ̸̰͒̊I̶̝͘ ̷̨͉́Ạ̷̧̡͆̽M̵̝͒ ̷̱̟͌̀̅Ȍ̶̞͜ͅN̵̥̞̼͒E̷͎̪̣̔͘.̴̠̟͑ ̵̘͕̌͆̉͜C̶̢͠A̵͍̠̐̅͊L̶̠̋̎L̶̨̛͖̄ ̸͓̀U̴̦̫̩͌P̷̳͖̻̈̎O̷̖̥̲̐̾N̸͚̅̐ ̵̜̪͋̽̈́ͅT̴̳̰̖̀̐͒H̵̡̃́͜͠Ī̸͙͖͓N̷̢̤̑̿Ë̵̫́̂͝ ̶̠͐͐͝ͅÄ̴̞̹̥́̾N̷͇̓͜Ỉ̸̯̥̩̿Ḿ̸̠̅͝Õ̴̬S̵͚̞̣̅I̸͖̰͕̽͂̽Ṫ̶̘́̉Y̷̦̻͉̾͗͠ ̵̢̛͇͚̾́Ä̷̬̩̼́̄̇N̸͔̬̹̂Ď̸̡͠ ̶̨̲̠̈́̾W̷̩̄Ì̵̟T̸̪̺̽̚͘H̵͈́̇ ̴̭͖̑̇̆I̷͙͑̕T̶̢̙̊̏,̴̬̗̿̕ ̷̪͐S̵͇̀͂M̷̹͖̆̎I̵̦͕̽̿̎T̸̖̣̈́E̶͚͛ ̵̖͖̝̉A̸̤̹̒̓ͅL̴̫̃̋L̴̲̼͙̆ ̵̥͠Ẁ̶̨̺ͅḦ̷̟͑ͅŐ̴̡̑̕ ̵̭̇̐̑D̸͎̦̄̿͠A̵̟̣̿̐R̶͙̮̦͌E̴̖̓ ̸̞̎O̴̳͂̏P̶͍̞̤̂̕P̷̯͕͒O̵͈͊̐S̸̮̒̓É̴̤͎ ̸̛͚̱̺̒̉T̸͕̪̜͝H̷͉͗̋̚E̵̲͇̔̉͝Ȇ̴͉̦!̷̱̉̚"̴̹͇̫͌

Aris took the form of the dark Hero-God as he let out a roar of primal fury, white lightning bursting from his body as he transfigured.

Fierce Deity Aris emerged from a ball of alabaster lightning, landing on the deck of the ship and facing the Soul Eater.

"What...What happened to him?" Itsuki was utterly shocked.

Fierce Deity Aris cleaved into the Soul Eater's incorporeal body with his helix-shaped longsword. White lightning crackled from the gash as the Soul Eater shrieked in agony.

Motoyasu shrugged. "Don't bother trying to stop him," he said. "The guy's lost all sense of humanity."

"I mean...it's working," Ren pointed out quietly.

Loretta eyed the complacent Cardinal Heroes. "What are you three standing around for!? You all can fight, can you not!?"

Raphtalia nodded. "Aris is doing all the work here!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if he developed back pain from carrying you three losers for this entire battle!" Ness quipped.

Reanimated skeletons - presumably the deceased Skull Captain's undead crew - arrived on the scene. Ren didn't hesitate to start fighting them off.

Itsuki faced off against an onslaught of Kraken tentacles, tearing through them with his powerful arrows.

Pools of inky darkness formed on the deck of the ship, unleashing a swarm of Neoshadow Heartless. Motoyasu went to deal with them.

A voice echoed in Aris's head as he clashed with the Soul Eater. "̶͚͠Ỷ̶̟Ȩ̴͇͂S̷̞̰͂̓,̸̡̀ ̷̼̀͗H̵̭́̈E̶͍̪͝R̵̖̘̒̈́Ò̶̦͝,̵̧̅̕"̵̪͆ it crooned. "̷͔̅ͅL̷̳͠E̸̹̝̓͘T̷̬̋̈́ ̵̱̰̾̄Ỳ̴̦̰̂O̴̍͝ͅŰ̷̫̫̂R̶͉̃̽ ̶̡͍̈͋Ṟ̵̖̒A̷̼̐͠G̸̞̈́̐E̷͚͑ ̷͕̟̍Ṯ̸͛̆A̵͔̒K̶̰͙͒̾È̴̫̒ ̵̨̢̏͠C̷͕̆O̸͈̊͝N̷͚̱̈́̕Ţ̶͖́̃R̵̫̮͛Ö̸̪͙́L̸͓̝̀!̴͓͔͐ ̵̲͂Ś̷̘L̶̲̍̈A̵̓ͅU̴̦̐Ǵ̵̘H̵͎͊̚T̵̰̮̐E̴̥̗̊͗R̷̨͉̈́ ̸͚͗Â̶̼͈͝L̷͉̇L̷̹̖͊͠ ̵̥̙̈T̵̮͒̀ͅḨ̵̐̕Á̴̠̜́T̸̹̀͐ ̵̣̗͌̂D̷͆ͅA̵̲̓̌R̶̺͇͒Ē̴͎͆͜ ̴͉̫͆̂O̸̡̚P̶͍͆P̸̛͕̖O̸̢̰̓S̵͚̿͝Ẻ̴̫̝̑ ̶͇̈́͐Y̷̛̰̓O̷̭̓́Ū̴͚R̷̰͚̊ ̴̨̠͝͝C̵̬͍̒Ó̴̡̯N̶͖̑͜Q̷̪̤͐U̸͉̦͊É̵̮͍Ş̷̡̎͌T̴͙͗ ̴͕̈̚O̴̞̅͐V̶̢̺̈Ẹ̸̎͂Ŗ̶̫̀͠ ̴̣͆͗T̵̮͋̃H̵̡̠̒E̷̬͗̚ ̷̢͚͋̈D̸̖̓̔Á̵̖̒Ṟ̸̎́K̸͍̣͝N̵̪͌E̷̲̅̃S̸̘͚̐͆S̸̪͈̊͝!̸̭̭͛̀"̸̣̩̓

I can't! Aris's mind screamed at the voice. I won't let you control me! I may have called upon your power, but I only wish to protect my friends! I may need your power, but that doesn't mean I want it!

The voice cackled. "̷̨͉̋͘Y̴͚̖̒Ô̶̹̕͜Û̸͓̳̇ ̶͍͚͠T̵̺̈͐R̵̼̺̓̇Ù̵̥͓͒Ľ̷͚̩̈Y̷̓͜ͅ ̶͕͊̅B̵̼́E̸͖͒́L̸͚̄̎I̸̡͗É̸̳̬V̴̙̿É̷̻͍ ̸̙͊͠Ẏ̸͈̖O̵̱̹͛Ủ̵̖͕ ̸̣̈́C̸̫̑̆Ä̵̦́Ň̴̖̀ ̴͇̯̀C̷̯̾̋Ó̷̜N̵̛͔͆T̷͈̓R̴͙̎O̴͖͋̚L̶̫̳͒ ̷̢̒͜T̵͙̆Ȟ̶̰͎E̸͚͕̔ ̶͓̻̽M̴̭͕̓̏I̶̢̢̋G̴͇̀̎͜Ḧ̵̩̪̃T̶̡̡͛̃ ̵͇͝O̶͍͋F̴͓̲̓ ̵̖̱̀A̶̭̅̚ ̶͖̲͛G̶̡͎͊̅O̵͓͋͘Ḓ̷̲̒̃!̶̱͙̊?̷̢̀̚ ̷͔͠F̶͕̗͊Ȯ̸̝O̸͇̰̾L̷̢̗̀I̵̱̅S̴͓͝͠H̸̝̔̈́ ̷̞̄B̴̤̯̿O̶̳̰͌̆Ÿ̷̦̲́̆.̸̡̅̍"̴̬͇͒

Aris squeezed his eyes shut as tears began to roll down his cheeks. He was falling...falling into his own darkness.

Another voice rescued him. He opened his eyes at the sound of a soothing, gentle affirmation: "I'm here for you."

...R-Raphtalia? Aris beckoned into the ethereal plane of his heart, standing atop a stained glass floor that depicted him surrounded by his friends.

The lightning stopped. Gone were the blue tunic, leather sandals, facial markings, and white hair. Aris's normal form was restored in their place. The Master Sword returned to its scabbard on his back.

He closed his eyes again, then opened them.

"What happened!?" Itsuki exclaimed.

"He's back..." Raphtalia breathed. "He's okay!"

Aris didn't pay them any mind for the moment. He turned to the Soul Eater. "Shield Prison!"

Several metal shields coalesced to form a spherical trap that contained the Soul Eater, whose newfound prison was then bound by chains across the sphere of shields. It shrieked with rage, slamming its weight into the walls of its confines in an attempt to escape.

The attempt, however, quickly proved futile. 

Aris held his hands in front of him, forming his thumbs and index fingers together to make a triangle shape. His left hand gleamed, this time showing a strange symbol shaped somewhat like a teardrop.

A beam of golden light roared forth, incinerating the Shield Prison and the Soul Eater with it.

The floating pirate ship suddenly began to lower to the ground.

"Everyone, evacuate!" Motoyasu yelled.

For once, Aris agreed with the Spear Hero.

"He did it," Ren remarked. "That means the Wave should end any minute now."

The Wave, however, did not end. A sadistically jolly voice suddenly echoed from the forest as the footsteps of some large entity shook the ground beneath the group.

"Well, I'll be jiggered! They actually took that sucker down!"

A hulking mass of haphazardly assembled metal lumbered past the tree line and stopped in front of the heroes.

The behemoth was not autonomous; its pilot was clearly visible. He certainly wasn't human, Demi-Human, or anything one would recognize in this world. He seemed to be a living sack with shadowed indents forming a sickening face and stubby limbs that jutted out from the sack's corners.

Sora recognized the sack man immediately. "Oogie Boogie!?"

Ness tried not to laugh at the rather silly name.

Oogie Boogie leered at the young Keyblade Wielder. "Oh, I shoulda guessed you'd be here, squirt. But that's really no way to greet your amazing old friend Oogie!"

"As if we were ever friends! I bet you're working with Maleficent, too! Just like Hades!"

Oogie laughed. "Bwahahaha! You bet your scrawny bottom, kiddo! Say, you over there!" He pointed a hand-lacking arm at Motoyasu. "Ponytail boy with the spear! I don't think ya noticed yet, but I think a certain someone's been missing from your little posse of ladies."

"Wait...Myne!" Motoyasu realized aloud. "What did you do to her!?"

"Oh, I can't tell ya that!" Oogie jeered. "You'll just have to find out for yourself! I'm no fan of spoilers, ya know!"

"How'd you come back, anyway!?" Sora demanded. "Didn't Jack and I kick your fat burlap butt a few years ago!?"

"So ya did!" Oogie sneered, glaring at Sora with nonexistent eyeballs. "Yeah, that's right! You and your little friends did rough me up that one time. But thanks to a bit of help from my friends, I'm back to teach you and these other clowns a lesson: no one messes with the great Oogie Boogie!"

He put a stubby limb to his lips and somehow managed to let out an echoing whistle. "Heartless! Tear 'em apart!"

Hundreds of Heartless suddenly spawned at Oogie's beck and call, charging toward the surrounded heroes.

Chapter Text

"When Mr. Oogie Boogie says

There's trouble close at hand

You'd better pay attention, now

'Cause I'm the Boogie Man

And if you aren't shaking

There's something very wrong

'Cause this may be the last time you hear the Boogie song!"

"Is he...playing music out of that thing?" Ness yelled as he clobbered a Heartless with his bat.

"Of course he is," Sora deadpanned as he blocked a giant mechanical punch with Reflega. "I remember that song. He...wrote it about himself."

"He definitely seems like the sort who would." Aris dodged an incoming stomp from Oogie's mech before cutting down a Neoshadow.

The heroes had been fighting Oogie for what felt like well over an hour. All of them were starting to get exhausted, but Oogie didn't seem to have broken a sweat. Of course, that was likely because he was fighting with a giant machine.

"Ya know what, scrubs!?" Oogie shouted over the blaring recording of his egotistical song. "I've just about had enough of you!"

His mech reared its burly metal arm, sweeping the ground as if brushing away dust from the top of a table. Motoyasu's party members (excluding Myne, of course) failed to notice in time and were sent flying off into the distance.

"I couldn't agree more, Oogie!" Raphtalia countered as Oogie slammed both arms into the ground toward her. She dodged back and began running up one of the immobilized arms of Oogie's mech, the hands of which had become partially stuck in the dirt. Raphtalia sliced back and forth with her sword, doing massive damage to the metal behemoth.

"That's the way, Raphtalia!" Sora cheered. "Cut it wide open!"

The Keyblade Wielder joined her, jumping at the mech's back and cutting it nearly in half vertically.

Explosions began to rock the giant, forcing Oogie to press a button and launch what looked like an ejector seat out of the mech, saving himself from certain death. He flew off into the distance as the heroes finished clearing out the last of the Heartless horde.

With the defeat of Oogie and the horde of Heartless, the Wave had finally ended. Aris's party had returned to the remote village they had defended and were currently helping everyone get back and get started on reconstruction.

"I think Maleficent and her goons might have some connection to the Waves," Sora reasoned. "Otherwise, we would've ended the Wave when the Soul Eater went down."

"Unless the Waves detect the presence of evil in general, in which case Oogie and the Heartless extended it until we defeated them."

"I dunno..." Sora seemed to doubt Aris's reasoning.

"Just what are the Waves, anyway...?" Loretta wondered aloud. "They're supposed to be world-ending calamities, and as far as we know, their existence extends far beyond that of Maleficent and her underlings. But, if Maleficent really is connected to them somehow...that likely would've made Oogie the true final battle of the Wave instead of the Soul Eater."

Aris groaned. "All these questions, and nothing to answer them."

"But, either way," said Sora, "something tells me we'll have to do a lot of preparation to get ready for the next one."

Silently agreeing, Aris fed some of the Soul Eater's materials to his arm, unlocking new skills and shields for him to use. The so-called Soul Eater Shield looked like it would come in handy later.

A voice roused him from his thoughts. "Erm...Swordsman Shield Hero?"

Ake had arrived on the scene with an unfamiliar-looking knight in tow. The latter was likely a representative sent by King Aultcray.

Aris looked up. "Yes?"

The stranger answered him. "His Highness requires that you report to him in the castle at your earliest convenience. Preferably now."

Aris sighed. His suspicions had been confirmed.

King Aultcray looked away from the crystal ball that had been presented to him. He turned to Aris. "You...did well to quell both the Wave and that...Oogie Boogie character, loathe as I am to admit it."

"I'm just doing my job, sir," Aris said, his voice lacking emotion. He vehemently disliked the king, and had felt this way ever since Myne had framed him for heinous crimes he would kill himself for committing.

"I have a question for you." Aultcray gave him less of a request and more of a demand. "How did you acquire such strength? You are supposed to be the Shield Hero...and yet you possess the ability to wield a sword. Why is that?"

"I'm not sure," Aris replied. "But...I have a few theories."

"Then it is your duty to tell me," Aultcray ordered.

Aris slowly unsheathed the Master Sword for him to see. "This blade is the legendary Master Sword. It was forged eons ago by the gods of my world. It's said that a hero who traveled the sky was the one to temper it using three sacred flames, giving it the form you see now. Its holy light can repel, seal, and destroy any and all evil. And only I may wield it." He sheathed the sword.

King Aultcray thought for a moment. "Hmm...if the sword chose you as its wielder, then it is likely that its decision may be the reason you are still capable of wielding it."

"That is my theory, yes."

"I demand to know more," Aultcray said firmly. "Why did the sword choose you? There is no way it would allow a criminal like you to wield it. You say it was forged by gods, then surely these gods saw your future and knew the crimes you would commit against my daughter Malty."

"I never did such things," Aris retorted. "But...if you really want to know why the Master Sword chose me..." he smirked, knowing he was about to put his plan to humiliate Aultcray into action, "...then kneel before me and beg." He pointed to the ground.

"In Hyrule," Aris continued, knowing he was lying but failing to care, "it was customary for people to kneel in reverence and acknowledge their ignorance when asking to be enlightened about something. So I expect you to do the same. Now, beg."

"You...heathen!" King Aultcray signaled to his guards, who pointed their weapons at Aris.

Aris scoffed. "Oh, please. You know very well that, as I am now, I could just kill everyone in this room and walk out of here like nothing happened. I certainly wouldn't mind at least being able to kill you," he pointed at Aultcray, "even if I wouldn't get away with it."

"Y-You're bluffing!" Aultcray stuttered.

Aris drew the Master Sword again. "Try me."

The guards looked nervously at one another. Aultcray ground his teeth angrily.

Aris narrowed his eyes at the king. "I'm willing to cooperate with you until the Waves are over and this world is at peace. After that, we're through. You'll never have to see me again, and vice versa. For now, though...I expect you to stay out of my way."

He turned and left as if he wasn't surrounded by guards holding swords in his direction. His boldness surprised those guards and angered the king.

"I know..." Aultcray seethed, "I'll have those little friends of yours pay for your crimes instead and-"

He was cut off when Aris suddenly turned around, summoning a throwing shield that he threw at the king, landing it not far from the monarch's head.

"Do whatever you wish to me," Aris said, his voice harrowing death. "But if, for even a single moment, you so much as consider harming my friends...you will die where you sit - on your throne of lies."

The shield stuck in the wall disappeared in wisps of green energy, returning to Aris's mechanical arm as he left the throne room.

He exited into the banquet hall, descending a small set of stairs when he passed a black-haired noblewoman in a pink gown. He ignored her until she suddenly spoke to him.

"You handled that well this time, I daresay," she said.

Aris stopped in his tracks.

"Your efforts have become impossible to ignore, Swordsman Shield Hero," she continued. "For better and for worse." She held up something...a three-pronged pendant. Aris recognized the symbol as that of the cathedral in the capital city. "I daresay that you should exercise great caution from here on out, sir."

She deposited the rosary into his hands before leaving without giving Aris a chance to respond.

"Ah, Melty!" King Aultcray greeted his younger daughter with a warm smile. "You're home at last! What can I do for you, dear?"

Melty didn't reciprocate the pleasantries. "I heard you spoke with the Swordsman Shield Hero earlier."

Aultcray's smile faded.

Melty continued, "And I also heard that you were quite hostile toward him. Father...if you continue to be at odds with the Swordsman Shield Hero, we may lose our means to fight the Waves...and you know how badly that would threaten the safety of Melromarc. Please...for everyone's sake...try to reconcile with him."

Aultcray slammed his fist into one of the armrests of his throne. "You expect me to reconcile with that utter charlatan!?"

Melty seemed a little startled.

Aultcray relented. "O-Oh, sorry, dear...I am not angry with you."

Melty sighed. "Why...Why do you hate him so much...?"

"I..." Aultcray's face took on an expression of sorrow for something long lost. "If...If I let him and that Demi-Human do as they please, I...I'll lose my family again."

"Father...?"

"Being defiant again, Melty?" a pompous voice interrupted.

Malty had returned from...something or other.

"With Mother away," said Malty, "Father's word is law. He is king, after all. Even we princesses cannot overturn his commandments. Even if you may not understand, Melty, I assure you that Father's decisions are for the better - every single one of them." She started patronizing her much more mature younger sister. "I know you're at the age where you still want him to baby you, but you really should learn to hold back a little. Take it as a word of advice from your older sister."

"As much as I appreciate your concern," said Melty with a calm smile, "this has nothing to do with you. After all, I want the best for our country, as well. And it is my job as crown princess to see that our country benefits however possible." She turned to her father with a quick curtsy. "I'll be taking my leave now."

"Man, I can't believe you actually threatened the king and got away with it!" Erhard laughed. "Most people would've been thrown in the slammer!"

"In my defense, he started it," Aris sighed.

"So..." Erhard changed the subject, "Class Upgrades. What's your plan there?"

"Class Upgrades?" Aris seemed confused.

"You see that little asterisk next to your party's level numbers?" Erhard explained. "That means you've reached your level cap and can't level up until you get a Class Upgrade. And once you do get one, each of you can choose a certain 'path' to unlock different skills and abilities when you level up in the future."

"Then how do we get Class Upgrades?" asked Sora.

"You'll need a Dragon Hourglass to do it," said Erhard, "but...with Aris being a bit of a social pariah here, I doubt they'll let you use the one in Melromarc."

"Then where can we find one we'll be able to use?"

"I'd recommend Siltvelt or Shieldfreeden - preferably the latter." Erhard pulled out a map and laid it out on the counter in front of him, pointing to Shieldfreeden's location. "Its population is mostly Demi-Humans, but they welcome humans with open arms. Siltvelt is...different. You know how this country practices Demi-Human slavery, right?"

Aris nodded.

"Siltvelt is the opposite. There, Demi-Humans rule and humans are kept as slaves."

Everyone winced.

"Okay, definitely not a good idea to be going there," Ness noted.

"Now, hold on," Erhard chided. "Siltvelt worships the Shield Hero - he's basically a god to them. So...if you do go there...you might get yourself some special perks."

"I'll think about it." Aris was lying. He'd already decided on Shieldfreeden.

"Man, Erhard works quick," Ness mused. "We got on the road in not even fifteen minutes!"

Erhard had prepared some gifts for them - at least one thing for everyone.

Aris had received an additional accessory for his shields, which, according to Erhard, could do tons of useful stuff.

Raphtalia had received a brand new sword, as well as a magic-based sword that worked on enemies without a corporeal form.

Loretta had received a rapier for her to use in the event that her blasters were either broken or missing.

Filo had received a pair of gloves that granted her the strength of someone four times her size, which Erhard had said would probably allow her to pull the wagon even in her human form.

Sora had received a magical bangle that increased his attack power and magic pool.

Finally, Ness had received some modifications for his bat - consisting of lightweight metal plating on one side for additional damage.

Jiminy Cricket spoke from Sora's hood. "Well, gosh, with all these new weapons and whatnot, you bunch will be able to take on the world!"

"All thanks to our friend, the blacksmith," Aris said, smiling. "Sometimes I worry he's too generous."

The party had set up camp. Loretta was cooking dinner over the fire with help from her brother.

Meanwhile, Jiminy wrote in his journal.

After some careful observation, I've noticed that, if there's one thing Aris loves doing more than anything, it's traveling, he wrote. I can't say I blame him. I enjoy it myself. Judging by the... Jiminy briefly struggled to come up with a suitable word, incidents that he's had to endure, something tells me that Aris feels free when he's on the road.

The sound of a horse-drawn carriage suddenly approached. Jiminy pocketed his journal and pen before disappearing into Sora's jacket.

Aris sighed before getting up to see Melty arriving on the scene.

Ness, however, was much happier. "Mel!" he cheered, running to see her.

Melty jumped out of her carriage and into the arms of her longtime friend. Filo joined in and the three youths shared a group hug.

Melty then broke away from the hugs and approached Aris.

Aris didn't mind Melty. To be frank, she was the only member of the royal family he could even tolerate, let alone trust. But he had a sinking feeling in his gut - something told him that whatever Melty was about to say would be something he wouldn't like.

Sure enough, that was exactly the case. "Swordsman Shield Hero," Melty said curtly, "I'd like you to return to the castle and meet with the king once more."

"Sorry, but no," Aris replied.

Melty sighed, looking away for a moment before turning back to look at him. "I know you dislike him, and I really don't blame you, but I want you to at least try to make amends with him."

"I said no," Aris said more firmly.

Melty hesitated. "We need your help to stop the Waves. And...you wouldn't exactly be as well off as you are now without the financial support you got from the king."

"With all due respect," said Aris, trying to maintain composure, "your father barely gave me anything. And I'm only going to put up with him until the Waves are over. Melty...I like you, and you're the only member of the royal family I can trust. But I'm not going to even bother with the king, since he clearly wants my head on the end of a spear - probably Motoyasu's."

Melty looked down for a moment. Ness glared at Aris.

"Why do you two have to keep fighting like this!?" Melty shouted. "A Hero and the king can't be fighting amongst themselves! I won't allow it! Not when the Waves are happening and the whole world is at stake!" She turned to Ness. "Ness! You agree with me, right? Filo? Raphtalia? Sora?"

"I mean..." Ness paused. "...your dad did kinda not like me when I first showed up at the castle..."

Melty tugged at her pigtails. "Look, all I'm asking as that you try to make amends! I'm not saying you have to succeed! Otherwise...well, Mother really won't be happy!"

Aris muttered, "You're no different from your father." Wait, he suddenly thought. Her mother? Her mother won't be happy?

"Will you just say something already!?" Melty exclaimed.

Aris did not. He was instead shifting his focus to the knights behind Melty. They stood in a line in front of their horses and Melty's carriage. One of them held a crystal ball.

Aris's jaw clenched. He felt something. Something very familiar.

The same feeling he felt when he first caught Malty talking to Maleficent.

One of the knights drew his sword.

Melty didn't notice. She was saying something when Aris suddenly pulled her behind him and blocked the knight's sword.

Chapter Text

"Curse you!" exclaimed the knight who'd attacked Melty. "How dare you try to take our princess hostage!"

"Hostage!?" Aris yelled. "You tried to behead her!"

The knight ignored him, addressing his comrades. "Soldiers, fight for Melty's freedom and defeat this cur! Destroy the Devil of Hyrule once and for all!"

Devil of Hyrule? Aris sighed. Well, that's something, isn't it? I have a new nickname.

The knights charged. Aris and his party readied for battle. Meanwhile, Aris himself secretly cast Memanima Projection to record the entire exchange.

Raphtalia and Sora went into action, cutting down the advancing soldiers. Loretta shot a few with her blasters and managed to land a hit with her new sword. Ness and Filo fought for Melty, keeping her safe while Aris joined the others in battle.

Realizing just how outmatched they were, or at least seeming to, the knights called a retreat.

But the damage had already been done.

Footage recorded by a crystal ball had been shown to nearly everyone in Melromarc. The footage, however, had been altered. It gave the illusion that Aris and his friends had gone rogue, kidnapping Princess Melty and slaughtering the knights in cold blood.

From that day forward, Aris became known to all but his friends as the Devil of Hyrule, a ruthless criminal who wanted nothing more than to wreak havoc and sow destruction across the land.

Raphtalia knew he wasn't like that. The man she loved could never be like that. Which is why she felt a melancholy sort of sorrow as she left a nearby village, having witnessed yet another showing of Aris's false crime.

She reached the party's temporary camp by nightfall, at which point she smelled a delicious meal which Aris was cooking.

"You're back," said Loretta. "How did the reconnaissance go?"

"It went well," replied Raphtalia, "but now everyone and their grandmother thinks Aris is a criminal."

Aris sighed. "I had a feeling it would come to that."

He took something out of a pocket in his Cloak of Shadows. Raphtalia recognized it.

After the altercation, Aris and his party had managed to apprehend one of the attacking knights. Loretta held him at blaster-point.

"Why did you attempt to murder the second princess?" Aris had asked, secretly recording the exchange via Memanima Projection.

The knight had looked away pridefully, refusing to answer.

Loretta had struck him with the butt end of her blaster. "Speak when you are spoken to, charlatan!"

The knight had scoffed. "I have nothing to say to a devil and his posse of worshippers!"

Seething with anger at Melty's attempted murder, Ness had come in and had smacked the captive with his bat. "Answer the question!"

Sora had noticed something fall from the knight's armor. He picked it up. "What's this?"

Raphtalia had answered for him. "That's a rosary from the Three Heroes Church," she said.

"Three Heroes?" Sora had asked. "I thought there were four."

"There are," Raphtalia had explained, "but Melromarc worships every Hero except the Shield."

Aris had pulled a rosary of his own out of his pocket - it had been the one he'd received from the enigmatic noblewoman at the castle. Of course they respect every Hero but the Shield, he had mentally sighed.

"You'll pay the price for disturbing our country's order!" the knight had declared, still hurting from Ness's bat.

That very same bat had struck him again. "Will you just shut up already?" the boy holding it had sighed.

"It's likely another one of King Aultcray's harebrained schemes," Aris reasoned. "All thanks to Melty's father, we're stuck in the middle of nowhere, and every man and his grandmother wants us imprisoned."

Melty stood up. "Father can't be behind this!" she exclaimed.

"Who else do you think it would be?" Loretta pointed out. "I...wouldn't put it past your older sister, then again."

"That's what I think is the case," Melty agreed.

"So...you think she's trying to murder you in order to take your place as crown princess?"

Sora suddenly interjected. "Guys?"

All eyes were on the Keyblade Wielder.

"I have a theory," said Sora. "I don't think Melty's sister is trying to kill her."

"What makes you say that?" asked Raphtalia.

"I've got a hunch, and it may sound crazy," replied Sora, "but...you know Maleficent, right?"

Everyone nodded. They had all at least been acquainted with the name by now.

"I think Malty's working with her," said Sora.

Everyone's eyes widened.

"Hear me out," Sora continued. "You all remember the last Wave, right? Malty wasn't there. And if she was, she'd have to pretend to fight against Oogie, which is something I doubt she'd want to do."

"That's...a really good point," said Melty. "But that begs the question...what does this Maleficent character want me for?"

"That brings me into my second theory," said Sora. "The Princesses of Heart."

"Princesses of Heart?" Raphtalia questioned.

"Seven ladies with hearts of pure light," Sora explained. "My friend Kairi is one of them. And...if Maleficent is after Melty, then I think Melty might be one, too."

"Sora," said Aris, "your theory about Malty working with Maleficent. I...have proof of it."

Sora gasped. "You do?"

Aris nodded, playing his Memanima Projection recording of Malty's exchange with Maleficent - the night before he'd been framed for rape and attempted murder.

"So, since Malty really is working with Maleficent," said Raphtalia, "then that means Maleficent wants Melty for some reason."

"And that reason may be that Melty is one of these...Princesses of Heart," Loretta finished.

"Right," Sora affirmed, "which means we need to keep her safe at all costs."

"The knights we fought earlier today were under the direct control of either the king of Malty," Aris reasoned. "Either way, though...the best course of action would be for us to leave the country. It will be harder for them to get to us that way."

"I agree with that," said Raphtalia, "and we're not far from the border, either."

"Then we have an arrangement," Aris announced. "At the crack of dawn tomorrow, we set off and find our way to the border."

Melty interjected, "I...I want to return to the capital and speak with my father."

Ness gripped her shoulders. "You can't. You go back there and..." He trailed off, hoping Melty would understand.

Luckily, she did.

"If you stay with us, Melty," said Aris, "we will keep you safe."

Melty nodded. "R-Right. I'll stay here."

"Then go to sleep, everyone," said Aris. "We leave not long before dawn tomorrow."

"Why are we leaving the wagon behind?" Filo complained sadly.

"As much as I would love to bring it," said Aris, "we can't. It won't be safe to cross these mountains with it. The wagon can't make it here."

"But we'll go back for it, right?" asked Filo.

Aris nodded. "We will...We'll return to it as soon as we can."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

The party spent the rest of the day on the move, hiking up and down mountain after mountain. Their legs were soon very sore, feeling like they would give out beneath their bodies any second.

"We can rest here," Aris said, motioning to a small nearby cave. "I will light a fire."

Filo, Melty, Sora, Ness, and Loretta all entered the cave.

Raphtalia stopped outside the entrance and turned to Aris. "So...why Siltvelt?"

"I would wager we'll have better security there," he replied. "I recently did some research on Melromarc-Siltvelt relations, and...simply put, the two nations don't like each other very much. Which is why Melromarc's military would likely not bother to check Siltvelt when searching for us."

That night, after dinner, most of the party had fallen asleep. The only exceptions were Loretta, who was outside keeping watch; Aris, who was tending to the fire to make sure it didn't get out of control; and Melty, who was looking at a locket in her hands.

Sora slept soundly on the other side of the cave, while Raphtalia had curled up next to Aris. Filo snored peacefully in her Filolial form. Ness, meanwhile, had rested his head in Melty's lap.

Melty looked at Aris. "Tell me something, Swordsman Shield Hero," she said. "What...happened between you and my father?"

Aris sighed. "I suppose you ought to know." He poked the fire with a stick. "Not long after I was first summoned here, not long at all in fact...your older sister framed me for sexual assault and attempted murder - both on her, and neither true. Your father believed her and...ever since that moment, he has hated my very being. He recently also threatened to hurt my friends, which...to put it simply, I really didn't like."

Melty gasped. "Wh-What? But...B-But Mother always said the Shield Hero ought to be shown the same respect as the other Heroes."

"Well, your Father mustn't have cared." Aris realized something. "Speaking of your mother...I don't believe I know much about her. In fact, I don't think I know anything at all."

"Well, she's the queen of Melromarc," said Melty. 

"And?"

"That means she's higher on the proverbial pecking order," Melty explained. "Melromarc is a matriarchy, meaning that the royal bloodline - as well as most noble bloodlines - are passed down from mother to daughter as opposed to being from father to son."

Aris snickered. "So, what you're saying is...your father married into your family?"

"Yes, what's so funny about that?"

Aris laughed out loud now. "He acts like he owns the entire world, and yet the only reason he has any political power is because his wife is the queen!"

"So what if he married into the royal family? He's still important!" 

"But only because he married into the royal family!" Aris hooted.

Suddenly, he fell silent. He'd heard something.

Everyone awoke. They had heard something, too.

"We should get going," said Sora.

No one spoke to disagree with him.

"They can't have gone far," said a gruff voice. "Find them!"

Aris and company dipped behind some rocks, shimmying along a thin bluff beneath the cliff on which the knights were searching for them.

The thought of being mere feet away from being caught and having Melty captured and taken to Maleficent for some unknown evil purpose sickened Aris to his very core. So much so that he almost vomited over the edge of the bluff.

Aris stopped, locking up and ahead. The knights had crowded on the cliff above nearby. "They'll no doubt see us if we travel that way," he said. "We should retrace our steps."

Everyone nodded, turning around.

Melty suddenly yelped.

Her foot gave out under her as the piece of rock she was stepping on collapsed beneath her, causing her to nearly fall to her death.

Ness caught her moments before she was out of reach. Aris helped the lad pull her to safety.

It was too late, however. "Over there! The princess's voice!"

Aris cursed under his breath. "They know we're here."

"I have an idea," said Sora, pointing ahead. "We'll make a break for it past that big rock over there."

Aris nodded. "Good plan."

The party all broke into a sprint, bolting past the rock.

They were not, however, so lucky as to escape. Aris nearly fell off the edge of another cliff, leaving the group surrounded by Melromarc's knights.

A cloud passed overhead in the sky, revealing the light of the full moon.

Itsuki Kawasumi, the Bow Hero himself, stepped into the moonlight. "You have nowhere left to run," he said firmly, his voice surprisingly lacking any sort of animosity. "Cease your resistance and release Princess Melty at once."

"And leave her with a group of people who want to use her for Kingdom Hearts knows what!?" Sora screamed, summoning his Keyblade. "As if!"

"Stop lying, will you?" Motoyasu said flippantly. "We have all the proof we need."

"I'm afraid you do not." Melty stepped forward. "As you can see, Heroes, I am perfectly fine. Aris does not want to capture me, he is merely keeping me safe. Like a real Hero would."

"But he abducted you, didn't he?" said Ren.

"He did not," Melty said firmly. "There is clearly a dastardly plot behind this...laid into action by someone I know very well. Because of that, I asked the Swordsman Shield Hero to take me in and protect me with the help of his friends. Besides, what would they possibly have to gain by kidnapping me? This is a time when those of vastly different views - in this case, those against the Swordsman Shield Hero and those for him - must work together to combat the Waves of Calamity. We cannot allow such meaningless conflict to continue! Please, put away your weapons."

"As Princess Melty so eloquently worded it," said Aris, "this is clearly a setup. We know what is truly going on here...or at least, we have a good idea of what is. We will tell you everything we know."

"You mustn't listen to this charlatan!" a sickeningly familiar voice proclaimed. Malty S. Melromarc stepped out of the crowd, pointing an accusing finger at Aris. "The Devil of Hyrule possesses a magic spell capable of brainwashing any who hear his false words!"

"Are you insane, you redheaded wench!?" Loretta roared. "I'd never be brainwashed by my own brother!"

Malty ignored her. "The magnificent Three Heroes Church has found that heretics who worship the Swordsman Shield Hero have been popping up over the past month. This bastard called himself the 'Savior of the Heavenly Fowl' and went around brainwashing our good people!"

"Are you insane, sister!?" Melty exclaimed. "No one would believe such a lie!"

"Melty, my dear sister," Malty crooned, "it's quite clear that you too have fallen victim to the Devil of Hyrule's brainwashing."

