Authors Note: I want to offer a very special thank you to everyone for their reviews. I want you all to know I appreciate the feedback! I feel I should warn you all now that this story will not be following Shield Hero Canon very strongly, so I offer my apologies if that disappoints anyone. What I mean by this is that the world Sora finds himself in is more so inspired by Shield Hero, but with some notable differences that will be made more apparent as I write future chapters. So expect some characters to be slightly different than their canon counterparts, and some events may play out differently entirely.
While a lot of you had questions I don't want to post anything here that could be considered a spoiler, so I will do my best to answer your questions without giving too much detail! If your question doesn't appear here, its because it's either a spoiler for future chapters, or will be answered in this chapter.
Redburningdragon: Will he be able to use any of the keyblades that transform into shields?
I plan to use the shields available for Goofy throughout the three main titles, so at this moment I have no intention of using them. But I am not opposed to it either.
Deacon: Will he still have his summon abilities? Is Sora gonna unknowingly become a Harem protagonist?
Sora has all of his abilities from the ending of Kingdom Hearts 3, so he can still summon. As for the second question, no. But he will build friendships.
Guest: Will there be any pairings in this?
No, this story is pure friendship all around. Though if you squint you may see some moments of Sokai and Soriku.
Xerad: Hmm Nope the legendary weapon's being able to block the keyblade seem like BS to me
I get where you're coming from, but I felt Sora being able to summon his Keyblade kind of defeats the purpose of being the shield hero.
Thanks again to everyone who reviewed the first chapter, and I hope you all enjoy Chapter 2!
There were four ornate beds in the large room the king prepared for them, as well as a table and a glass window, peering out at the quiet town below. While the other heroes approached their beds, sitting down and digging deeper into their menus, Sora approached the window. He placed a hand over his heart, gazing at the blanket of stars covering the night-filled sky.
There are many worlds, but they share the same sky. One sky, one destiny.
"Kairi, Riku, Donald, Goofy...even if we are worlds apart, I know they share the same sky. Wherever you are, I know you're always with me"
Riku startled, moving his gaze from the star-filled sky to his chest. He reached up, placing a hand over his heart, turning from the window to look at his large group of friends. He saw Kairi had her hand over her heart too, looking over to him with a sad smile.
Everyone stood together in Yen Sid's tower, having gathered to discuss where to begin in searching for Sora. Mickey, who stood at the front of the group, turned to the two of them with a look of concern.
"Riku, Kairi? What is it, are ya alright?" He asked. Donald and Goofy placed their hands over their hearts too, looking between each other as they recognized the familiar warmth. Kairi turned to the king as she offered a soft reply.
"It's Sora...we can feel Sora"
"Then he's alright, wherever he is" Lea offered, sounding relieved at the revelation. Several faces in the group relaxed as they processed that information too.
"Thank goodness," Mickey breathed, "but we still have to find him. Where do we even start?"
"Terra, Ven, and I agreed to search the Realm of Darkness for him" Aqua announced, the others turning to her with looks of surprise. Riku was the first to announce his disagreement.
"Aqua, you just escaped from the Realm of Darkness, we can't expect you to go back"
"It's alright," she replied, offering the group a warm smile, "I won't be alone this time"
"That will not be necessary"
All heads turned to the confident voice sitting across from them. He opened his eyes, looking between each of them with a small smile.
"Master Yen Sid, do you know something?" Riku asked, the older man raising a hand and gesturing toward the Captain of the Royal Knights.
"I believe Goofy may hold the answer we seek"
"I do?" Goofy asked, reaching up and scratching his head. Even Donald looked confused at this announcement, looking between the shielder and the old keyblade master.
Yen sid gave a single, slow nod, lowering his hand before he spoke again.
"Do you remember the advice you gave to Sora? When he lost his strength and did not know which way to go?"
Goofy took a moment to think on it, nodding as he recalled the memory.
"Oh yeah, I told him to picture his friends like we were there. Then I told him 'May your heart be your guiding key'"
"Yeah!" Donald agreed, remembering now too, "he used his keyblade to create a path for us, to Hercules!"
"May your heart be your guiding key…" Riku whispered, hand still over his heart. He looked down for a moment, his lips curving into a small smile.
"Riku?" Mickey asked, the young Keyblade master looking back up at him before responding.
"Sora used more than the keyblade to create that path. He used his connection to Hercules, so maybe I can use my connection to him and create my own path"
"It's worth a shot," Roxas agreed, "when do we leave?"
