Hello, fellow readers of the Fanfiction universe! I thought it'd be fun to experiment with another anime topic that I've grown to really like: the Rising of the Shield Hero! So, I came up with this little one-shot inspired by one of my favorite episodes, which happens to have the title/name of my favorite character as well: Raphtalia. Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or anything from the anime, it belongs to the company that let this anime come to life. I also do not own the song and lyrics that I use today either. The only thing I do own is my O.C. Now, let's get to it!
The rain was pouring heavily through a thick brush of forest under the cold, dark atmosphere of the night. Thunder clasped across the sky as lightning lit up the cloudy, rainy sky.
Footsteps could be heard, desperately running through the wet muddy ground, while labored, heavy breathing could be heard from the person who was running. The darkness made it hard to see what the person looked like, but there was a small patch of light that the figure seemed to be approaching, where a streak of moonlight leaked out from behind the clouds.
Under the moonlight, despite the rain still pouring, at least the figure could now be identifiable. The person was actually a little girl with long, shaggy, unkempt grey hair that reached the back of her knees, long tufts of hair that reached over her shoulders, reaching by her hips, and messy bangs that almost covered her eyes. On top of her head were two dark grey wolf wears, blue eyes, and she even had a dark grey wolf tail that wagged slowly. She was wearing what looked like a dark green short sleeve dress (similar to a nightgown), that was like rags, cut and torn, with a few holes and scratched patches. Her arms, legs, and even her face had many whip marks and scratches, including one that went across her right eye.
The girl shook from the coldness of the rain and winced in pain from the rainwater hitting her scars and cuts, making them sting like hell. She carefully brought her arms up and rubbed them, trying to keep warm, despite feeling pain. Her stomach rumbled furiously, lacking sustenance while crying out for something to digest.
The girl held her stomach and did her best to try and not pass out, uttering, "Got to find somewhere to hide out from the rain."
The girl started to run as fast as her feet could carry, being careful not to slip on the mud since the rain was making it slick and watery. However, when she stepped on a patch of grass, the girl lost her footing and slipped, sliding around as if she was a piece of butter on a hot pan.
She screamed as she slid around trying to regain her footing and her balance, but it was not looking good, especially when the girl saw she was approaching a nearby ledge that had a steep drop.
Panicking, the girl did what she thought was the best thing to do/the most stupid idea she even came up with and leaned to the side, so while slipping, she ended up falling onto her side and rolled over, right into a rock, which stopped her just in time.
The girl sighed in relief while she sat up, shivering again from the cold of the rain, commenting, "Dang, where a demi-human supposed to find shelter when she can't even run"?
Suddenly, just off the distance, the girl seemed to hear something, her ears picking up on the sound of something not too far away. The girl followed the sound and tried to look around, searching for any sign of what it could be.
Soon, she came across a nearby patch of forest where a campsite was. At the campsite, there was a large tent that was already made that seemed to be covering a large white bird with fluffy feathers, two long white-and-pink tapestries that hung over her eyes, pink feathers under the white feathers on her chest, and a blue ribbon tied around her neck. Next to the tent was a smaller tent, where someone was possibly sleeping inside, and a large wooden cart that was used to haul merchandise.
The girl smiled, thinking the cart was a formidable place to rest at least until the rain stopped. She looked around to see if anyone was looking and then ran towards the cart, climbing inside it.
Inside the cart, the girl curled up in the back and shivered, trying to stay warm, as she did her best to close her eyes and tried to get some sleep.
The next morning, the girl was still asleep when she felt something on her back moving back and forth, which made the girl stir and wake up, opening her eyes to see what, or who, it was. When she opened her eyes, what she saw was another girl who looked older than she was, with pink eyes, long brown hair, who had on what looked like female warrior clothing, who was looking at her in concern and rubbing her back, asking softly, "Are you ok"?
The girl panicked and sat up, whimpering in shyness while asking, "W-Who are you?! Are you an enemy"?!
Then, when she got a good look at the woman in front of her and saw her raccoon ears and tail, she gasped, saying, "You're a demi-human...like me."
The woman nodded, saying, "Yes, I am. Who may you be"?
The girl whimpered, fidgeting with her fingers while saying, "I'm...Crystal, ma'am," before shivering again, still feeling cold from the rainstorm last night.
The woman brought Crystal close to her, saying while wrapping a small blanket around her, "Hey, it's ok. You're safe here with us. Filo and Master Naofumi found you in here this morning and we were worried that you might've been a creature that snuck in."
