Taking another bite of his meal King Altcray released a stress-filled sigh. He couldn't get the images of his eldest daughter out of his mind, watching as the darkness surrounded her and threatened to swallow her whole. To know she'd been mere seconds away from becoming a heartless brought his tired heart much grief, the great amount of self-loathing he continued to place upon his own shoulders doing little to help matters. He was her father, yet he could do nothing but watch as the church continued to warp her mind. The very same church he once worshipped himself and brought the young Malty to so she may join in his faith.

Setting the silverware aside he found he didn't have much of an appetite, staring blankly ahead as he tried and failed to think of any way he could possibly reach her. Sora had promised to speak with her the next time they met, which offered him some form of solace, but in truth, he doubted the shield could do much more than he could. Especially considering her own deep hatred for the shield-bearer.

Slowly he rose from the table, leaving the private dining area and making his way into the lonely hall. He walked at a slow yet steady pace, staring from the red-carpeted flooring to the fine stone walls. He thought back to a time when he felt such a great warmth in his heart, to the little girl with hair as red as a brightly burning flame, who would run around these very halls with such energy and glee. She'd spent so much time following in his footsteps, spending as much time in his presence as she could. She was daddy's little girl, after all.

A smile came to his lips as he thought of her, the image of a small child running up from behind as she reached out and grabbed his hand in her own tiny yet fierce grip. She smiled up at him then, her eyes alight with utter joy and devotion. She giggled oh so happily, her voice but an echo of the long-lost past.

"I'm gonna make you proud, daddy! One day I'll become Queen and rule this great land just like you and Mommy!"

"You already make me proud, my sweet Malty. Never doubt that" he replied with longing, forcing the memories away. The little girl vanished from his side, the halls feeling quiet and empty in the present time. He squeezed his hand into a fist, wishing that he could hold his daughter's hand once more, even if it were only for a brief moment.

Pushing the longing and self-hatred aside, he continued forward, knowing his kingdom needed him in his wife and youngest daughter's absence. He hoped their journey to the remains of Lurolona village was a pleasant one, unperturbed by the heartless, or any other beasts who would dare threaten their safety. It had been some time since he last heard any word from them, but he knew both women held a strength within them that few could ever hope to match. Any who dared attack them were fools in his eyes.

Word of the demihuman's treatment around Melromarc spread to the castle, and they knew the village ransacked by the Heartless would be a prime target for the underground slavers market. Even at his worst, he never wished to see his people shackled or abused, no matter his personal feelings toward the demihumans. That was why he agreed with his wife's plan to visit the village and offer assistance as soon as she had the ability to leave. Of course, the responsibilities held by her highness kept them from going sooner than they wished, which lead him to believe they were likely already too late. He quelled the fire in his heart, wishing he and his wife could find and destroy these damnable slavers once and for all.

He recalled then that Malty had vanished for nearly two weeks shortly after the first wave, along with an assortment of his royal guard. To this day she still hadn't explained her absence to any of them, not that he expected her to share anything of her personal life with him anyway. Not with how distant she'd become.

Closing his eyes he stopped walking, placing a hand over his heart as he thought of his wife and youngest daughter. Wherever they were now, he wished them well in their endeavors and silently pleaded that they made it in time to save the surviving demihumans from such a terrible fate. To his horror the warmth he previously felt within his chest shifted into a bitter cold, causing him to drop his staff as he gasped for air, his eyes shooting open in alarm.

He had little time to dwell on this sudden feeling, however, as a young knight quickly approached from around the corner. He had a look of pure terror spread across his own visage as he shakingly held his sword in hand.

"You're majesty! It's the Shield hero, he's returned alone and attacked any knights or civilians who made attempts to approach him! He's summoned heartless to aid him in battle, and he's made his way into the throne room!"

"What?" Was all he could mutter in response, quickly reaching down to grab his previously discarded staff. There must be some kind of mistake, Sora would never attack his people! Wasting little time he rushed past the guard, unaware of the redhead who watched everything transpire from the shadows, smirking as she followed silently behind.

Sora grinned as he brought down the spear, slamming it against Motoyasu's as the two continued their friendly spar despite Elharts return. The shopkeeper seemed unperturbed by their actions, instead leaning against the counter and watching the two with interest. Sitting beside him were two pieces of chainmail armor, specially selected for them for whenever they finished their match.

Sora fought with an elegance Elhart hadn't seen since his youth, easily dodging Motoyau's attempts at attack and parrying his blows with minimal effort. Despite this clear gap in experience he never once bragged or made any comment's to make his friend feel lesser than himself. He swung his own weapon with obvious knowledge on how to use it, offering pointers and advice to the Spear Hero who seemed to slowly be catching on to some of the more basic tips, such as proper stance or different forms of attack. It was then that he shifted into a new stance, spinning his spear before pointing it directly at his friend.

"Alright Motoyasu, I'm going to try attacking you directly! Try to parry my attacks, or dodge them if you think you can't!" He called out, waiting for the other to nod before he immediately thrust the spear in his direction.