"Wait just a moment," Yen Sid spoke aloud, preventing the conversation from continuing. "We know nothing of the world in which Sora finds himself. We should not all go. I believe Riku and Kairi should go, as they share the strongest connection to Sora's heart"
"We're going too," Donald demanded, stepping closer to Riku and Kairi before anyone could object. Goofy followed closely behind without a second thought.
"That's right. We didn't follow him into the Realm of Darkness when he went in to save Master Aqua, and we didn't follow when he used the power of waking to save Kairi. We won't be left behind a third time"
"Yeah! Besides, Sora needs us. He can't make a full pint without us!" Donald added.
Yen Sid nodded at this, closing his eyes for just a moment as he stroked his beard, appearing deep in thought. He soon opened them, the bright orbs filled with determination as he spoke.
"Very well. Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy. I wish you luck on your journey"
Sora stared at the equipment menus, looking through the different unlockable shields as he now sat on his own bed. Fighting with a shield would be very different than with his keyblade, he knew this. While he had some knowledge from the one time he fought with one before, he didn't hold any real skill in it, unlike Goofy. He wished his friend were here to offer him advice, but he figured it would be alright anyway. He saw how his shielder friend fought, perhaps he could come up with some techniques on his own.
He lifted his head, exiting the menu as Motoyasu spoke up from across the room.
"Does this remind anyone else of Emerald Online?"
Sora tilted his head at the question, the sword and bow heroes looking equally confused as they turned their attention to Motoyasu.
"What's Emerald Online?" Sora asked, sounding curious. Motoyasu turned to him, agape.
"You've never heard of it, Sora? It's a pretty famous online game"
Sora shook his head, bringing his hand to his chin as he stopped to think about it, "No, sorry, doesn't ring any bells. But the menu's do remind me of a game my friend plays, its called Verum Rex"
"Never heard of it before. Must be a minor title or something" Motoyasu mumbled, Itsuki climbing out of his bed as he voiced his opinion on the topic.
"I don't know what any of you are referring to. This is nothing like an online game. It's more like a console game"
"Motoyasu, Itsuki, you're both wrong on this one. If anything it's a VRMMO" Ren countered.
"No way. Even if we suppose, for the moment, that we are in an online game, it still must be the sort that you control by a mouse or with a controller" Motoyasu replied, causing Ren to look confused.
"A mouse? A controller? What kind of antique games are you guys talking about? These days, aren't all online games VRMMO?"
"What's a VRMMO?" Sora asked, Ren looking at him in surprise.
"You really don't know? It's a Virtual Reality Massive Multiplayer Online game" he answered.
"You mean like a data scape? Are you saying this world is made of data?" Sora asked, Motoyasu scoffing at the two of them.
"Cut the sci-fi crap. You know the tech isn't ready for stuff like that yet"
"Some worlds are," Sora answered. He knew world order was important, but these three came from another world much like he did, and they needed to be open with each other if they wanted to stand a chance against the Heartless. "On Radiant Garden there's a computer that can send people into a digital world, that's where I met my friend Tron. King Mickey also created a data scape with Jiminy's Journal"
The three all looked at him, disbelief written on their faces.
"So let me get this straight, Sora. You claim to know what the shadows attacking this world are, you claim you've been in a war, and now you claim there are other worlds and that you know another King?" Motoyasu asked, the skepticism clear in his voice.
Sora only smiled in return, nodding his head, "Yep"
The three other heroes looked between each other. It appeared as if they already made up their own minds regardless of what Sora had to say. It didn't really bother him if they believed him or not.
"Well, regardless of Sora's wild claims, it is clear one thing he said might be true. It's possible that we each come from a different world" Itsuki offered, Motoyasu turning to him with a frown.
"Not you too…"
"Hear me out," Itsuki cut him off, raising a hand to silence him, "We each remember a different game. You remember Emerald Online, Sora remembers Verum Rex, and I remember Dimension Wave. I am sure Ren remembers a different game too"
"That's right," Ren nodded his head, "The VRMMO I played was called Brave Star Online. The world felt very, very similar to this one"
"Alright then, let's try some common-sense questions. You can name the prime minister, right?" Itsuki asked, two of the three heroes nodding along to the question.
"Um, what's a prime minister?" Sora asked, the three sighing at the question.
"Don't worry about it, Sora. You can sit this one out" Motoyasu offered, his voice kind as he nodded for Itsuki to continue.
"Okay, let's all say it at the same time," Itsuki explained, counting down from three.
