At long last, I have returned!

Today was the day. Barely five minutes remained until the Wave would arrive.

"What are all these swords for?" Aris gestured to the multiple crates of swords Erhard had loaded into Filo's wagon.

"I had some spare weapons lying around," said Erhard, "so I thought I'd lend 'em to ya in case something happens. Still, though, I'm impressed you guys managed to get so much medicine in such a small amount of time."

"Even this might not be enough," Loretta worried. "There isn't any telling what will happen during the Wave. We need to be as prepared as possible."

Loretta's words reminded Aris of something. "Oh, I almost forgot. I made some things for you all," he said to Loretta, Sora, Filo, and Raphtalia.

The four of them looked curious.

"Raphtalia, would you hold out your hand for me?" Aris asked.

Raphtalia complied. Aris took the magic-imbued bangle and slipped it onto her wrist.

"What's this?" Raphtalia asked.

"It can boost your mana generation," Aris explained. "Or...MP, as I've seen it referred to in my status menu."

"Hey, what about me?" Filo whined.

"Don't worry, I have something for you, too." Aris took out the hairpin he'd crafted and gently set it into Filo's hair. "This will double your speed in both human and Filolial form, and you won't lose it when you transform."

Filo squealed with excitement, throwing her arms around Aris. "Thank you so much, papa!"

Aris chuckled, returning the embrace of his surrogate daughter. He turned to Loretta and Sora next.

To Loretta, he gave a pair of ornate anklets. "These will boost your mobility the same way Filo's hairpin boosts hers, and it will also make your lightning magic more powerful."

He turned to Sora and presented the chain he had made. "I...don't quite recall what this does, but I know it will help you."

Some rustling sounded within Sora's clothes. Jiminy Cricket popped out.

"I think I might know," said the chronicling cricket. "It looks similar to an Acrisius chain. I've seen Sora wear those before."

"What does an Acrisius chain do?" asked Aris.

"I recall it boosts Sora's elemental magic resistance," replied Jiminy, "along with his defense."

"Then it should be useful to you," said Aris to Sora as he offered the chain.

Sora accepted the replicated Acrisius and attached it to his belt. "This'll work. Thanks, Aris!"

Aris smiled at him.

Jiminy Cricket retreated to his spot in Sora's clothes.

"Sir," said Ake to Aris, "the Wave is almost here."

"Right," said Aris. He turned to Erhard. "I suppose the time has come, then."

Erhard nodded. "Yeah. I'll be waiting in my shop for when you return. Don't die out there, kid."

"I'll see that none of us do."

The clock ran down to zero. The sky bled crimson once again.

The party had been teleported to a familiar village.

"PK Rockin'!"

Ness unleashed an onslaught of psychokinetic energy on a horde of monsters, saving a civilian's life.

The rescued villager looked at Ness in shock. "H-How did-"

"No time," said Ness. "Everyone else already evacuated, now go!"

"R-Right!"

The villager left in a hurry.

Two of Ake's swordsmen were suddenly ambushed by a hulking, armored Heartless.

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED (HOSTILE)

Defender

Species: Heartless (Emblem)

Habitat: Unknown

DESC: None

Before the Defender could clamp its shield's jaws around one of the fighters' legs, Sora leaped into action, blocking with a Reflega spell. The resulting light burst left the Defender stunned. Raphtalia lunged at it for the kill. The Heartless disappeared in a burst of darkness upon the final blow.

Loretta grabbed a hulking bipedal reptile with her Plasma Whips. She hurled it into the distance.

"Those were far from the last remaining monsters," Aris cautioned everyone. "Keep fighting!"

Nearby some rabid dog-like monsters pounced together at an old, gray-haired woman.

Aris, expecting to see mangled remains, was bewildered to find the elderly lady start fighting back - and winning.

The canines both easily fell to her bare hands.

"How did she-" Filo was appalled.

The old woman turned toward Aris, moving one of her hands vertically while pressing her other hand into a fist and holding both hands together. She bowed her head in respect. "Thank you very much for your earlier assistance, swordsman Shield Hero," she said. "I am forever in your debt."

Aris was nonplussed for a moment. Suddenly, it hit him. "Wait...it's you," he said upon the realization. "You're the old woman whose son needed that medicine, correct?"

The woman smiled and nodded. "I am indeed," she replied. "And thanks to you, I feel better than ever."