"Then that means everyone else in his party was brainwashed, too!" Motoyasu reasoned. "And I'd wager his sister is an exception, because...well, she's his sister! Of course she'd want to help him carry out his evil deeds!"

"Hold your tongue, you spear-wielding man-whore!" Loretta shouted at Motoyasu. "I would never let my brother do such a thing...no matter how much it would pain me to be against him. Besides, even if he did have a brainwashing spell, none of us would be in this situation to begin with! He would have just used it to brainwash all of you into letting him go!"

"There's no guarantee that you're not just hiding it from us for some reason, though," Ren pointed out. "Do you have any proof to convince us?"

Aris fell silent.

"Aris," said Ren. "For your own good...just hand over the second princess. We don't have to do this the hard way. I promise you she will not be harmed."

Aris seriously considered it. There was no way the other three Heroes knew that Malty was working with Maleficent. If they found out that Malty was, in fact, trying to capture her younger sister, they would likely aid in the defense of the second princess. But...then again, he thought, Malty could just as easily use her social status to make it easier for her to keep her machinations secret.

He gritted his teeth. There was no way he was risking it.

Melty gripped Aris's Cloak of Shadows, looking up at him pleadingly.

Malty held out her hand to Melty. "Come, sister."

"If we can avoid fighting," said Ren, "that might be for the best."

Malty's lips curled into a wicked smile. That smile gave way into one of false praise. "You're absolutely right, Sir Ren!" she cooed, embracing him for a moment. "The safety of my dear little sister comes first!"

Melty looked up to the top of a nearby hill. She saw a shadowy figure looming over the scene in the distance.

Is that...Maleficent? she thought. She recognized the long, crooked horns on her hood.

I can't go back, Melty thought. I can't let them put me into Maleficent's hands.

"Please..." Melty whispered to Aris, desperate to be safe, "...help me..."

Aris gently held her hand. Ness squeezed the other.

"Ren," said Aris, "I appreciate your offer, and I can tell you too care for the safety of the second princess. But her..." Aris eyed Malty, "I wouldn't trust her with Melty's safety. Not even for a second."

Ren looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Malty interjected, "Aris, what are you talking about? Melty is my sweet little sister, I'd never want to hurt her."

"As if any sane individual would believe that," Aris called out. "We know you're working with Maleficent. We know you want to hand Melty over to her so that Maleficent can use her pure heart for Hylia knows what. And then you will be able to claim the title of crown princess for yourself. Tell me, Malty, is that how badly you want to be queen? That you would willingly hand your sister over to an evil witch to be used for potentially world-ending schemes?"

What is he cooking? Ren thought.

"Right!" Sora agreed with Aris. "You'll just have Maleficent tell Melty that she's 'undoing the brainwashing' or whatever, and then Maleficent will just kidnap Melty behind closed doors!"

Aris nodded to Filo. "Now!"

Filo transformed into her Filolial form. Aris summoned and mounted Epona. Sora boarded his Keyblade Glider. Everyone else hopped onto Filo's back.

Aris took a strange glowing plant - called a Dazzlefruit - from his pouch and hurled it at the knights and Heroes. They were temporarily blinded by a flash of bright light, giving Aris and the others time to make a break for it.

"Not so fast!" Motoyasu, having escaped his temporary blindness, hurled something at Filo. It turned out to be a magic shackle, which clamped around Filo's ankle and forced her out of her Filolial form.

Everyone on Filo's back fell to the ground. Aris dismounted Epona and Sora turned his Keyblade Glider back into a Keyblade.

Malty raised her arm and shot a ball of purple magic into the sky, like a flare. "I've called for backup," she said. "There's no way you're escaping now."

Motoyasu, meanwhile, grabbed Filo, who was still recovering from having the wind knocked from her lungs.

The Spear Hero grabbed the young Filolial girl, who screamed for Aris to help her.

"Filo!" Melty cried.

Then, something strange happened.

Water began to coalesce in Melty's outstretched hand. But this was not her usual water magic.

This was something much more powerful.

A Keyblade, beautiful and blue, appeared in her grasp.

"Ah, greetings, sir," said Biscas T. Balmus, the Pope of the Three Heroes Church. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"Oh, this certainly is about what you can do for me," said Jafar. "I want you to find the Swordsman Shield Hero, execute him and his friends, and bring the second princess to my mistress, the all-powerful Lady Maleficent."

"But...what has the Swordsman Shield Hero done wrong?" asked the Pope. "He has not committed any crime against God. A learned man such as myself can clearly see the charges initially labeled against him - those for the attempted rape and murder of Princess Malty - were clearly false."

"Hm...allow me to rephrase," said Jafar. He held his golden cobra staff, pointing the eyes of the cobra directly into those of the Pope. "You will send the church's guards after the second princess, slay all those who protect her - those being Aris and his friends - and bring her to me."

The Pope stood, hypnotized. The cobra's eyes were so...captivating. Voices entered his head, speaking thoughts into his mind.

"I...will...do...as you say...sir..."

Chapter Text

Melty swung her Keyblade, firing a bolt of compressed water at Motoyasu. She barely missed, clipping his cape and almost tearing through his flesh. Either way, it forced him away from Filo.

Malty cast magic at Aris and the others. "Zweit Hellfire! Zweit Fire Arrow!"

Sora cast Reflega and Aris threw up an Air Strike Shield, both of which blocked Malty's magic.

"Are you crazy!?" Ren shouted at her. "You could kill the second princess!"

"We need her alive!" Malty shouted. "I know! I'm trying to aim for the Devil of Hyrule here!"

A decently small horde of Heartless suddenly surrounded Aris, Melty, and the others. The knights were ordered to make no effort to fight the creatures.

Raphtalia suddenly disappeared, casting Hide Mirage.

Motoyasu had gotten back up and was approaching Filo once again, his lips salivating.

Filo whimpered, worried he would try to violate her.

Archers fired at Aris, who was defended by Sora casting a powerful fire spell. "Firaza!"

Raphtalia reappeared behind Malty. "Hello there."

She drew her mana sword, driving its incorporeal blade through Malty's chest. The sudden attack hindered the red princess's magic.

Tired of watching Filo about to be violated by Motoyasu, Melty leaped into action, sending the Spear Hero flying with her new Keyblade.

A commanding knight pointed his sword at Aris. "Annihilate the Devil of Hyrule and all who follow him!"

The soldiers charged toward Aris, failing to be stopped by Itsuki and Ren.

The Swordsman Shield Hero and his party all made a break for it with Melty in tow. Aris took another strange plant - this one being a Bomb Flower - out of his pocket and chucked it behind him, blowing up the natural rock bridge and preventing the knights from giving chase. Some even tumbled over the edge into the forest below.

"Ren!" Aris beckoned to the Sword Hero once the dust had settled. "I believe you can uncover the truth of what is happening here." 

Before Ren could demand an explanation, Aris chucked the rosary across the chasm, landing it right at Ren's feet.

He and his party left in a hurry.

Equipped Weapon (Melty): Waters of Justice

Weapon Type: Keyblade

Acquisition: Chosen by the Keyblade during battle

ATK: 25

Equip Bonus: Water Boost (increases damage done using Water spells)

Shotlock: Bubble Blaster

Formchanges: Tidal Bow, Royal Trident

DESC: "May your heart be your guiding key."

Using the combined power of their Keyblades, Sora and Melty were able to unlock the shackle binding Filo's ankle.

Filo cheered. "Yay! Thanks, guys!"

"No worries." Melty dismissed her Keyblade, Waters of Justice. "Did...Did Sir Motoyasu try to..."

Filo looked down. "I...I think he almost did. But you guys all saved me!"

"You're our friend, Filo." Ness smiled at her. "How could we not save you?"

Suddenly, someone appeared from the undergrowth. Loretta almost pulled out her blasters.

"Wait, don't take out your weapons!" Ness suddenly interrupted. He pointed to the stranger, who wore a familiar-looking outfit - a black cloak and a mask. "She's with the Shadows. They're spies who work for Melty's mother."

"Right," Melty affirmed. "She can help us."

The Shadow lady looked at Aris. "Swordsman Shield Hero," she said. "I daresay this is not the first time we have met, though this is the first you have seen me in this form."

I daresay... Aris racked his brain, trying to remember where he had heard that phrase before.

Suddenly, he gasped. "It's you!" he exclaimed. "You were the noblewoman in the castle. You gave me the rosary."

The Shadow nodded. "Allow me to...get to the point," said the Shadow. "You have been requested to meet with her highness - Queen Mirellia Q. Melromarc. In other words...the mother of Princess Melty, I daresay."

"But...why does her highness wish to meet with me?" asked Aris.

"To be frank," replied the Shadow, "I daresay the roots of this commotion are much deeper than they seem. Your help would be greatly appreciated by her highness. This alleged abduction of Princess Melty is, as you likely know, a setup by both those who are intimidated by your anomalous power as well as those who seek to use Melty for...dark deeds, I daresay. Most notably, the witch - Maleficent."

Sora gasped. "You know about Maleficent?"

The Shadow nodded. "We have been performing extensive reconnaissance in regards to Maleficent's machinations, I daresay. She seeks to abduct the seven Princesses of Heart and use them to rule this world...and perhaps the others beyond it. From there, I daresay, we reasoned that her desire to abduct Princess Melty is because Princess Melty is one of the seven Princesses of Heart."

"Then...that settles it," said Sora. "Melty's a Princess of Heart. And a Keyblade Wielder now."

"Indeed," said the Shadow. "I watched the battle you all valiantly fought."

"In any case," said Aris, "we'll prepare to meet with the queen."

The Shadow showed a very brief fraction of a smile. "Thank you, Swordsman Shield Hero. Now, I daresay I shall leave you to prepare."

The cloaked spy disappeared into the night.

Raphtalia sniffed the air. "Hey, does anyone else smell smoke?"

The party looked off into the distance. Sure enough, the entire forest had been suddenly lit ablaze not far from where they were.

Ness sighed. "So much for camping here tonight."

Aris nodded. "I concur. We should break camp as fast as possible and get out of here."

"The checkpoint's been closed, which means it's gonna be a while before anyone can get to Siltvelt," the merchant told Aris, who wore his hood to hide his face. "Seems the Devil of Hyrule kidnapped little Princess Melty and is holed up somewhere not far from here."

Aris huffed. "So he is." He took a sizable amount of coin out of his pouch and handed them to the merchant. "Is this enough for my purchase?"

The merchant nodded. "Yes. Here, let me get your change..."

Aris, however, was already gone.

He left the village and returned to his party, lowering his hood now that he was out of view from everyone else. "I have good news," he said, "and I have bad news."

"What's the good news?" asked Sora.

"We'll be able to visit Melty's mother."

Melty pumped a victorious fist.

"And...the bad news?" said Raphtalia.

"We won't be able to travel to Siltvelt for quite a while," Aris explained. "According to a merchant with whom I spoke, the border checkpoints are closed, and will be for quite some time."

"Which means visiting Mother is our only option," said Melty. "But...I'm not really complaining."

"There's a lot of Demi-Humans around here," Sora pointed out. "And...none of them really look like slaves."

"Then...wait, I know this area!" said Melty. "We're in a protected district safe for Demi-Humans. I know the nobleman in charge of this area. He should be able to help us out."

"So Melromarc has areas in which Demi-Humans can live without worrying about oppression?" asked Aris.

Melty nodded. "Yes. These districts were established not long ago, by a very kind nobleman. He was the leader of the Sayette province. But..." Melty's face fell, "...he died during the first Wave. All the nobles who supported him were sent off to remote regions under the orders of my father."

"I don't think I've seen anyone hate a group more than your father hates Demi-Humans," Aris sighed.

Raphtalia looked crestfallen. Aris tapped her shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

"Sayette..." Raphtalia shuddered, "...the village where I lived, before the first Wave...it was there."

Melty's eyes widened. "I...I heard Sayette was ambushed by rioters after the first Wave," she said. 

"Yeah," said Raphtalia. "It...It was."

She stared off into the distance, letting the memories flood her mind. "My village was attacked by a mob of Melromarc's soldiers."

Aris gritted his teeth and clenched a shaking fist. "The more I hear about the deeds of those heathens...the more thinking about them absolutely sickens me."

"We...experienced something similar, my brother and I," said Loretta. "It...It was how Hyrule fell."

"Hyrule...fell?" asked Raphtalia.

"A story for some other time," replied Aris.

In reality, though...he wanted to tell her, he really did. But he wasn't sure if he could handle the pain of remembering it all again. The destruction, the death...the suffering...all of it.

"Raphtalia..." Melty said, her voice breaking a little, "...I'm so sorry."

Raphtalia patted Melty on the shoulder. "It wasn't your fault."

"I know, but as royalty," said Melty, "There must have been something we could've done to stop all of it from happening. Yet...we did nothing." She clenched a hand over the skirt of her dress. "Raphtalia. As soon as we have shelter for the night, tell me everything you can remember about those soldiers. Once I'm able to return home safely, I want to personally see to it that they're brought to justice - every last one of them."

Raphtalia smiled wistfully. "Thank you."

"Anyway," said Sora, "back to that nobleman you mentioned. You said he lives around here, right?"

Melty nodded. "Yes. He does."

"But can we trust him?" asked Aris.

A foreign voice answered his question for him. "I assure you that you certainly can."

Everyone startled and turned to find a kind-looking man with dark blue hair and round glasses wearing a white cloak.

"Dude, where'd you come from!?" Ness shouted.

Melty stepped forward. "Reichnott. It's been far too long. How have you been?"

"Very well, thank you." Reichnott bowed his head. "It is great to see you again, Princess Melty." He turned to Aris and the party. "Ah, I see the princess has brought some friends with her. A pleasure to meet you all. I am Van Reichnott, the nobleman who governs this province."

"Nice to meet you," said Ness.

"Ah, you must be the young lad Princess Melty told me so much about in her letters," Reichnott mused. "Ness, is it?"

Ness nodded. "That's me, yeah."

Reichnott laughed. "A pleasure, young man. It is great to see her highness making friends. But...all pleasantries aside, this isn't exactly a suitable place for a conversation. Why don't you all follow me back to my home? I will have my cooks prepare you some lunch."

Everyone sat in the dining hall of Reichnott Manor, waiting for their meal to be served.

"I see," said Reichnott. "So, you've been accused of a crime you never committed and are trying to escape and keep Princess Melty protected from this...Maleficent?"

Aris nodded his head.

"I was told by the local knights that the Devil of Hyrule - which I assume to be their moniker for Aris - started a forest fire not far from here in order to cover his tracks," said Reichnott. "I highly doubt it was you, though."

"You would be correct in your doubt, because it wasn't," Aris confirmed. "Malty fed everyone that lie."

"Just as I thought," Reichnott mused. "In any case, I too have been concerned for the safety of our princess, so I was patrolling the area myself when I found you lot."

"Good thing you did," Sora remarked. "I got the feeling it was only a matter of time before someone found us. And I didn't think it was gonna be anyone good."

"Then I'm glad it was I who found you first," said Reichnott. Two maids entered the room with platters of food. "You must be hungry, yes? Feel free to rest here as long as you need to before heading on your way."

Everyone started eating before long. Aris hesitated, however. Raphtalia eyed him. "Are you not hungry?"

"I'm starving," said Aris, "but I have a feeling the food might be poisoned."

"Oh?" Reichnott stepped over and took a bite from Aris's food. "See? No poison here."

"Oh, alright then." Aris started eating.

"We probably shouldn't stay here for too long, sadly," said Loretta after swallowing a bite. "The longer we stay in one place, the more likely it is that we'll be sussed out."

"Agreed," Aris concurred. "We can stay for the night and then leave tomorrow morning."

"I think so too," said Melty, "but I really wish we could stay longer."

"So do I," said Raphtalia.

"And I as well," said Aris, "but I'd rather be safe and uncomfortable than be comfortable and at risk."

Reichnott smiled at Melty. "You've changed quite a bit, princess," he said. "You used to force yourself to behave more maturely, but it seems your time with the Swordsman Shield Hero - and perhaps your time with Ness, as well - have helped you grow."

"I...think so too," Melty remarked. "I feel more confident that I can be myself."

"Woooow!" Filo sang. "These beds are so comfy!"

Aris gazed out of the window.

"Are you going to sleep soon, Aris?" asked Melty.

"I'm afraid not," replied Aris. "I'm going to keep watch overnight. This place could be attacked, and we wouldn't know until it was too late if we all were to go to bed."

"I have an idea," Raphtalia put in. "Your Spirit Summons, Aris. Why not use one of them?"

"That's a great idea." Aris held out his hand, summoning the avatar of a bird-like boy with a bow.

Spirit Summon

Tulin

Summon Type: Companion/Scout

DESC: "The spiritual avatar of a young Rito Warrior who lived in a time long ago. With the help of a legendary hero, he saved the Rito from a blizzard and became the Sage of Wind after claiming a sacred relic that amplified his ability to control the wind itself."

The Summon flew out of an open window and perched presumably on the roof of Reichnott Manor, his eyes on the lookout for incoming threats.

Filo, Melty, and Ness left the room to explore Reichnott Manor while Aris removed his armor and cloak before laying down on one of the beds.

Raphtalia pulled a blanket over him. "Thanks for listening to me," she said.

"Well, you had a good idea," said Aris.

"Not just that," said Raphtalia. "I'm...I'm worried about you, Aris. I want you to be able to take care of yourself."

"When did you become so concerned for my well-being?"

"I always have been," Raphtalia replied. "It's my job as your friend to make sure you don't work yourself to the bone. Now...try to get some sleep for me, okay?"

Aris reluctantly turned over onto his side and attempted to fall asleep. Raphtalia took the bed next to him and did the same.

Filo frolicked in the evening sun within the front yard of Reichnott Manor while Ness and Melty had a heart-to-heart

Melty sighed. "I don't know, Ness. I...All of this is a lot to take in. I'm some kind of Princess of Heart, a witch wants me for some reason, and now I'm a Keyblade Wielder, too?"

"I know it's a lot of pressure," said Ness, "but I know you can handle it. I mean, look at you. You and I are both, what...eleven years old? And you're already way more mature than I am!"

"But maturity doesn't necessarily mean I can shoulder all of this," Melty pointed out. "I mean, you saved your world at ten years old."

"And if I can handle that pressure, I know you can handle this pressure."

Melty sighed. "Y-You're right, Ness. I...shouldn't be getting down on myself. I have a role to play, and it's time I started playing it."

"That's the spirit!" Ness grasped her hand, giving it a little squeeze. "And you don't have to do it all alone, either. I'm with you, Filo's with you...and so are all the others."

Melty smiled, looking off into the distance, admiring the beautiful sunset.

"Ness?" she said, breaking the silence.

"Hm?"

"I...I want you to promise me something," said Melty. "If...If I ever go missing, or if I'm taken from you...promise you'll come and save me...right?"

Ness squeezed her hand again, smiling at her. "I promise. I may not have armor or a sword, but I'll be your personal knight."

Melty smiled along with him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Aris awoke in bed that night. Another dream about that...

He sat up in bed to see Melty sitting by the window. "Why are you not asleep?" he asked her.

"I'm just not tired," replied Melty. "And to be honest, I could ask the same of you."

"I had something of a bad dream."

"Oh..." Melty looked worried. "If...If you don't mind...what was it about?"

"Something I don't like remembering."

"Ah...sorry, I won't push any further."

"Thank you."

Aris sat on the windowsill across from Melty, staring out into the night.

"Aris?" Melty broke the silence. "Do...Do you really think I should be fleeing like this? I mean, as crown princess, there are so many other things I could be doing, and yet here I am, running away like a coward. Because of what's happening to us, I haven't been able to do anything I should be doing."

"Your safety should come before all other things, Melty," said Aris. "You can return to your duties as crown princess once we're sure you're safe."

"But...I just feel so...pathetic," said Melty.

Aris placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I understand that. But fighting to survive isn't pathetic. Now, go get some rest."

Melty nodded, thanking him before returning to bed.

With Melty silent, Aris heard a new sound fill his ears.

Raphtalia was whimpering. She tossed and turned in bed, meekly begging for something or someone to "stop hurting her".

Aris walked over and gently held her hand. She was having that nightmare again...remembering the death of her parents.

Aris badly wanted to hug her, rock her back and forth, tell her everything was going to be okay.

But...why? he asked himself. She's just my best friend...why am I so worried about her?

It dawned on him then. Everything he felt around her.

He recalled feeling butterflies in his stomach at the sight of her smile, at the sound of her melodious voice gracing his ears.

He recalled always feeling a strong desire to protect her with his life, defending both Raphtalia and her honor at any cost...even if it meant death.

He knew it all now.

Aris Atreides had fallen in love.

Chapter Text

Aris and the others awoke early the next morning to aggressive tapping at one of the windows. Aris drew open the curtains to see his Spirit Summon, Tulin, furiously clawing at one of the windows with his talons, as if to alert the party of something. Aris opened the window. "What is it?"

Tulin moved aside, motioning with his wing to a bunch of knights in the front yard. They were escorting Van Reichnott to a carriage - and the noble was bound at the wrists.

"What's going on?" asked Ness.

"Reichnott's been arrested," Aris sighed. "This cannot be good."

A maid suddenly burst into the room. "Sir!" she said to Aris. "You and your friends must get out of here at once!"

"We gathered that much." Loretta sprang out of bed and holstered her blasters.

"There's more to it," said the maid. "Lord Reichnott is being arrested because a nobleman from the next town over marched in here and accused us of hiding you!"

"Then we do need to get out of here," Sora agreed.

Everyone ran down the hall, following the maid. "There's a secret backdoor in the kitchen," she said. "You can escape through there!"

"What about Filo, Ness, and Melty?"

"We don't know where they are."

"Then we're not leaving without them."

In the meantime, though, Aris and company dipped into the kitchen.

"Hide!" the maid hurriedly whispered to them.

Raphtalia and Loretta concealed themselves in an empty pantry. Sora ducked behind a pile of potato sacks. Aris used the Cloak of Shadows for the first time, turning himself completely invisible and standing in the far corner of the room.

The maid, meanwhile, pretended to prepare breakfast.

The knights burst in not a moment too soon. "Hey, you there! What are you doing?"

"I-I'm just preparing breakfast," the maid replied.

"Forget that, get over here!" one of the knights boomed, grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her out of the kitchen. 

A familiar girl's voice interrupted the commotion. "What do you think you're doing!?"

All eyes - hidden and otherwise - were on Melty.

"As crown princess of Melromarc, I demand that you cease this behavior at once!" she ordered.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" sneered a pompous voice. "If it isn't the second princess herself."

In the empty pantry, Raphtalia gritted her teeth at the voice. Her tail stood on end, like that of an angry cat.

The pompous-sounding nobleman, who was quite portly, bowed before Melty. "I am quite glad to see you well, princess," he said. "I rushed here at my earliest convenience out of concern for your safety."

"You really sure about that, Lord Rabier?" a deadpanned voice interjected as a figure stepped out of the shadows.

It was a tall, somewhat muscular man with spiky blond hair and blue-green eyes, wearing black clothing. Strapped to his back was a massive, mechanical-looking sword with a single edge.

Sora gasped. "Cloud...!?" he whispered to himself.

"Ah, but of course, Mr. Strife," the nobleman said. 

"And why did you even hire me, anyway? I haven't even done anything." Cloud looked like he didn't want to be here.

"For my protection, of course," replied the nobleman - Lord Rabier. "You were to defend me in the event that the Devil of Hyrule appeared and attacked me. But it seems he's either gone or in hiding. Not that it matters, since we have what - or rather who we're looking for right here." He motioned to Melty.

"Right," Cloud deadpanned.

"Idol Rabier," said Melty. "I've heard quite a bit about you. You've fought with my father in the past."

"That I have, yes," Idol admitted.

Melty looked around at the knights. "These are your troops, I presume?"

"Correct."

She eyed Cloud. "And this gentleman?"

"A mercenary I hired as my bodyguard," said Idol. "You won't be seeing him very long, I'm afraid. He agreed to accompany me for only this endeavor."

"Right," said Cloud. "And I better get my payment for it when we get back to your home."

"I assure you that you will, Mr. Strife," Idol assured him. "But, before we withdraw," he turned back to Melty. "Where is the Devil of Hyrule and his friends?"

"Not here, I can tell you that much," replied Melty. "I requested that he leave me and escape. And now that I have a chance to do so, I plan to speak with my father directly and clear the Swordsman Shield Hero's name!"

Cloud seemed to hold a bit of silent respect for the second princess. He glanced at her with an apologetic look.

"You will take me to the capital at once," Melty ordered Idol.

"Understood," said Idol. "We will make the necessary arrangements for your journey at my home."

Idol, Cloud, and the knights escorted Melty out of Reichnott Manor.

"Filo! Ness! There you are!"

Aris and his party ran into Reichnott's attic to find Filo and Ness snooping around.

"Oh, papa, there you are!" Filo sang happily.

Aris didn't seem as cheery. "How long have you two been up here?"

"Not long," said Ness.

"Mel said she wanted to play hide and seek with us and told us to hide somewhere we wouldn't be found by anyone," Filo added. "Ness said we should come up here! But...Mel never found us."

Aris looked at the others. "...Shall we inform them?"

Raphtalia nodded.

Aris filled in Filo and Ness on the events that had just transpired.

Ness clenched an enraged fist. "I'm going to save her!"

He started out the door when Sora grabbed his shoulder.

"But if we don't save her, she'll-"

"We know, Ness," Loretta assured him. "And we're going to save her."

Sora looked glum. Aris tapped his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah...I'm fine," said Sora. "I just...why would he do something like this...?"

"Who?"

"That mercenary who was with Idol," said Sora. "He's...He's an old friend of mine."

"You know that guy?" said Raphtalia.

Sora nodded. "Cloud and I go way back. But...if Idol wanted to take Melty away...then chances are he's working with Maleficent and her goons. Which means that technically...so is Cloud."

"We'll bring him to the right side of the battle, Sora," Aris assured him. "One way or another."

Sora smiled. "Thanks. Now...I think we've got a princess to save."

"This Idol fellow," said Aris to Raphtalia upon their arrival, "...you know him, don't you?"

"Unfortunately," replied Raphtalia.

"You don't have to join us if this is too much for you to handle," Aris assured her.

"No...I want to," said Raphtalia. "Melty is just as much my friend as she is yours. And I'm not going to run from my past any longer."

Sora pointed at the outer gate of Idol's land. "What's going on down there?"

A bunch of figures had come to the gate and were shouting, holding torches and pitchforks and the like.

"They seem to be Demi-Humans," said Loretta. "They must have come here in an attempt to free Reichnott."

"Which means we have a distraction," Aris pointed out. "They can keep the guards' attention away from us whilst we infiltrate."

He summoned his Crimson Loftwing. Loretta readied her jet boots. Raphtalia and Ness mounted Filo. Sora didn't do anything, but he seemed ready for something or other.

The Crimson Loftwing took to the skies as Filo bounced from rock to rock, scaling a cliff near the gate. Loretta followed suit, using her jet boots to propel her jumps. Sora activated Flowmotion and followed behind.

"What's happening outside?" Melty demanded of Cloud.

The reluctant mercenary looked out the window. "Seems a bunch of Demi-Humans from that Reichnott guy's district are banging on the gate."

"And we will get rid of them posthaste." Idol barged into the room. "Now, princess, will you tell me where the Devil of Hyrule is?"

Melty shook her head. "I will never yield."

"Then perhaps...he will convince you to talk."

Another pompously dressed figure entered the room. This one was clad in red, with a fancy hat and sword, and a stylishly trimmed mustache. "Do ye have the blasted princess already?" he said, exasperated.

Melty noticed something about this figure - his left hand had been amputated and replaced by a sharp hook.

"Oh, but of course, Captain!" said Idol. "She is right here."

"Good," said the captain. "I'll have me crew deliver your payment once we get her aboard me ship."

"And speaking of payments..." Cloud walked over, holding a hand out to Idol.

"Ah, yes, of course." Idol reached into his pockets and pulled out a bulging pouch chock-full of gold coins. Cloud looked inside and nodded.

But then he noticed the captain.

"You," Cloud seethed.

The captain barely acknowledged Cloud. "Oh. You're the lad who worked for that bilge rat Hades all those years ago."

"I am," said Cloud.

"Captain, take her away!"

Hook didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed Melty, who screamed and kicked to attempt to free herself, and fled the scene, heading for the docks not far from Idol's manor.

Idol, meanwhile, grabbed Van Reichnott by his hair. The benevolent noble had been bound to the wall not far from Melty.

"I demand to know the location of the Devil of Hyrule!" Idol yelled.

"I know no such person," Reichnott replied. "Unless, of course, you're referring to the Swordsman Shield Hero. But you may as well just kill me, because I don't plan on telling you anything."

Idol punched Reichnott in the gut, making him yelp in pain, panting heavily as the wind was knocked out of him.

"Sir, if I can ask...why are you doing this?" Cloud seemed to be concealing some form of emotion now.

"Ah, Mr. Strife, I'm glad you asked," said Idol. "We're having a hard time getting our...guest here to talk." He motioned to Reichnott. "But, as a servant of my god, I must punish any who side with the Devil of Hyrule." Idol held up a three-pronged rosary. "That includes his friends. I'm...quite interested in the one with spiky brown hair. He seems...unusual."

Spiky brown hair...? Cloud thought. No...No, he can't mean...him...

"A person with spiky brown hair?" Cloud feigned curiosity. "Sir, I think you have me intrigued, too."

"Ah, so I do," Idol mused. "I believe his name is...Sora."

Cloud snapped.

"M-Mister Strife?" Idol looked almost scared. "What are you doing?"

Cloud drew his massive sword. "Betrayal."

Idol's nostrils flared and his eyes widened. "What!? I demand that you obey my orders and allow me to conduct my business by defeating the Devil of Hyrule and his friends!"

"As if I'd do that."

"Ravage them, Filo!"

Filo began going to town on some defending soldiers while Aris equipped his Chimera Viper Shield.

"Sora, go with her! We will rescue Melty!" Loretta called out.

"Got it!" Sora jumped off his Keyblade Glider and summoned it back as a Keyblade, joining Filo in her battle.

Meanwhile, the rest of the party barreled into Idol's mansion.

They breezed their way through Idol's soldiers, mowing them down like a middle-aged man would an overgrown lawn on a Saturday morning.

Aris blocked a sword from a lone soldier with his Chimera Viper Shield. One of the emblazoned snakes came to live from the shield, sinking its fangs into the soldier's unarmored sleeve and piercing the skin.

The soldier cried out.

"You have been injected with a very potent venom," Aris cautioned him. "And, if left untreated, said venom will kill you. But I will relinquish the antidote if you listen to me."

"Y-Yes! A-Anything!" the soldier begged.

Aris narrowed his eyes. "Where is Princess Melty?"

"L-Lord Rabier's bedroom!"

Aris handed him the bottle of the antidote. "Now, get out of my sight, lest I change my mind."

The soldier ran off, chugging the antidote.

"Lord Rabier!" A knight burst into Idol's bedroom, where he was currently locked in a tense exchange with Cloud. "The Devil of Hyrule and his followers are storming the mansion!"

"What!?"

As if on cue, Filo, Ness, and Sora burst through a nearby wall, the former knocking Idol flat. Cloud stared in surprise.

"Good timing," mused the mercenary.

"Cloud!" exclaimed Sora. "What are you doing here!?"

"I'll explain everything later," replied Cloud. "I'm helping you guys out."

"Good!"

"Mel!" Ness cried. "Where's Mel!"

"You won't find her here!" Idol cackled maniacally as he staggered to his feet.

Cloud suddenly slammed his foot into Idol's face, knocking him back to the floor and dislodging a few of his teeth.

"Tell them." The mercenary pointed his massive sword at Idol's neck.

"A-Alright, Alright, I'll talk!" Idol shouted. "I...I handed her over to someone else!"

"Go on," Cloud prodded.

"A-A man named Captain Hook!" Idol continued. "He...He said he would bring Princess Melty back to the capital!"

"He lied," Sora realized. "He'll bring her to Maleficent the moment he gets the chance!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, I swear! He never mentioned anyone by that name!" Idol cried.

"He sounds like he's telling the truth there," Aris noticed.

"Where do we find this 'Captain Hook'?" Loretta demanded.

"Don't bother asking that," Cloud sighed. "Hook's probably long gone by now."

Cloud sheathed his sword.

Idol staggered to his feet once more. "Y-You dare...make a mockery of me!?" he seethed through some missing teeth. "Torture won't be enough for the likes of you!" He took out a whip. "You will pay with your pathetic lives!"

Cloud was about to knock him back down when Raphtalia stepped forward instead.

Idol seemed to recognize her. He raised his whip and cracked it against her arm.

Raphtalia winced, but did not relent.

"Lowly Demi-Human!"

More whip cracks. Still, Raphtalia moved forward.

Idol raised his whip once more, only for Raphtalia to draw her sword and cut it at the base.

"W-Wait!" Idol cried. "Don't! Please!"

Raphtalia kicked him to the floor and pointed her sword at his undefended neck. "So many of my kind - my friends - begged for their lives just like that...and you did nothing but continue torturing them."

Idol gritted his remaining teeth. "You animals would've died had I not taken you in back then!"

Raphtalia pushed her sword further. "Shut up!"

Idol cowered further away.

"Do you really think I don't remember what you did?" Raphtalia said, her voice breaking a little. "The atrocities you committed? No! I could never forget what you did to us!"

"I-I know!" Idol cried. "I realize I was wrong now! I-I'm sorry!"

"Liar!" Raphtalia slammed him in the head with the pommel of her sword. "You took Rifana and you have the audacity to try and apologize!?"

She lifted her sword.

Idol whimpered.

"You can offer your apologies to Rifana in person."

"N-No, don't! Don't kill me!" Idol blubbered.

"Oh...you're right." But Raphtalia didn't sound merciful. She grabbed him by his hair and pressed the back of his head against the wall. "I shouldn't kill you." She placed the blade of her sword against his throat. "I should just leave you here to suffer. That's what you deserve."

"Then...do that!"

"No."

Idol started blubbering again, like the adult baby he was.

"Because you're not the kind of loose end I'd leave untied.

Raphtalia pressed her sword into his throat, leaving a nice coating of blood on the wall behind Idol.

The noble's head rolled off his neck and onto the floor, leaking blood from the stump of its neck.

"Jeez," Sora remarked. "Remind me not to get on her bad side."

Raphtalia suddenly gasped. She staggered back. Her sword fell out of her hand.

The weight of what she had done had finally fallen upon her.

"I...Did I just..."

She fell to her knees.

Aris didn't hesitate to comfort her. "Raphtalia...it's okay..."

"It's not okay!" Raphtalia cried. "Nothing about this is okay! I just...I killed someone, Aris!"

"And that someone killed so many more people," Aris reminded her. "And he doubtless would have killed more had you not killed him first."

Raphtalia whimpered, leaning her head onto Aris's shoulder as her tears subsided. "Y-You're right...besides, I avenged Rifana...didn't I?"

Aris didn't know who this Rifana person was, but he nodded. "You did."

Raphtalia got to her feet. Aris did the same.

"Swordsman Shield Hero."

Loretta and Sora had cut Reichnott free.

"Thank you for coming to my rescue," said the benevolent noble. "But...unfortunately, the princess-"

"Was handed over to Captain Hook," Aris finished. "I'm aware."

"But...we don't exactly have a boat, do we?" Sora pointed out. "How are we supposed to get to Hook before he brings Melty to Maleficent?"

Melty had been tossed into the brig aboard Captain Hook's ship, the name of which she didn't know.

Does it even have a name? she pondered.

She shook her head. Melty scolded herself for thinking about such trivial things at a time like this.

"I have to focus on how to get out of here," she chided herself.

She saw the lock on her cell door. That gave her an idea.

That Captain Hook and his lackeys made the mistake of having my wrists tied in front of me, she thought. But, the joke's on them, because...

She summoned Waters of Justice, holding it in her bound hands.

"Now, if what Sora told me was right, then I should be able to just..."

She pointed Waters of Justice at the lock. A small beam of light shot from the tip, engulfing the lock.

The beam disappeared and the light died. The lock came undone and her wooden cell door creaked open.

Perfect! Melty thought.

Her guard, a lanky, foul-smelling pirate of Captain Hook's crew, was fast asleep outside her cell. That, Melty realized, was a big mistake.

She threw her arms around his neck from behind, using the ropes binding her wrists to her advantage to strangle the sleeping pirate into unconsciousness. "Shhh..."

Melty dragged the unconscious pirate into her cell, using Waters of Justice again to lock the door.