"Masato Yuda"
"Gotaro Yawahara"
"Enichi Kodaka"
The room fell silent, Sora watching as the three came to the same conclusion he did not too long ago.
"So it's true," Itsuki said with a nod, "We all came from different Japan's"
"So you believe in other worlds, but not the other stuff I told you about," Sora replied with mild annoyance, crossing his arms as Motoyasu turned in his direction.
"It's just a lot to take in, Sora. You have to admit it all sounds a bit outlandish"
"But not as outlandish as Heartless or other worlds?"
The three looked between eachother, Itsuki shrugging his shoulders as he addressed Sora.
"Alright, I'll admit it's a possibility, but it still feels like a stretch to me"
"Me too," Ren agreed.
Motoyasu smiled, placing a hand on Sora's shoulder and squeezing it. The spiky-haired boy looked to his hand, then back to his face, the older man giving him a thumbs up and his trademark smile.
"Anyway, don't worry about a thing, Sora! Big brother Motoyasu will be here to help you whenever you need it!"
Sora only stared for a moment, his look of mild annoyance shifting into a smile. While the older man still didn't believe him for whatever reason, he at least seemed to have a good and caring heart.
"Thanks, Motoyasu, but you don't have to worry about me. I can handle myself just fine"
Motoyasu looked unconvinced, clearing his throat before responding.
"Don't mention it. I knew I'd have to watch your back the moment I saw you got the shield class"
"So the shielder is a useless class on your world too, then" Ren bluntly announced, startling Sora. Motoyasu nodded to the question, as did Itsuki.
"Yeah, because of the game's system and because of the game's population, the class was abandoned pretty early on. It's really not good for much. I think they had even planned to delete the class all together …" Motoyasu explained, giving Sora a look of pity. Itsuki did the same as he spoke.
"It's the same on my world too," he added.
Sora shook his head, a determined look crossing his features as he placed a hand to his heart.
"Shielders aren't useless! One of my closest friends uses a shield, and he played a big part in helping to defeat the True Organization XIII. He helped me defeat Xehanort. He's one of the strongest people I know"
The pity grew on their faces, almost as if they believed Sora was lying to try and make himself feel better. Again, he didn't care if they believed him or not. He knew the power of the shield, and he wouldn't doubt his abilities just because the three of them did.
Itsuki opened his mouth to speak, stopping himself at the sound of the bedroom door being opened. A maid stood in the doorway, a look of panic written across her face as he grabbed her knees, bending over and gasping for breath. Seeing her condition, Sora quickly approached her, Motoyasu hot on his tail.
"Are you alright?" Sora asked, stopping right in front of her. Motoyasu stepped around him, placing his hands on her arm. The woman looked between them, terror filling her eyes.
"Heroes, please help us! Heartless are attacking the town!"
King Aultcray gazed upon the panicked citizens under his rule, running past the screaming crowds to face the heartless who dare attack those he swore to protect. It didn't take him long to find the source of the chaos, the creatures turning to face him and his escort of royal knights. His guard raised their swords, preparing to form around him protectively. He raised a hand before they moved, turning to face them as he spoke with authority.
"No! I will handle these beasts! Go, search the village, protect the civilians!"
"Yes, my king!" The captain saluted, the guard breaking apart to cover more ground. King Aultcray turned back to face the heartless, the creatures colored in shades of sea and dark green, with gold bands and highlights. It appeared to be some sort of underwater creature. Despite this, it swam through the air with little effort. They had finned feet and elaborate helmets, which had a gaping jagged mouth, two bright yellow eyes peering back from within.
Atop the helmet, just above the jagged mouth sat angular spiral black false eyes. Their dark green clawed hands gripping their tridents; medium blue with three flared prongs ending in lethal barbs.
Suddenly, from an alleyway, a small demihuman child ran in fear. He screamed for help, tripping over a crack in the pavement. Landing on his stomach he curled up, crying loudly as one of the heartless sped toward him, trident aimed to kill.
Despite his personal feelings, Aultcray did not hesitate, lifting his staff into the air as he yelled a familiar chant.
"I am the king who commands the origin of power. I have read and deciphered a law of nature. Rain flames upon my enemies! Tzuvait - Fire Squall!"
A bright flash struck the sky, balls of flames falling from the clouds as if they were meteors. The heartless hardly had time to move, the fire striking each of them with such speed and ferocity that it tore them apart, causing what remained to fade away as shadow. The king quickly approached the boy, kneeling beside him.