Crystal looked down in shame, saying, "I'm sorry if I gave off that impression. I wandered in here last night to try and hide out from the rain."
The woman gently cupped Crystal's chin and had her look up, saying with a caring smile, "It's ok, nothing to worry about. I'm just happy to see that you're ok. I'm Raphtalia, and it's nice to meet you."
Crystal smiled, feeling her tail wag while saying, "It's nice to meet you too, Ms. Raphtalia. Um, who are the Filo and Master Naofumi you mentioned"?
On cue, a new voice declared, "Raphtalia? Is our guest ok"?
Crystal looked up and saw a man peeking his head into the cart, to which Crystal saw that he had spiky black hair and green emerald eyes to match his green hero ensemble and the green orb on the middle of his sturdy shield that was on his arm. Crystal flinched nervously, hiding behind Raphtalia, as Raphtalia did her best to comfort the frightened demi-human while saying, "She's doing ok, but is a bit shaken. She appears to be injured and malnourished, and is feeling a bit on the chilly side."
The man then commented, "As long as she isn't sick, then at least that gives us a starting point to help her, if she wants it. Let her know that we have some food on the table," before walking away.
Crystal didn't really know how to answer, but looked up at Raphtalia, asking, "Why are you guys treating me so nicely? I'm just a useless, worthless demi."
Raphtalia comforted the girl, saying, "Hey, you're not worthless; no one ever is. Now, how about we get you something to eat? I can guess you haven't eaten anything in a while, right?
Crystal nodded as she followed Raphtalia out of the cart.
Outside, Crystal saw the man from earlier tending to putting some supplies away, with the big bird she saw helping him out, and another girl with blue hair in curly pigtails and a matching blue dress packing up a folded tent tarp.
They all heard Raphtalia and Crystal come out of the cart, as the bird first spoke up, saying, "Look, she's awake"!
Crystal felt really shy, but Raphtalia reassured her that it was ok, that these people were friendly. After all, there was something about this little demi that seemed...familiar, but in an emotional sense.
The man approached them again, saying, "'Bout time. Come sit and eat so at least you don't have to worry about your stomach."
Crystal nodded and walked over to the table and sat down, where the girl in the blue dress offered her a plate of food, saying, "Here, eat this. This will help you regain your strength."
Crystal looked at the plate of food, which consisted of grilled fish and some rice and curry, and to some, it may seem ordinary, but to Crystal, it looked extremely appetizing, especially considering it's been weeks since she's eaten.
Unsure of what to do, Crystal used one of her hands to scoop up some of the food and placed it into her mouth. Loving the taste right away, she immediately started to chow down, eating pretty fast.
The girl couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "At least she likes it," while Raphtalia watched with a sense of deja va, remembering that the way Crystal was eating...was just like how she used to eat when she was first rescued by Naofumi.
Crystal kept eating the food before she had to stop and take a minute to try and catch her breath, gently beating her chest so she could swallow.
Raphtalia, seeing this, couldn't help but smile and give Crystal a cup of water, saying, "Drink this; it'll help you swallow better."
Crystal quickly accepted the cup and drank the water, feeling a lot better. She quickly bowed her head in thanks before continuing to eat, as the bird approached the table, saying, "Wow, she's got quite an appetite."
The man, seeing this, also commented, with a chuckle, "Reminds me of how you used to eat, Raphtalia."
That made the older demi-human blush red in embarrassment, while she declared, "Master Naofumi," while the bird, who quickly reverted into the form of a little girl with blue eyes, blonde hair, with one strand that was sticking up, and a white and blue dress, with white wings sticking out from her back, and the girl in the blue dress were both laughing together.
Crystal, hearing this, swallowed the bit of food that was in her mouth before asking, "So, you're Master Naofumi"?
Naofumi shrugged while saying, "In a sense, you could say it like that," while Raphtalia clarified, "Naofumi's the Shield Hero."
Crystal, hearing this, gasped while saying, "The Shield Hero? It's really him? I thought he was only just a legend."
The bird-girl spoke up, saying, "Nope, he's real! It's nice to meet you; I'm Filo"!
The girl in the blue dress then said, "And I'm Princess Melty of Melromarc."
Crystal smiled, saying, "It's nice to meet you all; sorry again for sleeping in your cart last night."
Filo excitedly stated, "It's ok; at least you didn't get wet from the rain."
Crystal could feel her scars and cuts stinging again, saying while gripping her arms, "Tell that to my wounds. The rain wasn't gentle on them."