She noticed something had fallen from her captor's belt - a knife. 

"Awfully convenient," Melty remarked.

She picked up the knife and sawed through the ropes, severing them and freeing her arms.

"Mother gave me a few basic sailing lessons," she remembered. "If I can find a way to commandeer the ship, I should be able to get myself back to safety."

So began Melty's mission.

She snuck through the bowels of Hook's vessel, either dodging or knocking out any pirates who happened to be down there at the time.

One particular pirate happened to be quite burly, forcing her to incapacitate him with a Keyblade strike to the back of his head.

I can't move this guy out of sight, she realized.

Such a predicament meant that the pirates would inevitably find their unconscious comrade and likely realize that Melty had breached containment.

She found a familiar-looking portly pirate carrying a tray of food - which didn't look at all appetizing.

That's Smee, Melty realized. I might be able to get him to tell me the way to the upper deck.

Melty suddenly grabbed Smee and pulled him into a nearby storeroom, pinning him to the wall with Waters of Justice pointed at the old man's throat. "How do I get to the upper deck?"

Smee seemed terrified. "I-I...J-Just up that ladder, not far from here!" he blubbered.

Melty sighed. "Thank you."

She smacked Smee's head with the butt end of her Keyblade, knocking him out.

It was quite a shame - Melty actually liked Smee. He was the only pirate aboard this god-forsaken ship who wasn't a foul-smelling derelict.

He's just too naive to realize he's on the wrong side of this conflict, Melty thought. It's a shame...I'd love to have him around the castle.

Melty found the ladder Smee had told her of and sneakily climbed to the top deck.

Too many pirates up here, she realized. Well...I guess I'll have to go in loud.

Melty burst out of Captain Hook's quarters and onto the deck of the ship, much to the surprise of the pirates stationed there. "Hello, everyone!" she quipped. "It was getting terribly stuffy down in the brig, so I figured I would come up here for some fresh air!"

Captain Hook screamed. "What!? How did you escape!?"

"You didn't know I had a Keyblade?" Melty laughed. She summoned Waters of Justice.

"Blast!" Hook exclaimed. "She's just like that bilge rat, Sora! After her!"

Every pirate on deck suddenly charged, drawing various weapons.

Melty knew the pirates were bumbling fools with weapons and the ability to flaunt them - none were true fighters.

She spun in a circle with her Keyblade out, knocking out the pirates surrounding her. She jumped into the air and clung to the mizzenmast of the ship, swinging Waters of Justice down at the advancing pirates.

Melty jumped from the mizzenmast to the main deck, knocking a shorter pirate to the wooden boards of the deck with a landing kick.

A muscular pirate - probably the ship's cook - came out with a frying pan in hand.

Melty raised Waters of Justice to block the frying pan.

The cook faked her out and nearly launched her overboard. Melty clenched her teeth at the pain in her hip.

I can still fight, she told herself.

She certainly could. She practically danced around the deck, knocking pirates unconscious and sending some overboard.

"Swoggle me eyes, you bilge rats!" Hook roared. "I'll deal with this wench myself!"

Hook drew his saber and swung. Melty parried. She grabbed a rope and swung to the top of the main mast, knocking a pirate out of the crow's nest and into the dark ocean below.

She and Hook crossed blades atop the main mast. Melty had to admit - though Hook was quite a bumbling idiot, not unlike the rest of his crew, he was a skilled fighter.

But not skilled enough, she thought, giving herself a bit of an ego boost.

The princess and the pirate were evenly matched in their swordplay. Just as Melty had received sailing lessons from her mother, so too had she received some classes in swordplay from her father.

Those lessons were finally paying off.

"Cap'n!" a pirate suddenly shouted.

"Blast it, I'm busy!" Hook yelled.

"Cap'n, we got another ship off the starboard bow!"

"What!?"

Melty took the chance to knock Hook to the deck. The captain didn't bother going back after her, instead looking over the side of his ship. Melty elected to take a gander as well.

Sure enough, another ship had approached them and was sailing alongside them. The pale moonlight barely illuminated its black hull, but Melty immediately took notice of the Jolly Roger flag atop its main mast.

More pirates? she thought.

She was correct, but those pirates did something she never thought would happen.

The new pirates - these looking much stronger and more skilled - all swung from their dark ship to Hook's and began battling Hook's crew.

"Find that princess girl and get her onto the Pearl!" one of them ordered - a well-dressed pirate with a big hat and long blond hair with a beard.

They might be on my side, Melty realized as she fought Hook's crew alongside the crew of the dark ship - the Pearl, she thought it had been called. But on the other hand...being imprisoned by more experienced pirates might be a step down from Hook's crew. But then again...what other choice do I have?

She decided to speed things up by fighting Hook's pirates.

"You there!" a pirate from the Pearl acknowledged her amid the fray. This pirate looked much cleaner than the rest. "You're Princess Melty, aren't you?"

"Yes!" Melty cut down another of Hook's pirates.

"You should come with us!" the well-kept pirate shouted over the sound of yelling and the clashing of swords. 

"Aye!" The blond pirate - who seemed to be their captain - came closer. "We're not here to imprison ye."

"And why should I trust a pirate?" Melty exclaimed.

"Do ye have any other ideas?" the blond pirate pointed out.

Melty pondered, then shook her head.

"Then come with us!" The well-kept pirate held out his hand.

Melty took it.

Cannons began to fire from the Pearl, ravaging Hook's ship. Melty could already feel the deck lower toward the waves beneath her feet.

"Hurry, Will!" a woman's voice shouted from the deck of the Pearl.

"I've got her, Elizabeth!" Will, presumably the well-kept pirate, shouted back. He clenched Melty's hand and swung from Hook's ship back to the Pearl, where he landed next to a rather pretty woman with blonde hair. 

Another voice from the Pearl addressed the ship's crew. "They're going down! Retreat back to the Pearl and return to your stations!"

A chorus of, "Aye, Cap'n!" echoed from the deck of Hook's ship as pirates from the Pearl returned to their ship. Hook's vessel sank below the waves, its captain screaming obscenities at the Pearl.

The dust settled before long. The crew of the Pearl had returned to their stations, leaving the blond bearded pirate, Will and Elizabeth, and another pirate with black dreadlocks and suntanned skin with Melty on deck.

"Why are you doing this?" Melty asked them. "Are you going to hold me for ransom or something?"

"No," said the woman - presumably the "Elizabeth" Will had called out to earlier. "Captain Jack decided that it would be better for us to return you to your kingdom in exchange for a reward as opposed to holding you for ransom. She eyed the tanned pirate - probably Captain Jack. "But I really think he just wants to do a good thing for once."

"Ah, but therein is where you're wrong, Elizabeth," Captain Jack countered. "A pirate always looks to make a profit." He turned to Melty. "Savvy?"

Melty, confused, nodded.

"But, wait!" she suddenly interjected. "I can't go to my home yet."

"Ye can't?" the blond-bearded pirate asked. "Why not?"

"Because my older sister - who isn't crown princess, mind you - wants to hand me over to some...witch for god knows what reason, probably so she can take the throne instead of me. And I wouldn't trust Melromarc with her in charge if my life depended on it."

"Aye," said the blond-bearded pirate. "Then perhaps it's best we keep ye here for the time bein'."

"Agreed," added Will. "We can keep you safe here, your highness."

"Oh, no need for the formalities," said Melty. "This is your ship we're on, after all. I should defer to the more experienced sailors."

"Good answer, madam," Captain Jack commended.

"But, anyway, I should introduce myself officially." Melty curtsied before the pirates - something she never thought she would be doing. "I am Melty Q. Melromarc, the second princess and heiress to the throne of Melromarc."

"William Turner," replied the well-kept pirate. "And this is my wife, Elizabeth."

The blonde woman shook hands with Melty.

"Hector Barbossa, at yer service, lassie," said the blond-bearded pirate.

"Captain Jack Sparrow," said the last of them. "And as captain of this lovely vessel, Princess Melty, it is an honor to welcome you aboard the Black Pearl."

Chapter Text

"This is where you wanted to go?"

Raphtalia nodded at Aris. "Yes. This is...This is where it all happened. Idol imprisoned his Demi-Human slaves down there. He...He tortured them for his own sick pleasure."

"How do you know that?" asked Cloud.

"I was one of them."

Cloud fell silent.

"It's not too late," said Loretta. "We don't have to go down there if you don't want to."

"I do want to," Raphtalia assured her. "Like I said before, I'm not running from my past. I'm going to face it head-on."

She led the descent down into the dungeon.

The iron door of the dungeon opened with the squeal of rusted hinges. Aris nearly had to cover his ears.

Sora clenched his stomach. "Being down here...where people were tortured just because they were different..."

"I get you," said Cloud. "Makes me wanna throw up too."

Everyone followed Raphtalia inside. The only source of light was from the pale moon outside, shining through barred windows in the walls.

Chains and shackles hung from the ceiling and walls in the various cells that lined the walls. It was easy to do the proverbial math and understand the purpose this place once served.

Aris clenched a fist. To think someone would want to hurt Raphtalia...the girl he found out he loved more than anything...it made him want to do unspeakably violent things.

Raphtalia, meanwhile, remembered it all.

She remembered the torture she had to endure - and how she stayed strong through it all, refusing to give Idol the satisfaction of a pained cry.

She remembered hearing her closest friends, Rifana and Keel, screaming in utter agony as Idol whipped them for no reason other than being alive.

She remembered being sold off to someone else, being forced to leave Rifana and Keel behind.

Raphtalia stopped in place, clenching the bars of an empty cell, quivering as the memories flooded her mind.

Aris held her shoulder, reassuring her that he was there.

Reichnott's voice called out from deeper in the dungeon. "Survivors! Two of them!"

Raphtalia shot to her feet. Could it be...?

Sora unlocked the door with his Keyblade, revealing an imprisoned and sick Demi-Human girl with a petite frame. She bore the ears and tail of a timber wolf.

Raphtalia gasped. "Keel...!"

She ran inside as soon as Sora finished unlocking the door and threw her arms around Keel.

"R-Raphtalia...?" Keel said, her voice having gone hoarse. "Is...Is that really you?"

Raphtalia nodded excitedly. "Yes, it's me! I-I'm back!"

Keel smiled. "You...You kept your promise...you really did come back to save us..."

Raphtalia hugged her friend. "I could never leave you behind."

Keel looked over Raphtalia's shoulder. "Wh-Who are your friends?"

"I'm traveling with the Swordsman Shield Hero and his friends," replied Raphtalia.

Keel gasped. "Y-You mean...him?" Keel tried to free herself from her shackles, which Sora took care of with his Keyblade. "I...I heard rumors about a Shield Hero being summoned - one who could somehow use a sword. And...he's here?"

Raphtalia motioned to Aris, who gave Keel an elixir. "Drink this," he said. "It should heal your wounds."

Keel didn't hesitate to pop the cork and down the contents of the bottle, already feeling better. "Th-Thank you..."

"Keel...?" another voice rasped. "What's...going on?"

Raphtalia shot to her feet. "Rifana!"

Sora once again unlocked the cell and let Raphtalia inside to reunite with her childhood friend.

Rifana, a Demi-Human girl with platinum blonde hair and weasel features, smiled through the pain of her wounds. "I...I knew you'd come back, Raphtalia..."

"Like I said, I could never leave you behind." Aris tossed Raphtalia another elixir, which she gave to Rifana.

Rifana drank the bottle and Sora unlocked her shackles. "I...I heard something about the...the Swordsman Shield Hero."

Aris stepped forward. "...That would be me."

Rifana gasped. "Y-You're...You're really him...?"

Aris nodded.

Keel staggered out of her cell. "E-Everyone else is dead...or sold off. Rifana and I are the only ones."

"B-But I don't understand," said Raphtalia. "How did you two survive so long?"

"We kept holding on to the hope you'd come back," replied Rifana. "We stayed strong, just like you did whenever Idol tortured you."

"You were always the best of us, Raphtalia," said Keel.

With tears in her eyes, Raphtalia embraced her two friends. "I missed you so much..."

Raphtalia suddenly began to sob.

"R-Raphtalia?" Rifana looked worried.

"I...I know I was able to come back for you guys, but..." Raphtalia could barely speak through her tears. "...I...I couldn't save everyone else...I couldn't save anyone else...All I did was come back and rescue two people..."

"But you came back," said Keel. "That's what matters."

"Then why does it hurt so much!?" Raphtalia cried. "Why does it hurt so much seeing you two!? You're the only ones left! I...I couldn't save them...I tried...I tried and I failed them all..."

"Raphtalia."

Aris intervened, moving Raphtalia's head to make eye contact with her. "You did nothing wrong. Their blood is not on your hands - it's on Idol's. And he's gone now."

Raphtalia was silent.

Aris continued, "If I hadn't met you, I don't think I would have been able to bring myself out of the emotional hole I was in when Malty betrayed me. I never would be as strong as I am now without you by my side. The reason I'm the way I am now is because you were there for me back then. You helped me reunite with Loretta...and helped me meet Filo, Melty, Ness, Sora, even Cloud. I..." Aris now had tears in his eyes, too, "I don't know what I would've done without you."

"See, Raphtalia?" said Rifana. "Look how much you've grown! You went from a sick, dying slave girl to a powerful warrior - a warrior who has the honor of fighting alongside the Shield Hero himself! I...I don't know if I could've done that."

"It was you who kept your friends alive, Raphtalia," said Aris. "It was you who survived disaster and kept moving forward despite the pain of losing your parents. It was you who brought me from the darkness of my own hatred and into the light of my friends. And...it's you who I...I..."

Aris took a breath. "Who I love more than anything or anyone else in the world."

Raphtalia gasped. Did...Did he just... Her mind raced a mile a minute.

A tremor suddenly shook the ground.

"An earthquake?" Reichnott wondered aloud.

Sora shook his head. "This is no earthquake."

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED (HOSTILE)

Tyrant Dragon Rex

Species: Dragon

Habitat: Unknown

DESC: "A gargantuan, bipedal monster of the Dragon species."

"How'd this thing get here!?" Ness exclaimed.

"Someone from Idol's retinue must have summoned it, or something!" Reichnott shouted in response.

Everyone bolted out of the Tyrant's line of sight, ducking into a nearby alleyway.

"Sir, get Rifana and Keel to safety," Aris instructed. "We will distract the monster."

"I'll get them out of here," said Reichnott as Rifana and Keel stood with him.

"Raphtalia, are you sure you'll be okay?" asked a worried Rifana.

Raphtalia patted her friend's shoulder. "I'll be fine. Aris and I have fought worse."

The Tyrant's head suddenly burst through a nearby building. The beast had found them.

"How'd it know where we are!?" Sora yelled.

"Stupid dragon!" Filo charged with reckless abandon.

"Filo, come back!" Ness cried.

Filo, luckily, didn't get eaten this time. She slammed her foot into the Tyrant's jaw. The attack did almost nothing. Filo retreated.

"We have to lure it out of here," Cloud reasoned. "But how do we do that?"

"With Filo," Aris realized. "Look at her belly, and then look at the dragon's."

Both of their midsections were glowing purple.

"That crystal!" Raphtalia remembered. "From when we fought the zombie dragon! That might be why it's after Filo!"

"Which means she can lure it out of here!" Ness finished.

"Everyone, get ready!" Aris commanded.

He summoned and mounted Epona.

Raphtalia, Ness, Loretta, and Cloud mounted Filo.

Sora summoned his Keyblade Glider.

As soon as Reichnott, Rifana, and Keel were all out of sight, Aris and his party - plus Cloud, who seemed to have spontaneously joined them - all fled the town with the Tyrant Dragon Rex hot on their heels.

Filo ran across the rooftops, keeping the Tyrant's attention as everyone followed her lead. Aris pointed ahead. "Run into that forest!"

"One step ahead, papa!"

Filo jumped from a building into the dense woodlands as the dragon kept up its pursuit.

"How far are we going?" Ness hollered over the sound of the dragon's roar.

"As far away as we possibly can go!" Aris replied, raising his own voice.

The dragon burst through the town's wall and continued giving chase, bashing down trees with its strong head. It let out another earsplitting roar.

"I think I see a clearing up ahead!" shouted Loretta.

Sure enough, Filo broke through the tree line into a wide open clearing with a large lake in the center.

Aris nodded. "This area will do. Everyone, prepare for battle!"

He dismounted Epona and drew the Master Sword. Raphtalia drew her own blade. Filo got into a defensive stance as Cloud, Loretta, and Ness dismounted.

Cloud drew his massive mechanical blade, called his Fusion Sword.

Sora summoned his Keyblade.

Loretta drew her blasters.

Ness held out his hand, channeling psychic energy.

The dragon burst through the tree line not a moment too soon.

"Air Strike Shield!"

Aris's green shield apparition appeared right in front of him, halting the dragon's charge.

The beast, however, broke right through with relative ease. Everyone jumped away from its gaping maw, avoiding a bite that surely would have killed them.

Filo delivered a powerful talon strike to the Tyrant's underbelly. Sora held out his Keyblade. "Thunder!"

A storm cloud appeared above the monster's head, riddling it with lightning bolts. 

"PK Flash!"

The dragon was temporarily blinded and stunned by a burst of psychic energy.

Cloud and Raphtalia charged with their swords. Neither blade could cut through the dragon's flesh, glancing off the beast's leg with two loud clangs of metal on metal.

Loretta peppered one of the dragon's eyes with blaster beams, which did absolutely nothing.

"We're not hurting it!" Ness cried.

And we only have so much stamina, Aris realized. That means...I'll have to call upon the Fierce Deity.

Before he could act on his thoughts, however, a voice in his mind - not his own voice - stopped him.

Don't.

A form of mist suddenly swirled across the clearing.

"Magic mist..." Raphtalia realized.

"You mean we're trapped here?" asked Sora.

Raphtalia's ears suddenly perked up. "Wait, I hear footsteps! And lots of them, too!"

A large flock of familiar birds burst from the tree line, encircling the dragon.

"Chocobos!?" Cloud exclaimed.

"Filolials!" Ness corrected.

Aris gritted his teeth, attempting to once again call upon the Fierce Deity.

Don't do it.

The voice intruded his mind again.

"Who's there!? Who are you!?" Aris demanded. "Where are you!?"

A giant figure suddenly leaped out of the lake. Aris looked up.

The shadow of a massive white Filolial loomed over him.

"So cool...!" Filo breathed.

The giant Filolial landed in front of the Tyrant Dragon Rex, ready to face it down. She turned to Aris and his party. "Wait there."

Her massive voice echoed through the clearing.

She turned back to the dragon. "Your body seemed to have an adverse reaction to the fragment of the Dragon Emperor and grew beyond control," she reasoned, as if speaking to the beast. "If you relinquish the fragment now, I will allow you to keep your life if you remove yourself from this place immediately afterward."

The Tyrant roared, as if telling her no.

The giant Filolial sighed. "So be it, then."

She dragged one foot across the ground. As soon as the dragon was just about to reach her, she brought her foot up with extreme speed, as if hitting the dragon with an uppercut. 

The monster staggered back, still landing on its feet. It roared again. Its maw gave way to a jet of orange flame, which hurtled toward the giant Filolial.

With a sweep of her wing, she summoned a barrier to protect her.

"I will end this."

The giant Filolial seemed to disappear with her immense speed, reappearing behind the dragon as its body erupted with blood. The Tyrant let out a roar of agony. It fell on its side, landing in the shallows of the lake.

The giant Filolial reached into its corpse, pulling out a large purple crystal and pocketing it within her feathers.

She turned to Aris, her large pink eyes gazing down at him. "You are the Swordsman Shield Hero, I take it?"

Aris nodded.

"There are many things I wish to discuss with you," said the giant Filolial, "as well as your Filolial companion. But I'm afraid my current form is not suitable for this. One moment, please."

Blue light engulfed the giant Filolial's body, which began to shrink and take a humanoid shape. Her human form was somewhat similar to Filo's. She now had short white hair and a flowing gown.

"Allow me to introduce myself," she said, her voice no longer pronounced enough to echo through the clearing. "I am Fitoria, the queen of the Filolials."

"Whoa!" Filo seemed excited. "Papa, do you think I'll be as big as her one day?"

"I doubt I could properly take care of you if you were that big." Aris chuckled, patting Filo on the head.

"Growing to such a size would take twelve times the lifespan of a normal Filolial," explained Fitoria.

"So, that's how long you've been alive?" asked Sora.

Fitoria nodded.

"Well," she said. "I've introduced myself, so I believe it's your turn. Please, tell me your names."

Aris went first. "I am Aris Harkinian Atreides, the Swordsman Shield Hero."

"And I'm his sister, Loretta Nohansen Atreides."

"Cloud Strife."

"I'm Sora!"

"Name's Ness Itoi."

"I'm Raphtalia. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," said Fitoria.

"And I'm Filo!" sang Filo.

"With that taken care of," said Aris, "Fitoria, thank you for eliminating that monster. But, what do you want with us?"

"It's a long story, and I'm afraid this place isn't suitable for that," said Fitoria. "I will take you to my sanctuary and explain there."

Her flock of Filolials moved aside to reveal a beautiful carriage.

Raphtalia got out of Fitoria's carriage in shock. "What just happened?"

"Some kind of instant travel mechanism, it looked like," Cloud remarked.

"These ruins..." Aris breathed. "Imagine the history behind all of them."

"These ruins are said to be what remains of the original civilization the Cardinal Heroes once protected," Fitoria explained. "At least...that's what I've been told. These ruins have been like this since before I was born. But it is now my job to watch over them. Normally, I'm not supposed to bring people here. But I decided now would be a good time to...ignore such statutes."

"Which means we'll be safe here for now," Ness reasoned.

A low growl resounded in the area. Aris drew the Master Sword.

"Sorry, papa," Filo moaned. "That was my tummy."

"In that case, I'll prepare dinner," said Aris.

He immediately got to work starting a fire and setting up a cooking pot before making enough food to serve everyone. The soup he prepared was a healthy medley of meat and vegetables, with some spices mixed in for added flavor.

He passed bowls out to everyone present before serving them their soup.

Everyone began digging in without hesitation.

Fitoria swallowed a hearty bite of soup. "Your cooking is perhaps the best I've ever tasted. But, then again...that isn't really saying much, since I don't eat hot meals very often."

"You don't?" said Filo. "That's not good. Papa, we should visit here more often so Fitoria can enjoy more of your food!"

"I think that might be a good idea," Aris agreed, "but only if Fitoria is alright with it."

"As much as I would appreciate visits," said Fitoria, "you all have your duties to focus on."

"Right."

Everyone continued eating.

The Filolial flock, meanwhile, looked on in what looked like jealousy.

Fitoria chuckled. "It seems my retinue wishes to try some, as well."

"I would make some more for them," said Aris, "but I'm afraid I don't have enough ingredients. And my pot is much too small."

"That can be fixed," said Fitoria. She turned to her Filolials. "Everyone, bring the Swordsman Shield Hero your best ingredients and the biggest pots you have!"

The Filolials rushed off to meet the demands of their queen, eventually returning with several large pots and a myriad of ingredients for Aris.

The Hylian immediately got cooking, serving meat and vegetable soup to every Filolial just as he had every person.

Once everyone had finished eating, Aris had stepped away from the group to gather his thoughts. Fitoria approached him.

Aris turned to her. "Do the Filolials want seconds?"

Fitoria shook her head. "I would love to have more of your cooking, but I'm full right now, and...there is something I must discuss with you. Come with me."

Fitoria walked through her sanctuary as Aris followed behind.

"That monster you were battling when I arrived," said Fitoria. "How did it come to be released from its seal?"

"I thought you knew how, since you came to our rescue," Aris replied.

"I was there because I had been told that a new candidate to be my successor had been found," Fitoria explained.

"You...mean Filo?"

"Yes." Fitoria nodded.

"While we're on the subject of Filo," said Aris, "may I ask something about her?"

"Go ahead."

"She's been growing in a way very different from any other Filolial," Aris told her. "Why is that?"

"She's like me," replied Fitoria, "in that she is being raised by a Cardinal Hero. "But, anyway, why was that monster released from its seal?"

Aris filled her in on the happenings at Idol Rabier's mansion - as well as some other details such as his quarrel with the other Heroes and his status as Melromarc's public enemy number one.

Fitoria looked angry.

"You're...mad?"

"Of course I am," said Fitoria. "The Cardinal Heroes can't be squabbling amongst themselves. Especially not when the next Wave approaches. And Princess Melty being kidnapped by pirates? I won't have it."

"Melty's kidnapping wasn't our fault," Aris pointed out.

"I know that."

"And the other three Heroes were the ones to start this feud, not me."

"That doesn't change the fact that the Shield Hero has always been shunned by human supremacist countries," Fitoria pointed out.

"And that's why we're trying to cross the border," said Aris. Before he could say any more, Fitoria cut him off.

"That won't solve a thing," said Fitoria. "You must work things out with the Cardinal Heroes." She stopped and turned to look at Aris. "Humans and Demi-Humans may be against each other, but the Heroes mustn't be under any circumstances."

Aris followed her to the end of the path on which they walked. Fitoria stopped and sat down, beginning to stack some stones on top of each other. "You know about the Hourglass, don't you?" she said. "All four Heroes certainly should by now."

"We know about it, yes," said Aris.

"Then why are you only fighting the Waves in Melromarc instead of across the world?"

Aris's eyes widened. "Wait a second, what!?"

"The Waves happen everywhere," Fitoria explained. "The four Heroes are meant to go to one country each whenever a Wave arrives."

"I wasn't informed of this."

Fitoria continued, "I have been traveling the world in your stead whenever I am needed, but the four of you aren't helping anywhere else."

"In my defense," said Aris, "I didn't know other countries had their own Hourglasses until fairly recently."

"Honestly?" Fitoria stacked another stone. "The affairs of humanity don't concern me. I only fight the Waves on behalf of the Heroes because the one who raised me asked me to do so."

"Was it a request?" asked Aris. "Or an order?"

"My job is to protect the world and keep people safe," said Fitoria. "But I cannot do it alone. This is why the Cardinal Heroes are needed."

"You seem more capable than all four of us combined," Aris pointed out. 

"That is true for now," said Fitoria. "But...eventually..." Her stack of stones finally fell, "...I won't be able to do enough."

"Which is why you need the assistance of the Heroes," Aris reasoned.

"In any case, a different subject," said Fitoria. "Filo. She is my current choice for who will be my successor as Filolial Queen."

"Which means...?"

"Tomorrow, at dawn, I will give her a trial," Fitoria explained. "If she passes, she will earn her place as my successor."

"What does this trial entail?" asked Aris.

"I cannot tell you," said Fitoria. "Filo must find out for herself."

"Is this the place?" asked Itsuki.

"Looks like it," replied Ren.

Their mages stepped forward, holding out their hands and casting a spell to open a magic door. The door gave way to reveal a staircase descending underground.

"That confirms it," said Ituski. "The Three Heroes Church is definitely hiding something."

Ren sighed, looking at the Rosary in his hand. "He was right. There is something fishy going on here."

The Sword and Bow Heroes descended the staircase into a dimly lit room.

"It's...some kind of archive," Itsuki reasoned. "Look at all these books."

What they failed to notice was a figure in a dark robe and turban, standing around a nearby corner, chuckling to himself.

"Oh, you meddling fools," he quietly crooned. "You've fallen right into my trap."

Chapter Text

Aris and his party were peacefully enjoying their breakfast the next morning.

Well, it was mostly peaceful.

Aris himself had a lot on his mind. Filo must undertake a trial to become the next Filolial Queen? But...why her? I know she's very different from other Filolials, but why Filo specifically? Surely there are other Filolials that are different the same way she is.

Fitoria stood off to the side, watching the party eat with attentive eyes. She looked as though she was waiting - waiting for them to finish eating, likely.

Sure enough, the moment Raphtalia took her last bite, Fitoria approached Filo. "Come with me. It is time."

"Huh?" Filo got up and followed. "Time for what?"

Fitoria said nothing as she led Filo into a clearing within the Sanctuary. "Your trial," she said. "Filo - I have chosen you to be my successor - the next Filolial Queen."

"Wait, really?" Filo seemed excited.

"However!" Fitoria's interjection dashed Filo's excitement expeditiously. "This act is not done frivolously. In simpler terms, Filo - you must pass a test. A test I will give you, and a test to determine if you are worthy to succeed me when I pass on."

"What kind of test is it?" asked Filo.

Fitoria did not answer with words - not immediately. She held her hands out and cast a spell, creating a dome of magical energy around herself and Filo. "A trial by combat," she said. "If you best me, your trial is over, and you pass. But in the event that I am victorious, you will fail."

"Alright, then, bring it on!" Filo said confidently. "I've fought a lot alongside my friends!"

"But they may not help you here," Fitoria chided. "This is your trial, not theirs."

"No worries!" said Filo. "I can still win alone!"

Fitoria huffed. "We shall see."

Filo leaped into the air, raising a foot for a landing axe kick.

Fitoria dodged easily. "Too slow."

With telekinetic magic, Filo was sent flying into the top of the dome. Her wings spread, keeping her aloft.

She looked down. Fitoria had disappeared.

Filo yelped as an arm struck her back, sending her plummeting to the ground below. Fitoria had teleported behind her.

Filo landed on the ground with a grunt of pain. She got to her feet, shrugging it off. "Time to use a move Sora taught me." She held out her hands. "Aeroga!"

A massive tornado blasted from Filo's outstretched hands and hurtled toward Fitoria.

Fitoria nonchalantly cast a counter-spell, causing the whipping whirlwind to peter out.

Fitoria charged with a punch. Filo blocked with her forearms, but still went flying.

The two powerful Filolials exchanged blow after blow. Filo was able to land a few hits, but they did virtually nothing to stop Fitoria's relentless assault.

"Filo." Fitoria said firmly. "What do you fight for?"

"I thought you knew," said Filo. "I'm fighting for my friends!"

She charged, throwing a punch. Fitoria dodged.

"You failed to defeat the dragon last night, and you're failing to beat me now," Fitoria rebuked. "How do you expect to be of any use to them?"

Filo gritted her teeth. "Shut up! I'll beat you like Papa beats the eggs he cooks in the morning!"

"Not with such shallow willpower as yours!"

Fitoria knocked Filo down with ease.

Filo staggered to her feet. "You haven't won yet. I'm going to get so much stronger than I've ever been. For them...for my friends."

"It's always about those friends, isn't it?"

Filo growled. "At least I have some!"

She managed to land a strong punch. Fitoria was not phased.

"Sora told me this once. And I'll tell you now!" Filo yelled. "My friends are my power, and I'm theirs!"

Fitoria gave Filo a deadpanned look. "Are you?"

The Filolial Queen's body began to glow. She was absorbing the mana in the air around her.

"Filo!" Aris called out. "Stay calm and watch out for her attacks! You can do this!"

"We know you can!" Sora added. "You're our power, Filo! And we're yours!"

Filo clenched a shaking fist, tears in her baby blue eyes. "I won't let you down!"

Magic of her own began engulfing her body, strengthening her.

Fitoria sighed. "You're still too slow."

"Maybe," said Filo, "but I'm stronger than you'll ever hope to be!"

She leaped into the air as Fitoria cast a barrier spell.

Filo lifted a hand. "Spiral...Strike!!!"

Ethereal claws extended from her outstretched fingers, tearing through Fitoria's shield like a rock through glass.

Filo somersaulted forward, nailing Fitoria's cranium with an axe kick.

Fitoria went down as Filo landed.

"I won't lose..." Filo said tearfully as Fitoria got up in front of her. "I'll grow stronger...for them...for my friends..."

She staggered to her feet and limped toward Fitoria. Filo raised a hand, punching Fitoria with barely any force - if any at all.

"We've done enough Filo," said Fitoria.

The magical field around them dispersed.

"I...I failed...didn't I?"

Fitoria shook her head. "No, Filo. You passed with flying colors."

"Filo!"

Ness ran over, his backpack jostling behind him as he dropped to his knees in front of Filo and threw his arms around his friend. "Filo, you did it!"

"Y-Yeah..." Filo strained. "I...I did..."

"You did," Fitoria affirmed. "And I'm quite glad that this is the case."

"Does that mean...I'll be the next Queen?"

Fitoria nodded. "Actually, unrelated question," she said. "While we were fighting, I...noticed something. You seemed to have a particular person on your mind whenever you mentioned your friends. Who was it?"

Filo hesitated. "Papa..." she said, "should I tell her what happened to..."

Aris nodded, knowing who Filo was about to refer to.

"Okay." Filo turned back to Fitoria. "I...I have a lot of friends, and we've all been traveling together. But...we're one person short."

"What do you mean?"

"My best friend...a girl named Melty," said Filo. "She's...missing."

"What happened to her?"

"She..." Filo didn't seem to want to go on. "P-Papa, can you take over? I don't know if I can talk about this..."

"I understand, Filo," Aris reassured her, patting her head. He turned to Fitoria. "Melty was...kidnapped by pirates. Well, first she was kidnapped by a pompous snob of a nobleman named Idol Rabier, whose servants summoned the dragon you saved us from last night. But...before we could rescue Melty from Idol, Idol handed her over to pirates. A man by the name of...Captain Hook."

Fitoria sighed. "I assumed as much."

"Wait..." Filo gasped. "You knew?"

Fitoria nodded. "Yes. One of my abilities is a degree of clairvoyance. I used it to understand who it was you were remembering as we fought."

"C-Can you tell me where Melty is?"

"She is still with pirates," said Fitoria, "but...not the pirates you mentioned. From that, I would assume a different group of pirates must have engaged this 'Captain Hook' and his crew in a maritime battle and taken Melty with them in the process."

"Is she safe?" Filo asked, worried.

"Yes," replied Fitoria. "She is quite safe. And...happy."

"Happy?" Aris looked skeptical. "How could she be happy when she's being held hostage by pirates?"

"You will find out if and when you reunite with her," said Fitoria. "For now, however..."

Fitoria raised her palm. In a flash of light, an ornate tiara appeared.

Filo's eyes sparkled. "What's that?"

"This is your reward," said Fitoria.

Somehow understanding what to do, Filo knelt before her Queen.

Fitoria placed the tiara on Filo's head. "Filo. As Filolial Queen, I hereby crown you, by the power vested within me, as my successor. Rise...Filolial Princess."

The Filolials in the area let out a loud cry of joy.

Filo rose to her feet as instructed.

Ness couldn't contain his excitement. "This is amazing! Now I'm friends with two princesses!"

Suddenly, the tiara on Filo's head disappeared. A strange blonde cowlick appeared in its place. Somehow, however, it seemed as though it had always been there.

"A cowlick?" Loretta chuckled. "That's the symbol of Filolial royalty?"

"I mean, Fitoria has three of them," Cloud pointed out.

"Indeed," said Fitoria. "They are sort of a measurement of longevity for Filolial royalty. As Filo grows older and stronger, she will gain more."

Filo pouted. "Does that mean I'm gonna look like you?"

She clearly was not fond of this cowlick she had.

Aris felt a ripple in his Soul Energy. He checked Filo's status.

Her attributes had all skyrocketed. The cowlick seemed to have given her some kind of stat bonus.

"Swordsman Shield Hero." Fitoria turned to Aris. "I have something for you, as well."

Aris waved his hands. "I...really wouldn't like a cowlick."

"Not that," Fitoria chuckled. "Hold out your right arm for me."

Aris complied.

Fitoria raised a hand to her scalp and pulled out one of her cowlicks, which was miraculously replaced by a new one. She dropped the cowlick she had removed into Aris's arm, causing it to disappear in a flash of green.

A notification popped up on his status display: Shields were force unlocked.

He checked his shields. Though he was not yet at a sufficient level to use them, Fitoria's cowlick had granted him access to the entire Filolial Series of shields.

"Well, with all of that taken care of," said Fitoria, "I believe some merriment is in order."

"What did you have in mind?" asked Sora.

"You all seem like you've, to put it in layman's terms, seen a thing or two," said Fitoria. "In other words, you seem like you would have some stories to tell."

"Ooh, I know one!" Sora chimed in. "Cloud! Tell us about that time you had to dress in drag!"

Cloud sighed, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "No, Sora, I am not telling that story again. You've already heard it."

"But we haven't," Raphtalia pointed out. "And this is something that we just have to know about."

"Yeah, come on, Cloud!" Ness chided. "I'm sure you'd look good in a dress!"

Cloud sighed. "There's no way I'm talking you guys out of this, is there?"

"I believe not," said Fitoria. "I'm quite intrigued myself."

The mercenary slapped a palm to his forehead. "Fine..."

"So, you had to rescue her from a brothel?" asked Aris.

Cloud nodded.

