I've decided to start writing based on the synopses of the light novel volumes/chapters from the wiki, so this'll probably get extremely canon divergent. However, if I leave something important out of the equation, chances are it was probably intentional. If you see something important that I leave out and feel like it was unintentional, feel free to leave a review and ask me about it. I'll be happy to clear things up for you.

Cheers erupted from the streets of Lighthaven Village as Filo's wagon rolled through the entrance gate alongside Aris's motorcycle and Sora's Keyblade Glider.

"He's back! Governor Aris is back!"

"He must've taken down the Spirit Tortoise!"

Aris waved to everyone as he passed by, dismounting his motorcycle and calling it back to his prosthesis as he walked on foot, greeting villagers with handshakes and high-fives.

Pit ran up to him from the crowd, throwing his arms around Aris. The two exchanged firm slaps on the back before breaking away. Ness ran up to Loretta and jumped up to high-five her.

Yomogi leaned towards Raphtalia. "He seems to be popular here. And did someone call him a governor?"

"That's because he's in charge of this region," Raphtalia informed her. "It was originally governed by House Seaetto, but most of them died after the first Wave hit. Eclair passed on the governor mantle to Aris, who renamed the district New Hyrule."

Aris briefly stopped exchanging handshakes with villagers when approached by Queen Mirellia. "You've returned," she said.

Aris rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, about that. Sorry it took so long."

"We can fill you in later," said Cloud.

A new voice chimed in, beckoning Aris's name. Melty ran over with Keel in tow. The latter shouldered her Keyblade.

"Keel!" said Sora. "Still got your Keyblade, I see."

Keel smiled. "You betcha! I even named it!"

"What'd you call it?"

Keel brandished her Keyblade. "Banner of Hope. I've been training a lot."

"Good on you," said Sora. "Bet Eclair's a real tough instructor, huh?"

Keel shook her head. "Oh, not with Eclair."

"Keel's been training with someone who came to Lighthaven a week or two ago," said Melty. "I think he's a friend of yours."

Kairi ran up to Sora's side. "Wait, you don't mean...!"

A deeper voice answered. "She does."

Riku

Brave-Hearted Keyblade Master

Sora's eyes widened. Kairi's began to well up with tears.

They cried out in unison, throwing their arms around their friend. "Riku!"

Riku accepted their collective embrace, forming a group hug with his two closest friends. "I missed you guys."

"How did you even get here?" asked Sora.

"I...kinda borrowed your Gummi Ship," Riku replied. "I found my way here after a day or two of traveling, and the people here seem to know about the worlds."

"They do," Aris confirmed as he walked over. "Me and most of my party aren't from this world."

"Interesting," said Riku as Kairi and Sora finally let him go. "I guess you must be that Aris dude people were mentioning."

"The one and only." Aris held out his left hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Name's Riku." Riku shook Aris's hand. "And likewise."

"Did we miss anything while we were gone?" Raphtalia asked Melty.

Melty shook her head. "Nothing important aside from Riku showing up."

"There were a few small Heartless attacks," Eclair added as she arrived, "but Riku and Keel dispatched them with ease."

"So, to recap," said Aris, "we went inside the Spirit Tortoise and found out it was being controlled by two guys named Kyo and Xigbar."

Queen Mirellia nodded. "Continue."

"We took them down and destroyed the Spirit Tortoise's true heart at the same time as Zacian cut off its head," Loretta added.

Sora continued, "In her final moments, Ost used her power on my Keyblade to allow me to open a portal to Kyo's world so we could follow him and Xigbar."

"And this Infinite Labyrinth was on the other side?" asked the queen.

Cloud nodded. "Everyone ended up there, except Filo. We escaped the Labyrinth with the help of one of that world's Cardinal Heroes: Kizuna Kazayama, the Hunting Hero."

"After that," said Loretta, "we traveled to the capital of Mikakage and used the Dragon Hourglass to warp to Sikul."