Raphtalia knew that the scars and cuts were not just regular marks; they were whip marks, and that meant that this demi-human must've been a survivor of someone who tortured her greatly, something Raphtalia could relate to.
Melty brought her hands up, saying, "Fast Heal," before her hands started to glow green, with Crystal watching some of her wounds heal up slowly.
Naofumi then asked, "So, kid, where are you from"?
Crystal answered, "Well, I don't really know. I was orphaned as a baby and traveled a lot to try and find my birth parents once I could walk, but not too long ago, I had escaped from an underground prison that held helpless demi-humans such as myself. The one who managed the prison tortured us relentlessly, and many of them died, but I was lucky enough to escape and ran for my life. I've been out on my own for the past few weeks, trying to find a source of help. It was only fate that I stumbled across your campsite."
Raphtalia had to bite her tongue during the whole explanation, as she couldn't help but feel so much empathy for Crystal. After all, she could relate to Crystal's experience of being captured and tortured, especially to the extent of the injuries Crystal showed, including the scar across her eye. It's harrowing enough for anyone to have gone through this, but to hear this child's survival story? Raphtalia could feel her heart break; no child should ever have to go through this. She's experienced it first-hand, and it's an experience she wishes to forget every day.
She wasn't the only one; Naofumi himself also felt bad for the little demi-human. After all, her circumstances reminded him of the same circumstances Raphtalia was in when he first met her at the slave merchant. Plus, not to mention when he first ventured into the underground chamber Raphtalia was trapped in, seeing how monstrous the place was, and all the dead bodies and skeletons around, including seeing Raphtalia breaking down when she found the corpse of her best friend, Rifana, the memory of anyone having to have gone through all that torture made him sick.
Crystal seemed to sense Raphtalia was in thought after explaining her situation, as she asked, "Um, are you ok, Raphtalia"?
Raphtalia didn't say anything but just brought the little wolf demi-human towards her, into a hug. Crystal was a little confused and surprised, as she looked up at Raphtaia, who said, "You're safe now. I promise that no one will ever harm you like that again."
Crystal, despite her confusion, couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort and tranquility when Raphtalia said that, as she simply cuddled closer to her.
Naofumi, watching this, seemed intrigued to see how close Raphtalia seemed to Crystal. Both demi-humans definitely had a lot in common, despite Crystal being younger than Raphtalia. In a way, Raphtalia was acting almost like a mom to Crystal, and in a way, it made him feel more like a dad now than ever.
After Crystal had finished eating and felt full, Melty offered Crystal a dress she could wear in replacement for the torn dress the demi-human currently had on. The dress was simple, resembling Melty's, but in a shade of ruby red, and with not as much lace, except at the sleeves and the end of the dress, and the lace and fabric underneath the dress were gold instead of white. Raphtalia even gave the wolf demi-human a pair of brown boots for her feet, so at least her feet wouldn't be cut or hurt any longer.
Once she had the dress on, Naofumi continued to load the cart while Filo, who had changed back into her filolial form, hooked herself onto the front of the cart so she could pull it once they were ready to go on.
While this went on, Melty was using Fast Heal to continue healing the rest of Crystal's wounds, and Raphtalia was gently brushing the young demi-human's hair.
Crystal was beginning to feel a lot better, feeling the pain of her wounds fading away, but that didn't stop her from feeling a new pain: the pain of feeling the knots being detangled with every brush stroke. Then again, when you've been out on your own at such a young age, captured, tortured for most of your life, and living on the run after escaping, hair care isn't exactly your top priority.
She held back a pained grunt and yelp every time she felt Raphtalia tug the brush, despite the older demi-human going as gently as she was trying to, as Raphtalia, who could sense Crystal's discomfort, commented, "I'm being really gentle, but some of these knots are pretty troublesome."
Crystal replied, "I can feel that, but it doesn't make it hurt any less."
Raphtalia added, "I know, but luckily, there's only a few left. Just hang in there a little longer."
Melty commented, "Say, Crystal, I know you mentioned you were orphaned, but how do you know that Crystal's your name"?
Crystal answered, "Well, to be honest, I don't really know. Once I learned how to talk, one day, I saw a crystal in the ground and then, the name just...stuck."
Melty, stunned, answered, "Really? Your birth parents never gave you an official name"?
Crystal answered, "Nope. I've been nameless as long as I could remember, at least until I named myself."
Raphtalia then answered, "Well, I think Crystal is a lovely name; it suits you. I can see it in your eyes."
Crystal, curious, asked, "Really? In my eyes"?