The Spear Hero misjudged the timing completely on this first attack, Sora's spear missing his head by at least a few inches. He wasn't even aiming at his friend, Elhart realized, just close enough so that the Spear wielder could learn how to counter properly. Motoyasu's eyes were wide as he saw just how quickly Sora attacked him, realizing if this were a real battle he would no longer be standing where he was. He quickly knocked the spear away with his own, taking a step back and raising his weapon in a defensive posture.

Spinning the spear once more Sora swung it toward him in a downward strike, which Motoyasu managed to block. The blow had little weight behind it, so he pushed back, causing Sora to take a few steps back as he caught his balance, soon attempting another forward thrust.

It took several tries, but eventually, the Spear Hero managed to successfully parry one of Sora's attacks, bringing the tip of his spear to the Shield Hero's face as the other nearly dropped his weapon. The spiky-haired youth reached up to push Motoyasu's spear aside as he began to approach his friend.

"Way to go, Motoyasu! You're really getting the hang of it!" He praised, grinning from ear to ear at the other's accomplishment. Motoyasu smiled at him in return, breathing heavily from the exertion of the short but exhilarating spar. Much like he needed to learn how to use his spear, he also needed to work on his stamina. Sora looked just as energetic as before their match, inspiring him to one day reach that level too.

To the surprise of all who were present the spear suddenly seemed to react to Sora's touch, shining bright enough to light a dark room. Motoyasu turned his gaze to his weapon then, eyes wide in wonder as it slowly changed beneath his fingertips. As the light died down, in his hand's he held a new spear, a prompt coming across his vision as he stared down in awe.

Spear unlocked!

Highwind

+11 Strength. +9 Magic

A Spear created by the deep bonds shared between Shield and Spear. When summoned it allows the use of the Waterza spell, regardless of spellcasting knowledge.

Abilities unlocked!

Spear Rush

Summon a host of halberds to strike at foes.

Spear Rain

Rain countless halberds down on unwitting foes.

The spear itself looked like an impossible amalgamation of shipwreck parts. The tip was in the shape of a fleur-de-lis, followed by a ship's wheel sitting just below it. In the middle of the wheel sat a compass, below which sat a row of spikes with wood pieces fit into them. The handle was a light brown color, with some sort of pirate's skull emblem sitting at the bottom. Sora stared at it in genuine surprise, Motoyasu looking up with his own expression of confusion and wonder.

"Sora is this?..."

"Yeah, that's Highwind" he answered, stepping closer and examining it more intently, obviously confused, "I don't know how, but this looks just like the Spear I unlocked when visiting the Caribbean. It isn't connected to the Wheel of Fate Keyblade like mine was, but it looks exactly the same regardless"

"But how?" Motoyasu muttered, reading the spear's description again as he tried to put the pieces together, "It says something about a bond between us unlocking the spear, could it have been unlocked just because we're friends, and you touched it?"

"That seems the most likely explanation," Elhart answered from the counter, causing both of the younger men to turn in his direction, "They are legendary magical weapons, so it wouldn't surprise me that they may have different secret's that not even the wielders are aware of. Why don't you try touching his Shield, see what happens?"

Motoyasu nodded then, reaching out as Sora offered his shield to the other. Placing his hand on the face of the weapon, the two waited for several seconds until much like before, the shield lit up and changed before their very eyes. Sora read the text as it appeared across his vision, the light dying down and revealing a brand new shield.

Shield unlocked!

Bonds of Friendship Lv.1

+7 Strength. +7 Magic. +10 Defence.

A Shield created by the deep bonds shared between Spear and Shield. It can be strengthened by developing deeper bonds with the remaining heroes of legend.

Abilities unlocked!

Power of Friendship

Bonds of Friendship gains a significant Stat boost for all nearby allies assisting in battle. Allies do not need to be in a party for this effect to take place.

Call to the Heart

The wielder is permitted to bypass the Keyblade summoning restriction. However, the wielder is still not permitted to use the Keyblade in combat.

The shield reminded Sora heavily of the Counter Shield form change he gained from the Hero's Origin Keyblade. It was a golden shield albeit without the white, cloud-like embroidery. It had a diamond resting at the top and a blue heart-like symbol at the bottom. Unlike the Counter Shield, however, which had a lightning bolt at the center, this Shield contained a simple engraving of a Spear at its center.

Reading the effects of the Shield Sora felt his eyes widen further. He set the silver spear against the counter, lifting his now free hand and calling to his weapon with all of his heart. To his delight, and to the surprise of both the shopkeeper and Motoyasu, his Keyblade came to him in a brilliant flash of light. The blade itself was silver in color, segmented into three tines, representing the Roman numeral for three. It was wrapped in an ornate silver, red and dark grey filigree pattern with two hearts adorning the weapon, one engraved into the hilt and the other at the base of the teeth. Both onlookers gaped at the Keyblade, their eyes alight with awe.

"Sora?" Motoyasu managed to mutter, eyes flittering between the blade and his friend. Sora only grinned in response, glad to be holding his signature weapon once more. Even if he couldn't use it in combat.