"Kyo stopped the Hourglass from working on me and then captured me," said Raphtalia. "I was imprisoned with L'Arc, Therese, and Glass, and then Kairi arrived and busted us out."

"Meanwhile, we all went to Sikul's capital and found out that Pokémon can be used to find people," said Aris. "Kizuna had a Piplup, and I used Raphtalia's old dagger to attract a Vulpix which helped us find her. Cloud used an old ribbon to call upon a Sprigatito for his friend Aerith, and Sora used a good luck charm to find a Mareep, which he used to locate Kairi."

"That's me!" Kairi chimed in.

"After that, you found Filo and Raphtalia, the latter of whom had become the Vassal Katana Hero," said the Queen.

Raphtalia nodded, drawing the Vassal Katana before sheathing it. "After that, we found Yomogi," Raphtalia gestured to the girl in question, "and got her to answer some questions about Kyo and Xigbar. Thanks to her, we were able to stop them."

"Well, not quite," said Rishia. "When we got there during the artificial Wave Kyo and Xigbar had created, we found out that someone had beat us to the punch."

"Yeah," said Cloud. "Remember that guy from the Battle of Cal Mira?"

"The one with the long katana?" asked the queen. "Sephiroth?"

"It was him," said Cloud. "He killed Kyo and Xigbar, and then tried to kill us."

"He seemed to be after the Vassal Katana," Yomogi added. "However, Sora managed to banish Sephiroth to some sort of alternate plane of existence."

"The Realm of Darkness," said Sora. "But I don't doubt the fact that he'll find a way to escape sooner than we think."

"Then perhaps you all should work on finding a way to the Realm of Darkness to finish your bout with him," the queen suggested.

"Unrelated question," Rishia put in, "what about the other three Cardinal Heroes?"

"They're missing again," Melty answered. "We found them near where the Spirit Tortoise had died and treated their wounds. They woke up after a while and told us what had happened to them, but then they left. Again."

"Oh..." Rishia hung her head.

Aris gritted his teeth. "Those motherfuckers...!"

"In their defense," said Melty, "a Wave did appear in our world right around the time Kyo and Xigbar created the one in theirs. Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki all stepped up and pushed themselves to their limits to stop it. Riku and Keel helped me defend Lighthaven alongside Elrasla and Eclair.

"There's more," said the queen. "Because of their disappearance, rumors have been circulating that they are the cause for the Spirit Tortoise's rampage."

"Does 'they' include me?" asked Aris.

Queen Mirellia shook her head. "Fortunately, it does not, as most recognize that you and your party went inside the Spirit Tortoise and destroyed its heart while Zacian and Zamazenta destroyed its head from the outside."

"Oh, yeah, we saw them do that," said Loretta. "They really showed up at the perfect time, didn't they?"

"Indeed they did," said the queen. "Were they still present, I would honor Zacian and Zamazenta for their valor."

"Anyway, back on track," said Aris. "Are people looking for the three?"

"Yes," replied Melty. "We were wondering if you could find a way to help with that."

"Well," said Aris, "the old me would've responded with a hard no. But, I know what it feels like to be falsely accused of something, and as much as I dislike the other three, I don't want them to suffer the same way I did. Me and the others will help however we can."

The queen smiled. "Please do not tell them I said this, but such kindness is what makes you and your party some of my favorite people in Melromarc."

"D'oh, stop it..." Pit blushed.

"Hold on, you are?!"

The queen nodded. "I am. Raphtalia's heroism and strength has inspired me to work towards abolishing Demi-Human slavery."

"I mean, as cool as that is," said Riku, "don't you think that would really hurt the economy?"

"I am aware," said Queen Mirellia. "Which is why I am not ending it immediately. I want to gradually write out decrees and laws that discourage slavery of any sort, in particular regarding international slave trade."

"But won't the freed slaves need some sort of place to stay if they don't have a home to go to?" Ness pointed out.