Raphtalia winced. "Eugh."

"Yeah, agreed," Cloud remarked. "Don Corneo is the most depraved bastard I've ever met. Tifa happened to be in there because she was trying to get information out of him. My friend Aerith and I were worried about Tifa, so...we went in and rescued her."

"And that's when you had to disguise yourself as a woman, I presume," said Fitoria.

Cloud sighed. "Yep. And the odd part is...it worked. Too well, even. See, Don Corneo was hosting an...audition that day. An audition to see who he would pick as his next...companion."

Loretta gritted her teeth. "I just want to find this Don Corneo character and blast his head open."

"Can't say I blame you," Cloud remarked. "But, anyway...he ended up picking me. Meanwhile, Tifa and Aerith wiped the floor with his goons outside. Wish I could've seen that part."

"Well, from what Tifa told me, it was probably amazing," Sora mused.

"Continuing on," said Cloud. "After Tifa and Aerith finished up with the goons, we questioned Corneo. He had his men slinking through the slums looking for us - or, specifically, our group - Avalanche. But the reason why...that's a story for another time."

"Aw," Sora said, disappointed, "I wanted to hear more."

"I'll tell you the rest later."

"Wait, hold on, I just remembered something!" Sora interjected. "Cloud, you...you still have the dress, don't you?"

Cloud's entire face was red. "I do not."

"Yes you do," Sora prodded. "You told me you keep it on you in case you...need a disguise."

Cloud sighed, bringing a hand to his forehead. "Alright, yes, I still have the damn thing."

"Well, now you've gotta show us what you look like wearing it!" Ness chimed in.

"I am not doing that."

"Do it!" Sora cheered.

Everyone was looking at Cloud expectantly.

Cloud got up. "Alright, fine. But only this once."

He disappeared behind a tree to change.

Before long, he appeared.

Everyone burst out laughing. Even the stoic Fitoria let out a chuckle.

"My, my, who is that beautiful lady?" Loretta quipped.

"Is this a good time for that talk?" Aris asked as he approached Fitoria late that night.

"It will do," said Fitoria. "Now...did you ever really try to make up with the other three Heroes?"

Aris realized her point. She was correct. "No. I didn't. But I've tried to clear my name so many times. Then again...why should I bother continuing to try? They have the entire country wrapped around their finger."

"If you don't tell them they're wrong," said Fitoria, "they'll see it as an admission of your guilt."

"Maybe." Aris sat down next to Fitoria.

"When I bring you out of the Sanctuary tomorrow morning," said Fitoria, "I will leave you near one of the other three Heroes. I expect you to take the opportunity to talk to him."

"You're not going to come with us?"

Fitoria shook her head. "I won't involve myself any further. Not until the four of you can show me you are worthy of it."

"The other Heroes aren't just going to suddenly become my best friends, you know." Aris sighed. "But I'm going to try my best."

"If even one Cardinal Hero is missing," Fitoria explained, "fighting a Wave becomes impossible. In that case...it would unfortunately be better for all four Heroes to die in order to make room for new ones - ones that are more willing to cooperate with one another."

"So, what you're saying is...if I'm unable to work things out with the other Heroes...all four of us will be killed?"

"Yes." Fitoria nodded. "By me. I...It would pain me greatly to have to do such a thing."

She met Aris's gaze with serious eyes. "I cannot say how many Waves will have passed when it happens, but there will come a time when destiny will demand great sacrifices from all of us. There will be a battle in which the Heroes must choose what they fight for: the world, or its people. I dread this moment. If...you choose to fight for the world, many will die. But the Heroes will be able to fulfill their duties."

"And if we fight for the people?"

"Such will be a hard path to take," said Fitoria.

"How do you know so much about this?" asked Aris.

Fitoria looked down. "I don't know. There are many things I forget - more than I know. But...I do recall that saving the world and saving its people are far from the same thing. The Heroes who came before you hoped that their successors would fight for the latter."

"I'm not quite sure I understand," said Aris, "but I suppose it makes sense, especially coming from heroes."

"You aren't ready to make that choice - not yet," said Fitoria. "Such a decision comes with many hurdles, none of which can be conquered alone."

"Fitoria," Aris inquired, "why did you come to me with this? Would it not be easier to convince one of the other Heroes to forgive me?"

Fitoria sat down next to Aris. "I...suppose I consider you to be a Hero of higher worth than the other three."

"Why is that?"

"You raised Filo," said Fitoria. "And it's clear to me that you treat her with such love that she considers you a father. Surely someone like that can't be all bad."

"You do have a point there."

"In any case," continued Fitoria, "I believe you're up to the challenge of convincing the other Heroes of your innocence. But, if not...all of you are far too weak. Even if I'm not the one to do it, you will all be killed eventually if my fears come to fruition."

"If my future battles are so arduous," said Aris, "I...may have to grow more accustomed to my Fierce Deity form."

"I advise against it," Fitoria cautioned. "But if you truly think it necessary, I will not stop you. Still...the more the Fierce Deity awakens within you, the more it corrupts your mind, drawing you closer and closer to the darkness. The ancient god whose likeness is embodied by the Fierce Deity may have been a hero, but he too fell to the shadows because of his own power."

"I'll try to use it as sparingly as possible."

"Good."

Aris turned to Fitoria. "You know...after all that talk about putting me to death...you're a very kind person Fitoria. Thank you. For everything." He smiled.

Fitoria's eyes widened. That smile was familiar to her.

Just like...him... she thought. Just like the hero...the man I considered a father. I...I haven't felt like this in a long time. Is...Is this what Filo feels...? This sense of...comfort...?

Without thinking, Fitoria lowered her head into Aris's lap.

Aris gasped. "Wh-Wha..."

"Please..." Fitoria whispered. "Let me do this...just for a moment..."

"Fitoria..." Aris realized something. "Y-You were raised by a Shield Hero, weren't you?"

"I can't remember," said Fitoria.

Aris began stroking her hair. "Deep down...you really are just like Filo."

Fitoria smiled, her eyes closing.

But, if there's one thing I remember, she thought. It's the gentle touch of a kind soul.

Chapter Text

"Thanks again for the new wagon, Fitoria," said Raphtalia. "Filo really seems to enjoy it."

Filo was running around the wagon, inspecting every inch and gushing about how excited she was to be able to get to work again.

"So, Fitoria," said Aris. "To confirm...there is another Hero close by, right?"

Fitoria nodded. "He's not far at all. You should be able to get to him in under an hour."

"Alright," said Aris. "Then...I suppose we'll be setting off."

"Very well. Take care."

Aris summoned and mounted Epona, Sora boarded his Keyblade Glider, and everyone else loaded into Filo's wagon with Raphtalia in the driver's seat.

"If we get past that wall," Raphtalia pointed to a distant border checkpoint lined with dozens of guards, "we'll be on the other side of the border."

"Are there any other routes we could take?" asked Cloud.

After some analysis of her map, Raphtalia spoke up. "We could take a detour, but that would cost us several more days on the road."

"Fitoria said there was another Hero nearby," Ness pointed out. "Maybe we should take that detour anyway."

"Brother?" asked Loretta. "What do you make of this?"

Aris pondered for a long moment.

"We head directly to the checkpoint," he finally said. "If it's Itsuki or Ren, we may be able to convince them to let us pass."

Raphtalia seemed hesitant. "...Okay!"

"But what if that doesn't work?" asked Filo.

"Then we'll have to force our way through, sadly."

Alert horns sounded from the fortress near the checkpoint as Aris and his party approached.

Filo narrowed her eyes angrily as she looked ahead. "Papa..."

"Yes, Filo?"

"It's the spear guy again."

Aris gritted his teeth. "Of course it had to be him, of all people."

"What now?" asked Sora.

"We've come too far to turn back now," said Aris. "We have no choice but to keep moving."

Filo stopped the wagon several meters from Motoyasu, who stood with his party behind him. The party stepped off the wagon, Sora dismounted his Keyblade Glider, and Aris dismissed Epona. He stepped toward the Spear Hero. "Motoyasu, I want to speak with you. We don't wish for a fight. All we ask is that you let us pass."

Motoyasu's head lowered. "Let you through..? Is that it..?" His head raised, revealing a furious expression. "Is that all you have to say for yourself, traitor!?"

He thrust his spear forward. Aris called his shield to block. "Can you at least hear me out before you try to get my head onto the end of your spear!?"

"I'm not listening to a guy who brainwashed innocent people into basically worshipping him," Motoyasu said firmly. "So don't even think about trying to talk your way out of this!"

He unleashed a lightning-imbued thrust, sending Aris sliding back a few feet.

"Motoyasu, I don't want to fight!" Aris exclaimed. "I never did! Yes, I dislike you, but I don't want to fight!"

Motoyasu ignored him. "I think I know why I was summoned here now. Something tells me it was specifically so I could stop you."

He reared his weapon. "Meteor Thrust!" A searing beam of blue energy shot toward Aris, who cast Air Strike Shield to block it. He barely succeeded in doing so.

The dust cloud cleared, revealing Aris and his party, all still standing.

"Still on your feet?" Motoyasu grunted. "Stubborn. I'll give you that much."

Filo clenched her jaw. "Lemme at him already!"

"If he's acting like this, nothing's gonna get through to him," Cloud pointed out.

The mercenary was right, Aris realized.

"Motoyasu, why are you so mad at me?" Aris asked. "I know you don't like me, but this is out of character, even for you. It wouldn't happen to be because I fled after our last battle, would it?"

Motoyasu's grip tightened on his spear. "Are you really that cruel..? Were Ren and Itsuki so insignificant to you that you just forgot about what you did to them!? People call you a demon, and now I finally understand why. You told us the Heroes should all work together, and yet you tricked us! You...bastard!" He raised his weapon. "You'll pay for what you did!"

Aris blocked again. "What do you even think I did!?"

"You of all people would know!"

Motoyasu lunged, sending his spear right at Aris's head. The Hylian barely dodged to the side, feeling a small chunk of his left ear rip at the feeling of the spear. He cried out, feeling the blood drip onto his clothes.

He finally drew the Master Sword.

Motoyasu gritted his teeth. "You're going to pay..." he seethed. "You'll pay for what you did to them, you murderer!"

"Murderer!?" Aris shouted. "What do you mean? Who was killed?"

"Don't you play dumb with me, you know exactly what you fucking did!"

Aris sent Motoyasu back with a kick.

"How can you stand there and pretend you don't understand why I'm so pissed off!?" the Spear Hero exclaimed.

"Wait...were the Bow and Sword Heroes killed!?" Sora suddenly realized aloud.

"And where's Melty!?" Motoyasu shouted over Sora. "You killed her too, didn't you!?"

"She was kidnapped by pirates!" Aris shot back. "The situation wasn't under my control, I was trying to keep her safe!"

"Liar!" Motoyasu roared.

"Listen!" Aris boomed. "Why do you think I'd want to kill Ren or Itsuki? What would I have to gain from that?"

"What do you mean!?"

"Answer me this, Motoyasu," said Aris. "Did you see their corpses with your own two eyes?"

Motoyasu fell silent.

"Your stunned silence is very reassuring," Aris deadpanned. "I'm going to assume you didn't."

"I think a representative of the church is a reliable source," one of Motoyasu's party members - a woman with a fairly revealing outfit and a long pink braid - butted in. "They said the Devil of Hyrule summoned a monster in the center of Idol Rabier's hometown, then used the ensuing devastation as a distraction to murder Itsuki and Ren behind closed doors."

"That's ridiculous!" Cloud shouted. "He was killing the thing, I saw it! I even helped fight it off!"

"Don't let this devil or his followers sway you with their words, sir," the woman said to Motoyasu.

"He can't fool me, Lesty," Motoyasu assured her. "But enough talking. Lesty, if you would?"

Lesty nodded, conjuring a spell and lifting her hands.

Lighting burst from her fingertips, encircling both parties in a cage of crackling electricity.

"Brings a new meaning to the Thunderdome," Ness quipped to himself.

"Calm down and think things through!" Aris shouted at Motoyasu. "Are you seriously believing all the lies they feed you!?"

"No need to worry about that," said Motoyasu. "I trust my friends enough to be able to believe them."

Aris quickly checked his status display and analyzed Motoyasu.

His level is leagues higher than mine, he realized. The workings of a Class Upgrade, no doubt.

Lesty lifted her hands again. "Zweit Fire Squall!"

A torrential downpour of fireballs barreled toward Aris and his party.

Sora raised his Keyblade. "Water!"

A blast of water snuffed out the flames.

Filo charged at Motoyasu, whose spear ended up in the clutches of her talons. Another of Motoyasu's party members, a young mage, fired a Zweit Air Shot at the Filolial, who dodged by shifting to her human form.

Motoyasu was able to launch Filo away.

"PSI Shield!" Ness leaped into the air where Filo was hurtling, summoning a psychic barrier for her to push off with her legs. Filo did so, summoning her energy claws and slashing at Motoyasu.

Motoyasu gritted his teeth. "Forgive me for this, Filo."

He charged toward her.

Cloud intervened, sending Motoyasu flying back with a powerful swing of his Fusion Sword.

Motoyasu lifted his spear. "Guys, now!"

Lesty and the mage lifted their hands.

"Zweit Fire Shot!"

"Zweit Air Shot!"

Jets of flame and wind engulfed the head of Motoyasu's spear.

"Harnessing the power of fire, wind, and spear..." said Motoyasu. "Behold! Air Burst Flare Lance!"

"Guard!" Sora cast Reflega and blocked an incoming jet of fire and wind.

"Two can play this game, Motoyasu!" Aris shouted. He turned back to his party and lifted the Master Sword. "Everyone, hit me with as many energy-based attacks as you have!"

Sora shot a beam of light from his Keyblade.

"Blade Beam!" Cloud sent out an arch of energy into the Master Sword.

"PK Rockin'!" Ness shot out waves of psychic energy.

Loretta smirked, firing a salvo of lasers.

The Master Sword gleamed with great power.

"Wait."

Raphtalia stepped toward Aris.

Aris held his sword out to her.

The Demi-Human grasped the holy blade's hilt alongside Aris, channeling her light magic.

She heard a voice in her mind. By your power, warrior, said the voice from the sword, we shall win this battle.

The Master Sword roared with light.

Aris raised skyward the Blade of Evil's Bane. Divine light bathed the sacred weapon.

"My turn..." he said. "Ultimate Skyward Strike!"

With a great swing of the Master Sword, a myriad of energies consolidated into a single projectile, hurtling toward Motoyasu.

The Spear Hero blocked, but it wasn't enough to stop him from taking a great deal of damage.

Motoyasu's jaw clenched. "You think some fancy light show's gonna be enough!?" he roared.

"Try telling that to your halved HP, buddy!" Ness jeered.

Cloud's body suddenly gleamed with blue energy. "My turn."

"Get 'em!" Sora cheered.

Cloud charged with blinding speed, knocking Motoyasu and his entire party into the air.

"Limits are meant to be broken! Omnislash: Version Five!"

The Fusion Sword split into its many smaller blades, leaving the main one in Cloud's hand.

The mercenary darted from one sword to another, collecting them as he slashed at Motoyasu's party.

The blades came together for one final attack. Cloud sent his opponents to the ground like God banishing Lucifer.

"Dammit..." Motoyasu strained. "How are you so strong? None of you have even upgraded your class! What have you been doing all this time!?"

"Cleaning up your damned messes," Aris replied. "And acquiring newfound strength and comrades along the way."

Motoyasu barely staggered to his feet. "You honestly expect me to believe that?"

"It doesn't matter to me," said Aris. "I know it's the truth. I don't care if you don't."

"We do what we have to do," said Loretta, "no matter how trivial it may seem. From opening a temporary soup kitchen for the needy to stopping an epidemic."

"That's why you lost to us," Sora added. "Look, I'd do anything for my friends, and I love that you'd do anything for yours. But people who lie to you over and over again aren't your friends. Friends are supposed to be a source of companionship, not blind trust."

Ness suddenly looked around. "Guys? Something's...off."

"She's right," Raphtalia noticed. "All those soldiers that were here before...they're gone."

Filo suddenly leaped into action, shifting into her Filolial form and kicking Motoyasu's downed party members closer to where everyone else was, as if playing golf with multiple balls.

"Filo, what are you doing?" asked Aris.

"No time!" she replied. "Papa, bring out all the shields you can, quick! If you don't, we're all done for!"

"Shield Prison!"

A massive Shield Prison engulfed everyone present.

"More! We need more!" said Filo. "Up above! Quick!"

"Air Strike Shield! Second Shield!"

Sora and Ness chimed in.

"Guard!"

"PSI Shield!"

"It's coming!" Filo cried.

From high above in the sky, a massive beam of yellow light crashed down on the shielded people. Screaming filled the air as everyone held each other close. Raphtalia and Loretta clung to each other, as did Filo and Ness, and Sora and Cloud. .

The beam lit up the inside of the Shield Prison like the sun as it broke through each barrier, one by one.

Aris raised his shield, screaming with effort as he blocked the beam when it burst through the Shield Prison.

At last, the light died down. The beam had stopped.

Everyone looked around.

They now stood in a deep crater with small streams of molten rock flowing around them. Other than that and a newly destroyed border wall, their surroundings were the same. The beam had been hot enough to melt through the very earth beneath them.

"Is...hah..." Aris panted, "...is everyone alright?"

"We're fine," Ness replied.

"What was that?" Motoyasu wondered aloud. "Lesty, any ideas?"

"Yes, but...it can't be..."

Silence ensued.

A sound suddenly echoed in the crater: distant applause.

"Remarkable," crooned an old voice. "Truly remarkable. You just took Judgement head-on and you still live. It's an exceedingly powerful group ritual that none have survived before you. I would expect nothing less from the Swordsman Shield Hero himself."

"It's the freaking Pope!? From the church!?" Raphtalia yelled.

"Indeed, and I am glad that you remember me," replied the Pope. "But, if you are aware of me, I am sure you are aware of your many...sins, as well."

"Sins? I mean...we all do wrong sometimes," Aris agreed.

"True, but my God bestowed holy water upon you, and you did not thank Him for this gift," said the Pope.

"Wait a second..." Motoyasu realized. "If I've done my research right, simply not saying thanks for some holy water isn't a sin. At least not in the doctrine of the church.

"Ah, but you did not read the entire doctrine," said the Pope. "Either way, I shall purify you in the name of God. Your transgressions shall plague this land no more!"

"Hang on..." Sora squinted. "He's hypnotized."

"What? How?" Lesty questioned.

"And by whom?" asked Aris.

Sora narrowed his eyes. "I know who."

As if on cue, the butt end of a golden staff suddenly pierced the Pope's chest. Blood spurted from the wound.

A tall, bearded man in a black robe and turban stepped out from behind the Pope. "You have failed me for the first and last time, old man," he sneered.

He pulled his hand back behind the Pope. The golden staff retracted from the old man's body, leaving his corpse to fall to the ground in a pool of blood.

The many nuns and priests behind the now-dead Pope gasped, but the bearded man raised his golden staff, the head of which resembled a cobra.

"I am now your lord and master - your god. He ordered. Now, you bow to me and me alone!"

The eyes of the golden cobra lit up with red and yellow, putting the priests and nuns under the man's spell.

"What have you done, Jafar!?" Sora yelled.

"Ah, it's you." Jafar turned back around. "A shame my hypnosis would work on none of you. I surely would love to have a Keyblade Wielder and the two surviving Cardinal Heroes worshipping me as their deity."

"It was you who killed Ren and Itsuki!" Motoyasu realized, pointing his spear at Jafar.

Jafar ignored him. "The other three Cardinal Heroes, as well as both princesses, were murdered by the Devil of Hyrule," crooned Jafar. "Or so the people shall believe. Well, as far as I am concerned, you lot are dead already. And if you peace-loving cowards are dead, all will be right in my new world. At least...once I abolish this blasted monarchy that runs this place."

"He's abolishing the monarchy?" said Raphtalia. "What's he going to replace it with?"

"Well...I say I am abolishing the monarchy, but what I am really doing is changing it. No longer shall the Melromarc family rule this land. I will. And I will conquer all other nations and become the god of this world."

"What about Maleficent!?" Sora shouted at Jafar.

"Oh, the old witch?" Jafar laughed. "I care not for her. She seeks the Princesses of Heart. I, however...seek dominion over this world. And none of you will be able to stop me. After all...what 'heroism' have you truly accomplished, aside from causing famine and sickness among the people of this world? And I still have yet to mention all the things people say about the Devil of Hyrule. Such 'heroes' will be no match for my inevitable conquest, as they will be too busy fighting amongst themselves instead of resisting. At least...they would, if the Sword and Bow still lived."

Jafar raised his staff. "These false heroes shall be wiped from the face of this world as the first casualties of my campaign, and many more will follow should any dare to resist their new god."

Chapter Text

Jafar lifted his cobra staff, firing a massive laser from the eyes.

Aris immediately equipped his strongest shield and lifted it to block.

So powerful... he thought. My arms are going numb from the impact.

"Hmph," Jafar scoffed as his laser died down. "Even for a false hero, you are quite...persistent. Yes, quite."

"Where is he getting the mana for this?" Lesty wondered aloud.

"I've battled Jafar before," said Sora. "He's a powerful wizard, so he's probably got a lot of it."

"But even some of the most powerful wizards in the world can't just throw around magic that powerful willy-nilly," said the unnamed mage from Motoyasu's party.

As if he had heard the hushed conversation between the heroes, Jafar gestured to the crowd of hypnotized bishops and nuns behind him. "I am a stellar mage, truly. But magic of this caliber would not be possible - even for one such as myself - without my devout followers." He turned to his army of disciples. "Offer your prayers to me, and grant me the mana and strength to purge all who stand against my dominion!"

The eyes of his cobra staff flashed yellow and red, forcing the bishops and nuns to carry out Jafar's bidding. Many of them knelt before their new god, praying to him as their mana was siphoned from their bodies and into Jafar's.

"Wait, Ness!" said Filo. "Don't you have that one PSI ability that lets you put people to sleep?"

"I couldn't do it on a crowd like that," Ness replied. "And even if I could, with the amount of mana they have, it'd be hard for me to get past their magical resistance with my PSI."

Motoyasu stepped forward. "I won't stand for this! Biscas T. Balmus was a good man, even if...a little egocentric. But you manipulated him into carrying out your own depraved desires and cast him aside like refuse the moment he failed! As a Cardinal Hero, it is my duty to eliminate any who attempt to bring evil upon this world!"

Filo sighed as Motoyasu continued his tirade. "That spear guy is really annoying."

"Agreed," Cloud muttered. "He probably doesn't mean any of the shit he's saying."

"Ready yourself, Jafar!" Motoyasu roared. "I shall slay you by the power vested in me as the Spear Hero! Today...the lives of Ren Amaki and Itsuki Kawasumi shall be rightfully avenged! Lightning Spear!"

Crackling electricity hurtled from the two-pronged head of Motoyasu's spear and blasted at Jafar, who didn't even bother moving. A barrier of dark magic blocked the projectile with ease.

Jafar chortled arrogantly.

"We won't be able to scratch him through that barrier," Raphtalia reasoned. "So...we need to get rid of the mana at the source."

"Copy!" Motoyasu readied his spear, and his party imbued it with wind and fire once more. "Air Burst Flare Lance!"

A whirlwind of fire burned from his spear and crashed against Jafar's barrier with a blast of smoke.

"That oughta do it."

Aris sighed. "No...No it didn't."

The dust and smoke cleared, revealing Jafar still standing. He cackled. "Disgraceful."

"You don't want disgraceful!?" Motoyasu shouted. "Then try this on for size! Meteor Thrust!"

He reared his spear and mimed throwing it like a javelin, sending a beam of blue plasma at Jafar. The barrier blocked it effortlessly.

"Not even that was strong enough!?" the Spear Hero exclaimed.

Jafar chortled, "This barrier is no mere shield. I believe you'll find that it is utterly impregnable."

Behind him, a few priests and nuns fell into the dirt, their mana and life energy exhausted completely.

"Well, if you are quite finished," said Jafar, "I believe it is my turn."

He flicked his wrist with his staff. A wave of fire crashed down onto the party, barely missing them.

"Hah!" Jafar laughed. "And all that took was a mere stroke of my wrist. Soon, you lot will be cowering in fear and soiling your pants at the wrath of my pinky finger."

"Another attack, and we're doubtlessly done for," Aris realized. "What now? Is...Is this it?"

"Now," Jafar crooned. "Let's try that again, shall we? Please kindly stay still so I can quash your pathetic lives and move on with my-"

"Hundred Swords!"

"Meteor Shot!"

A salvo of energy swords and a barrage of powerful arrows pelted Jafar's barrier. It shattered immediately.

"No...No!"

"Looks like our timing was perfect!" Itsuki mused as he and Ren slid into the crater alongside Aris, Motoyasu, and everyone else.

"Well, a few minutes ago wouldn't have been so bad either," Raphtalia quipped.

"Wait, did you guys...come back from the dead?" Motoyasu seemed confused.

Ren ignored him. "Hundred Swords!"

A hundred energy swords surrounded him and shot through the air, lighting up Jafar's dark barrier.

Jafar addressed the head bishop without bothering to turn around. "Bishop. Dedicate half of my followers' mana to preserving my barrier."

"W-With all due respect, your holiness," said the hypnotized head bishop, "doing so would delay our mana supply to you."

Jafar turned around and grabbed the head bishop by his collar. "Are you deaf, or just braindead? You heard me!"

The head bishop fell as Jafar let him go. He staggered to his feet. "Y-Yes...your holiness."

Itsuki fired off a salvo of energy arrows, only for a new barrier to block them. He clenched his jaw. "Stupid barrier."

"Wait, you never answered my question," Motoyasu suddenly put in. "How are you two alive? We all thought you were dead."

"We almost were," said Ren, "but by some miracle, we're alright. We thought you all would be fighting the Pope. Who's this kook?"

"The guy who killed him," Aris replied. "Jafar over there hypnotized the Pope into trying to kill us."

"Which meant he likely hypnotized him into doing the same to us," Itsuki reasoned. 

"But what happened?" asked Motoyasu.

"Itsuki and I both had a bad gut feeling about the church. The Pope had started making fewer public appearances than usual, so we did a...private investigation," said Ren.

"We found a secret file in the church's archives," Itsuki added. "One we later learned was fake, and placed there intentionally to lure us into a trap. It pointed us in the direction of a location - where we fell for it hook, line, and sinker. We were saved by a group who called themselves the Shadows - and claimed they served the Queen. We owe them our lives."

Wow, Aris thought. The Queen has eyes and ears everywhere.

Itsuki turned to Aris. "You were framed. I understand that now. Back when my reward for overthrowing that despot up north was stolen...I thought it was you. But the church - actually, Jafar, I guess = stole it and used you as their scapegoat."

"We can apologize to him later, as much as I'd like to do it now," said Ren. 

"Right." Itsuki readied his bow.

Ren charged up the crater slope with sword in hand, leaping over a wave of fire cast by Jafar. Sora followed behind with his Keyblade.

Itsuki fired off a Meteor Shot, piercing through Jafar's barriers and hitting him in the stomach. "Got him!"

"Meteor Slash!"

"Arcanum Hammer!"

Ren's sword gleamed with blue energy while Sora used a Formchange to shift his Keyblade into a massive hammer, both of which were blocked by Jafar's staff.

The glow in Jafar's staff dimmed. He clenched his teeth. "Too much mana..."

Ren and Sora landed back with the others. "The Queen will be here soon with backup," said the former.

"The Queen!?" Aris exclaimed. 

No... he thought. How am I going to explain what happened to Melty!? Unless she already knows?

Itsuki addressed Jafar's followers. "Every one of you betrays the crown!" he shouted. "If you surrender now, I'm sure the Queen will have mercy upon you when she arrives!"

Murmurs stirred through Jafar's crowd of followers. The hypnosis had begun wearing off.

Jafar growled, raising his staff to bring them back to his beck and call. "Quiet, all of you whelps! Your leader and god is me! Not this pathetic Queen! You have no reason to turn to her side, for my conquest is inevitable! Join me on the winning side of this war!"

The bishops and nuns fell back under Jafar's spell.

"What's wrong with them!?" Motoyasu exclaimed. "Don't they realize we're the Heroes here?"

"Well, if Jafar could hypnotize the Pope into trying to murder all of us," said Itsuki, "I don't doubt he could somehow do the same to his followers. Either way, we have no choice but to teach them a lesson."

Ren nodded. "If they aren't going to listen to us, then we'll have to fight."

"Yep," Motoyasu agreed. "I'd hate to admit it, but this is gonna be our toughest battle yet, and we're going to need all the manpower we have." He turned to Aris. "Even yours. Especially yours."

Aris nodded. "I'll fight for the good of everyone. We all will."

"The four Cardinal Heroes, finally fighting side by side," Ren mused. "This is going to be interesting."

"Finally working together?" Jafar crooned, feigning endearment. "Oh, how quaint. But I suppose I shall have to destroy you either way. Your teamwork will be futile in the end."

Everyone ignored him.

Aris turned to everyone - his party, the other Heroes, and their parties. "Friends, family, comrades - lend me your ears. Today, we face our greatest challenge yet. We don't just fight for our lives today...we fight for this world and its freedom from Jafar. And we ourselves - we do not fight to keep ourselves from tyranny or oppression...but from annihilation. We fight for our right to live. And should we win this fateful battle, between us, today will be known as the day we said to Jafar, 'We will not go quietly into the night! We will not perish without a fight! We will live on! We will win!'"

Everyone cheered.

"Seriously?" Jafar chortled. "You truly think you have any chance merely because you are all together? How truly quaint. Even combined, you're only second rate. But when I am finished with you, no traces of your pathetic existences shall remain."

Jafar's followers all prayed in one voice, "We pray to our god - the source of all strength and infallible ruler of this world...decipher the laws of nature, bring about ultimate annihilation, and sweep over this world, leaving no resistance."

All around the edge of the crater, darkness seeped from Jafar's staff, filling the air. Magical walls appeared, forming the interior of a dark palace resembling the architecture of a desert people.

"And now, for me to harness my true power! My true form as the god of this world!"

Mana covered Jafar's body, making him grow to multiple times his size. His form changed, replacing his legs with a wisp of dark energy.

"No..." Sora cried. "He...He can't be...!"

When the mana disappeared, Jafar revealed his true form as an all-powerful genie.

Chapter Text

"Your Majesty," said a shadow spy, "if I may say so...you need not make this journey personally."

Queen Mirellia Q. Melromarc, who was having a spaulder fitted to her left shoulder, replied. "The fate of our kingdom - nay, the entire world - is at stake this day. I shall not sit by and wait for news when I am perfectly capable of offering my own aid. My honor as a queen and as a Keyblade Master bids me so."

Once her spaulder was strapped into place, Queen Mirellia pressed her hand against it. In a flash of bright light, her body became covered in a suit of Keyblade Armor. King Mickey... she thought. I pray this armor you have given me will serve me well.

Queen Mirellia held out her hand, calling upon her Keyblade - Permafrost. She stepped out of her personal tent, clenching the weapon in her hand.

The soldiers in the camp immediately stopped what they were doing upon her arrival, turning their undivided attention to their queen.

"Today," said Queen Mirellia, "we go to war. Pope Biscas T. Balmus of the Three Heroes Church has been murdered in cold blood by a dark wizard named Jafar. With his death, the Three Heroes Church and its followers have been left without a leader. We must eliminate Jafar and rebuild the Three Heroes Church to be stronger and less prone to such infiltration."

"Right!" the soldiers all said in unison.

"We leave posthaste!" declared the queen. "Cavalry, move out!"

Horses whinnied as the queen's cavalry company set off for battle.

Queen MIrellia looked down at Permafrost. "Master Yen Sid..." she said quietly to herself, "may your lessons guide me in this trying time."

Jafar conjured a massive meteor of burning stone and hurled it at the party.

Filo leaped into action. "High Quick!" A powerful strike from her foot was enough to break the meteor into smaller pieces. The heroes had an easier time dodging the falling rock.

"Filo, I have an idea!" Aris said as Filo landed back with the group. He climbed onto her back. "Head for Jafar!"

"Roger!" Filo charged toward Jafar once more.

Aris vaulted off of Filo's back, white lightning crackling as he shifted into his Fierce Deity form. The Master Sword was replaced by the mighty Fierce Deity Sword once more. He raised the helix-shaped blade and slashed at Jafar with all his might. Even as a genie, Jafar could not entirely withstand the power of the dark god whose form Aris had taken.

Jafar cackled, his voice echoing through the walls of his ethereal dark palace. "Weakling."

He summoned a blast of wind and knocked Aris away. The Hylian was forced to return to his normal form temporarily.

Jafar looked over his shoulder. "Bishop!" he roared. "Tell those idiots to pray harder! I must acquire more strength for my cause!"

"B-But, sir!" cried the bishop. "Almost a third of your servants have already given the last of their mana to you. Their lives may be in danger if they give any more."

"Your life is going to be in danger when I'm done here if you fail to obey your god!" Jafar demanded. "Do as I say at once!"

The bishop reluctantly turned to the masses. "Brothers and sisters, our almighty god requires more prayers! Give him all your mana and sacrifice your life if necessary!"

More mana flooded Jafar's genie form.

"How can he just throw away all their lives like that?" said Raphtalia.

Sora clenched his jaw. "He's just the type to do something like that. I know Jafar well enough."

"Guys, look!" Ness pointed upward. "The mana's building up in here! It's gonna reach the top of this...palace thing soon!"

"That must mean he's preparing some kind of huge attack!" Itsuki reasoned.

"Wait!" Motoyasu realized. "I...I just remembered something."

All eyes were on him.

"Back home, before I was summoned here," said the Spear Hero, "I read stories about genies. And I think that's what Jafar is now. Genies can only be summoned by rubbing an oil lamp!"

"Which means Jafar has an oil lamp he can be sealed in!" Filo added.

"Yeah, that's right! I remember now!" Sora agreed. "Jafar does have a lamp!"

"Alright, we have a new plan, then!" Aris announced. "Forget Jafar! Get to the lamp at all costs!"

"But, then again," said Sora, "Jafar knows about his lamp. He'll probably do whatever it takes to defend it."

"Then I'll just have to power through." Aris's body crackled with white lightning.

Raphtalia looked worried. "Wait...you're going to use it again?"

Aris nodded. "It has a high success rate. I'm sure that won't change."

"Alright. I trust you."

Aris closed his eyes, concentrating his mind on all of the hatred he could muster.

He opened them. He was surrounded by a dark void.