"This is a Keyblade," he explained, causing Motoyasu to nod. He recalled Sora mentioning that name when he explained form changes not that long ago but hadn't thought to ask for more information until now. He realized it was likely due to his excitement to get started on their adventure, and that he was trying to decide where to go to buy their equipment.

"I couldn't summon it until now because of the Shield's magic, but it's been with me for years. My original Keyblade is called the Kingdom Key, but this one, in particular, is called the Ultima Weapon"

"How did you get such a weapon?" Elhart asked, still staring at it with interest.

"Well, it originally belonged to my best friend, Riku. But he gave in to the darkness at the time, so it chose me instead. I think it might be because I had Ventus's heart inside of me when it happened, and he's a Keyblade wielder too."

"You've had other people's hearts inside of you?" Motoyasu asked, his look of confusion growing. Sora only nodded to the question.

"Four people, actually. Ventus, Kairi, Roxas, and Xion," Sora replied, lifting up fingers for each name he mentioned, "Roxas is my nobody, from the short time I became a heartless"

"You…became a heartless?" Motoyasu mumbled, his voice breaking as he considered the ramifications of this knowledge. His mind was on overdrive, trying to comprehend all of the information his friend was unloading onto him at this moment. But of everything he'd heard so far, this was the most depressing.

"When the Destiny Islands fell to darkness, Kairi's heart found refuge in mine. I used a Keyblade created by Ansem on myself. It released mine and Kairi's hearts, allowing her to finally wake up. This turned me into a Heartless, but I still had my memory. I went looking for my friends, and Kairi used the light in her heart to give me back my original form"

"So, what can a Keyblade do?" Elhart asked suddenly, changing the subject as he saw the Spear Wielder growing paler and paler as Sora continued his explanation. He would likely feel the same if he learned one of his friends practically sacrificed himself for someone else.

"The main power of the Keyblade is to seal or open the barriers between worlds and to lock a world's Keyhole, preventing the Heartless from attacking that world's heart. It can open or close any locks, actually. It's great in combat too, especially with the ability to channel spells"

"It can open any locks, eh? Sound's like a great weapon for thieves" Elhart teased with a grin, causing Sora to smirk at the playful jab.

"Yeah well you don't have to worry, I promise not to come back tonight and steal all of your equipment" he replied, lifting his Keyblade and resting it on his shoulders.

"You better not" Elhart shot back as he pointed at the youth, chuckling as the Spear Hero approached the counter, still looking slightly upset but with far more color than he had a moment prior.

"Speaking of equipment, what did you get for us?" he cut in, gesturing to the two sets of armor sitting on the counter. Elharts grin widened at the question, grabbing one of the armors and lifting it for both Heroes to see. Information suddenly spread across their vision.

Magic Steel Chainmail

A set of flexible Steel Chainmail coated in magic, giving some defense against basic spells.

Defense +10

Fire Resistance +10%. Blizzard Resistance +10%. Thunder Resistance +10%. Water Resistance +10%.

"Only the highest quality equipment I can offer in light armor variants. Magic Steel Chainmail!"

"How much are they?" Motoyasu questioned, taking one of the sets and examining it more closely. It was very light, which would offer the two of them better movement and wouldn't cost them any stamina. Something he knew he needed to conserve at the moment. He flinched as he heard the price, however.

"They usually go for 5000 Munny, but for the Heroes of Legend I can let them go for as low as 2500"

"That's a bit more-" He began, knowing together they couldn't afford even one of these armor sets. But much to his surprise, Sora pulled out a large brown bag, cutting him off as he reached inside and pulled out the requested amount, offering it to the shopkeeper.

"Done. Thank you, Elhart!" Sora replied happily, pocketing the bag and taking his own set as Motoyasu turned to him with a lost expression.

"How did you afford that? The king only gave us a starting fund of 600 Munny."

"I had some leftover from my last adventure" Sora answered, shrugging his shoulders.

"There are changing rooms right over there, if you'd like to put them on" Elhart offered, pointing to the rooms in question. Sora wasted no time, his Keyblade vanishing as he approached and entered one of the vacant rooms. Motoyasu used this time to grab the silver spear he left leaning against the counter, intending to return it to its proper place. Much to his surprise, his own spear lit once more, morphing into an exact copy as he did so. Text appeared in his line of sight.

Spear unlocked!

Silver Spear

+9 Strength. +3 Magic

Would these surprises never cease today? Without thinking twice he approached another spear, one made of simple wood with a steel tip. He reached out, running his fingers across it as yet again his own spear lit up and morphed into a copy of the weapon, more text spreading across his visage. Elhard moved from behind the counter as he watched this transpire.

Spear unlocked!

Steel Pillar War Pike

+7 Strength.

It worked! It seemed as though their Legendary Weapons possessed some kind of weapon copy ability! Turning back to the rooms his friend had vanished in a moment prior, he called out to him in excitement, not bothered by the Blacksmith's look of irritation as he seemingly caught on to what was happening too.

"Sora, you're not going to believe this!"