"They will," replied Melty, "and that's where you all come in."

"You told me that you wanted New Hyrule and Lighthaven Village to serve as an extended olive branch between humans and Demi-Humans," said Queen Mirellia. "Taking in Demi-Human refugees would be the perfect way to do so."

"Then that's exactly what I'll do!" said Aris. "And the more we rebuild Lighthaven, the more places the refugees will have to be able to stay!"

"Splendid," said the queen. "Anyway, there is something else we wish to tell you."

"Before they took off to god knows where," said Melty, "the three Cardinal Heroes informed us of something."

Motoyasu groaned as he rose to his feet. "Ngh, my head. You guys okay?"

Ren and Itsuki followed suit, stretching and taking in deep breaths. "Really tired, but we're alive," said Ren.

Itsuki pointed to something. "Wait, someone's over there!"

That something turned out to be a someone; a rather beautiful woman lay on the floor of the chamber, her breathing raspy as her life neared its end.

Motoyasu ran to her side and lowered down to her level. "Ma'am, are you okay?!"

The dying woman looked up at him. "You are...the Spear Hero...right...?"

Motoyasu nodded. "But that doesn't matter right now! We need to get you to a doctor!"

"No..." the woman said, shaking her head. "It's...too late for me, I'm afraid..."

"It can't be too late!" Motoyasu refuted.

"It can..." said the woman, "and it is. But...before I breathe my last, there is...something you must know...something you must relay to Aris and his friends..."

"Tell me," said Motoyasu.

The woman nodded. "Now that the Spirit Tortoise is gone...another Guardian Beast will awaken...the Phoenix..."

"Okay," said Motoyasu. "I'll tell him when I can."

"Thank you..." The woman smiled at Motoyasu. "Tell Aris...that Ost Hourai...told you this..."

"Got it." Motoyasu gently took the woman's hand. "Thank you, Miss Hourai."

Ost coughed. "It seems...my time has come..."

"Is there anything we can do about it?" asked Motoyasu.

"No...there is not..." Ost shook her head. "But...worry not...I have no regrets. Cardinal Heroes...may your heart...be your guiding key..."

Ost breathed one more raspy breath. Motoyasu gently slid his fingers over her eyelids, closing them. Ost's body began to glow with golden light as it seemingly dissolved into shining particles. Those particles floated skyward.

"That's what they told us," said Melty.

"So...what should we do?" asked Filo.

"Our current plan," replied Queen Mirellia, "is to muster the Seven Star Heroes of this world. I believe we briefly discussed them prior to the assault on the Spirit Tortoise, correct?"

Aris nodded. "You mentioned them, yeah."

"They will be of great importance in dealing with both the Waves and the Phoenix," said the queen. "However, there is one problem with this plan."

"Which is?"

Queen Mirellia sighed. "You remember my husband, don't you?"

"Old Fart?" Loretta snickered with a smirk. "Of course, how could we forget him?"

"He is one of the Seven Star Heroes."

Joker spat out the water he'd been drinking. "Hold on, what?!"

"In what reality would that asshole be worthy of a Vassal Weapon?!" exclaimed Loretta.

"This one," replied the queen. "And, for the record...he was not always so...callous."

"What do you mean?" asked Ness.

"When I met him," said Queen Mirellia, "he was quite possibly the kindest and most loving man I knew. He fought on the front lines in the series of wars Melromarc once waged, and became something of a war hero. That was before he and I married."

"During his time as Melromarc's king," added Melty, "everyone had faith in him due to his past as a war hero. He was also a genius tactician alongside that."

The queen chuckled. "I remember him being the only one to ever match my skill at chess. Anyway, back to our previous subject. As I mentioned, he is, of course, the Vassal Staff Hero."

"Okay," said Aris. "As much as I dislike him, I guess it wouldn't hurt to give him a second chance."

"Maybe he's changed," Sora agreed. "I wouldn't doubt it."