"T̷̢̤̦̫̋̒Ḩ̵͍̪̦̆̍͂̚O̸̖̼̎̋̆U̷̱̇ ̴̲͗H̶̢͗͌͘͝Ã̷̛̘͇͋̚T̸̰̪̤͎̈́H̷̛̹̬͗̿͘ ̴̰̅̅̌M̸̡̛̯̫̒̏̊A̸̼̥̺͛D̷̰͊͊Ȩ̵͌ ̸̛̠͕̤͓T̵̲̠̓͜H̶͖̃́E̴̻̬͒̚ ̶̩̤̄R̷̦̣̭̮͛͂Ỉ̷̗̬Ǵ̴̺͎͙̯Ḫ̴̥͌̐̕Ṭ̸̞̖̻̐͝ ̴͖͙̪̲͑̂̅C̸͌̈͜Ḧ̶̛̠̮̬́͑O̷̩̐̅I̴̹͎̩̊C̸̱̾̈́̀Ĕ̶͍̝̝̮̓̅͠ ̶̝̙͒́̽͘T̸͔͉̄O̸̺̩̤͐̋͗̅ ̵̹̈́̄R̷̪̯͗͌E̶̘̺̯͘L̶̻̲̖̽E̶̢̼̟̣̍Ả̴͇̲̈́́S̴̼̍̐̓̓Ĕ̶͚̅̕ ̷͔̔͒̕M̴̛̯͖̳͑̈́̃Y̸̖̐͝ ̸͕͉̖͚͆͛̕P̸͇͂̈́O̶͈̮̅́͝W̵̡̡͙͉̏͊̌E̵̲͕͍̋̇̓͠R̸̢̛̳͛̓ͅ,̸̱̻̱͔̃̇͝ ̸͚͍͈̓̆̿̈́ͅB̴̰̻̯́O̷͖͑Y̶̛͔̏́,̵̹̥̟̆" a familiar voice crooned. "L̴̖̜̤̈È̵̯̬T̶̨̛̒̓ ̷̙̯̓̓̊T̸̡͚̤̼̊H̶̱̓͒̕͝Į̸̉̕N̸̞͔̞͌E̸͈̳̬̊ ̶͍̈́̍Â̸͖̱̇N̶̞̪̖̈́̂̔ͅG̸͍̬̊̌̈̔E̷̺͍͙͂̏̐̕R̵̝͌ ̵͓̭̳̳̈́̀̕F̸̞̩̬̲̄́Ḽ̵̡̪̃̌͝O̸̟̅̌W̶̜͋̀̕ ̴̗̯͐T̷͓̲͘͜H̵̙̖̖̲̄̂͝R̵͇̒ͅÓ̴͙̳Ṷ̷͛̓̀͠G̴̨̖͘Ḫ̴́̐́ ̷͕̳̌̑̇T̴̛͍͕̣̽̈́̏ͅH̷̭͙̜̞̎͠Ḙ̴̺͉̋̈́̚͜Ę̷̦́͘ ̸̫̐A̸̠̓̀Ṋ̶͖̽̈́̈́͌D̸͙̤͈͒̆̄ ̴̫͖̿T̷̰̖͇̏̒Ǎ̴̹̹̦̹͋̓̊Ḳ̷̛Ė̶̯̫̺̂̕͝Ţ̸̼̍̊H̸̳̟̞̤͋ ̸̲̀͊͊C̵̹̫̑Ȯ̷̹̜̖͂́͝N̴͔̞̓̍T̶̼̪͈͊̑R̶̜̻̬̖͋Ō̷̱̑͊̽͜L̵̼̫̓̾̽̊.̵̬̙̿̀̈͝ ̶̛͖̼̿̀̈́T̷̯̽͆͐͗Ḩ̸̛̉͝Y̶̰̫̊͊̂̏ ̷͙̯̘͒͂́S̵̳͙̟̮̏̉͂̎U̴̺̒F̴̖̜̍̀F̷̧̋̄͜͠Ḛ̵͙̹̥̇Ȑ̶̗Ḯ̴̤͓͈̠͝N̷̥̟͗̌Ĝ̶̨̹ ̵̛̙̚S̵͖̊̈Ḥ̸̠̌̇͝Ȧ̴̺̥̥̬̐͑L̸̗̂̃Ḷ̸͓͛̿͗ ̸͔̮̓̎̈́͐͜E̶̪̦̜͐͌̀̚N̶̹̼̂̀D̸͎̜̏͊̄ ̴̙̉͐̂S̵͓̫̻̈́Ǫ̵͚̜̦̓O̶̗̬̓́Ñ̵̡͎͍̍͆̊.̴̤͉̩̖̀̈̅"

"No!" Aris cried.

It was for naught.

White lightning engulfed his body, crackling all over. His armor shifted form, becoming black as midnight as his hair became a pale white. His eyes became voids of white as red markings appeared on his face.

"You won't control me..." Aris strained. "I'm not letting your anger overtake me this time...!"

"M̶̳̬̩̉̐̑͆Y̸͕͖̞͐͜ ̴̐̆̀̍ͅA̶̛̻͎̺̔̇̋N̷̻̳̟̄͠͝Ǧ̷̫̭͛̈́̚E̸̲͂̓̈̔R̵̢̧̬̱̈́͝͝?̶̢̟̋̊͆̉" the voice laughed. "Ņ̷͚̳͂̏̈́͜À̷̛̻͍͐͘Y̴̲͊̈́̈́.̸̯̒̆ ̴͓̱̿̌Ṫ̷̨͓͓̀̂͠H̷̼͐Ī̶̡̢̟̂̈́̉S̸̞̚ ̵͔̫̇̈́͆̆F̶͙̘͔̾͛̋̂Ȕ̴̙̦R̶̡̘̦͓̈́̈́̕Y̵̤͓̥̆̏ ̶̙̆̊̔͝W̶͚̲̜̕E̶̢̩̜̫̎̐̀͒L̵͇̟̣̦͗̃͘͘Ḹ̵̢͉̙S̷̙͐̈ ̷̞̭͉̎̈̚͝ͅỬ̴̪͍͘͘P̴̻̫̀̉ ̶̤̹͎̩͑̄́F̴͈̖̼̮̄̅̍̚R̴͚̭͈̜͑Ỏ̶͙̙̘͝M̸̫̥͑̀̚ ̴̪̪́̔͛W̷̪̬̾̏ͅỈ̷̯̜̦̯͐͝T̵̲͚̤̈̇̐H̶̰̪͂Ḯ̵̛͉̀N̸͖̩̔́̆̍ ̴͓̈̔͐T̵̨̪̿͘H̶͉̝̄̈̕Ī̵͍̥̫̻̓͆N̸̻̜̘̂̓̏͘E̷̳͚̟̟̿ ̸̼̟̀̌̌̒O̸̭̺̮̝̍̾Ẅ̶̞̗́N̸̢̟̐̂ ̸̺̦͌͗͘H̶̆ͅE̸̥͛A̸̧͇̙̔̾̓̈́R̴̨̰̥̮̀̄͝T̸͚͇̀̀͒,̷̮̝͉͑̐̕ͅ ̴̖̜̈́̊̈́́B̷̝̣̱̮̌O̶̡̭̼̘͊Ỷ̷̰̉̚̚.̷͓̀"

Aris saw memories playing out before him, as if on a myriad of television screens.

He saw Malty framing him for attempting to rape and kill her, and succeeding despite Aris's wealth of evidence.

He saw the wanted posters scattered everywhere, demanding that the 'Devil of Hyrule' be captured and brought to justice.

"T̸̳̓̕Ĥ̶̻̹̓̚Į̷̞͂N̶͙̓E̴̯̭̺̳̐̿̎ ̵̰͔͆̐Ā̷̱͖̐N̵̢̩̹͇̐͋͝G̸̡̟̊͆̒È̵̹̭R̸̡̪̄͝͠ ̷͇͌̾̌Ḭ̶̱́̕Š̶̺̖̜̜ ̷̨̼̥̹̈A̸̮̩͌͗̈́̀ ̸̞̖̒̐̊R̵̳̍̐̕Ë̴͇̩́͝S̴̢̟̦̽Ụ̵͈̫̬̇͊͝L̶̝͔̹͝T̴̥͚̓̏ ̵̺̺̦͠͝F̷̻͎͈̏Ŕ̸̰Ǒ̷̢̬̪M̶̗̲͋ ̶̛͈̺̱̬̅Ṫ̴͎̣͜H̸̛̜̯̱̍É̴̜̇̚͝ ̸̛͙͔̳͈̓͋G̸̛̳͈͖̮͊̒R̷̨̝͆I̴̖̱͚͒̇̔Ḗ̷͍̑̍V̴̼̐̉̅O̵̯̻̙̅̈̇Ṵ̴͑̏́̕S̴̫̭͖̫͆̽ ̴̨̹̹̅̉I̶͕̞̤̋͆̃Ň̷̠J̸̡̰͕̗́̄́U̸̱̤͉͔̾̾̚S̴̨̝͙̼̍̕T̴̨̰̭̍̑̌̍Í̸̳̮̐C̷̗̓̀͝Ë̶̠̋̕S̷͔̠̆̈́̂͝ ̸̥̩͓̗̐̋͒F̷̤̿̆͋O̴̡̝̥͒̃̊̀R̵̪̭̖̆̚C̷͈̾Ē̸̥̲̞̲D̵͕͔̜̣̆ ̷̦̠͂Ṵ̶̧̈́̎̀P̷̗͗́̚ͅO̸̗̿͘N̸̗̩̠̥̊͗̌ ̴͍͉̫͖̆͌͠Ṱ̵̥̿̽H̶̳͇͍̀͘͝ͅE̴̱͕͐͌̈́͘E̷͎̼̤̿,̶̜̝͙̈́͝" crooned the Fierce Deity. "O̷̢̡̺͇̽̀̾F̶͇̋̉̏ ̶͓̲̐̆̚T̵̛̰̏̊̓H̷̥̐̎̊E̶͖̍ ̷̛̬̠͍̑H̵̛̩̱̜̠̃Ȧ̸̙̭̪̍T̸̬̽ͅR̵̻̗̼̞͌E̴̞̕D̸̻̖͑̋̆ ̶̟̞̈̿̉A̵͕͗͆̚͝N̵̙͑̊͘D̵͇͋̌́͠ ̴̡̭͉͂H̵͓̹̘͛̅U̵̘̱̻̯̅M̸͖̟̽̽̌I̴̞̺̘͝L̶̖͈̦͛͋̔I̴͉͈̺̳̿͆Ȃ̴̛̛̮̼ͅT̷͔͙̘̃I̵̦̣̪͂O̴̭̣̅̈́Ǹ̵͙͎͉̼́̚ ̶̨͎̦̳̒̋̐T̶͉͗̎͊͝H̸̭͖̪̮̍Ŏ̴̯̩͛̒U̸̮̺͗̆ ̷̨̗͑͘̚H̶̬̬̘͒̆́́͜A̷͔̓̈́̑ͅS̸͕̋͂T̷̤̳̭̍̆̍̚ ̸̺̣̅̏̀͜B̵̨̤̰̖͂͒Ȩ̸̗̌̐Ẽ̵̬̠͓̫̽̚N̴̖̠̄͊́ ̷̘̓S̸̛̺̍́̿U̴͚͍̩̐̓̓͑B̷̯͓͕̮̎̃J̶̙̈́̑̎͑E̸͖̻̝͉̍͊C̷̼̈̊̀T̸̟̰̍̔E̸̛̖̬͌̓D̶̫̯͖̎̇̈́͝ͅ ̸͙̥̆T̸̼̽̐͛͠Ö̶̖͉̳̠́ ̶̧͍̼͗͆B̸̲̓̿E̴̤̮͎̫̐̀̈͆F̵̨̚O̴̱͔̣̯̅͛͠͠Ŗ̵̥͈̎̀̈́É̵͍̀ ̶̜̙̞̭͒T̴̡̞̭̲̋̓̓̑H̵͙̳͕̾͂̈́͘Ě̸̘̞͎ ̶͙̎̓̓̀M̴̢̧̳͙̓Ạ̸̙̣̺͊S̸̨͎͎̎̉̐Ś̷̡͒̍́Ȩ̷͈̫͖̈́̈S̶̮̞͓͘.̶͕̙̤̭͊͂ ̴̥̄O̷̱̎F̵̱͖̅ ̸̛͙̮̰͔͋̉͘Ṭ̶̂͝H̵̡̭̱̘̿̄́͒É̸̲̯ ̸͍̰̀P̵̨͓̎͊̕͠E̸̺͖͂̂R̵͙̦̪̱̊͝S̶̻̳̾́͘͠E̵̙̐͑̃C̶̤̘͖̔̋̔U̴̫̬͎͙̒T̷̝́̉̒Ḭ̶̬͑̈́Ȍ̷̻̜̖Ň̶̟̓ ̵̧̰̫̲̆͝W̸̤̆͒Ȑ̷̭͐̒̃Ȏ̸͛̚ͅU̷̢̘̽G̴̮̠̘̈̋Ḫ̴͇̘̃̆͝ͅT̶̤̙̈́ ̶͚̈U̶̧͒͝ͅͅP̷̞̦͋O̵̢͈̰̥͐Ņ̵̘̬͈̿̉͋ ̸̼̮̮̅T̵̨͙̮̪͒Ḧ̵̰̠̭́̌̒E̶̥̥͑͊̑E̴̦̲̻̾̏ͅ.̸̦͂͠ ̶͍͇̰͗̋͗́B̸͚͎͙̙́̾͑̕Ǔ̶͙̹̥͂̔T̵͍̒ ̴̖͙͍̀̕A̸̧̢̺͙̋͋̕B̶̼͓͛͝Ó̷̦̲͒͂̚V̷̖̜͆Ę̶̳͗ ̷̢̹͂̂̃͝Â̴̞̱̕L̸̮̀̓ͅL̵̥̯̯̊̊͝,̶̢̖͚͙̋̆͌͊ ̴̧̙̅̇͑̃Ȉ̷͙̬̞̐̏Ț̶̜͈̑̅̕ ̶̩͙͙̔̽̕͘Ị̵̡̈̔̚Ś̵̨̮̭̀͂̍ ̵̙̱͛̇̚A̴̻̼̿ ̷̜̱̒̽͊͝R̷̢͍̪̀́̈́E̸͙͇̚S̵͖̤̩̈́͜Ǔ̶̟̥̤̔̔̚L̶̨̟͈̒T̴̡̙̭͊̿ ̸̰̮̆́͌̕Ȏ̸̥͎͌̈́F̴̜̞̯̈́̈͌ ̴̪͝Ț̶̩̯̂̀̊H̶̹̜̥̤͋̄̕͝Ȅ̶̛̳͕ͅ ̶̡̣̞̄͜Ȧ̸̫̫͈̂Ğ̸̨̘͈͛̍̊O̵̝̤͇̾̿͋͆Ń̸͖Y̴̭̤̥̿̌̆ ̴̟̞̈́̕Ẅ̵̬͉͇̲́̿R̵̢̲̓Ơ̴͚̑̑̈U̶͇͂G̷̖̗͐͘H̷̗̘͠T̵̼͚̠͓̉̽̽͗ ̴̛̤̯͔̟͑̀̕U̷̺̼̲̬͠͠P̸̬̑Ő̸͕͙̇N̸̳͇̜͐͐͑ ̷̪̀̀͜͜Ṯ̵̥͙̆͊̈́H̷̛͓̪̲͙̓Y̵͈̣͕̎̑̓̆ͅ ̸̛̀͌̄͜Ḧ̸̡̱́͐Ỏ̴̓̕͘ͅṂ̴̥̑͝E̷͖̋̐̋͝L̷̗͙̓͆̽̍Ả̴̹̭̿̓͆N̵̦̭̍̽͠D̷̩̀̀̾.̵̯̲̤͑̕"

Aris's new armor finished taking form.

"Ä̷̧̤̤Ḷ̴͗͝L̵͖̦͖̿͑͊̿ ̴̧̥͔̈̅O̴͈̕F̵̨͉̰̲̈͛͒̏ ̶̳͗̇͋̃T̸̻̔Ĥ̴̨̲͕̙͘Ä̶̘̺́̐́Ṱ̵̟̯̘̑͂̈́ ̴̥̟̮͎̌̏̿Ŗ̶͔̮͆̇̈́̇A̶̛̟̣͒G̴̣͙̿̕E̶̻͚̺̬̒́͑̚ ̸̰̜̇Í̸͔̤̔͊S̴̘̮͋̀ ̸̠̻͐͑T̷͕͇̂H̶̨͉̭̦̽̐̒Í̷͙͗Ǹ̵̤̥͝Ę̴͉́ ̵̝̭͆O̶͕̯͒̄Ẃ̵̫̩N̷͎̈́͗̑͘,̴̧̱̞̀̈́ ̶̳͊͝H̸͙̐̚Y̶̡̬̯͛L̸͍̗̫̀͂̄͝I̵̮͓͆̃̿̓ͅA̴̗͎̪̍̂N̶̹̑̀̃͌,̷̹̜̠͎̔̃͋" boomed the Fierce Deity. "N̷̮̑̂͛Ō̷̳̭̮ͅW̵̦̰̋̽,̵̲̳̊̔ ̸͔̘̓̐̋U̸͔̠̽͌̍͗Ṅ̷̨̝̈́L̴̨̘̤͕̇͂͒̄E̸̛̖̞̞͆̾͆A̴̡̜̞͇̅S̸̳̥͛̂̑H̷̯̺̠̏͂̉ ̶͉͎̉́͌̔E̷͍͈̓̊̾̈V̵͖̖̪͒̀̇̒É̷̞̿̚R̷͔̽Ÿ̸͖͉̤́͜ ̵̧̛̯͒̊͝O̷̤̾̉̔͘U̸̝͗̑̿N̵̫̾̋̒Ċ̵̳̠̭Ḛ̸̒̈́̔͠ ̷̙̽Ö̴̹͖̼͈́͊F̵̩̍́̆ ̵͍̻̱͙͒̿Y̵̧̼̋O̵͓͔͈͈͋̏U̶̦͍̰̎͝R̸͙̮̈̒͊̚ ̷̟̑̀̈́R̷̛̻͕͂Ī̷̟̝̤̭̍̾G̴̨̻̖̲̐́H̶͎̠̄̅̎T̸͉͆͠͠E̴̬̻̍͜O̴͇͎͒̐Ŭ̶͙̃͝ͅS̴̘̖̊̋̈̍ ̵̲͆̽̌̓F̶͕͌́͂Ư̸͔͇͂͝Ȑ̴̰Y̴̯͖͛̈́ ̵͎͙͊͘̕U̸̢̼̳̺̅́̆̕P̴̣͓̂̋̑ͅO̸̜̹̫̔̑Ņ̵͂ ̷͈͓̅́T̷̤̤̪̈́Ḥ̶́̽̃̈́O̵̤̜͑̍͝S̸̬͙͋̇́͒ͅE̵̢̻̍͑̌̿ ̴̡̨͑̽̇͑Ẉ̴̢̧̻͊H̷̙̟̤̒̄O̷̧͔̫̫͋ ̴͎̜̝̌́̓͘D̷͉̽A̸̱̱̘͖̾͌͘Ṛ̶̢͙̆̚͝Ê̵͍͍ ̶̓̿̈́͌ͅS̵͙̳̦̆́͑͜T̵̢̩̹̮̓̉͑̕Ǎ̴̧̱̺̗͗͘N̵͍̓Ď̶̫̒̈́͝ ̵̛̙A̴̪͍͚͔̒̂G̸̯̻͂̈́́̾A̷̧̯͌Ȉ̷͈N̶̙͍̭̓S̷̢͍̓̂ͅT̴̢̂̾̋̓͜ ̸̡͛͂Ţ̵̝̌̅H̴͙̝̳̓̃͌̕Ę̸͈̙͍̽̉Ë̴͉̲̺̞̑̅͠!̶̡͕͛̇ͅ"

"P̶̯̎̄Ŏ̶̩̗͕̩͠W̵̹̍̂̔E̵͖̔̾̈͂Ŕ̶̜͖̦̘̊.̴̌̀ͅ.̸̫͉͖̠́.̷͖͈̖̲̄́́" Aris snapped out of it. "Don't!" he chided himself. "He's...attempting to corrupt you!"

"I̵̧̛̻͋͗T̵̠͛͌͘ ̴͇̼̇T̷̡͎͛̀̆A̸̺͋̆͘͝S̷͚͍̺̍͠T̷͎͈͚͌̚Ë̵̼͇̫́͊D̷̨̠͖͛̓͋̈́ ̴̭̍͑S̸̯̦̉̓W̵̛͎Ẹ̸͇̦͉͝E̸̘̻̼͆̈́͗Ṭ̷̡͈̖̌͝,̸̤̺̫̑̈́̍ ̸̨̱̦́͘͝D̵͔͒̊͘͠I̴̬̭͑̏̎̒D̸͔̹̐̒̓̕ ̴̰̦͈̃̚I̷͓̼̟̅̂͝T̵͖̻͇̖́͋ ̷̢͚͇͍̓̑͑N̶̯͐̅̄͘O̵̟͇̍T̵̟̝̲̭̒̔?̷̡̮͚̗̔͂̈́̅" the Fierce Deity jeered. "T̷͖̝͛͝H̸̦͛̃E̵̗͐ ̶͓̅A̵͗͛͜B̷͎̔İ̵̡̿ͅL̸̛̹I̴͎͛̚T̶̘̬̈́͌Y̸̦̆ ̷͕̼͒T̵̘̕O̵͇͕̓͒ ̵̼̿̆M̵͖̉͜A̴̫̣͌̾K̸͍͇͆È̵̩͜T̴̗͉̉Ḧ̶̟́ ̵̲͊͒E̵̹̔͝V̷̝̖͝E̶̖̳͘Ȓ̶̞̉Ÿ̶̩̠̔ ̴̬͓̈́͒S̷̆̅͜Ỉ̸̧̞͋Ǹ̶̲̠͐G̴̢̣̃L̶̮͎̎E̶̯̲̕ ̶̠͊Ọ̵̽̄N̷̻̼̔͐E̵͘͜ ̷̼̬̓͂O̶̩͆͝F̵͙͗͠ ̵̝̎̑T̶̠̉Ḫ̷̗͊I̸͎̲̿N̷̲̩̓E̴͇͌̆͜ ̷̰̋A̴̲͋͠D̴̩̬́V̷̢͐̀E̷̖̿̕ͅR̵̢̫͘S̵͚͛A̶̼̣͌R̶̺͋ͅI̶͕̊E̵͔̓Ṣ̵̛́ ̵̣̓S̴̞̲͗U̸̥͆͂͜R̴̺͎̿R̴̪̓́Ë̵͈̆N̶̘̿ͅD̸̮̒͗Ě̵̡̬̔R̷̻̓̈́ ̵̯̠̍T̶͉͍͝Ö̷͕̙́ ̷̘̓T̷͍̓H̶͎́͒Y̴̫͕͑ ̵̙͋̎M̸̢͙̈̑Į̵͖̓͛G̸̺͛H̵̬͋Ț̷͋!̴̗̓͆ ̸̳̮̆L̵̺̭̈́̆E̸̤̊̓Ț̵̘͑̓ ̶̬́͜T̵͖͊Ḩ̵͝À̵̝T̷̨͠ ̴̻͒R̶̠̹̋̈́A̸̡̭̋G̴̤̝̒́Ȇ̷̤̼ ̴͖̹͑̎C̷͇̘̀̂Ȯ̸̢̟͝Ñ̵̰̼͠T̷͚́̐R̶̠̆̅O̶͔͎͑̕L̵̙̉͠ ̴̘͆͘T̴͚̔̏H̸͙̩̊Ḛ̵̂E̷̦͌!̸̤̿̐ ̴̼̒F̴͖͚͊I̴̜͋Ģ̴̣͗H̷͍̉T̵͙̭̚ ̸̬̈́̌E̷͔͋̾V̵̞̣̆E̵̢͆̋R̷̟̒Y̴̤̼̎̐T̸̲͇̆H̵͉̳̽I̴̢̻̓N̵̞̜͐G̶̝̤̃̕ ̴̛̗́T̶̲̤̐H̷̠̹̽͊A̷̜͂T̵̬̹̈ ̴̰̱̍͐Ṡ̵͉͇T̶͎͚̄̐A̴̧̗͘N̸̦̟͂͋D̷̢̗̈́͘E̷̢̻͠T̴̫̒H̷͖͔̒̕ ̷̰̀̾I̷̘̹̋N̶͈͘ ̶̱̔Ṯ̸̎̑H̷͕̤́Y̶̻̆ ̸̗̂̍W̷̛͈̰A̴̧͋Y̶̙̓̈!̷͙̰͆̽

"I̶͙̺̾͒'̷̲̈́L̶͕̅L̸͉͔̽ ̴͙̓D̸̨̡́̚E̷͚͐͊Ś̸͙̬̾T̷͖̬́̇R̷̗̰̄͝O̶̟͗͊Y̴̨̞͒͝ ̴̤̙̆͘T̵̯̈́H̶͙̥̉E̵̼̋M̸̹̼̓̇ ̵̩͔̾A̶͎͊̑L̵̢̯̀̆L̴̺̉̏!̶̜̝̔" Aris was in over his head now. His eyes flared white.

Everyone watched as Aris changed forms, becoming wreathed in black armor and white lightning.

He slowly stepped forward, toward Jafar. No one could stop him.

Motoyasu looked intimidated. "I'm...starting to think he might actually have just become some sort of demon now."

"Í̷͎̈́'̴̟͆L̵͍̯͐͐L̵̡̟̾ ̴̝̠͐̌D̴̗̂E̸͚̤͆̒S̸̡̭̊͝T̶͔̀R̶͉̻̂̕O̴͈̜̅Ý̸̖͉̆ ̷͍͌I̸̪͝T̵͎̏̀ ̴͈̚͝Á̸̬L̴̟͐̑L̴̡̔.̴̡͎̊.̴̭̝͂̍.̴̳̈́" Aris said to himself. "I̵͍̪͝F̴͉̙̀̾ ̵͉̊̊I̴̩͓̿ ̷̟̋̚Ć̴̘̜A̸̡͗̽ͅN̷̪̈̽ ̵̗̀͘D̶̘͎̔̋Ǫ̶̟̽̋ ̶̯̣͊T̸̖͑͜͝H̸̦͌̇A̸̳̩͘T̸̡̹̀̆,̴͍͔̾͝ ̸̛̯͒Ä̶̡́͆Ļ̸̕L̵͍̜̽̿ ̶̟̅͗W̸̺͛̕I̶͇̿L̵̗͘L̵̫̈ ̴̤͑̚B̶̭͛͐Ê̵ͅ ̴͆͆͜O̸̟̍͋V̶̫̓E̶̾͜R̶̟̎̈́.̵͠ͅ ̵̤͑T̵͍̲͘H̵̯̪͒̊Ỉ̶̦͝ͅS̸̠͕̚ ̷̨̊̂P̴̡͆͘O̸͇̗͊W̶̱͈̉̽E̵̹͊R̴̦͂.̸̻͎̌.̸̜̇̚.̷̮͛̈I̴̢̒ ̴͓̥̾́W̸̳̊I̵̳̍̓L̸̯͕̄͂L̵̢͚̑ ̸͔̝̈̀U̷̬̓S̴̨̈́Ė̸̜̚ ̸̮͝Į̵͐͝T̸͎̓̌ ̴͎̓T̶͕̙́̍Ọ̷́ ̴͇̈́B̶͈̔͠R̶̟͑I̷̹͌N̵̛͕̣G̶̨̜̓ ̷̳͝D̷͖̿̽E̴̲̺̐S̷̻̥͘T̷̨͕̃͊R̷̠̞̆̃Ȕ̵̩͔C̷̮̓̋T̷͔͛͗I̴͕͒Ö̵̭́͑Ǹ̸͙̹͗ ̶̠̲́T̷̥̣͠Ǒ̴̞͛ ̶̩̙̋́Ȧ̵̼̃L̶̛͔̞̿L̴̡̤̄̾ ̸͕̆W̶̖͛̊H̶̰͝O̵͓̜͌̏ ̸̮̎S̸͕̓T̵̘͕̾̚A̵͈̋N̵̬͛̈́D̷͖̃ ̵̧̪̓͠Ạ̶̞̀̏G̶̱͚̏̏Á̵͔̒I̷̤̞̎̂N̸͖̽͌S̴̜̬̀T̶̡̫̓ ̷̩͋M̸̠̬̾E̶̯̕͝.̵̱́̀"

"No! Don't!"

A voice rippled through the darkness. His leg seemed to be caught on something. He attempted to shake it free.

"W̴̭̅H̴̥̹̋̕O̴̜̽͊ ̶͕̖̈́̓D̵̗͒̃A̴͇͛Ȓ̶̖͚͛Ȩ̴̥̏̈́S̶̘̘̈́̍ ̴͖͂̈́T̴̝́̑O̸̡̲̊͗ ̸̢̱͑S̷̫̽T̶͔͙̉̽Ö̸͉̙P̸̤̬͌ ̸̥̺̽͝Ḿ̶̳͈͗Ḙ̴͌̿!̶̱̟̅͌?̷̛̮̦" he roared.

A young girl's voice responded. "Papa...do you really hate everything...?"

"We're your friends, Aris," said a young woman's voice.

"Your family," said that of another. "Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

The former young woman continued, "When I first met you...I was terrified, but also...in awe. Everyone else had treated me like an object, and after my desperate attempt to escape my chains, I thought it would be the end for me. But...you came along and saved my life. You protected me, you cared for me...taught me how to survive and fight. That's why I vowed to always stand by your side to the bitter end. And I'm going to keep that vow, even if it means rescuing you from your own darkness."

The second added on. "We have known each other for our entire lives. We survived when our homeland was massacred, and lived on as the last of our kind. Despite our separation, we stand together once more. And like Raphtalia, I'll continue to stand by your side."

The little girl who had called him "Papa" spoke next. "You hatched me, and you've raised me from the day I was born. You gave me my favorite wagon, my dress, my hairpin, and all sorts of great things. Everything I love, Papa...all of that came from you."

A youthful boy took his turn. "I've been to countless worlds, and I have to say...this one has been the source of my greatest adventure yet. Even after I got separated from Kairi, you and your friends took me in and I became one of you. You're my friend, Aris. And I know I always say my friends are my power...but now, I want to be your power."

"Just like you did with Sora, you took me and Melty in pretty much the moment we asked," said a younger boy. "I've had a lot of fun traveling with you and the others, Aris. Even now...now that Melty's missing...I'm sure we'll be able to rescue her. But first, I'm going to help rescue you."

"Even after I made the mistake of working for the enemy," said a fairly older male voice, "you just forgave me without even saying so. I've always felt like I'm just...here. But now that I see you in danger...even by your own doing...I still want to help. Because you pulled me out of a bad spot. I'm gonna do the same for you."

A bright light blossomed before Aris. Several figures emerged from it. Raphtalia, Loretta, Filo, Sora, Ness, and Cloud.

"Th-That's right!" said Aris. "I've been on a great journey with the closest of friends. All of you...are people I care about...that I love...that I silently swore to protect with my life."

"We all know one thing about you, brother," said Loretta. "We know that no matter what happens to you, you'll continue to fight for us, just as we fight for you."

"We'll all fight for you," said Sora. "To the bitter end."

"You saved my life the day we met," said Raphtalia. "And even though I returned the favor against that Two-Headed Black Dog...I'll do it again as many times as I have to."

"I will, too!" sang Filo. "I'm gonna gobble up all those bad feelings until you're only happy, Papa!"

"So no more frowning!" Ness cheered. "This party runs on happy faces!"

Everyone approached Aris, wrapping him in a group hug.

Aris closed his eyes, tears welling up in them.

He opened them. Reality surrounded him once more.

"E-Everyone..." he cried. "Thank you..."

Raphtalia clung tight to her hero, burying her face in his chest. "You're okay...I'm so glad you're okay..." she said tearfully.

"You okay, buddy?" asked Sora. "That was way too close."

"I'm...I should be alright," said Aris. "I'm so sorry..."

"Don't you apologize," Loretta chided. "You only let yourself get so close to the darkness because you wanted to restore light to this world. But you don't have to do that alone, brother."

"Right," said Cloud. "We're in this together. My own friends back home all taught me the value of teamwork. So we're all working together here."

"Now, if you're back from almost becoming a dark god," said Ness, "think you could come up with a plan? We are kinda in the middle of something here."

"Oh, right."

Everyone let go of Aris.

He turned to the other three Cardinal Heroes. "Gentlemen, I'm going to require your assistance. Please." He bowed before them at the waist.

All three of them looked surprised.

"Are you sure we can win this?" said Ren.

"No, I'm not sure," replied Aris. "But that doesn't mean we're not going to try."

A light flashed up above. The mana had reached the top of Jafar's dark palace.

"Oh, that is touching," the genie crooned. "Truly it is. I'm terribly sorry, but I must interrupt this heartwarming moment." He pointed a finger at Aris. "I will destroy you all, starting with you."

A beam of darkness shot from his finger.

Aris swung the Fierce Deity Sword, dissipating the beam.

Jafar raised an eyebrow. "Still standing, are we? I suppose taking the form of a god would allow you to withstand the power of another."

"Power always comes at a cost, Jafar," Aris said firmly. "For example...your power as a genie came at the cost of those you seduced to your darkness. And your miserable life alone will not be enough to avenge them."

Without warning, the heroes began their assault.

"Thunder Shot! Wind Arrow!"

Itsuki rained down a barrage of powerful arrows on Jafar's dark barriers.

"Air Strike Javelin!"

Motoyasu hurled an apparition of his spear.

The attack pierced the dark barriers and struck Jafar's abdomen. "Got him!" the Spear Hero cheered. "Aris, get in there and finish him so we can grab that lamp!"

"I'm on it! Filo!" Aris called.

"Right!"

Aris mounted the Filolial and rode into action.

"No!" Jafar cried. "I will not be imprisoned for a third time!!!"

He sent a barrage of flaming meteors at his charging opponents.

"I've got them! Wind Arrows!" called out Itsuki.

Ness provided aid. "PK Flash!"

A salvo of arrows and an explosion of psychic energy destroyed the meteors.

Aris raised the Fierce Deity Sword and fired discs of crackling lightning at Jafar.

"That did it!" Ren cheered.

"I'll go for the lamp!" said Raphtalia, rushing after Aris.

"Me too!" said Motoyasu. "Chaos Spear!"

He sent a volley of projectiles at Jafar.

Jafar rose from the crackling lightning, muttering an incantation.

A dark barrier appeared and reflected Motoyasu's projectiles. The Spear Hero barely defended himself. Aris had to fall back with Filo in tow.

Motoyasu got to his feet. "That's one of my spear's best skills, and he just reversed it like it was nothing!"

Jafar growled. "Fine, then. I will toy with you no longer. It is time I truly harness the strength of my palace!"

He fired a bolt of darkness into the center of the ceiling.

The walls of the dark palace came to life. Beams of dark energy sprayed from the walls, peppering the heroes.

Jafar's laugh echoed through the chamber.

"Wh-What is this!?" Filo cried.

"Some kind of illusion!" Itsuki exclaimed. "That's gotta be how he's attacking us from all angles!"

"It is too late for you to emerge victorious," Jafar sneered. "All that is left now is despair. Such strength...only to be crushed under the weight of your own crumbling minds."

"Everyone, keep your-gah!" Aris's words were interrupted when an arrow struck his left hip from behind.

"Aris!" Raphtalia cried, only for an arrow to wound her shoulder. "Ngh!"

Aris ran over, yanking the arrow from his body and treating Raphtalia's wound.

He looked over his shoulder at Jafar.

"When I am finished annihilating you," crooned the genie, "nothing will remain - not even the smallest speck of ash."

From outside, a voice echoed. "Gigafrost!"

A massive prison of ice suddenly engulfed Jafar's lower half. "What!?" the genie yelled.

"Hurry!" exclaimed the voice - that of a woman. "Now's your chance! Finish him off!"