Melty looked at Crystal before commenting, "Oh yeah, I see what you mean, Raphtalia! Her eyes glimmer like crystals"!
Crystal couldn't help but blush a bit in embarrassment, saying, "Well, I guess there's one answer to that."
Soon, Raphtalia placed the brush down, saying, "There, I'm finished now."
Crystal turned her head and smiled, saying, "Thanks, Raphtalia," before standing up, saying while stretching her arms up, "Man, I haven't felt this well in days."
Raphtalia chuckled in response, saying while standing up, "Well, it does amaze you what a little food and care does," while Melty asked, "So, Crystal, where are you gonna go now that you're healed up and looking well again"?
Crystal gave it some thought, answering, "To be honest, I don't really know. I guess...wow, I never gave it any thought."
Raphtalia knew that despite Crystal's adventurous spirit, she feared that there could be dangers or other bad people that might want to capture her and treat her like a servant or worse. Plus, given what Crystal went through, she knew what the child could really use: a parental figure, or at least a role model to teach her and look after her. Give the young demi-human guidance to guide through life and get through anything that might get in her way. Plus, not only that, but Crystal seemed like she'd be a good fighter, given that she receives proper training, and Raphtalia was more than happy to train Crystal if that was what Crystal would want. Naofumi gave Raphtalia a second chance at life, and now, this was the chance to return the favor and do the same for someone else.
With an idea in mind, she asked, "Say, Crystal, why don't you stay with us and join Master Naofumi's party"?
Crystal's jaw dropped, as she stuttered, "Me?! J-Join the party of the Shield Hero?! I...I don't know; I don't know a thing about fighting monsters or stopping the waves of catastrophe."
Raphtalia answered, "Don't worry, Master Naofumi and I can help train you. If you want, I can teach you how to use a sword and use it in battle."
Melty added, "Yeah, and if you want some training in magic, I can teach you a few things I know."
Crystal thought about it closely, but Raphtalia could easily tell by the wag in Crystal's tail that the idea excited her.
With a huge smile, Crystal nodded, saying, "Sure, ok! I'll join! But...is Naofumi ok with it"?
On cue, Naofumi came over, saying, "I overheard everything, and to be honest, if you do want to join, you're free to do so, but is this what you really want"?
Crystal looked at Raphtalia, who gave her a reassuring nod, before Crystal stated, "Yes, Sir Shield Hero. This is something I do wish to do."
Naofumi replied, "You can jus call me Naofumi if you want. And if that's the case, then, welcome. We'll start training once we stop at the mercenary to buy you a weapon, understood"?
Crystal nodded in reply, as Naofumi announced, "Ok, let's hit the road, guys. We have a lot of ground to cover."
As Melty followed Naofumi into the cart, Crystal felt a little bit nervous at first. Then, she felt someone gently pat her head and looked up seeing Raphtalia being the one who was doing so, as Raphtalia said, "It may seem nerve-wracking at first, but stick with me, and you'll get the hang of things in no time."
Crystal nodded, saying, "Sure. But, just one question: why did you want to present me with this offer, Raphtalia"?
Raphtlaia knelt down to Crystal's level, and answered, "Because...I was just like you when I started out too. I went through a lot as well when I was young: losing my parents, getting captured and tortured, losing my best friend, it was so much. I didn't think I'd ever have a chance in life. Then, the day I was bought by Master Naofumi, or as I like to think of it, the day he rescued me, he gave me a second chance to fulfill my life and get to do something that made an impact on the world. I got to meet the Shield Hero and join his party, I got to grow stronger and help protect my friends, even save those who I couldn't before. And you know why all that happened? Because someone gave me a chance. And now, I want to give someone else, someone like you, that same chance. The chance to rewrite the pages of your own life story, and help change it for the better."
Crystal couldn't help but smile and give Raphtalia a hug, saying, "Thanks, Raphtalia. How can I ever repay you for this"?
Raphtalia hugged the young demi-human back, saying, "No need; just to see you smile, that's all I can ever ask for."
Crystal then commented, "You know, you may be a warrior, and fighter, but to me, you're like the mom I've always wanted."
Raphtalia was a little taken aback by the statement, but it made her smile grow more, as she said, with happy tears, "I'm so happy to hear that."
Together, Raphtalia and Crystal joined with everyone else at the cart. On the front seat, Naofumi sat up tall and took the reigns, as Filo started to walk forward, happily pulling the cart, as the Shield Hero and his party continued on their way to their next mission.