"There's more," said Melty. "The problem isn't the fact that Father is a Vassal Wielder, it's that..."

Queen Mirellia finished her sentence, "He is...currently missing."

"And we have an inkling that the Yiga Clan might have something to do with it," added Melty.

"The Yiga Clan?" said a confused Yomogi.

"A group of assassins who sought to destroy my homeland," Aris told her. "And succeeded. Now, they've found their way to Melromarc."

"And they almost destroyed me," said a foreign, yet familiar man's voice.

Aris turned to see none other than Aultcray "Old Fart" Melromarc XXXII, whose clothes were riddled with cuts and whose skin was bleeding out from a myriad of cuts.

Kairi summoned Destiny's Embrace without hesitation, pointing it at him. "Curaga!"

Green energy shot from her Keyblade and collided with Old Fart's body, healing all of the major cuts and gashes.

"Well, speak of Medusa," said Pit. "He's actually here."

"Where have you been?" Queen Mirellia asked sternly. "We certainly would have appreciated your assistance as the Vassal Staff Hero during the assault on the Spirit Tortoise."

"I can't be a Vassal Wielder without my Vassal Weapon," Old Fart replied.

"So, you've been looking for the Vassal Staff?" said Raphtalia.

"Yes," Old Fart confirmed. "It has been missing for a long time, even before the Cardinal Heroes were first summoned."

"But why'd you come crawling back here, old man?" Aris said. "Why?"

Old Fart met his gaze. "Because...I was wrong."

"Wrong about what?"

"...you."

"Oh, now you're sorry for everything," Loretta scoffed. "You almost get sliced to ribbons by the Yiga, you're missing your Vassal Weapon, and only now are you sorry."

BGM: Regret - Persona 5

Aris eyed his sister. "Sis, let him speak."

Speak he did. "From my encounter with the...Yiga, as you call them, I found out that they seek to destroy Melromarc, just as they destroyed your home," he said to Aris. "I can't let that happen, even if it means I have to disgrace myself to stop them. As such, I hope that you and I can...can put our past feud behind us, and...work together."

Aris placed a hand on Old Fart's shoulder. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. That saying may not always be true, but it sure as hell is right now."

Old Fart breathed a sigh of relief, smiling gratefully. "Thank you...Sir Aris."

"Drop the formalities, old-timer," said Aris. "Just call me by name. You're one of us now."

"You sure we can trust him?" Loretta asked, reluctant to accept Old Fart's apology.

"Keep that saying in mind, Lorie," Aris told her. "'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.'"

Loretta nodded. "You're right."

"In all seriousness, though," said Old Fart, "I spent a great deal of time thinking back to before I was banished from the throne...when you were still a wanted man, and when you didn't have..." he glanced at Aris's rather large party, "...so many people to count on. I realize now that I was in the wrong for all of it, and I entirely deserved my punishment, tenfold." He turned to Aris's party, addressing them. "All of you, from the deepest reaches of my heart..." he bowed his head, "...I am sorry."

"Chin up, comrade," said Pit. "I don't know about the others, but I forgive you."

"So do I," Cloud concurred. "Welcome aboard."

"I forgive you, too," said Raphtalia.

Old Fart looked at her. "Even you...?"

"Yeah." Raphtalia smiled at him. "We're on the same side now."

"I know a change of heart when I see one," said Joker, "and I definitely saw one just now."

"My mother taught me that everyone deserves a second chance," Ness added. "Sadly, that isn't completely true, but that doesn't mean it's not true at all."

"I know how you feel," said Riku. "A long time ago, I was consumed by darkness, corrupted by it. My closest friend became my greatest enemy. After I came back to light, I felt like what I'd done could never be forgiven."

"But we brought him back anyway," Kairi added. "Because Sora and I knew that we wouldn't be complete without Riku."