Aris found himself consumed by the Fierce Deity once more. "F̶̭̺͌́O̷̼̭̿͝O̵͚͋L̸̜͓̅̒I̷̡͐̓S̶̫̪͗H̵̩̺̿͘ ̸̢̈M̴̪̙̒O̴͍͇̓̆R̵͂ͅṬ̸̺̍́A̶̱̓͠L̵̜̅,̴̛̺͎͝" he seethed, "I̸͉̎́ ̸̩̬̎Ș̶͂E̸͖̥̿N̵̞̈͂T̸͔̈̄É̵̯N̶̞̍͝ͅC̸̛͔È̴̞ ̸̻̣͗T̶̙̈H̵̟͛̆Ḙ̴͚͗̏E̴̡̬̅̕ ̴̭̀̄T̴͎̼̈͛Ŏ̶̱̳ ̴̘̈́̈Ç̸͔̔̓A̴̰̦̍̈́Ș̶̤̈́Ţ̴͎̉͆ ̴͔͊͝T̸͍͐H̴̞̀Ẏ̴̭ ̷̺͂̆S̸̗͋Ć̷͙͗R̷̺̣̐E̵̞̗͛̀Å̸̗M̷͍͠S̴͔̤̆̀ ̸̏̊͜U̷͈͒͘͜P̷̪̉O̷̠̣̍͌N̴̲̻̈́ ̶̡̂͜T̸̢͖̀̓H̷̹́E̶̗͖͛͐ ̵͎̱͒̎H̶̤̪̔̓E̸̹̒̅A̵͔̝̿V̶̛͜E̵̥͗N̴̰͓͂S̶̬̍͘͜ ̶̟̘́Y̴̱͐̚Ö̴͇̝́̈́U̷̗͌ ̶̹̏D̶̜́̍A̸̩̾R̴̩̾E̶̘̭͛̍ ̸̪̓̋A̷̞͉̿̿Ţ̴̈T̵̳̃̀Ȅ̵͎M̵̱̑̾P̴̲͇̄T̵̝̚ ̶͎̒͠T̷̡̘̕Ó̶̟̙ ̴̢̚Ĉ̸̦̤O̵̞̓̔N̵̯̔Q̸̝̓U̸̘͝͝Ë̸͎̗́R̷͍̬͒͐.̴̬̳̂̾ Ț̵̉Ḧ̷̤̣̾E̶͍̬͊͂ ̷̫̹̿P̵̘̞̈́̾O̴̙̲͆Ẇ̴͉E̸͙̺̊R̶̖͐̍ ̸̺͒̂ͅO̵͓̒̎F̷͓͙̍̽ ̸͕̠̈́T̸̼̝̄Ḫ̶̇̎Ȩ̶̨̀ ̸̮̄̍G̶͍̯̀̆O̶͇͐̌D̵͈̹̚ ̴̱̈N̶̯͂A̶̠̔M̵͈̕Ê̶̯̈D̸͇͆͆ ̷̪̏Ò̴̱͚͘N̷͉͍̆͊Ì̷͎̈́ ̸̝̏S̷̯̈́̈́Ḥ̶̎͒A̵͍̞͋L̶̩̩͊L̶͎̈́͝ ̶̰̹̀͒O̷̺͘B̸̡̰̆L̵̦̀I̸͔̾T̵͙́͋͜E̵̬̽ͅȒ̸̩Ą̷͑Ț̵̳̈́̚E̷̢̡̎͝ ̵̹̉̕͜T̵̟̈́́H̴̟̏̾E̷͔̿͗Ĕ̷̗̘̈́,̶̹͘ ̸̖̠͗́Á̶͎́N̷̯̲̉D̵̳̏̑ ̶̦̫̐͋M̷̝̔À̵̳͜K̸̖̅̌E̴̡̋̔ ̶̥̇T̵̙͌͜͝H̴̻͛Ō̶͈̫̈́Ȕ̷͉̲ ̸̞͋̽S̶͍͌Ě̶̲̩̑Ȑ̸̥̯V̴͈̭̋̓Ē̸̙̬T̴̝̄̚H̶̭̖͒̿ ̷̬͆̽͜A̶̳̹̾͋S̴̢̅͆͜ ̸̮̞̾̈́A̷͇̤͊Ṋ̴̓͝ ̴̙̈Ǒ̴͙ͅF̴̢̫̒F̵̻͠Ë̶̛͉R̴̘̝̀I̶͓͊͌N̵̜̗̕G̷̬̏ ̸͔́̎T̵͕͍̑̊O̶̡͙̅ ̸̛̣T̶̲̈H̵̱̔Ḛ̸̡͑ ̸̤͛͝ͅG̴̟̈̓O̶̩͈͂͛D̸̩̦̾Ś̴̛̝͔,̴̞̀͂ ̸͔̈́T̸̙͍̔H̶̺͔̋A̵͔̦̿͘T̶̲͎͊ ̴̛̠̹T̸̩͙͂H̷̱̏̈́É̶̫̝Ÿ̵͙́͛ ̷̛̚͜M̵͇͎̒I̶̤̜̓̽G̸͉̍̇H̸̠͛͠T̷̡̍͂ ̸̘̉͛È̸̆ͅN̶̙̖͋̎J̶̤̓̕Ȏ̸͎͙Ŷ̶̤̰͋ ̸̰͝T̸͇́H̸͍̾Ë̶̟ ̸̟̓͊S̵̫̋Ơ̴͔̋Ŭ̵̧̝N̴͙͠Ḋ̵͙̚S̶̲͂͜ ̶͙̙̈́Ồ̴͍F̴̳̓ ̵̤͈̓̏T̷̯̈́H̷̱͇͆Ẏ̸̨̍ ̵͔͍͌Ș̴̰͐̄C̷̺̥͛R̷̮͎̾E̶͚͌́Ă̵̦̟͌M̷͚̆S̸̮͑!̵̬͋͠"̴̙̈́͠

Aris began to hover into the air, lifting his hands as a giant orb began to take shape above him. "M̴̫̩̂͘Õ̶͚̻Ö̷͈́Ņ̶̭̽͊ ̸͕͆O̸̙̬̍́Ḟ̵̥͙̆ ̷̪͊̕M̸̳͑À̵͈̇J̵̦̼̌O̷̢̭͑Ṛ̴͑̚Â̸̤͊͜!̷̪̮͑!̵͚̌!̵̝͑"

The orb above him finished taking shape, forming a small moon with a horrifying, grimacing face. The moon was hurled toward Jafar and crashed into him with a great explosion - one that also greatly harmed Aris.

"Now, get the lamp!" Motoyasu cried.

Itsuki rushed forward with help from Filo and grabbed Jafar's lamp, holding it up. "Remember this, Jafar!" he declared. "You're a genie! Which means two things! Phenomenal cosmic powers..."

Jafar's body began to funnel into the lamp as he screamed in both fury and agony.

Before long, all that remained was the lamp itself.

"...and a tiny little living space," Itsuki finished.

"So...did we win?" said Ren.

All around them, Jafar's ethereal dark palace began to disappear.

With Jafar's sealing, the remaining bishops, priests, and nuns snapped out of their hypnosis. "My god..." sobbed the head bishop. "What have we done...?"

A horse's whinny echoed through the area. The queen's soldiers had arrived. The queen herself sat on her armored steed atop one half of the border wall, holding her Keyblade. "This battle is finally over," she proclaimed. "Followers of the lost Three Heroes Church! Accept your defeat and surrender at once!"

"Guess she finally got here." Itsuki slid back into the bottom of the crater, Jafar's lamp in hand.

A voice suddenly wailed, "Aris!!!"

The Cardinal Heroes looked over.

Aris's badly wounded body was surrounded by his friends, who all looked terrified for his life.

"Come on, don't die on me now!" Raphtalia cried.

"He's badly burned..." Sora cried. "Even Curaga couldn't heal all that..."

"Did...Did he really just..." Ness had tears in his eyes.

"Papa..." Filo said through tears.

Raphtalia clung to his burned body, sobbing into his cloak.

"The Swordsman Shield Hero will live," declared a voice, "I assure you."

Queen Mirellia stepped toward them, her weapon at her side.

Sora gasped. "A...Keyblade...?"

The queen drew closer, kneeling down to Aris's level. "I'm terribly sorry I failed to arrive sooner, Sir Aris Atreides.

Aris struggled to open his eyes. "Are...you..."

"I am Queen Mirellia Q. Melromarc, Swordsman Shield Hero," said the regal woman. "Sovereign ruler of Melromarc...and Keyblade Master."

Chapter Text

Aris's eyes fluttered open. He felt bandages covering his bare chest, as well as one wrapped around his forehead. He rose to a seated position, looking around.

Filo was in her Filolial form on one end of the room, with Ness, Cloud, Sora, and Loretta all napping against her feathers. Raphtalia slept in a chair next to the bed in which Aris sat.

"Everyone?" he said. "I'm...I'm awake now."

Everyone's heads lifted, their faces lighting up at the sight of their awoken friend.

"Papa!" Filo immediately shifted to her human form, jumping onto the bed and tackling her surrogate father in a hug.

"Heh, took you long enough," said Ness. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"What...What happened?" asked Aris.

"You got hit by that blast from your finishing move against Jafar," Sora explained. You were...really badly burned. Barely breathing. The queen had you brought to a royal clinic."

"How long have I been unconscious?" asked Aris.

"Hmm..." Cloud thought for a moment. "Three days. Give or take a few hours."

"And...how long am I going to be in here?" Aris questioned.

Loretta sighed. "I knew this question would come up. The queen..."

"She said you'd be in here for about a month," Raphtalia finished.

Aris gasped. His eyes widened to the size of saucers. "A month!? But...my wounds are completely healed."

"The flames from the explosion did more than just burn you," said Raphtalia. "Time is the only treatment for the full extent of the damage."

A nurse entered the room. "We're here to change the bandages on the Swordsman Shield Hero, I daresay," she explained.

"Wait," said Ness. "Someone just did that not long before he woke up."

"You're not a nurse." Aris pointed to her. "You're one of the queen's spies."

As if on cue, the queen herself walked in, clad in a regal gown, her mouth covered by a hand fan. "I came as fast as I could the moment I was informed of your awakening," she said. The queen closed her fan. "I'm relieved your life is no longer in danger."

She walked into the room. "Allow me to reintroduce myself, since...you weren't entirely conscious the first time. I am Queen Mirellia Q. Melromarc, sovereign ruler of this land."

"There was...another part, was there not?" said Aris.

The queen nodded. "Correct. I am also..." She held out her hand, summoning a familiar weapon. "...a Keyblade Master." The Keyblade disappeared from her hand.

"Y-Your Majesty..." Raphtalia bowed, "you saved Aris's life. I...I can't thank you enough."

Queen Mirellia smiled at the Demi-Human. "Well, I couldn't just let him die. After all, he is a Cardinal Hero who protects this world."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty," said Aris, "...your people don't seem to appreciate me as much as you do. Ever since I was summoned, I've been framed and blamed for everything."

"Indeed," agreed the queen, "and I owe you an explanation. Come onto the balcony with me. Your friends may follow."

Everyone joined Queen Mirellia on the balcony adjacent Aris's room.

"I was far away from Melromarc at a summit with the other world leaders to determine the best course of action against the coming Waves when things took a turn for the worse," she explained. "At this summit, it was decided that the four major nations - Melromarc, Zeltoble, Shieldfreeden, and Siltvelt - would all summon one Cardinal Hero each. With that, all four of us would be able to work together to combat the Waves." Her hand clenched the railing of the balcony. "But by the time that decision was reached, Melromarc's temporary leadership - my husband - had already elected to summon all four Cardinal Heroes here. This...made the other nations furious. I was forced to travel the world to extinguish the proverbial flames."

"So, your garbage heap of a husband and whore of an elder daughter summoned us here all on their own?" asked Aris.

Queen Mirellia nodded. "They were not even supposed to be able to make such a decision. I tried my hardest to keep things under control by leaving control of the kingdom in the hands of a trustworthy lord while I was away, but...he was killed in the first Wave. He was the kind and just lord of the Sayette province."

"Sayette..." Aris recognized the name. "That would explain a lot." He glanced at Raphtalia, who looked rather crestfallen.

Queen Mirellia spoke to Aris as he looked at Raphtalia. "You...seem rather concerned for her. Is there, perhaps...something going on between the two of you?"

Both Aris and Raphtalia turned bright red. "N-Nothing!" they exclaimed in unison.

The queen giggled. "I'm sure that will soon change."

"A-Anyway," said Aris, hurriedly changing the subject, "why was I the only one who was subjected to that?"

Queen Mirellia retained her seriousness. "Aultcray already had his own reasons for despising the Shield. The Church took advantage of that while under their hypnosis. Malty made things worse by attempting to ensnare you the way she did...as well as conspiring with the forces of evil - that is, Maleficent."

"Hold on," Sora interjected, "how do you know about Maleficent?"

"My spies are everywhere," replied the queen.

"In any case," said Aris, "I would wager things would have played out differently if another country had summoned me."

"Indeed," agreed the queen. "Especially if you had been summoned into Siltvelt. Demi-Humans rule there, and the Shield Hero is worshipped like a god."

Aris winced. "I don't like the idea of being worshipped. But...perhaps traveling to a kingdom in which people actually find favor in me would be beneficial."

"If you do choose to leave," said Queen Mirellia, "Melromarc has no right to stop you. But first...I promise that I shall clear your name and put an end to the humiliation to which you have been subjugated. You have been a social pariah in my kingdom for far too long. And, of course, as a reward for fighting against the Waves and sealing Jafar, we shall offer you the greatest reward we have, as well as a financial bonus of five hundred gold coins."

"Yes!" Ness cheered. "We'll be makin' it rain!"

"Lastly, Aris," said the queen, "there is...something I wish to speak to you about. Alone."

Aris turned to his friends. "If you all would?"

Raphtalia nodded. She and the others went back inside.

"What do you think?" asked the queen once the others had left. "Is this reward sufficient?"

"It is," said Aris, "but I have an inkling that there's a catch you intentionally neglected to mention."

"You're perceptive," the queen commended. "At this point, without your help, Melromarc has almost no hope of surviving our uncertain future."

"I'm afraid I can't stay in this country," said Aris. "From this point onward, I'm going to go wherever the Waves and Maleficent's minions go, so that I can fight them properly. I believe that this is the best way to fight them off and protect the world from destruction."

The queen lowered her head. "...Understood. With that taken care of, how are you faring in terms of recovery?"

"I feel quite a bit better," replied Aris.

"Splendid," said the queen. "Would you be willing to consider a visit to the castle tomorrow?"

"Why?' asked Aris.

"For the opportunity to clear your name," she answered. "Besides, King Aultcray and Princess Malty..."

The wind howled around them, drowning out Queen Mirellia's voice to any but Aris.

"...aside from myself," said the queen, "you are the only one aware of this. And...regardless of whether or not you stay here, their fates will not change."

Aris's eyes widened at her. "Your Majesty..." he said. "I...Look, as much as I'd love to see that happen to them, they're...they're your husband and daughter."

Queen Mirellia looked out over the capital city. "As much as I loathe to do this," she said, "their actions must have consequences. Their sins and crimes are so grave that not even I can save them. Anyway, all the other people know is that an important announcement will be made tomorrow. They have been instructed to gather outside the castle if they wish to hear it firsthand. And...to be frank, your presence would be useful, if not essential. Of course, I do understand that this is hardly adequate enough recompense for your horrid treatment. But...please."

She bowed at the waist before him.

"Ha! Scissors! I win!" FIlo cheered.

Sora slumped over in mock sadness. "Noooo!"

Meanwhile, Aris sat in bed with Raphtalia at his side. "What did Her Majesty want to talk to you about?" asked the Demi-Human.

"Nothing terribly important," replied Aris. "She said she wanted me to visit the castle tomorrow so she can clear my name before the people."

"Really!?" Raphtalia was overjoyed. "That's...That's wonderful!" Raphtalia tenderly gripped Aris's hand in both of hers.

"Ah...yeah." Aris blushed at the sudden contact.

"Now everyone in Melromarc will know just how wonderful you really are," said Raphtalia. Jubilant tears welled up in her eyes as she tightened her grip on Aris's hand. "I'm...I'm just...so happy..."

"As am I." Aris smiled at her, placing his hand atop hers.

The masses jeered and chanted, demanding to see the execution of two familiar public figures. Aris knew them well - the two people who had wronged him to the point of forcing him into hiding. 

But the voices of the crowd were almost muffled, as though they were behind some transparent wall Aris could not see.

The convicts' heads were forced into the guillotines - one for each of them.

One of the convicts - an older man - looked at Aris with fury in his eyes.

Why are you looking at me like that? Aris thought. You brought this upon yourself.

And YOU... Aris looked at the other convict - a redheaded woman. You deserve much worse than death for what you've done.

A soldier cut the ropes of the guillotines.

The blades fell.

Aris shot up to a seated position with a gasp. He remained in bed; the bandages remained on his body.

"...A dream?" he said between pants of exhaustion.

"Ngh...Aris?" Raphtalia lifted her head with groggy eyes, seated in the chair next to Aris's bed. "Why are you up...? Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, I'm fine," Aris replied.

"A-Are you sure?"

"We have to be awake fairly early tomorrow," Aris told her. "Sleep."

"Okay..." Raphtalia fell back into her slumber.

That morning, a massive crowd had gathered at the gates of Melromarc Castle.

A burly, mustachioed knight from Itsuki's party voiced his confusion and - to an extent - anger. "Hey, what's the big idea!?" he shouted. "The Shield Hero and his gang can get in, so why can't we!?"

A green-haired girl tried to soothe his anger. "P-Please calm down, Sir Mald!"

"Shut up!" Mald shouted at her.

Up on one of the nearby rooftops, three masked figures stood vigilant.

"Eugh..." said one of them - a male with black hair. "Something about mister burly mustache down there rubs me the wrong way."

"Do you think he might have a Palace, senpai?" asked his companion - a short girl with a red ponytail.

"Possible," replied the first.

"If he does, we may have to infiltrate," said the third masked figure - a small, bipedal, cat-like being with an unusually large head. "It's our job, after all."

"Think it could be a Jail?" asked the redhead.

"That might also be the case. Or he might not have one at all," said the cat being. "Only way to find out is to get closer to him and do some more recon."

"Quite the crowd outside," Loretta remarked.

"Hey, guys," said Filo. "We still haven't told the queen about what happened to Mel...do you think she'll be mad?"

"I mean, if her spies are as widespread as they seem," said Sora, "there's a chance she might already know."

"Well, once we finish doing whatever we have to do here," said Aris, "the first thing we're going to prioritize is looking for Melty."

He and his party ascended a flight of stairs to find Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki waiting for them.

"Aris!" said Itsuki. "Good to see you on your feet."

"I guess that exploding moon didn't take as much out of you as it seemed, huh?" Ren mused.

"Oh, I'm still somewhat sick," said Aris. "But I can move - and likely fight - just fine."

Motoyasu looked a little glum.

"Motoyasu?" asked Aris. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah, Myne's been missing for almost a month now," replied the Spear Hero. "And...well, since this is her home, I started feeling worried about her again. I don't like it...I have this feeling that something bad's about to happen to her."

An old man in a suit - the royal advisor - approached. "Ah, the Cardinal Heroes have arrived," he said. "Please, come in. Her Majesty awaits you."

The Heroes - plus Aris's party - followed the advisor into the throne room, all standing together.

"The Four Cardinal Heroes, together at last," said the queen. "I thank you all for coming."

"Myne's still not here..." Motoyasu whispered to himself. "I thought she'd have returned to the castle or something."

"And I don't see the king, either," Itsuki pointed out.

The queen turned to two soldiers stationed at a door on the nearby wall. "Bring them in."

The soldiers opened the door to reveal Aultcray Melromarc XXXII and his daughter Malty - who, of course, was also known as Myne - in chains.

"Myne!" Motoyasu cried.

"S-Sir Motoyasu!" she sobbed.

"They have the king in chains," Ren noticed. "What's happening?"

"It should be obvious," the queen stated. "These two are criminals. Now, then. The trial of the foolish King Consort and the First Princess begins now."

"Mama, please!" Malty sobbed through fake tears. "Why...Why are you being so cruel!?"

"This is madness, I say!" Aultcray exclaimed. "My queen, what cause have you to do such a thing!?"

"With the Four Cardinal Heroes present, this trial seeks to bring punishment to those who shake this country to its core," Queen Mirellia declared. "As queen, I shall serve as judge."

"What!?" Aultcray yelled. "Don't tell me...has the Devil of Hyrule brainwashed you!?"

The queen summoned Permafrost. "Blizzaga."

A bolt of ice shot at Aultcray's feet, forming a prison around his body.

"The Swordsman Shield Hero has no such ability, and you know that," Queen Mirellia said firmly. "I can't believe I would even need to say such a thing."

A man in a robe stepped forward, carrying a bottle and some paintbrushes.

"To ensure a fair and honest trial," said the queen, "both defendants will be given a temporary Slave Crest."

Slave Crest...? Aris was confused for a moment before he remembered. That was what Raphtalia had when I first met her, wasn't it?

"How can you do that!?" Motoyasu yelled at the queen. "She's your daughter."

"And my daughter is also a pathological liar," the queen chided.

"No! No, I'm not!" Malty screamed, attempting and failing to resist her restraints. "I-I'm a good, honest girl! Please, mama!"

The robed man stepped toward Malty, who once again failed to resist. She received her Slave Crest without delay.

Aultcray, too, received one, though he offered no resistance.

"Let us officially begin the trial now," said Queen Mirellia. "Be advised - your crimes are clear for all to see. You cannot lie your way out of this."

"You can't convict them of squat without explanation!" Motoyasu interjected. "Besides, what 'crimes' are you claiming they committed?"

"I will start with a recent event," said the queen. "Under the hypnosis of a dark wizard by the name of Jafar, Pope Biscas T. Balmus of the former Three Heroes Church attempted to assassinate the Cardinal Heroes and frame the Swordsman Shield Hero for the deed, but was ultimately killed by Jafar himself in the attempt. Jafar was then bested in combat by the Heroes. We are rounding up the remnants of the former Three Heroes Church as we speak, offering them therapy and rehabilitation after the trauma of their deeds."

"What's that gotta do with anything!?" Motoyasu demanded.

"Appallingly," said the queen, "the King Consort and the First Princess colluded with the Church to murder the Swordsman Shield Hero. Are there any objections to this charge?"

"What reason would I have to collude with the Three Heroes Church!?" Malty yelled.

Nothing happened.

"Ha! Checkmate!" Motoyasu cheered. "She's innocent." 

"Hm...alright, then," said the queen. "What of the dark wizard, Jafar? You colluded with him, did you not?"

"I don't even know anyone named-NGAAAAAHHHHH!!!" Malty's denial was cut off when her Slave Crest erupted in purple lightning, shocking her body.

Aris gasped. That must be what Slave Crests do when the person bearing one disobeys...

He admittedly wanted to rub his victory in Malty's face, but held back to keep up a somewhat professional front.

"To think the First Princess herself would try to overthrow the state..." said Queen Mirellia. "How appalling."

"I-I wouldn't!" Malty cried. "Forget the Shield! Jafar and the Church tried to kill the other three Heroes, too! They even kidnapped my dear little sister!"

The queen's eyes widened slightly at the mention of Melty. She remained composed, however.

Malty's Slave Crest did not shock her.

"See?" said Motoyasu. "She's innocent there."

"But what of your plan to hand Melty over to the witch Maleficent?" the queen prodded. "I am told that Maleficent wanted Melty for one reason or another. I'm sure you would have been happy to have her out of the way."

"Wh-What!?" Malty cried. "I-I didn't-GAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"

Once more, her body erupted with purple lightning.

"M-Malty!" Aultcray was shocked - in the figurative sense. "Tell me...Tell me you didn't!"

"I-I didn't, papa!" Malty sobbed. "I-I'd never-AAAAAHHHHHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!"

Her Slave Crest lit her up yet again.

"You conspired with forces of darkness and attempted to have Melty kidnapped," Queen Mirellia stated, "so that you could take her place as heir to the throne. When that failed, you falsely accused the Swordsman Shield Hero of abducting her and set fire to the forest in which she was hiding. Any objections?"

Malty attempted to deny it, but her Slave Crest lit up with more lightning than ever.

Aris almost pitied the First Princess - almost.

"Well..." said Ren, "it certainly looked like she didn't have the best intentions for her sister...wherever her sister may be right now."

"We were there, remember?" Itsuki pointed out. "We saw the whole thing."

"And you, King Aultcray," proclaimed Queen Mirellia. "You too conspired with the Church - though not indirectly as Malty did. You conspired directly with them to summon all four Cardinal Heroes to Melromarc while I was away."

"I only did that because we needed the Heroes in order to counter the upcoming Waves of Calamity!" Aultcray cried. "And on their second night here, the Devil of Hyrule subjected Malty to unspeakable acts of depravity!"

"That's right!" Motoyasu agreed. "Aris assaulted her!"

"Then let's ask her about that, shall we?" said the queen. "Malty. Did the Swordsman Shield Hero truly assault you that night?"

"Ye-AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Motoyasu looked horrified. "That's impossible!" he shouted.

"Well, Spear Hero," said the queen. "If you truly disagree with the truth? Why not form a temporary slave pact with her and find out for yourself?"

Motoyasu did so, having Malty's Slave Crest repainted onto her body for him.

"Myne," he said gently. "That night, you were assaulted by Aris, but you managed to escape and came to me for help, right?"

"Y-Yes!" Malty sobbed. "I-I was so scared, Motoyasu! A-And you were the only-NGAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

The trial went on for several more minutes. Aris tuned it all out.

Strangely, however, despite the fact that his name was being cleared, none of it felt any better.

Is it because I know what happens next? he thought, remembering his dream from the night before.

He hated death. He hated seeing people die. He had already seen enough of it.

And despite how much Malty and Aultcray had dragged him through the mud, he dreaded having to witness their heads inside the guillotines. The thought of it made him want to vomit.

The queen pointed with Permafrost at the king and the First Princess. "Hopefully you understand now," she said to the audience. "Despite their royal status, they resorted to underhanded schemes and collusions in their depraved attempts to eliminate their opposition. They are concerned only with obtaining more power for themselves - no consideration for the nation they are supposed to serve."

"N-No...I didn't-AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" Malty made the mistake of denying her crimes yet again.

King Aultcray sighed. "I admit, my actions were certainly unbecoming of royalty. But I swear, I did it all for the sake of my beloved country and my family! That is the only reason I tried to eliminate the Shield. He is the Devil! Surely his presence will bring about the calamity that wrought my family in the past! I can't let that happen again!"

Queen Mirellia took a breath. "It is time to deliver the final verdict. I hereby find Aultcray Melromarc XXXII and Malty Melromarc...guilty of high treason. I hereby strip them of their royal status, effective immediately. They have been sentenced...to death."

Malty began sobbing.

"Your job was to protect our people," declared the queen, "but all you did was waste your time on a meaningless power struggle. The execution will begin at once! Send these sinners to their deaths before all those they have wronged!"

Just like my dream, Aris thought as he saw the masses demand to see Malty and the king executed in the courtyard.

"These criminals shall now be beheaded!" Queen Mirellia announced. "Such is the fate of those who turn against their country and their people. Especially those of royal status. We will prove that right here and right now!"

Soldiers forced the heads of Aultcray and Malty into the guillotines, ignoring the latter's begging and sobbing as they locked the top pieces in place, keeping their heads where they rested.

Is this really right...? Aris pondered.

"Help me, please!" Malty cried. "S-Sir Motoyasu! Sir Motoyasu!!!"

The Spear Hero turned his head away. He couldn't bear to look at his dear Myne after what she had done.

The queen raised her arm. The soldiers raised their swords in tandem. They were ready to sever both the ropes of the guillotines and the heads of the criminals sentenced to them.

Time slowed around Aris. He knew his worst enemies were about to receive their comeuppance. But the knowledge of that did nothing to make him feel any less sick.

Malty did something then that Aris never expected.

"A-Aris..." she said through a breaking voice. "Aris! Please! Help me!"

Her Slave Crest didn't react. She was truly begging for his mercy.

"Hold on!" he suddenly interjected.

Everyone gasped, even the queen herself. All eyes were on the Swordsman Shield Hero.

The crowd wanted to see Malty and the king punished. Aris knew that. But that didn't mean Aris wanted them dead.

So instead, he decided to improvise.

"I believe the death penalty is too...merciful for such heinous criminals," Aris announced. He vaulted over the railing and into the courtyard where the guillotines had been set up. "After all, death is an instant release, is it not? I ask you - do you seriously think such criminals as these should be let off so easily?"

"Malty's Slave Crest didn't react when she was begging me to help her," Aris told the masses. "Which means her skin is thick to the point that she had the audacity to beg me - the one she tried to have killed - for mercy and actually mean it! With skin that thick, I doubt the guillotine would be sharp enough to sever her head!"

That induced a laugh from everyone. Perhaps I should try standup comedy, Aris mused.

"But!" Aris declared. "I have a much more suitable punishment for them. From now on, both the First Princess and the former King Consort should be exiled to beyond Melromarc's borders, with their names changed to 'Bitch' and 'Trash', respectively."

"Wh-What!?" Malty cried. "I refuse to take that name!"

"I advise getting used to it," Aris told her. "Unless you'd rather be executed?"

"By the way," said the queen, "Malty often goes by the alias, Myne, when adventuring. Do you have a replacement for that?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," said Aris. "Whore!"

The crowd howled with laughter. Even Queen Mirellia herself failed to stifle a chuckle. Heh, I really should take up comedy once the Waves are over, Aris thought. He could see himself onstage rousing bar patrons with a good laugh.

The queen composed herself and made a further announcement. "The Swordsman Shield Hero is he who has done the most to set things right," she declared, "and he has graced his enemies with the greatest of mercies. From this day forth, Aultcray Melromarc XXXII will be exiled from Melromarc and be given the name Trash. Malty S. Melromarc will be given the name Bitch, with the adventuring name Whore, and also be exiled. Finally, the Three Heroes Church, which was destroyed with the death of many priests and Pope Biscas T. Balmus at the hands of Jafar, will be rebuilt and rebranded the Four Heroes Church!"

The masses cheered, beginning to throw away their Three Heroes Church rosaries.

"She just single-handedly started a church that no one sees as an enemy," Aris mused. "She's quite a smart lady. I would trust no one else - besides Melty, maybe - with Melromarc's rulership."

He turned and left the courtyard, only to be stopped by the other three Heroes. "Aris," said Motoyasu. "Where are you headed off to?"

"Yeah!" added Itsuki. "The fun's just getting started! Motoyasu, Ren, and I were going to throw a party to celebrate!"

"I take it you haven't changed your mind about leaving?" said the queen as she approached. 

"Yes, but...there is something else," Aris told her. "While...While I was in hiding with Melty, she...she was kidnapped by Idol Rabier."

"Idol Rabier..." the queen gasped. "What...What happened to her?"

"Rabier handed Melty over to a pirate named Captain Hook," Aris explained. "Neither me nor any of my friends know where she is now. That's why we intend to find her before we do anything else." He turned to look at Queen Mirellia. "Your Majesty...mark my words - your daughter will come home."

Queen Mirellia nodded. "I understand. Sir Aris...there is none I would trust aside from you and your friends to bring her to safety. I wish you the best of luck."

Aris smiled at her. "Thank you. And again - she will be home, safe and sound. Count on it."

With that, he and his party left.

Later that evening, Queen Mirellia had ensconced herself to her personal chambers, hard at work writing a letter.

King Mickey,

It has been far too long since you wrote to me, so I pray this letter finds you well. Melromarc's uncertain fate is looking brighter at long last. The name of the Swordsman Shield Hero has at last been cleared before the people.

However, there is something I believe you should know. Of course, the punishment for treason such as the treason committed by my former husband and elder daughter is death and death alone. However, I could not bring myself to bring such a fate upon my kin. Even so...I knew it had to be done, so I brought them to the guillotines to be executed.

It was then that the Swordsman Shield Hero, whom I have come to greatly admire, did something nobody - not even I - expected. He spared their lives, offering the punishment of exile - and rather humorous name changes - to both my former husband and elder daughter.

This brought great relief upon my heavy heart, for if the Swordsman Shield Hero had remained silent, my final plan to spare the lives of my kin was to offer my own life as a sacrifice and beg him to spare both of theirs. To me, it was as if he knew that and acted accordingly. He truly is an admirable young man - he almost reminds me of you in our younger days as Keyblade Wielders training under the Master.

I pray that one day you will be graced with an opportunity to meet him, and I pray all of those in the Disney Kingdom are experiencing great prosperity.

May your heart be your guiding key, old friend.

Best Regards,
Queen Mirellia Q. Melromarc

"You know," said Loretta, "I know I'm going to sound weird for saying this, but...I feel like I'm going to miss being on the run."

"Technically, we still are, to an extent," said Aris. "Though we don't have anything to be on the run from. Instead, we're on the run to find Melty."

Ness nodded. "I just hope she's alright."

"Well, Fitoria said she was!" Filo assured him. "And she's really smart, so that means Melty's okay!"

The psychic boy smiled at her. "I hope that's still true."

As the party ascended to the road leading out of Melromarc, they were greeted by a crowd of people.

"There!" said an onlooker. "Our savior! And his friends!"

The crowd had parted to grant them a passage down the road and out of the capital city.

Up ahead, Melromarc soldiers stood on either side of the street. 

"Honor guard for the Swordsman Shield Hero and his friends!" their commander ordered. "All hands, salute!"

Raphtalia's face lit up with a smile as the soldiers held their swords in a salute. Aris recognized his old friend Ake among them.

"Well," said Sora. "That's new."

"And really cool," Cloud added.

The party began walking down the road as people cheered their names.

"You take care now, children!" said the old mage from the magic shop.

"Show those monsters who's boss and bring the Second Princess home!" cheered Elrasla Grilaroc, the elderly martial artist.

Erhard the generous blacksmith flashed Aris a wink and a thumbs-up. "You're always welcome at Heatwaker Armory, kiddos!"

Aris walked through the gates of Melromarc.

The first time he had done that, all of his money and respect had been washed away because of a false accusation. 

Though he hadn't quite gotten all of it back, he didn't entirely want to. After all, this land had given him far more than it had taken away.

Wherever the Waves go...and wherever Melty is right now, thought Aris, I'm going to go there, too.

Melty clung to the soaking wet mizzenmast of the Black Pearl.

The ship and its hearty crew had been caught in an even heartier storm. Though it was still daytime, darkness had fallen like night, only lit up by flashes of lightning.

"Batten down, men!" Jack Sparrow called out. "We've weathered worse storms before!"

"Aye!" William Turner added. "We can weather this, too!"

"Melty, come on!" Elizabeth held out her hand. "Come below deck, quickly!"

"Not yet!" Melty shouted. "I may be an honorary pirate now, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to help my crew!"

"Then get everyone below deck as fast as ye can, lassie!" Barbossa shouted over the roaring wind and rain. 

"Aye!"

Melty staggered over the constantly moving deck of the Black Pearl, struggling but succeeding in helping her crewmates get to safety.

Some, however, had to stay on deck. One crewman, an elderly man named Joshamee Gibbs - Jack Sparrow's First Mate - had elected to stay above deck. "Some unlucky bastard's gotta be in command up here," he said. "Better me than ye, kid."

"Alright, everyone who isn't needed above deck is below deck now!" said Melty.

"Not yet!" Barbossa called out to her. "Yer still here, lassie. Come on!"

"I'm...trying...!" Melty tried to stay standing despite the rocking of the deck.

She failed.

Melty went flying overboard into the cold ocean below.

"Melty!" Elizabeth cried, holding out a hand in vain to rescue her.

Before anyone could throw a rope or anything her way, a massive wave sent Melty beneath the surface.

Melty held her breath. She used her water magic to manipulate the water around her, forming an air bubble around her head. "Okay...so, I'm surprisingly deep underwater now..."

She began swimming for the surface.

Suddenly, she sensed something. Something below her.

Something massive.

She looked down. A humongous, dark shape had come up below her, splaying its maw to swallow her whole.

It got closer. Melty could see it was a whale of some kind. But this whale did not look like it was friendly.

She swam. Using her water magic to propel her through the sea, Melty bolted for the surface.

She leaped from the waves shouting for help.

But the Black Pearl had been swept too far to hear her.

Below Melty, an enormous monster of a whale burst from the ocean and slammed its jaws shut around her.

Chapter Text

The wheels of Filo's wagon were the only sound in the streets that morning. Everyone else slept soundly in the wagon, save for Loretta, who was in the driver's seat.

Their destination was the cathedral that once housed the Three Heroes Church. Upon their arrival, Filo woke everyone up. "Guys, we're here!"

Everyone groggily opened their eyes and stretched, some yawning.

Sora nudged Aris and Raphtalia, who'd become cuddled up to each other in their sleep. "Hey, lovebirds, wake up."

At the word 'lovebirds' the duo immediately shot awake, vehemently denying any romance between them.

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?"

"Honest!" Raphtalia replied. "Aris and I are just...r-really close friends! There's nothing going on here!"

"Alright," said Cloud. "But don't expect me to be surprised when I catch you two making out."

Everyone quickly loaded off of Filo's wagon as Filo herself shifted into her human form.

"Guys, check that out!" Ness pointed up at the crest of the church. "They changed it!"

Aris looked up. Sure enough, the emblem once had only the sword, spear and bow. Now, it bore a shield to go with them.

"I guess Queen Mirellia was truly serious when she wanted to rebrand the church to worship all four Heroes," he mused. "And now that we're no longer a collective social pariah, we can get our Class Upgrades."

The crew went inside through the still-lavish front door. Upon entrance, they were surprised to see a familiar face.

"Hello!" said Ake, the friendly knight. "It's been a while!"

"Ake!" Aris ran over and exchanged a firm pat on the back with the young knight. "What are you doing here?"

"Her Majesty entrusted care of the church to us while the priests of the old Three Heroes Church are undergoing therapy," explained the youthful mage beside Ake.

"Oh, she did mention the priests were being rehabilitated, didn't she?" Raphtalia remembered.

"That she did," said Ake. "So, what can I do for you all?"

"We're here to get Class Upgrades," replied Aris. 

"I assumed you'd be here for that at some point," Ake mused. "In that case, everyone please follow me. The Hourglass is upstairs."

Aris recalled that day before the second Wave - or, rather, the first Wave he and Raphtalia had experienced - when he and Raphtalia had paid a visit to this same Dragon Hourglass. He remembered the brief verbal altercation he'd had with Motoyasu and Myne - or Bitch, as she was called now. 

"Alright," said Ake. "All who desire Class Upgrades, please step forward and place your hand upon the Dragon Hourglass."

Everyone in Aris's party, including Aris himself, did so.

Aris checked a notification in his status display.

Allow Party Members to Select Their Upgrades Freely?

He chose "yes".

Filo had a glum look on her face as she and the others met with Queen Mirellia.

"So, there was a problem with your Class Upgrades?" said the queen.

"Yes and no," replied Aris. "We were able to get the upgrades, but...for some reason, it wouldn't let any of us pick what upgrade we specifically wanted. We all only received one option."

