To clarify why I decided to rewrite More Than Just a Shield despite how massive of a story it was before, I noticed the criticisms it had been receiving in the beginning and decided to rectify them myself. I was a painfully inexperienced fanfic writer in those days, so I decided to give the story a complete overhaul.
"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."
BGM: Laughter and Merriment - Kingdom Hearts 2.5 ReMix
"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!"
BGM: Thirteenth Discretion - Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories
"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."
End BGM
"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.