"Yeah," said Sora. "People say every heart has a little darkness, but the opposite is true, too. You might've struggled with your own darkness, and that's okay. Because in every heart, there's a light that never goes out."

"I'm proud of you," said Melty as she approached Old Fart. "Besides...I missed having my father around."

"Melty..." Old Fart threw his arms around his daughter. "I may be weak, but I am still your father. No father abandons his family."

"Which is why I knew you would find your way home, dear," said Queen Mirellia.

"My queen," said Old Fart, "did my banishment from the throne not sever our marital ties?"

The queen shook her head. "There is something you should know. You remember the trial...the day you and our elder daughter were sentenced to execution, yes?"

Old Fart nodded.

"I never wished for it to happen," said the queen, "which is why I am glad it did not. But, had Aris not stopped the guillotines from falling and spared your life, I would have halted the execution and offered to exchange my life for yours."

Aultcray gasped. "I...you...why...?"

Mirellia's eyes welled up with tears. "Because I love you."

Queen Mirellia stepped down from her throne, gently taking her husband into her arms. The two shared a tearful embrace.

"I'm afraid I...can't quite bring myself to be a king again," said Aultcray as he and his wife broke their hug. "But...I will gladly serve as the Vassal Staff Hero...and as a father."

"I'm not asking you to be a king," Mirellia assured him. "That isn't why I married you, after all."

"Dearest..." said Aultcray, "...I promise that I will do whatever I can to be as great a husband I can possibly be."

"And that is all I ask of you," said Mirellia.

End BGM

"I believe I saw a convoy headed for Zeltoble," Aultcray informed the group. "I know a slave carriage when i see one, and it looked like there were several heading east, towards the Zeltoble border."

"Then that means the Demi-Humans from Raphtalia's village were probably sold to the Coliseum in Zeltoble," Melty deduced.

"A Coliseum?" said Sora.

"Zeltoble's most famous attraction," Queen Mirellia explained. "Participants enter into a combat tournament either alone or with a team, and register under an alias of their choice."

"We'll head to Zeltoble as soon as we can," said Aris. "Besides, this Coliseum sounds like it could be pretty fun."

"Past Heroes have participated in the games," Aultcray pointed out. "Were I still in possession of the Vassal Staff, I would ask to aid you in a team tournament."

Loretta smirked at him. "Think you can keep up with us young'ins, old man?"

"This old man still has some fight left in him," Aultcray laughed.

"In any case," said Queen Mirellia, "feel free to take some time to relax. You've certainly earned it."

"Wild Pokémon, huh?"

"Yep." Aris tossed a Poké Ball in his hand, catching it repeatedly. "They'll serve as security for the village."

"Mareep and I can go look somewhere else," Kairi suggested.

"Good thinking." Aris tossed her a few Poké Balls. "See if you can find a few Flying-types. Mareep's an Electric-type, which is effective against Flying-types."

Kairi accepted the Poké Balls and left with Mareep to catch Pokémon.

"Lorie, go ahead and look around," said Aris. "Catch as many Pokémon as you can."

Loretta nodded. "You got it!"

She left as well, heading in a separate direction from Kairi.

"Now, while they're doing that," said Aris, "we're gonna head to Fivendom Village and see how reconstruction is going there."

"Seriously?"

Eclair sighed. "In our defense, the Heartless kept attacking and interrupting us. Riku and Keel were able to repel them, but they halted construction progress by a very sizable margin."

"We have good news, though!" Keel chimed in. "A few days before you returned, Riku and I found a few slaves and freed them!"

Keel gestured to three Demi-humans, all of whom looked to be in their early teens.

One of the Demi-humans, a boy with rabbit ears, met Aris's gaze. "H-Hello..."

"Hi," said Aris.

Aris turned back to Eclair. "Head back to Lighthaven. You'll be in charge of restoration there. I'll take over here in Fivendom."

Eclair nodded. "Very well."

"As for you three," Aris turned back to the Demi-humans, "it's getting late, so I'll make dinner. Any particular food preferences?"