"Hmm..." The queen pondered for a moment. "I have been told that sometimes, certain items can affect the Class Upgrade process."

"Maybe it's the cowlick Fitoria gave to Filo." Sora flicked the little cowlick on Filo's head.

"Hey, watch it!" Filo pouted.

Queen Mirellia gasped. "Fitoria!? You mean...the Filolial Queen herself!?"

Aris nodded. "We met her. It...wasn't long after Melty was kidnapped."

"Tell me all about her!" the queen gushed. "I want to know everything!"

"Well, in her Filolial form, she was the size of a building!" Filo said excitedly. "She had these feathers that looked like a crown, and some of them were the color of the sky!"

"What else?" the queen demanded.

"She made me her successor!" said Filo. "So now, I'm a Filolial Princess!"

The queen's face lit up with a bright smile. "Ah, that sounds wonderful! To think that sometime, many years into the future...perhaps another Cardinal Hero will be able to meet you! Honestly, I'm jealous that all of you got to meet her before I did."

Ness smiled. "You're...just like your daughter, Your Majesty."

The queen cleared her throat, composing herself. "...Forgive me. I've...always loved Filolials. Just as Melty has."

"Anyway," said Aris, "why did you call us back here? I know we stayed behind to obtain Class Upgrades before setting off to find Melty, but...why did you have us come back? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no, nothing is wrong," said the queen. "In fact, quite the opposite. I'm throwing a party to celebrate the founding of the Four Heroes Church, and I would like all of you to attend. The other three Cardinal Heroes have been asked to attend as well. But, in truth...really, it's just an excuse to have all four of you in one place. There's something you all should know. Again, it's nothing bad. It's something all four of you could benefit from. Especially you. And I will explain why when the time comes."

"I'm...really sorry, everyone," said Aris.

"It's alright." Raphtalia put a tender hand on her hero's shoulder.

"No, it isn't." Aris adjusted his Cloak of Shadows. "You all should have been able to choose your own paths. I...got us involved with Fitoria before we were Class Upgraded, which means I sort of prevented you all from being able to choose your own upgrades."

"Fitoria involved herself with us," Loretta pointed out. "Not the other way around. Besides, we all got an incredible boost to our stats."

"I suppose that's fair," Aris conceded.

"Sir Aris?" said a maid who approached. "Her Majesty is expecting you. Please follow me."

Aris turned back to his party. "We can talk about this later."

He left with the maid.

The party was in full swing now. Musicians played their instruments, offering a sort of background music to the festivities.

Filo, however, was not in good spirits. "Ugh, what's taking Papa so long?"

"He had some business to attend to, remember?" said Cloud.

"Right, but it can't be taking this long!"

"Maybe we can just start eating without him," said Sora. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"Yeah, I'm starving," Ness agreed, chomping into his cake.

Filo joined in, starting to devour her own cake.

Someone suddenly slammed a bottle of wine onto the table beside Raphtalia. She looked up to see Mald, the burly knight from Itsuki's party, very much drunk.

"Hey, look, a filthy lil' Demi!" he chortled. "That's why my wine tastes like ass!"

He leaned down to her level. "You listen here, punk," he sneered. "I don't care if you're with the Swordsman Shield Hero. You Demis have gotta-UGH!"

Raphtalia suddenly elbowed him in the nose.

As a fight broke out, three masked figures looked through the window.

"Think we should help out, Joker?" asked a small, cat-like one.

Joker nodded.

"Well, I'd like to begin," remarked the queen, "but...none of you seem very happy to be here. Perhaps we should've had dinner before the conference."

Aris thought for a moment. He was definitely hungry, but that wasn't what was bothering him.

He turned to the queen. "Maybe we should just get started. After all, the sooner we're done here, the sooner we can go eat, right?"

"Agreed," said the queen. She cleared her throat. "It's no secret that Maleficent and her minions have been...causing trouble for everyone. Especially when Jafar hypnotized the Three Heroes Church. As the sovereign of this country, the responsibility to make it up to you all falls upon my shoulders. But, luckily for you, I have a way to do that. You see, the archipelago of Cal Mira has just recently activated."

Ren gasped. "You're serious?"

"That means it's generating a bonus field, right?" said Itsuki.

"What are either of you talking about?" asked Aris.

"Cal Mira activates once every decade," explained the queen. "When that happens, experience points gained are significantly increased while defeating monsters."

"You seriously didn't know that, Aris?" Motoyasu chided.

Someone knocked on the door. "Pardon me, Your Majesty?"

Queen Mirellia nodded. "Enter."

A maid entered the room and whispered something into the queen's ear.

The queen put a palm to her forehead. "Well, it's a good thing we didn't go to the party after all."

"Is something happening?" asked Aris.

"One of Itsuki's party members, Sir Mald of Melromarc's best knights," said the queen, "got very drunk and started an altercation with Raphtalia. But it seems three figures who call themselves Joker, Violet, and Morgana have stepped in to defend her."

Itsuki clenched a fist. "I like Sir Mald, but I'm gonna have to give him a good talking-to about having too much to drink."

"Well, it seems that Joker, Violet, and Morgana - whoever those three are - have things under control, so can we move on?" asked Aris.

"Very well," said the queen. "While Maleficent and her minions have certainly played a part, I believe the biggest reason you four haven't leveled up as fast as you should is the animosity between you. Therefore, I believe it would be...prudent for you to clear the air. If you can all share what you've learned with each other, your trip to Cal Mira will be so much more efficient."

Ren scoffed. "Doesn't seem necessary."

"I already know what I need to know," added Motoyasu.

Itsuki sighed, "We'd just be wasting time."

Unbelievable... Aris thought. Have they learned nothing?

The queen closed her hand fan. "Then allow me to be blunt. If nothing changes between the four of you, I imagine that Sir Aris will survive the next Wave, but the rest of you will not."

Everyone gasped.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Ren.

"I'd have thought you would know by now," said the queen. "The three of you were unable to scratch the giant robot during the last wave. I don't know whether it was a sign of its pilot's craftsmanship, or your own weakness, but either way, your foes will only be getting stronger. As such, it's highly unlikely that you'll survive the next one. The only way you will survive is if all four of you rally together. Think of this conference as a way to cultivate that solidarity."

"Then let's start with Aris," said Itsuki. "How'd you get that hands on that form of yours?"

"I'll say it again a thousand times!" Joker - a young man with a mask and a black coat - held Mald at gunpoint. "The Swordsman Shield Hero is weak! Nothing but dead weight!"

Violet - a young lady with a mask of her own and a crimson red ponytail - kept Raphtalia held back. "I understand how you're feeling, but please calm down!"

"I'm perfectly calm," said Raphtalia.

Violet let go. "Good."

"Now," said Raphtalia, drawing her sword, "I'm going to calmly take out the trash."

"Wait, no!"

"I'm telling you, the Fierce Deity form isn't any sort of...cheat!" Aris exclaimed. "I don't even know what it is!"

Everyone stayed silent.

Aris sighed. "Fine. I'll tell you everything I know. But you all have to tell me your secrets first."

"Guess we don't have much of a choice," said Motoyasu. "So, alright. I've found that when you pick up a weapon that's the same as your Cardinal Weapon - in your case, Aris, a shield - you can copy it using the aptly named Weapon Copy System."

"Yep!" said Itsuki. "It was a great help when we were starting out, since we got a bunch of strong weapons pretty much for free!"

"I still use one of my early weapon copies sometimes," Ren mused.

"Wait a second, I could have done that from the very start!?" Aris exclaimed. "And all you have to do is pick it up!?"

"That you do," said Motoyasu.

Itsuki chuckled. "Jeez, I feel kinda bad for you, Aris."

"Tell me more," Aris demanded.

"I'll go next," said Ren. "As long as you have the right materials, you can feed them to your weapon, and it'll craft something for you. I use it to make potions a lot."

"And to think I've been doing it by hand all this time!"

"There's a teleportation skill, too," Itsuki added. "If you use it, you can instantly warp to any major location you've already visited. It's helpful if you wanna get to and from a place you've already been."

"Well, that would certainly have made my life easier."

"And here's something I'm sure you didn't know," said Itsuki. "The strongest weapons are almost always the rarest ones."

"Oh, don't feed the man lies," Ren said flippantly. "It's weapon proficiency, not rarity."

"You're both wrong!" Motoyasu argued. "Weapon refinement is the key to strength!"

"Are you crazy!?" Itsuki shouted. "Rare weapons are clearly much more valuable!"

A three-way argument broke out between them.

Aris sighed. "And this is why I don't like having to work with them."

"I don't blame you," the queen whispered. "They argue like children."

Aris slammed his fist on the table. "If you all are going to keep arguing, I'll just leave and come back when you're done bickering like the children you are."

He got up and left the conference room, walking into the banquet hall - and into absolute chaos.

Tables were broken, food made a mess of everything, and people were fighting for seemingly no reason.

"What just happened here?"

"I just couldn't stand listening to that man badmouth you like that," Raphtalia apologized.

"It's alright," said Aris. "Besides, things didn't really go that much better for me, either."

"The Heroes were arguing again?" asked Loretta.

Aris nodded.

"Say, Raphtalia," he said, "those masked people who were helping you. Who were they? Do you know them?"

"No," replied Raphtalia, "but they called themselves Joker, Morgana, and Violet."

As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door.

"Who is it?" asked Raphtalia.

"It's us," replied a voice familiar to her.

"Violet?" said Raphtalia. "You can come in."

A young woman with a red ponytail entered the room, followed by a young man with black hair and a short, cat-like being. All of them wore masks.

"Hello," said Raphtalia. "Thanks again for helping me out."

"No worries," said Joker. "Anyway..."

"We were wondering if we could join you guys' party," Morgana finished.

"Right," Violet agreed. "We heard you all were quite strong, and that most of you were from...other worlds."

"Are you all from another world, too?" asked Ness.

Joker nodded. "And we're kind of looking for a way back home. So, we were wondering if we could come with you just in case we find one."

"Well, I'm not against it," said Aris, "but I want to make sure the others agree with my decision."

Everyone didn't hesitate to voice their agreement.

"Well, it's settled," said Aris. "Joker. Violet. Morgana. Welcome aboard."

"Where are the other Heroes?" asked Aris.

"They left earlier this morning," replied Queen Mirellia. "Anyway, the ship I've arranged for you is docked in a harbor quite far from here. It will take you some time to reach it."

"Then we should get going," said Loretta. "Everyone load up into Filo's wagon."

"Wait," said Filo. "With how many of us there are, I don't think there'll be enough people."

"Don't worry," Morgana assured her. "Watch this!"

In a poof, he transformed.

"A...bus?" said Cloud.

Sure enough, Morgana had transformed from a strange little cat creature to a small car in the shape of a bus.

"I can do a helicopter as well," said Morgana, "but that's a little harder. But in any case, there's a total of nine seats in here, so there's more than enough to have everyone inside, plus some spare space.

"But I wanna pull my wagon..." Filo complained.

"Don't worry," Aris assured her. "You can still pull your wagon. We'll just load it up with supplies instead of people."

"That works!"

"But before we set out," said Aris, "I'll need to make a quick stop at Heatwaker Armory."

"Hey, kiddo!" Erhard said happily. "How 'bout that trial, huh? Betcha feel great, now that you're not a criminal anymore."

"Oh, I do," said Aris. "Hey, watch this."

He picked up a strong-looking metal shield. His status display notified him that it was made of something called Shadowsteel.

The Weapon Copy System appeared in his display. He highlighted the Shadowsteel Shield and copied it.

"Ha! It worked!"

"Hang on, what worked!?" exclaimed Erhard, noticing the identical copy of the shield on Aris's arm. "You keep that up, and I'll be out of business!"

"Hey, Aris!" Sora and Cloud emerged from the back room, each with an armload of shields.

Erhard sighed. "Oh, jeez..."

Before long, all the shields in Erhard's shop had been copied.

"Don't worry," Aris assured the old blacksmith. "I can pay you back right now."

He reached for his money pouch.

"Don't worry about it for now," said Erhard. "I'll put it on your tab. Besides, I'm sure you'll make even more at Cal Mira."

Filo's wagon and the aptly named Morgana Bus pulled into the ruins of an old village. Raphtalia looked out the window wistfully. "Can...Can we stop here, Joker?" she asked.

"Huh? Why?"

"I'll...explain later."

Joker pressed down on the brake pedal, pulling Morgana to a stop. Once everyone was out, Morgana returned to his normal form.

Raphtalia walked through the village, reaching the edge of a cliff, where a small gravestone sat. "Mom...dad..." she said softly. "It's been a while..."

"This is Raphtalia's village..." Aris said to himself. "Or...what's left of it."

Van Reichnott arrived on the scene as if on cue. "Everyone in the village contributed to burying the dead. We found more survivors in Idol's dungeon after you lured away the dragon."

"Hey, Raphtalia," said two familiar voices.

Raphtalia looked over her shoulder to find Keel and Rifana. She gave them both a hug.

"We're going to do whatever we can to bring back our village," said Rifana.

Aris got up and walked through the ruins.

He remembered doing the same thing on a return trip he had taken to Hyrule. There was a village in the eastern reaches of the Necluda Province - a town called Hateno. He remembered enjoying visiting its people.

Now, he remembered, the village lay in shambles, just like the rest of Hyrule.

"I don't know if there's any way to restore Hyrule," he said. "But surely there must be some way to restore this village."

"Hey, you there!" said an unfamiliar voice.

A muscular man with fiery red hair and tattoos covering his arms approached him. "You live around here?"

Aris shook his head. "My party and I are just passing through."

"Oh," said the man.

A woman with a light blue braid stepped up next to him. "I...feel sad to see this place in such a state," she said. "It was likely once a bustling village, but now it's nothing but rubble."

"L'Arc, Therese," said a second woman, one with black hair, "we should be going."

"Ah, right, we have work to do," said the man, presumably L'Arc. "See ya, kiddo!"

The three left.

"You idiot! You utter disgrace!"

Malty cried out as Maleficent kicked her to the ground.

"B-But mistress!" she cried. "I-None of that was in my control!"

"All of it was!" Maleficent yelled, slamming her foot into Malty's face. "You are a failure! You are no better than that bumbling idiot, Pete!"

She raised her staff, conjuring a jet of green flames, burning Malty's body.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Malty screamed. "H-Have mercy...please...!"

"Mercy?" Maleficent cackled. "There is no mercy."

More flames erupted from her staff, and more screams erupted from Malty's mouth.

The flames stopped. "You are no longer my apprentice," said Maleficent. "You were no longer my apprentice several days ago. You have been replaced!"

Malty screamed as more of Maleficent's flames seared her body.

"Do not worry," Maleficent crooned. "I'm not going to kill you. I'm sure I'll be able to find...other uses for you. But for now..."

More screams of agony echoed through the chambers of her castle.

Chapter Text

The ship sailed through the ocean, parting waves in its wake as it did so.

In the cabins below deck, Aris and some friends were conversing with the people he'd seen at the village yesterday.

"Name's L'Arc Berg Sickle," said the muscular redhead.

"My name is Therese Alexandrite," added the woman with the blue hair.

"And I am Glass," finished the woman with black hair.

"Name's Sora!" added the Keyblade Wielder.

"And I'm Aris," finished the Swordsman Shield Hero. "Aris Atreides."

"Aris, huh?" L'Arc exchanged a look with Therese and Glass.

Then they all started laughing.

"Hey, what's funny?"

"Kid, if you're gonna use an alias," L'Arc chuckled, "I really wouldn't recommend the Swordsman Shield Hero's name."

"It's not an alias," said Aris. "I'm him."

L'Arc laughed even harder. "You!? You're the guy!?"

Glass sighed. "You know, it's really not that funny, L'Arc."

"He does have a point," Therese mentioned. "Aris, your alias is a little too...conspicuous."

L'Arc's laughter suddenly turned to seriousness. "The Swordsman Shield Hero has...a reputation. And not a good one. Scamming...blackmail...kidnapping...he and his powerful friends will execute anyone he doesn't like. At least, that's what I've heard."

"Well, if you were to ask...certain people..." Aris's mind turned to Bitch, "that isn't entirely inaccurate. But I'm not actually like that. Those are just rumors."

"I mean, I definitely don't know ya all that well," said L'Arc, "but I can still tell you're nothing like those people say you are, kiddo."

"Anyway," said Therese, "you're all going to Cal Mira?"

Sora nodded. "It just activated, and we all just got Class Upgrades, so we're going there to level up."

"Hey, now that I think about it," Raphtalia whispered to Aris, "did Joker, Violet, and Morgana get upgrades?" 

"I checked their levels, and they did," Aris whispered back.

"We're going to Cal Mira, too," said Glass.

"And since we've both got the same goal in mind," L'Arc added, "why don't we team up while we're there? Even if it's just temporary."

"I'll consider it," said Aris. "You all seem like strong individuals. But, for now, I'm going to head up on deck to visit the others."

He left the cabins and went up on the deck.

Morgana was leaning against a railing near the middle of the ship. Joker and Violet were at the bow. Violet was standing on a crate with her arms spread out at her sides, with Joker holding her waist.

Aris cleared his throat. "What are you two doing?"

"We saw this in a movie!" Violet said, raising her voice over the sound of the waves.

"A...movie?"

Aris knew what movies were. He had been to several technologically advanced worlds. Movies were like moving pictures, ways to portray a story or something of the sort. Like books one could watch instead of read.

Whatever 'movie' that had inspired Joker and Violet to pose like this, however, was beyond his memory. He decided to leave them to their business.

He noticed Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki all sitting near the edge of the ship, groaning. Ren held his stomach. Motoyasu leaned over the edge and retched, depositing his half-digested lunch into the seawater below.

Itsuki looked at Aris. "How come you're not seasick?"

"I'm just not," said Aris. "I guess you three aren't as lucky."

"Please, respectfully go away..." Motoyasu strained. "I can barely think straight right now..."

"Very well." Aris left the three Heroes to their seasickness.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over him. He quickly jumped out of the way.

A large, silver-ish shark-like monster landed on the deck, almost crushing him flat.

He rushed to the edge of the boat to find Filo in her Filolial form, swimming in the water. "Hiya, Papa!" she waved with her wing. "I'm hunting dinner!"

She can swim? Aris thought. That's...unexpected.

He stepped closer to the dead shark monster.

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED (HOSTILE)

Silverscale Shark

Species: Aquatic Monster

Habitat: Warm oceans, coral reefs

DESC: The Silverscale Shark is a common, yet surprisingly powerful species of marine monster. They are not as hostile as most monsters, however, and rarely attack people, preferring to hunt their usual prey of fish and sea turtles. In some cultures and in most seaside towns, they are considered a delicacy and are known to be very delicious. This deceased specimen was hunted by a member of your party.

Aris plucked a few scales from the monster's body, feeding them to his right arm. His display notified him that a new shield had been unlocked.

Silverscale Shield? he thought. He read its description and equip bonus. Allows wielder and all registered party members to transform into merfolk underwater!?

Some sailors came by and took away the body of the shark.

"Hey, kiddo!" L'Arc and Therese arrived on deck. The former glanced at the other three Cardinal Heroes. "They alright?"

"They're just seasick," said Aris. "Did you need something?"

Therese stepped forward. "Raphtalia was telling me how skilled you are at crafting jewelry," she said. "If it's not too much trouble, would you be willing to craft an accessory for me?"

"A little...random, but I can do that," said Aris. "I'm afraid I don't have many materials on hand, though."

"Oh, I have something here." Therese handed him a leather bag. "You can help yourself to anything in here that you need. And, of course, I'll be sure to pay you for your work."

Aris opened the bag and examined the materials inside. He noticed a particularly beautiful red gemstone.

"Well, it may take some time, since I can't work on the accessory while I'm leveling up," he said. "But I'll have it ready for you as soon as possible."

Beneath his feet, the boat rocked unusually wildly.

L'Arc sighed. "Guess a storm's brewing not far from here."

"Really?" asked Aris.

L'Arc nodded. "Yep. Heard the crew saying we're in for a rough night."

Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki all groaned.

After what was definitely a rough night of sailing through a great storm, the ship finally arrived at the central island of Cal Mira.

"This place is beautiful!" Raphtalia gushed.

"And hot," Joker panted. "I'm cooking over here."

"Maybe we shouldn't have worn our Phantom Thief outfits, senpai," Violet chuckled.

Motoyasu was being carried off the boat in a stretcher, moaning about his seasickness.

Loretta chuckled. "He certainly had a rough night."

"Pardon me, everyone."

Everyone turned to see a pale-looking man with black hair and sideburns. He wore a well-cleaned suit and tie. "A pleasure, all of you," he said formally. "I am Count Habenburg, the caretaker of this humble chain of islands. I am here to escort the Heroes to the inn."

"With all due respect, sir," said Sora, "the other three are seasick. It's just Aris and...well, all of us in his party."

"Ah, very well, then," said Count Habenburg. "I suppose the Swordsman Shield Hero alone will do. And his party, of course."

Loretta leaned to Aris and whispered into his ear, "we really need an official group name."

Aris nodded. "I'm considering a few options."

Aris looked through the brochure that he had received from the Count. "We're only allowed to travel from island to island via an established network of transport boats," he said to his party. "And we should try to eliminate as many monsters as possible without interrupting the battles being undergone by other adventurers or stealing their kills."

"Sounds like this sort of thing is standard for whenever the islands activate," Ness remarked.

"Anyway," said Raphtalia, "if what the Count said is true, then this statue here is meant to signify the original inhabitants who developed these islands."

She pointed to a structure resembling a totem pole.

"And according to this brochure," Cloud skimmed one of his own, "there's supposed to be some sort of message left by an ancient Cardinal Hero."

"Could it be this thing?" Morgana pointed to a stone tablet at the base of the statue.

"It looks like it." Aris held out his hand to the tablet's ancient writing. "As source of thy power, I order thee - decipher the meaning of this writing and grant strength unto the target of my choice." He pointed his hand at Filo. "Zweit Aura."

Light engulfed Filo's body for a moment.

"I feel...stronger," she said. "Let me try..."

She bent her legs at the knees and jumped as high as she could, easily reaching higher than the rooftops with ease. "Wahoo!!!"

Filo landed with a graceful bend of her knees.

"And she sticks the landing!" Morgana cheered.

"Kiddo!" Aris turned to see L'Arc, Glass, and Therese approaching. "Little miss Filo has a serious vertical leap! Led us right to ya!"

Aris chuckled.

"You kinda got off the boat without even sayin' goodbye," L'Arc mused.

"Sorry about that," said Aris. "I didn't know you wanted me to."

"Ha! No worries!" L'Arc clapped him on the shoulder. "But, hey, you never really answered us when we asked if you wanted to team up."

"We've only just arrived," Glass added, "so we still need to get our bearings here. But we could assist each other."

"Well, you all seem strong, so I guess it wouldn't hurt us to team up," said Aris.

"Alright!" L'Arc gave him a firm handshake. "Glad to be workin' with ya!"

"L'Arc," said Therese, "could we go check out that shop now? I need to buy a new swimming suit."

"Alright, alright." L'Arc turned to leave with Therese and Glass. "We'll catch up with ya later!"

The party was fighting through hordes of weak slime monsters and gaining surprising amounts of experience points.

"This is a cakewalk!" Sora blasted a slime with Firaga. "And they just keep coming!"

A large frog monster appeared, only for Filo to nail it with a powerful uppercut.

Joker whipped out a pistol and shot down a slime with a single bullet.

Several approached Violet, who pulled out a double-barreled shotgun and blasted them all to pieces with a resounding bang.

They're using very modern-looking firearms... Aris pondered. They must be from a world with a lot of technological advancements.

"Guys?" Raphtalia said. "My EXP isn't going up."

"Neither is mine," said Cloud.

An arrow suddenly shot through the air, piercing a slime. "Oh, it's you guys."

Everyone looked to see Itsuki's party.

"Where's my EXP?"

Motoyasu arrived on the scene.

"What are you guys doing here?" said Ren as he approached the other three Heroes. "I can't farm monsters like this. You all are stunting my EXP."

Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki all started bickering over who had found the spot first.

Aris sighed. "Let's move, everyone."

They took a boat to a different island with stronger monsters.

Several hours later, their levels had gone up by over forty.

Filo kicked a large beast into a tree. "Joker! Violet!"

Both of them reached for their masks as blue flames engulfed them.

"Come, Arsene!"

"Let's dance, Vanadis!"

From Joker's mask, a being in a red suit with black wings came forth. From Violet's, a being in a dancer dress with black hair.

"Eigaon!" Using Arsene, Joker shot out a bolt of cursed black and red energy, severely hurting the monster.

Violet drew a sword. "Vorpal Blade!" Channeling power from Vanadis, she leaved the monster in two.

Their respective aides disappeared, returning their masks.

"What were those?" asked Aris.

"Their Personas," Morgana explained. "Inner manifestations of their rebellious spirit. I have one myself."

"Whatever that means, check out our EXP gains!" Ness exclaimed excitedly.

Everyone had gained quite a lot, despite the fact that the monster they had just killed was fairly weak.

"Aris?" Raphtalia said worriedly, showing him her sword.

Aris winced. "That's quite a bit of damage."

"I think your levels have outgrown your weapons' durability," Aris pointed out. He glanced at Filo's feet. Her Wyvern Talons - the ones Loretta had stolen from the tent of the slave trader from whom Raphtalia had escaped - were very worn down. "We'll have to buy you two some new weapons before the next Wave."

Aris approached the fallen monster, a Karma Dog, and fed its materials to his arm. He noticed something - two perfectly fitting weapons had dropped for Raphtalia and Filo. He equipped them for them. Raphtalia held a new sword, and Filo's gloves were replaced by a set of claws. "Those should work," he said.

"Perfect!" said Raphtalia. "Thank you so much!"

She ran over and hugged Aris, who returned the embrace.

Joker cleared his throat.

Aris glanced over at him. "What? Am I not allowed to embrace a good friend?"

"Something tells me she's a little more than that," the Phantom Thief mused.

"Guess we did get some better drops after nightfall," said Ness, "but the monsters are way stronger. Even for us."

"We're used to fighting in the dark," Morgana remarked. "Me, Joker, and Violet, at least."

Raphtalia looked worriedly at Aris. "You look really tired, and not from lack of sleep," she said. "Is it..."

Aris sighed. "It's that obvious...well, ever since using my final attack during the battle with Jafar...my body still feels the effects. Only a small amount, though."

Raphtalia looked really concerned for him.

The undergrowth suddenly rustled.

Joker whipped out his pistol. "Who's there?"

The blade of a scythe cleaved through the bushes, revealing L'Arc and Therese. "Oh, thank goodness!" said L'Arc. "We were getting worried!"

"Why are you out here so late?" asked Cloud. "And where's Glass?"

"She went to bed early," explained Therese. "But the ferryman was getting worried since all of you have been here for a while."

"So, you came looking for us?" said Morgana.

"I mean, adventurers dying on a quest isn't anything new," Aris pointed out.

"That doesn't mean I'm gonna just ignore you, though!" L'Arc shot back. "Because I'd never be able to live with myself if my colleagues were to turn up missing. Or worse."

"'Colleagues?'"

"I mean, that's what we are, right?" said L'Arc.

Therese spoke before Aris could. "We haven't even been here a full twenty-four hours," she mentioned. "I know you probably want to level up as fast as possible, but maybe you should call it a night."

"Alright," said Aris.

"Nice!" L'Arc put an arm around Aris. "In that case, why not join me and Therese for some drinks? You look like you could loosen up a bit."

"I don't drink," Aris replied. "But...maybe just this once."

"To our safe return and a wonderful day of grinding!" L'Arc announced, raising his mug of ale.

"Here, here." Aris clinked his own mug against L'Arc's before joining him in taking a drink. The ale was rather strong, but Aris found it surprisingly easy to get down.

"Oi, barkeep!" L'Arc called out. "Another, please!"

Aris stood by the bar, perusing some of their lighter products. He decided he might want to bring some back home.

Filo and Sora performed a vocal duet alongside the musicians, who happily accompanied an improvised rhapsody the duo performed.

Aris was reaching for something at the bar when a very much drunken Raphtalia stumbled up to him. "Hey there-hic-sweetheart," she cooed, her voice bearing a drunken slur.

Aris blushed. "U-Um..."

Raphtalia leaned in close, her breath smelling of sweet red wine.

"Are-hic-Are you single?" she said flirtatiously.

"Y-Yes?"

"Awesome!" she said. "You-hic-wanna..."

"Raphtalia...you're drunk."

"I'm not-hic-drunk!"

Violet chuckled back at the table. "Drunken words are sober thoughts, as they say," she quipped. "Something tells me Raphtalia feels more for Aris than she lets on."

"Is it not obvious?" Loretta laughed. "They're both head over heels for each other!"

"Then why are they not together yet?" Cloud sipped a glass of wine, having elected to go for a lighter drink tonight.

"I don't know!" Loretta replied. "That's what I keep telling Aris."

Meanwhile, Aris and L'Arc had a conversation by the bar.

Aris reached into a bowl of small, round, red fruit. "What are these?"

"Cohol fruits," said L'Arc. "They're normally made into wine. And they're so strong, you only have to dilute one of them in a cask of water to get something drinkable."

Aris grabbed one out of the bowl, much to L'Arc's surprise. "Wait!" said L'Arc. "What are you-"

Before he could finish, Aris popped it into his mouth. "Hm..." he said, chewing. "Not bad." He swallowed it.

"How did you-!?"

"I have no idea, but these taste nice." Aris popped another Cohol into his mouth. "I might just have to buy some for myself."

"Ready for another day?" said L'Arc.

Aris nodded. "Is Glass still not with you?"

"She wanted to go off solo today."

"Right," said Aris. He turned to Therese. "I managed to finish the accessory you wanted, by the way."

He reached into his pouch and pulled out a silver bangle. "I'm surprised you managed to get your hands on a Starfire!" he mused. "Those are ridiculously rare!"

Therese excitedly took the bangle from him. "It's...beautiful!" she gushed. "I-I love it!"

Tears flowed down her cheeks. "I...had no idea you were this skilled at crafting," she said.

"But do you really have to cry about it?" said L'Arc. "It's just a piece of jewelry."

"Don't you understand, L'Arc!?" Therese chided. "Just looking at this absolute masterpiece is opening up so many doors for me!"

"Well, I'm glad you like it," said Aris. "Now, I'd hate to bring up money, but..."

Therese shoved a pouch of coins into his hands. Aris looked inside to find it chock-full of gold coins.

"I know it's not nearly enough for something so beautiful, but it's the most I can afford to pay," said Therese

"This...is a lot," he said. "Way more than enough. I can make change, though."

"No!" Therese exclaimed. "If it's more than enough, keep the change! You've earned it!"

"Your party's pretty high-level," L'Arc pointed out.

"We've been spending a lot of time in battle," said Aris. "We didn't get Class Upgrades until recently, though."

"Surprising," Therese remarked. "I'm at level 52, and L'Arc is at 56. Glass recently reached level 60."

So, they have Class Upgrades as well, Aris thought. They certainly are seasoned adventurers, then.

The group arrived on an island filled with dense woodlands.

"So," said Raphtalia, "maybe we should-"

She was cut off by a spawning group of Neoshadows.

L'Arc cut some down with his scythe, sending a blade of energy into the Heartless.

Therese's hair turned deep red as she channeled a spell. "Bejeweled Ruby Blaze!"

A blast of blue fire - ironic, considering the name of the spell - shot forth from her hands, incinerating the remaining Neoshadows.

"The EXP curve slowed down a lot when we hit level 70," Aris pointed out to the others.

"Then let's try our hand at the bigger ones," said L'Arc, pointing ahead at a horde of Neoshadows led by a massive quadrupedal Heartless known as a Dark Hide.

Morgana reached for his headband. "Zorro, show your might!"

A large, armored warrior appeared in a burst of blue flames behind him, wielding a sword.

"Magarudyne!" With a command from Morgana, Zorro summoned a massive green tornado.

Sora pointed his Keyblade. "Triple Firaga!"

Therese's hair turned red. "Bejeweled Ruby Blaze!"

Fire imbued Magarudyne, incinerating the Neoshadows.

"All that's left is the big one!" said L'Arc.

Everyone rushed into battle against the Dark Hide.

"Man, what a day!" L'Arc mused. "Those Heartless things really are strange."

"With your help, we gained quite a lot of levels," said Raphtalia. 

"And we had a blast!" Ness cheered.

Therese smiled. "I couldn't agree more."

"A shame Glass wasn't here," Aris remarked. "She would've had fun too, I imagine."

"She probably had her own fun," L'Arc pointed out. "Either way, we'll see you around later."

He and Therese returned to the inn.

"Since we worked so hard today," said Aris, "I propose a day off tomorrow. All in favor of a day at the beach?"

Everyone nodded.

Aris and his party frolicked on the beach that day.

Loretta was helping Joker and Morgana - who wore more casual wear instead of their usual outfits - build a sand castle. Cloud was tanning his back on a towel. Ness and Filo splashed each other in the shallow water. Aris sat on a beach chair, staring out at the waves.

"A-Aris?" 

Raphtalia approached, clad in a...very revealing swimsuit. "Wh-What do you think...?"

Aris turned bright red. "U-Um...I think it's perfect!"

She lit up with a smile.

Meanwhile, Sora stood in the sand, looking a little glum.

"Sora?" Violet approached, also wearing more casual clothing. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," replied Sora. "Just...homesick."

"Homesick?" asked Violet. "Why?"

"I'm an islander," said Sora. "Beaches...always remind me of home."

"Oh...I'm...I'm very sorry to hear that."

"No worries." Sora smiled at her. "Besides, I know I'll be able to go home eventually."

"Hey, everyone! Gather 'round!" said Aris. "I have an idea!"

Everyone stood around him. "So," said Aris. "While we were on the ship, Filo hunted a shark."

"We ate it for dinner, didn't we?" said Raphtalia. "What about it?"

"Well," said Aris, "before the sailors took it away, I managed to absorb some of its scales and got this."

He equipped the Silverscale Shield.

"What's it do?" asked Sora.

"You'll all find out," replied Aris. "Once we go underwater, that is."

"Then, we're going underwater?" asked Cloud.

Aris nodded. "This beach trip is turning into an underwater endeavor!"

The party went to a nearby dock.

"On three," said Aris.

Everyone counted in unison. "One...two..."

"...three!"

They all jumped in together.

As the bubbles cleared below the surface, everyone collectively gasped - not only because they could breathe underwater, but because of the transformations they and the others had undergone.

Most of them now had the lower halves of various species of fish or marine mammal, with Loretta being a bit of an outlier with the tentacles of an octopus.

"This is amazing!" she said. "Now I have ten arms!"

"I'm a fish, Papa! Look!" Filo darted through the water, her undulating fish tail having sail-like fins on either side.

Everyone took some time getting used to their new forms, except for Sora.

"You seem like you've done this before," Raphtalia remarked.

"I have!" said the Keyblade Wielder. "I went to a world where merfolk live. They taught me how to swim like they do."

"Well, can you teach us?" asked Cloud.

"I could..." said Sora, "but I think it's better if a real mermaid teaches you."

"I don't see any mermaids around here," Ness pointed out.

"How about now?" Sora pulled out a small blue pendant and held it forward. "Ariel!"

In a flash of blue light and bubbles, an ethereal mermaid appeared. She had flowing red hair and an aquamarine fish tail.

"Sora!" she said. "It's been so long!"

"Yeah, nice to see ya again." Sora high-fived the mermaid.

Ariel looked around. "Oh, you have friends with you?"

"Yep!" said Sora. "Everyone, care to introduce yourselves?"

Everyone did so.

"Well, I'm Ariel," she said. "A mermaid from...Sora, this is another world, right?"

Sora nodded. "Yep!"

Ariel cheered. "I'm really glad! Since I'm bound to the sea and all, I'm always happy to be in other worlds. Even so, you summoned me on land a lot on your last journey. And...well, I can survive on land as one of your Summons, but it's nice to be back underwater again."

"Summons?" asked Violet.

"Sora carries these pendants with him - they're called Heartbinders," said Ariel. "With them, he can summon a number of friends he's made in the past - and when they're summoned, they can aid him in battle. I did this a lot, with my hydromancy. And the best part is that I finally got my wish: to see other worlds!"

"That's amazing!" said Raphtalia.

"Isn't it?" Ariel agreed. "So, Sora, why did you want to see me?"

"Well," said Sora, "Aris has this ability to let us transform into merfolk like you whenever we enter the water. It's a shield he carries."

Aris showed Ariel the Silverscale Shield.

"Oh, how fascinating!" said Ariel. "And...let me guess, none of you have been able to swim like this before?"