"Quickly, you must flee. My guard have been instructed to protect you" he said, the child looking up at him nervously, wiping away his tears.
He glared down at the child, his eyes focusing on his dog ears for a moment, that familiar feeling of hatred boiling in his chest. Placing a hand to his heart he pushed the feeling away. This demihuman...this boy did not murder his parents. He was his subject, one of the many he swore to protect.
"T-Thank you, my king" the child replied with a stutter, Aultcray nodding as the child got to his feet. He ran past the king, in the direction of the castle. Satisfied that the child was safe, he turned back to find new heartless form from the darkness. Some resembled the aquatic variant he fought before, but now flying beside them were another kind.
They had stunning golden wings; held together by two bright yellow orbs that formed the joints. Their transparent glass bodies formed a bell shape, housing a single filament. Its body rested on a blue stand which ended in a spike with two pale gold rings surrounding it. The top of the glass was covered with a blue cap, on top of which sat, a tear-shaped gold topper; the topper featuring three shining bright gold dots towards the bottom resembling eyes. At the top it curled, looking similar to the spiral false eyes of the aquatic heartless.
These things were a mockery of angels, their wings flapping slowly as they began to surround him. Several of them suddenly began to glow, throwing their wings outwards, gusts of violent wind sailing toward him. Once more he raised his staff, calling out another chant.
"I am the king who commands the origin of power. I have read and deciphered a law of nature. Flame rise to protect me! Fire Wall!"
Suddenly, a wall of fire rose from the ground, taking the brunt of the attack but quickly fizzling out. As the flame dissipated and he could see beyond it once more, he saw the heartless still sitting where they previously waited, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. Suddenly, from around the corner of a nearby building, the shield devil came running. His eyes widening upon seeing him, pointing behind him as he yelled.
"Your majesty, behind you!"
His eyes widened as he spun around, his vision filled with the tips of a trident. One of the aquatic heartless rushed him, and he did not have time to react. Regardless of that fact he would not be taken out without trying, beginning to lift his staff, only for a shield to fly past his left shoulder. He watched as the shield impacted the heartless, causing it to burst into shadows, a single heart lifting into the sky from where it had been slain.
Hearing footfalls behind him he turned once more, coming face to face with Sora, who offered him a smile as the shield reappeared on his arm. His brow furrowed, staring down at this boy with a feeling of uncertainty and wonder.
For most of his life, he hated the shield devil. Sure, he admitted it may be due to his personal bias against demihumans, but that knowledge didn't make the hatred in his heart burn any less brightly. He defended the three heroes' church, even when his wife and youngest daughter fought to disband them, and it was thanks to his actions that the church still stood. Yet now, his faith wavered. It was one thing to watch the shield readily offer aid while the other heroes spoke of letting his world burn, and entirely another to have his very life saved by the devil he hated.
No, not a devil. Sora, his name was Sora.
"Let's fight them together!"
Party Invite
From: Sora (Shield Hero)
Accept? Yes No
His breath caught in his throat, watching as the boy offered him a comforting smile. He then grew serious, turning back to the heartless and raising his shield. Was he really going to fight with the shield hero?
"Your majesty, attack the Screwdivers! Angel Star's have a strong magic defense and can absorb thunder. I'll take care of them!"
Before he could verify which was which, Sora rushed toward one of the angelic heartless. Nodding his head King Aultcray accepted the party invite, raising his staff once more to target the Screwdiver heartless.
Two figures watched the battle from a dark alleyway, both frowning as they witnessed the king and shield devil fight together, destroying their precious angels. The one in white robes ground her teeth, shooting a glare at the red-haired woman beside her.
"You assured us this assault would guarantee the assassination of King Aultcray and maybe even the shield devil. Yet they fight together, the devil slaughtering the angels our god oh so mercifully sent to us with little effort"
"How was I supposed to know he'd be this strong?" the redhead bit back, "Besides, your angels fared no better than mine. This is not my fault"
"The high priest will not be pleased to know they survived," the woman in robes muttered, watching as the devil massacred yet another precious angel. She gripped her robes in anger, wishing she could do more to protect god's mighty warriors from this heathen.
"Don't worry, I have a backup plan," The redhead replied, turning to face the woman in robes, "I admittedly don't know how to handle the king yet, but we may be able to put the shield devil in his proper place"
The woman raised an eyebrow, interested in what the redhead had to say.
"Oh? Tell me more, Princess Malty"