None of them spoke up, so Keel answered in their stead. "I don't know about Ezgi and Irida," she gestured to a girl with Basset Hound ears and another girl with a fox-like tail, "but I know Varka doesn't like meat." She motioned to the rabbit boy.

"I can eat it," said Varka, "but...Keel's right. I don't really like it."

"Then a vegetarian dinner it is," said Aris. "Varka, you're okay with mushrooms, right?"

Varka nodded.

"Then I'll whip up some of my best Cream of Mushroom Soup." Aris cracked his knuckles.

Keel, Varka, Ezgi, and Irida all enjoyed steaming bowls of Hearty Cream of Mushroom Soup as the Rebellion of the Shield did the same.

"Hey, didn't you make this the day after we first met?" asked Raphtalia.

"Yes and no," replied Aris. "Yes, because I did, and no," he paused to swallow his food, "because the variant I made then is designed to temporarily enhance one's movement speed. That's why it's called Hasty Cream of Mushroom Soup as opposed to the Hearty Cream of Mushroom Soup we're eating right now."

"Then what does this soup do?" asked Irida.

"It's fabled to temporarily enhance one's vitality," replied Aris. "Very handy."

A new voice joined the conversation. "You seriously started dinner without us?"

Loretta and Kairi arrived on the scene. Aris quickly poured out a bowl of soup for each of them to eat. "How'd the catching go?"

"Amazing," said Kairi. "I managed to nab a bunch of strong-looking Flying-types."

"A Staraptor, a Pidgeotto, a Noctowl, a Swellow, a Tranquil, and a Braviary to be exact," Loretta added. "I got a Machop, a Heracross, an Electrike, and even a Drampa."

"Drampa's a good one," said Aris. "I remember reading somewhere that they're very good with children, and have been reported protecting kids from bullies."

"Now that's just stinkin' adorable," Loretta laughed. "But, yeah, Kairi caught a whole aviary's worth of Flying-types. They'll be able to circle over Lighthaven in shifts so that when one group gets tired, the next is ready to go."

"E-Excuse me, Aris?" Ezgi stuttered.

Aris turned to the Basset Hound Demi-human. "What's up?"

"When you're out and about," said Ezgi, "how are we going to be able to get food?"

"Well, I'm sure the other people here can get stuff for you," Aris replied. "But, if you're really worried about it, I can give you something." He tossed Ezgi, Varka, and Irida each a pouch of seeds. "Those are Biositos seeds, which grow super fast and yield delicious fruit. Super easy to grow, too."

"All you really need is basic gardening skills," Pit added, his mouth full of mushrooms.

"Thanks for making us dinner," said Varka as he finished his bowl of soup. "It was delicious."

"No worries," said Aris. "I'm happy to help, and I'm definitely happy to cook."

A few days of construction had gone by. Several of Fivendom's houses had been completely rebuilt, and the remodeling of another house's roof had just been finished. During reconstruction, Cloud, Ness, and Keel had taken Varka, Ezgi, and Irida out to level up. Irida had grown fond of wielding Ness's weaponized yo-yo.

"Are you really sure I can keep this?" asked Irida as she and the others followed Ness, Cloud, and Keel back into Fivendom.

"Sure, I don't need it," Ness replied. "I've got my bat."

"I just wish Sadeena were here," Ezgi remarked.

"Who's Sadeena?" asked Cloud.

"Before the first Wave," said Varka, "she was our village's protector. She's super strong."

"She saved me from drowning once," Keel added.

"Sadeena came to the village with Raphtalia's parents sometime before we were born," Ezgi stated. "No one really knows where they came from, but they apparently settled in pretty fast."

Raphtalia suddenly joined the conversation. "Are we talking about Sadeena?"

Irida nodded. "Wherever she is, I hope she's proud of us."

"She is, without a doubt," said Raphtalia. "Maybe we should go out looking for her."