Filo shook her head. "I think I'm getting the hang of it, but I don't think anyone else has yet."

"Well, that won't do!" said Ariel. "How about I teach you?"

Everyone agreed.

"Wonderful!" Ariel gushed. "Just move your tails like this, everyone!" Ariel demonstrated by moving her tail. "Loretta, you move your tentacles like this..." She demonstrated with her fingers, "and all of you will be swimming like mermen and mermaids in no time!"

Everyone replicated Ariel's movements. "Whoa!" said Cloud. "We're swimming!"

"Haha, yeah!" Morgana cheered. "This is where it's at!"

Everyone swam about in the water together.

"You see?" said Ariel. "It's as simple as that."

"Thank you, Miss Ariel!" said Filo.

"I'm happy to help, little Filo." Ariel gave Filo a pat on the head. "Now, I'm afraid I'll have to return to my world. It was nice to meet all of you!"

"Nice to meet you too, Ariel!" said Ness. "See ya!"

In a flash of light, Ariel returned to her Heartbinder.

"Guys, check out that building down there!" Ness pointed to something down on the bottom of the ocean.

Sure enough, there was a strange, temple-like building with a roof of red shingles. 

"Should we examine it?" Aris asked his party. "There could be monsters for us to hunt."

Everyone agreed.

Moving their fish tails and tentacles, everyone swam toward the temple.

"Look, there's a door!" Loretta pointed with one of her tentacles.

"Everyone, push," said Aris. 

The party swam up to the door and pushed it open together, the water providing a fair amount of resistance. The door, however, still opened, allowing the party to swim inside.

"I think we can surface in here," said Joker, pointing upward.

Everyone swam to the surface of the water and got out onto what felt like a flight of stairs, carefully ascending them so as not to stub their toes.

"It's too dark to see much of anything..." Morgana remarked.

Raphtalia held out her hands. "Light."

A sphere of light shot from her hands and into the ceiling, greatly illuminating the area.

Everyone gasped.

"A Dragon Hourglass!?" Aris shouted. "That means this place can be hit by a Wave!"

Everyone gasped again.

"And...if my math is correct," Loretta examined the sands within the hourglass, "the Wave is coming in just two days!"

Chapter Text

Wisps of green energy coalesced to form Aris and his party outside of Melromarc Castle.

"Wow," said Raphtalia. "You can just teleport us anywhere?"

"Only if I've visited the destination in the past," replied Aris. "But that isn't important right now."

He and the others rushed into Melromarc Castle, explaining their situation to the guards, who promptly let them through.

"Your Majesty!" Aris said. "I...I have bad news!"

"What is it?" Queen Mirellia asked urgently.

"I think we may have found the location of the next Wave," he said.

"We were swimming off the coast of Cal Mira," Ness added. "And we found something underwater. There was this...this weird building. And when we went inside...we found one of those hourglasses."

"An hourglass!?" the queen was shocked. "Then...that means Cal Mira can be hit by the next Wave!"

"Which is why we need to prepare," said Aris.

"Understood," said the queen. "I shall arrange a company of naval vessels off the coast. Thank you for alerting me."

"I have no idea how," said the queen at the helm of her flagship, "but we made it."

"I'm just impressed you managed to rally an armada like this on such short notice," Cloud mused.

"Well, preparing for the Waves is part of the royal family's duties," Ness pointed out. "Melty told me that once."

"But what about the islanders?" asked Sora. "Will they be able to get off the islands in time?"

He recalled the day his life as a world-hopper started: that night of fate on Destiny Islands.

"Count Habenburg was quick to act," replied the queen. "All of the islanders have already been evacuated. Besides, we have every reason to believe that this Wave will happen out here at sea. You need only worry about surviving the fight."

"Guys, look!" Filo pointed to a nearby ship. "Over there! It's L'Arc and Therese!"

"They're fighting the Wave, too?" said Loretta. "And...Glass is still missing?"

"You know those two?" asked the queen.

Aris nodded. "They helped us level up on Cal Mira. And I will admit, they are good company."

"More reliable than the other Cardinal Heroes, too," Ness remarked.

Deep below the surface, the last of the sand drained from the top of the Dragon Hourglass.

In flashes of golden light, the ships were teleported elsewhere as the sky bled crimson.

Upon reappearance, Aris saw the usual blue vortexes in the sky already sending out swarms of aquatic monsters. "It's here," he said. "Let's do this!"

Sailors of several ships lobbed barrels into the water - barrels that would burst upon impact with monsters.

"Are those...bombs?" asked Loretta.

"Cohol Bombs, yes," replied a sailor. "Enough of those fruits are strong enough to generate an explosion that can kill weaker monsters."

The archers on the ships began to fire at the surfacing monsters.

"Guys, over there!" Itsuki pointed. "I think that's the boss!"

A massive beast of a whale surfaced not far from the ships.

"Monstro!?" Sora gasped.

"Is that what it's called?" asked Raphtalia.

"I know it," said Sora. "Back on my very first journey, Monstro swallowed my airship."

"And now it's here to swallow us!?" Loretta exclaimed.

Sora nodded. "So let's take it down before it can!"

Itsuki drew his bow. "Meteor Shot!"

The projectile missed as Monstro dove back below the water. Its silhouette was visible as it stalked the ships from below.

Monstro surfaced, headbutting one of the ships. The sailors started to cry out.

"We can't hit it unless we get it out of the water!" Ren shouted.

"Filo, come on! We're going under!" said Aris.

"Got it!"

Aris and Filo dove beneath the waves, shifting into their merfolk forms.

The sea had taken on a crimson haze just as the sky had. It was as if Aris and Filo were swimming through an ocean of blood.

And if we don't kill Monstro, thought Aris, we just might be.

"Hate Reaction!"

Aris sent a sort of telepathic signal from his shield to Monstro, causing the creature to turn its undivided attention to him and Filo.

Got it! Aris mentally cheered.

He and Filo leaped out of the water as high as they could with Monstro hot on their tails.

"Now!" yelled the queen.

"Meteor Shot!"

"Meteor Thrust!"

"Meteor Slash!"

Sora looked over his shoulder. A new ship had entered the fray. His eyes widened. "Is that...!?"

"Look alive, men!" commanded Hector Barbossa. "That there be the beast what swallowed Princess Melty!"

"Aye!" said William Turner. "All hands, fire on that whale!"

Several of the Black Pearl's crewmen went below decks and opened fire.

Back on the flagship of the Melromarc Navy, Queen Mirellia looked to the source of the sounds of cannon fire. "Are those...pirates?" She noticed the prominent flag of the Jolly Roger billowing in the wind atop the dark ship's main mast.

"Why are they helping us?" said Raphtalia.

"I know them!" Sora interjected. "That's the Black Pearl!"

In a burst of Flowmotion, Sora leaped from the flagship to the Black Pearl.

"Hey, everyone!"

"Sora!?" exclaimed Elizabeth Turner. "What are you doing here!?"

"You're a welcome sight, lad!" Captain Jack Sparrow added.

"Helping you all out, but I could ask the same thing!" Sora replied. He fired a beam of light at Monstro as it surfaced again, still chasing Aris and Filo.

"We be tryin' to free Princess Melty from the bowels of that beast!" Barbossa shouted over the echoes of cannon fire.

"You guys know Melty!?"

"Aye!" said Elizabeth. "We rescued her from some pirate named Captain Hook and we were keeping her aboard the Pearl when a storm knocked her overboard and sent her into the mouth of that beast!"

"Well, I've got news!" said Sora. "Her mother's aboard that ship over there!" He pointed to Queen Mirellia's flagship.

"Then go let her know that her daughter be inside this beast!" Barbossa exclaimed.

"Aye!" Sora leaped back over to the queen's flagship.

"Your Majesty!" he said. "You know how Melty's missing, right?"

The queen nodded. "As worried as I am about her, I don't think this is the time!"

"She's inside that thing!" Sora pointed to Monstro. "Those pirates over there are friends of mine, and they were keeping her safe after they rescued her from the pirates Idol Rabier handed her to. But then a storm hit their ship and she got knocked overboard!"

Queen Mirellia gasped. "So...Melty is..."

"She should be fine!" Sora assured her. "I was swallowed by Monstro once, too!"

"In that case..." said Queen Mirellia, "Heroes, concentrate as much firepower as you can on the boss! The rest of you, focus on the weaker monsters!"

More Cohol Bombs were detonated in the ocean. Raphtalia manned a harpoon as Monstro leaped out of the water. She fired, leaving a large, bloody gash in the monster's side.

Monsters began climbing the hull of the queen's ship, overrunning the deck before long. Ness held out his hands. "PK Rockin'!"

He fired a volley of psychokinetic energy, blasting some of the creatures to bits.

L'Arc jumped into action, raising his scythe. "Skybound Wheel Swing!"

A tornado engulfed several of the creatures, killing them.

"What's going on?" said Ness. "Why are we all firing so hard at Monstro?"

"Because Melty is inside its mouth!" replied Queen Mirellia.

Ness's heart stopped for a moment. She can't be... he thought. No...Fitoria said she was safe!

The young psychic found himself going into a rage. He turned to some of the soldiers, who were about to use a catapult to fire a barrage of Cohol Bombs at Monstro. "Fire them, now!"

The soldiers fired, sending the bombs into the water with a splash. Ness leaped over the edge of the ship and into the ocean below, entering his merman form and bolting for the bombs.

"Hey, ugly!" He fired several volleys of PK Rockin' at Monstro.

Monstro roared, swimming up out of the water toward Ness. The boy dove off of the barrels and into Monstro's mouth, which was filled with water.

There! he thought.

In the far corner of Monstro's mouth, fighting off swarms of monsters with her Keyblade while trying to stay above the water, was Melty Q. Melromarc.

Ness bolted through the water toward her and grabbed her before she could react, darting out of Monstro's mouth just as the barrels went down its throat.

As Ness soared out of the water, the barrels within Monstro's body detonated, killing the beast from the inside.

The proverbial smoke cleared. Monstro's corpse lay floating on the surface.

Everyone cheered.

Ness swam onto the body, returning to his normal form. He gazed at his lost friend.

Melty had changed quite a lot. Gone was her long blue hair, and no longer was it tied into pigtails; it was now cut almost boyishly short. She wore a currently-soaking bandana around her head. Her signature dress was tattered and ragged, torn in several places. 

But all that mattered to him as that she was alive.

Her eyes fluttered open. "N-Ness...?"

"Mel!" Ness threw his arms around her.

Melty gently returned the hug. "I...You're...here..."

Ness let her go. Melty staggered to her feet.

Cheers resounded once more as the crew of the pirate ship Ness had seen during the battle disembarked their ship. Melty lit up and ran toward them, exchanging embraces with the pirates. The crew of the Black Pearl held her up high, as if to tell everyone that this was the one who slew Monstro.

Melty got back down on her feet. "Thank you all for keeping me safe." She curtsied before the crew.

"Aye, t'was no problem, princess," said Barbossa.

"It was an honor to have you sail with us, Melty," said Will.

Aris and his party all came out of the water. "Melty!?" Aris exclaimed. "How did you-!?"

"It's a long story," said Melty. "One that's probably best saved for another time.

Filo quickly shifted into her human form, running over to Melty and hugging her through tears. "Y-You're okay...!"

"Yes, Filo," Melty said softly. "I'm alright."

Meanwhile, the crew of the Black Pearl was about to return to their ship, when they were stopped by a regal voice.

"You are the crewmen of the Black Pearl, correct?" said Queen Mirellia.

Captain Jack Sparrow stepped forward. "Aye, Your Majesty," he said.

"Understood," said the queen. "I wish to thank you for keeping my daughter safe."

"Yer not gonna arrest us, your highness?" asked Joshamee Gibbs. 

"No, I am not," replied Queen Mirellia. "Besides, these are international waters. I couldn't arrest you even if I did want to. Besides, you all kept my daughter safe as well as aided us in this battle. For that...I thank you. Now...is there a reward you seek? Gold, perhaps?"

"Well...perhaps some of that wouldn't hurt," agreed Barbossa.

"Very well," said Queen Mirellia. "I will arrange for a chest of gold coins to be delivered to the Black Pearl once the Wave is over."

The pirates began returning to their ship. Meanwhile, Will Turner approached Melty. "The captain wanted you to have this," he said.

He handed her a medallion. It bore a Jolly Roger emblem identical to the one displayed on the flag of the Black Pearl.

"What does it do?" asked Melty.

"If ever ye be at sea," said Barbossa, "and find yourself in need of aid, raise the medallion high, and sing Hoist the Colors."

"The shanty you taught me, right," Melty remembered. "Well...farewell, all of you."

"Farewell, lassie." Barbossa and Will left with their crewmen.

L'Arc and Therese climbed up onto Monstro's body alongside Aris and his party. "Seems the little psychic lad took this thing down," remarked L'Arc.

"And all because he knew a lost friend was inside," Aris mused.

"Hey! Aris!" another voice interjected.

Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki had arrived on the scene.

"Your little friend there did great," Motoyasu commended.

"What are you three doing here?" asked Aris.

"Getting the drops, obviously," Ren deadpanned.

"After all, the items dropped by the Wave Bosses belong to all the Heroes," Itsuki added.

"I would agree with that, if any of you had actually contributed," Aris sighed. "Look, Ness was the one who-"

L'Arc cut him off. "Heroes?" He sighed. "If that's your excuse for a joke, no one's laughing. Especially not me. You three can't protect a thing." He pointed to Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki.

"Guys..." said Loretta, "we should get rid of the remaining monsters."

L'Arc fired off a blast of wind, slamming the other Heroes into Monstro's side.

Aris lowered his shield. "L'Arc, what do you think you're doing!?"

"It's simple, Aris," L'Arc replied. "For the sake of our world...Therese and I have to kill you."

Chapter Text

"For what it's worth, kid," said L'Arc, "we don't have anything against you personally."

Therese nodded. "It's true. It pains me to do this, especially after you showed us so much kindness. But I'm afraid we don't have any other choice."

"But if I'm killed," Aris retorted, "this world won't be able to survive the Waves!"

L'Arc narrowed his eyes. "That's the idea."

Therese nudged him. "Maybe you should explain the situation properly."

"Long story short," L'Arc sighed as he explained his situation to Aris, "the two of us are Heroes, much like you. But we're from another world that's connected to this one."

"And just like this world," Therese added, "ours is on the brink of total destruction. And there's only one way we can save it."

Raphtalia shuddered. "Y-You don't mean..."

"Basically," said L'Arc, "we have something to fight for, too. That's why we can't afford to lose. You got it? But if we're gonna fight, we're gonna fight fair and square."

Back on the flagship of Queen Mirellia's armada, Sora narrowed his eyes. "This whole time, he's just been after Aris..."

Queen Mirellia gritted her teeth. "We have no other choice." She addressed her soldiers. "Be advised! Those adventurers are now to be treated as hostiles! We will defend the Heroes and bring them down!"

"Yes, ma'am!" all the soldiers responded in perfect unison.

L'Arc used his scythe to parry Itsuki's arrows. Motoyasu charged with his spear, only to be knocked away. Ren followed up and was sent to the ground via a kick to the stomach.

The queen's soldiers fired a hail of arrows from the ships. Joker joined in by emptying the magazine in his handgun. Therese shielded L'Arc from the onslaught with a disc of blue fire.

She held out her other hand toward Aris, using the bracelet he'd crafted for her to cast a barrage of gale-force winds.

"Bejeweled Meteor Shower!"

A salvo of blue meteors erupted from the sky and rained down on the ships.

"Therese..." L'Arc chided.

The mage in question sighed. "I know, I'm only making sure we don't have any interruptions." She lifted a hand. "Bejeweled Silver Lining!"

A soft rain appeared above the ships, snuffing the flames that had started to consume them.

What happened to her attacking them? Aris wondered.

"We're only here for Aris," said L'Arc. "The rest of you should just stay out of it."

"Right," Therese agreed.

"News flash, idiots!" Ness shouted. "You mess with one of us..."

Melty finished his sentence, summoning Waters of Justice. "you mess with all of us!"

"No!" Aris stopped them. "It's me they want. I don't wish to have any of you getting hurt because of a vendetta that isn't directed toward you."

"We don't care!" Filo readied herself. "L'Arc, Therese, if you're gonna hurt my papa, you need to go through me!"

She exploded off the ground, launching herself at the traitorous two.

L'Arc pulled out something Aris had never seen before. It was a small sphere. One half seemed to be made of some red material, and the bottom half a lightly colored wood. There was a clasp in the middle, indicating that it could open.

L'Arc pressed on the clasp. "Scizor, use Bullet Punch!"

A strange, abnormally large, bipedal red bug creature emerged from the ball in a flash of energy, rearing one of its crab-like claws as it used them to pummel Filo with a flurry of punches.

Filo was sent flying back by the strange creature called Scizor.

Therese took out a ball identical to L'Arc's, summoning a bipedal black and blue canine with spikes on the back of its front paws. She pointed at Aris. "Lucario, use Aura Sphere!"

The canine manifested a ball of blue energy in its paws and sent it barreling toward Aris.

The hero summoned his Soul Eater Shield. The shield absorbed the Aura Sphere with ease.

L'Arc took the opportunity to attack Aris himself, clashing his scythe against the shield.

The shield's grimacing face came to life, taking a powerful chomp at L'Arc, wounding him.

"Are you okay!?" Therese exclaimed as the scythe wielder jumped back.

"I'm alright," replied L'Arc. "Didn't feel anything. My arm's a little numb, though."

"L'Arc, what are these things!?" Aris eyed the two creatures.

"Those are our Pokémon, kiddo!" L'Arc replied. "They're creatures from our world. But I won't bore ya with the details right now."

On the flagship, the queen issued order after order. "Concentrate fire on those anomalous creatures. Something tells me they don't have any good intentions toward the Heroes, especially considering it was those two traitors who summoned them."

"What about the other three Heroes?" asked Sora.

"Their party members have taken rowboats to help them," replied the queen.

One such party member, one Rishia Ivyred, sat panting in a rowboat, having been worked to the bone rowing to rescue Itsuki.

Suddenly, the world around her darkened. A little butterfly made of blue light fluttered in front of her.

A voice pierced Rishia's mind. "I beckon you from another world, for you are to awaken something that has dwelt within you a long time. From within your heart, a spirit of great rebellion shall make its presence known."

Aris blocked another strike from L'Arc's scythe as his friends dealt with Therese and the two Pokémon.

"L'Arc, you don't have to-" Aris was cut off by the sound of crackling electricity. His prosthetic right arm had somehow been damaged.

Melty raised Waters of Justice and warded off L'Arc. Her Keyblade clashed with his scythe as sparks flew from the metal-on-metal collisions.

Therese lifted her arm. "Bejeweled Sin Flame!"

A searing ball of blue fire hurtled toward Aris, only to fizzle out and disappear just before it could reach him.

Therese looked down at her bracelet. She muttered to herself, "Of course...you really don't want to fight him, do you?"

"Is it the bracelet I made for her?" Aris wondered aloud.

Ness channeled his psychic powers. "PSI Lifeup!"

Aris checked his display, noticing that Ness had restored the entire party's HP. What was that thing L'Arc did? he thought. Did it...ignore my defense stat? No...it couldn't have. I wouldn't have taken such a hit from merely the tip of his scythe.

"Well, L'Arc," said Aris, "I certainly wasn't expecting you to use a defense-reversing ability."

"Bingo!" L'Arc replied. "The higher my target's defense, the more damage they take from that move. In short, it's the perfect counter against someone like you. Normally I wouldn't have revealed that, but you figured it out, and my policy's to fight fair. I got nothin' to hide."

He wants to fight fair in a battle to the death? Aris pondered. What is he playing at? Something tells me he's attempting to throw me off.

"A sound strategy, I must say," Aris commended. "Those defense-reversals would certainly do me great harm. That is, unless I dodge all of them. I have certain abilities that will render your technique completely invalid. I plan on using those abilities if I must. I trust you remember my Air Strike Shield. That will be the key to my triumph."

"Aris!" Melty chided. "Why would you tell him that!?"

"He revealed his strategy," Aris pointed out. "I suppose it would only be fair for me to reveal mine."

L'Arc smirked. "Seems like we both know each other's hand."

He charged. Aris dodged. Filo bore down on L'Arc's scythe as Aris tore into him with the Master Sword.

The Chimera Viper Shield manifested on Aris's arm. The snakes came to life and sank their fangs into L'Arc's skin.

"Lucario, Aura Sphere!" Therese commanded.

Ness jumped into action, rearing the Magicant Bat and swinging. He sent the Aura Sphere out of the park.

Sora leaped from the water in his merman form, Ariel summoned at his side. He lifted his Keyblade and combined Aeroga with a blast of water from Ariel to send L'Arc and Therese flying.

"Air Strike Shield!"

The green shield appeared and prevented L'Arc and Therese from being sent too far.

Aris took the opportunity to charge, cutting into L'Arc's left arm with the Master Sword.

Melty attempted to follow up.

L'Arc strained, "Scizor, X-Scissor!"

Scizor attempted to strike Melty with its claws, only for Ness to hit it with PK Rockin'.

L'Arc staggered to his feet with Therese's help. "Man, that packed a wallop. You kids are good."

"We thought that you were just going to use your Air Strike Shield for defense," said Therese. "We never anticipated that you'd use it as a trap instead. You definitely duped us there."

They really are heroes from another world, Aris thought to himself. Their strength, their spirit, their camaraderie...they're even more heroic than the other three here.

"I was bored out of my mind fighting those monsters on the islands." L'Arc brandished his scythe. "But there's nothing like a man-to-man fight with real strategy involved!"

But this isn't the time to be admiring how respectable they are, Aris chided himself. This is do or die.

"Come on, kiddo!" L'Arc jeered. "We've got plenty left in the tank, how 'bout you?"

Just as Aris was about to draw the Master Sword, a woman's voice echoed across the battlefield. "Would you two please quit fooling around?"

A beam of purple energy blew a ship out of the water as a black-haired woman descended from the sky. She landed beside L'Arc and Therese.

"Glass!?" Aris shouted. "Where have you been!?"

"Yeah, where have you been?" L'Arc added. "Been wondering that myself."

"I had business to take care of," replied Glass. "Sorry to keep you two waiting. But it looks like I'm here right on time."

L'Arc shrugged. "A few minutes ago wouldn't have been so bad."

Aris clenched his jaw. "So you're here to kill us, too?"

Glass nodded. She unfurled a pair of war fans. "Zero Stance Rondo: Reverse Four Seasons!"

A barrage of energy blades was sent Aris's way. He blocked them with ease, thanks to some help from Sora casting Reflega.

"Rupture Stance Rondo: Tortoise Shell Cracker!"

A beam of pink light clashed against Aris's shield.

"Is that all you have, wench!?" Aris shouted. "I can do this all day! And I haven't even shown you my trap card yet!"

"Your...trap card?" Glass raised an eyebrow. "Don't get cocky."

She charged, thrusting one of her fans at Aris's face. He ducked, rending the flesh of her side with the Master Sword.

Aris equipped his Soul Eater Shield. Glass gasped and dodged back as if evading a strike, though Aris did nothing to attack her upon equipping the shield.

She's...scared of it? he noted. Normally it drains the target's SP, but if Glass is a foreign Hero like her friends, she probably has lots of SP. Why would she be so careful to avoid losing it?

Therese took a gem from her pocket and tossed it forward. "Bejeweled Compression Bomb!"

"Meteor Shield!"

The jewel exploded like a high-powered grenade. Aris's Meteor Shield skill successfully shielded him from the blast. "Her magic is powered by the jewels she carries," he noted to himself.

Therese cast another spell. "Bejeweled Blizzard!"

Glass raised her fans. "Combo Stance: Reverse Hail Seasons!"

A storm of ice and an onslaught of energy blades rocked the Meteor Shield. Aris used Shield Prison to further defend himself.

The assault died down. Aris lowered his defenses.

"He truly is remarkable," Glass said to L'Arc and Therese. "That was one of our strongest moves, and he just blocked it like it was nothing."

Meanwhile, Aris turned to his comrades. "I have a plan. You all deal with L'Arc, Therese, and their...Pokémon."

"What about Glass?" asked Loretta.

Aris clenched his jaw. "She's mine."

He jumped into the air with a forward somersault, holding out his shield and chucking a Bomb Flower at the ground below him. The flower detonated and sent him flying at one of the ships. He landed with ease.

"Oh no you don't!" Glass leaped after him.

L'Arc attempted to follow her, only to be yanked to the ground by Loretta's plasma whips. "Your fight is with us!"

Glass landed on the empty ship right near Aris. "You're placing an awful lot of trust in those friends of yours, letting them fight my friends without you."

Aris changed the subject. "L'Arc informed me as to why he's fighting us. He's a hero from a world connected to this one. I take it you are, too."

"Correct," replied Glass. "I am what my people call a 'Vassal' Hero - the Fan Hero, to be exact."

She cast Reverse Four Seasons. Aris dodged, smacking some of the projectiles away with the Master Sword.

"Rupture Stance Rondo: Tortoise Shell Cracker!"

Epona appeared in her ethereal form, rearing her hind legs and kicking Glass into the mizzenmast of the ship before returning to Aris's arm.

Aris equipped his Soul Eater Shield. The shield came to life, its maw gaping as purple energy left Glass's body and entered its mouth.

The Fan Hero screamed in utter agony.

The shield returned to its dormant state as Aris mentally cheered. "Normally, this shield just drains enemy SP," he said to her. "But against you, it almost seems to siphon your vitality. This fight is over, Glass. I don't want to kill you. If you retreat now, I will let you go in peace."

"Retreat...?" Glass strained as she staggered to her feet. "No...this battle is far from over. Either you kill me, or I kill you. That is when this fight will conclude."

She charged, slashing with her fans. Aris parried with the Master Sword. His Soul Eater Shield activated, draining more of Glass's vitality - and causing her more pain.

"Glass, I don't want to kill you!" Aris shouted. "You have a world to protect, just as I do! I'm not going to slaughter someone whose people count on them!"

"Which is why I will do anything and everything in my power to slaughter you!" Glass got to her feet. "You say I have a world to protect, and I do! I must protect them by destroying the Heroes of this world! That is the only way to save my people! I'm going to defend them or die trying! Aris...we're not that different, you and I. Your task is to protect this world, and to do that, you'll need to kill me here and now!"

Aris tightened his grip on the Master Sword.

"As we speak," said Glass, "my people are fighting against a Wave of their own. They await my triumphant return. That's why I can't lose this fight! Don't you understand!? It's do or die, Aris! You of all people should understand that!"

Must I really destroy her world's hopes and dreams in order to defend those of this one? Aris thought.

"Glassy, think fast!" L'Arc interrupted the Hylian's pondering by tossing Glass a potion of some kind. Aris recognized it - a Soul-Soothing Elixir.

Glass popped the cork and downed the potion in a single gulp. Her body became outlined with an orange glow, a fiery determination blazing in her eyes.

She charged Aris with renewed strength, knocking him into the water.

"Aris!"

Cloud jumped into action, grabbing Aris by the cloak and pulling him back on board the empty ship. He parried Glass's fans with his Fusion Sword.

Raphtalia sprang from the water, shifting from her mermaid form to her Demi-Human form and drawing her sword. "I won't let anyone in this world have to face the same destruction my friends and I did all that time ago! Never again!"

"See, Glass?" Cloud brandished his weapon. "We have reasons to fight, too!"

Glass lunged with her fans. Aris's body crackled with white lightning.

The Hylian bellowed with exertion as the Fierce Deity came forth.

He slammed the Fierce Deity Sword into the deck of the ship. White lightning burst all around him, lighting Glass's body up like a firecracker.

Panting through clenched teeth, Glass remained standing.

"S̷̯̐͐T̷̥̼̈́͂Ĩ̷͉L̸̃̋ͅL̶̢̲̑͌ ̴̠̈́̂͜N̸͓̗͘Ơ̷̊ͅT̶̝͑ ̶͇̤͗Ḡ̵͍̼̀I̸̛̳̐V̶͚̭̽Ǐ̶͓̬N̵̠̑G̷̬̹̀ ̸̫̞͋́Ȕ̵͍͔͗P̸͇͕̈́,̶̠̀ ̵͍̉̉Ā̵̢̳R̸̜̘͘E̸̘͂͝ ̷̜͆͆Y̸̮̞̐Ó̴̫U̴̖̫͆̈́?̷̘̬͠" Aris sneered.

"Never!" Glass shouted back.

"Glassy, you can't!" L'Arc cried from the side of Monstro's corpse. "He's too strong now!"

Aris's voice pierced through the body of the Fierce Deity. "My friends...they are my strength. They are the reason I fight. I don't intend to allow this world to perish, not as long as my friends still reside in it."

The Fierce Deity burst with more lightning.

"H̴̛͎Ȃ̵͕R̴͍̟̈́̊K̵̯̾̀,̷̥̀͜ ̸̧̓͠K̴̥̬̿N̶̖̰̾A̶̿͝ͅV̴̛̖͒Ë̴̯́͠,̴̡̽̔" the Fierce Deity seethed. "Ḯ̷̭ ̷̗͕͆S̴̲̰̈̎Ē̶̥̹N̴̤̿̕T̵͓́͋E̵̩͑̇Ņ̵̨̎̔C̶̖̬͊E̵͉͒̆ ̵͉͌͠T̴̮͠Ḩ̸̕E̴̞̔̿͜É̵̻̙̇ ̵̡̈́̾T̷̘̟̄O̷͈̬͆ ̷̰͠C̶̡̍A̸̳͚͆̐Ś̷͖̀T̷̼͝ ̷̰̊̀T̵̳̺̐H̸̰͛Y̷̯̒͋ ̶̨̅S̸̰̈C̶̟̍Ŕ̷̙͝Ë̸̻̳́Ā̵̧̮̃M̷̲̦̌S̷̱̰̽̀ ̴͔͇̅̕Ú̴̦͂Ṕ̶̝Ò̷̟̫̆N̷̰̽ ̸̢̥̊̒T̵͍̔H̶͚̕Ȅ̵̖̼ ̴͉̊͝ͅH̴̫͈̽͑Ę̶̈́͘A̴̞͆V̶̭̝́E̶͙̔N̸͕̊̄S̵̜̉.̸̤̳̈́ ̷̳́Ť̸̳̤H̴̱̮̀E̶̳̪̎ ̵̳̈́͐P̷̟̄Ỡ̶͇ͅW̴̠͎̏̓Ȇ̸͎̙̕R̷̘̰͗̚ ̷͙̂̑O̷̮͗͝F̶͈̾ ̴̘̏͝T̴͕̜̓H̸͈͕͂̈́E̸͎̦̅ ̶͇͉̈́͋G̷͖̏O̸͙̪̒D̴̢͗̓ ̴̰͇̎̂N̶̨̟̋͛A̶̱̓̋M̵͈̈̌E̴̯͗͝ͅD̶͚͊ ̶̺̖̀͠O̴̹͗͂N̶̢̍͜Ḯ̶̗ ̴̩̟̆̓S̵͚͇̿H̵͎̀͋Â̷̧͛L̷͔͈̒͘Ľ̶̟͂ ̸̟̪͛̉Ö̸̘́̈B̶͔͖͛̍L̵̬̹̎Í̴̪̖̄T̸̘̎ͅE̸̞͓͊R̴̗͎͊A̴̮̓T̷͖̓̽E̶͓͂̇ ̴̙̗̍T̷͙̾Ḩ̴̣̋́Ę̸̯́̕E̸̖̼̐͗ ̶̞͉̔A̴̺͝N̶̟̐D̷̮̪̐ ̵̹̯͋̄M̵̻̔̂Ầ̴͕̱K̵͍̽̓Ë̶͓́ ̵͓͐T̵̜̿̈́͜H̸̖̀̚O̶̡͋Ù̵̟̪ ̸͎̤̆S̶̥̞̓̐E̶̝͒R̴̢͖̃V̷̜͓͘E̵̛ͅŤ̵̻̚H̴̯̒ ̴͈̓͜A̷̛͓̾S̶̤̙͒̈ ̵̋̇ͅÃ̵̤̹̊N̸̢̿ ̷̛̝̓͜O̵̻̾͝F̴̛̗̣F̸͖̪̉̂E̷̟̯͐̿R̶͔̋Ỉ̸͔̘͐N̵̯͙̎̃Ǵ̷͚̲ ̵̣̓T̷͎̘̋O̵͓͒ ̸̝̅ͅT̴̫͒͝H̴͔͗͒E̵̻̙̾ ̴̪͇̍Ḡ̷̮̌Ò̸̖D̷̢̤̉͐S̵̻̕,̴͎̘̍ ̶̯̳̈́T̶̨͚̄H̷͍̼͝Ä̵͍́T̶͓̠̆͝ ̴̻̉͝ͅT̶̨̖̈́H̴̞̱̚Ȩ̸͎́Y̵͙̓͑ͅ ̸̹̱̀Ḿ̶̞͂I̴̪͊G̴̲̽̎H̴̠̭̀͗Ţ̵͆́ ̶͔͝Ẻ̶̘̘͝Ñ̶̨͙͝J̵̖̱̃Ȯ̵̩̩̒Y̵͇͊ ̴̤̰́̑T̷̳̈́͂H̸̬͌E̷̠̓ ̶͕̎S̴̤̋Ö̵̹́̋ͅƯ̵̥̣̿Ň̸̙͖D̷͈͓̈́̄S̸̛͍̅ ̷͖͌̌Ơ̷̺F̷̙̟͊ ̵̫̈̓T̵͙̮̈́̇H̸̡͚͌͌Ý̸̨̱ ̸͖̀̈S̴̱̤̓C̵͓̗̏̿Ṙ̷̭̹E̵̟̜̚A̷̫̐̈M̴͙͉͒S̵͚̒!̷̛̫"

Rishia clutched her temples. Pain shot through her head as she cried out.

A voice echoed through the depths of her mind.

"Many a door has closed upon thy life, mortal. Your freedom to truly excel all has been stifled by the Bow and those he calls his comrades. You say you are willing to follow him to the death, yet I know what it is you truly want: freedom. You wish to close the door of your life upon the cruelty of the Bow and open the door into your rebellion."

"Y-Yes..." Rishia strained.

"Good," crooned the voice. "Then let our pact be forged. I am thou, thou art I. Let the doors of thy heart open to a new awakening and an age of rebellion within thee! Call upon my name, and let your rebellious soul howl like the west wind!"

In a flash of blue flame, a mask appeared on Rishia's face. It looked to be Greek or Roman in origin. She clawed at the mask and tore it away, screaming as blood caked the upper half of her face. More flames covered her body, replacing her usual adventuring garb with a set of gladiator armor.

The flames coalesced behind Rishia, forming a masculine figure in Greco-Roman garb. Two white-feathered wings protruded from the figure's back.

The wings swept outward, summoning a great blast of wind. The blast sent some of the remaining Cohol Bombs out of the water and into the air near where Glass and Aris fought.

"Use those!"

Aris heard a high-pitched feminine voice call out to him as a bunch of Cohol Bombs somehow sprang out of the water.

"Perfect!" He lifted the Fierce Deity Sword, sending a blast of lightning at the bombs. All of them detonated at once, soaking Glass in crimson juice.

Aris stepped forward, the Fierce Deity form no longer activated. "Are you done yet?" he asked Glass.

The Fan Hero coughed some juice out of her mouth. "Never..." she seethed. "I'll-"

"Stand down," L'Arc finished for her, grabbing her shoulder. "Fight's over. Our time's up."

Aris checked his display. Sure enough, the timer indicated that there were less than 60 seconds left before the Wave would end.

"Congrats, kiddo!" L'Arc commended. "Guess you win this round."

"But you haven't seen the last of us," Therese reminded him.

"What are you two saying!?" Glass shouted. "If we don't kill him right now-"

She gagged.

"You can yell at us all you want when you're not about to puke your guts out," L'Arc chided.

The trio disappeared in a flash of light. The crimson sky gave way to the familiar blue of daytime and the sea returned to its usual hue.

Motoyasu groaned as he sat up on the deck of Queen Mirellia's flagship. "Did...Did we win?"

"Looks like it," said Itsuki.

"Did Aris and his party just solo it again?" Ren wondered aloud.

"No," said the queen. "Every single one of us played a part today. This victory belongs to all of us!"

The sailors cheered happily.

Rishia looked down at her hands, gazing at her new outfit. "What...What just happened to me...?"

Chapter Text

Rishia's eyes fluttered open. She had seen the strange blue butterfly again. The sight had induced some sort of trance or hypnosis.

Whatever it was, her eyes had closed on the world she knew and opened into whatever this place was.