"We can do that after we get back from Zeltoble," Aris suggested. "Maybe we'll find her there, who knows?"

Filo's wagon trundled along the road to Zeltoble as Aris's motorcycle cruised alongside her, playing some old rock music from its speakers.

"What's the plan when we get there?" asked Pit.

As if on cue, Aris's CD-Comm rang. He answered, quickly connecting it to the speakers on his bike as he paused the music. Queen Mirellia's voice spoke to everyone. "There is something I forgot to tell you. Zeltoble's Coliseum serves as a sort of ground zero for an underground slave market. You'll more than likely find survivors there."

"However, the prices are infamous for being obscenely expensive," Aultcray added. "Certainly more than you could afford, I imagine."

"How can we get money quickly?" asked Yomogi.

"Participating in a tournament at the Coliseum is your best option, I'd wager," said Aultcray. "Not to mention, I think you all would find it fun."

"Almost reminds me of Olympus," Sora mused to himself.

"Then that's what we'll do," Aris said in response to Aultcray. "You said we could register under any alias we wanted?"

"Yes," Aultcray affirmed. "Your team will fall under that name."

"I would personally advise against using your current group name, Rebellion of the Shield," Mirellia informed. "It would likely draw unnecessary attention."

"No worries," said Loretta. "I was thinking about asking if we could change it anyway. We're less of a 'rebellion' now, after all."

"How you register is your decision," said the queen. "Good luck in Zeltoble, and have fun in the Coliseum."

The call ended, and Aris resumed his music, starting another song: "Realize" by AC/DC.

"Thank you again for allowing me to join you," said Yomogi.

"Hey, no worries," Ness assured her. "The more, the merrier."

"Anyone else hyped for the Coliseum?" asked Loretta. "I sure as hell am!"

"I'm pretty excited," replied Sora. "I've done something similar in the past."

"Did you?" said Cloud.

"Of course!" said Sora. "You were there, remember? You beat me in a match during my time at Olympus."

Cloud snapped his fingers upon remembering. "Oh, yeah, I did. I might've gotten a bit carried away back then."

Sora placed his hands on the back of his head. "Don't sweat it. I'm kinda glad you didn't hold back. It kinda gave my younger self a bit of a reality check."

"Speaking of the Coliseum," said Raphtalia, "what name are we registering under?"

"I'm okay with anything," Joker replied. "Anyone else got any ideas?"

"I have one," said Aris. "Long before Lorie and I were born, in Hyrule, there existed a clan of warriors known as the Knights of Hyrule. Some were affiliated with the military, some weren't. Regardless of whether or not they were actual soldiers, they defended the royal family to the death, willing to give anything to protect Hyrule."

"So you want to register as the Knights of Hyrule?" asked Sora.

Aris shook his head. "Not quite. Hyrule is...well, it's long gone now, and New Hyrule is being restored to take its place. Because of that, I thought we could be the Knights of New Hyrule."

"That works!" said Loretta. "All in favor?"

The decision was unanimous.

"That can be our new group name after we're done at the Coliseum," Aris suggested, "seeing as this we're not really just the Shield Hero and his party anymore.

"You're right," Filo agreed. "Now, we're the protectors of New Hyrule!"

"And the rest of the world, don't forget," said Rishia.

"And the other worlds that are out there, too," added Riku.

"Raphtalia, we're gonna head to a weapons store and see what shields and katanas they've got," said Aris. "Everyone else, go check out the Coliseum and see if you can register us."

Loretta led everyone towards the Coliseum while Aris and Raphtalia made their way to a nearby weapons shop.

"Here to compete in a tournament?" asked a man working at the front desk. "Or are you just here to spectate?"

"We're competing," said Loretta. "And we've got two more members who aren't present at the moment."

"I see," said the receptionist. "Can I get a name to register you all?"

"We're the Knights of New Hyrule," said Cloud. "And we're here to kick ass."