A Neoshadow crept up behind her. Before anyone had a chance to let out a warning, the woman turned around and knocked the Heartless flat, once again with naught but her physical power. "Hah! Weaklings like these are nothing to me." She flexed her right bicep. "In my adventuring days, monsters far and wide would tremble at the name of Elrasla Grilaroc!"

"Did you put steroids in that medicine?" Ness chuckled, nudging Aris with his elbow.

"Sir!" Ake ran over to Aris. "All the villagers are evacuated. Ness helped us escort the last one to safety."

"Excellent," said Aris. "My party and I will move out and search for the 'boss monster'...or whatever it was the other Heroes called it. I trust you and your comrades can minimize the damage to this town."

"Understood, sir!" said Ake.

"Yeah!" Elrasla chortled in agreement, clapping Ake on the shoulder. "Leave this town to little ol' me and these young whippersnappers here. You guys find that boss monster and kick its rotten hide back to wherever it came from!"

"Sure thing, granny," Ness quipped. "Just...try not to push your luck."

"Raphtalia, Loretta, Filo, Ness, Sora!" Aris called. "We're moving out!"

"Got it!" Filo lowered herself so that Raphtalia and Ness could ride on her back. Aris summoned Epona and climbed into the ethereal saddle. Loretta's jet boots roared to life.

"Wait, what about Sora?" asked Raphtalia.

"I can keep up!" replied Sora. "Watch this!"

The wandering islander summoned his Keyblade and hurled it in front of him. The Keyblade inexplicably flew upward and high over Sora's head, changing forms in a burst of light. Its various parts had been resized and rearranged to form what looked like a windsurfing board hovering in midair. Its gleaming sail was made of pure light, shining through the crimson haze of the Wave.

Sora pumped a fist as he jumped onto his Keyblade Glider. "Let's move!"

With that, the party set off.

"Is that a ship?" Ness pointed skyward from his position on Filo's back. "What, now we've got pirates to deal with?"

"Wouldn't be the first time..." Sora muttered to none but himself.

Small explosions rocked the wooden hull of the floating pirate ship. "Don't let up! Keep firing!" a familiar voice commanded.

The ship's cannons fired spheres of searing steel at Itsuki the Bow Hero. A mage from his party cast a magical barrier to block the oncoming projectiles.

Aris pulled Epona to a stop beside Itsuki, dismounting and dismissing his ethereal steed. "What's going on?" he demanded.

Itsuki acknowledged him with barely a glance. "My party and I are trying to attack the statue on the ship's bow," he explained. "That summons the Soul Eater, which is the Boss Monster of this Wave."

"What of Ren and Motoyasu?"

"They're on the ship." Itsuki gritted his teeth as he fired another shot to no avail. "I tried to tell them to help me attack the statue, but they didn't listen."

"We'll relay the message to them," Aris told the Bow Hero.

"Thanks."

Aris held out his right arm, which once again gleamed with emerald light. A large creature appeared before him - avian, with a wide bill and crimson feathers that were accentuated by Soul Energy.

Spirit Summon

Crimson Loftwing

Summon Type: Mount

DESC: "The persisting spirit of a rare bird cherished by an ancient people who inhabited floating islands high in the sky. This particular Loftwing is a rare breed, and is said to be the soul of a legendary hero who descended from sky to surface to battle a powerful demon."

Aris mounted the Crimson Loftwing with Raphtalia in tow. With a great flap of its glowing wings, the spirit took to the skies. Loretta and Filo followed by jumping around the face of a nearby cliff, the former propelled by her jet boots. Sora ascended skyward with his Keyblade Glider, taking Ness with him.

The party landed on the ship's deck together.

"Guess I was right," Sora said, again to himself. "Pirates."

Ren was locked in a fierce duel with a reanimated skeleton, clad in the garb of a pirate captain. Motoyasu, meanwhile, used his powerful spear to ward off gargantuan tentacles from an unseen creature.

"Motoyasu, you idiot!" Ren shouted. "We have to take down the Skull Captain first!"

"No, shit-for-brains!" Motoyasu shot back. "The Kraken should be public enemy number one! The Soul Eater won't spawn otherwise!"

Aris cleared his throat very loudly - enough to command everyone's attention as he and his party arrived on the scene.

"This is neither the time nor the place to be quarreling like little children!" he chided.

Motoyasu sighed. "What're you doing here? Don't you have some little village to save right now?"

"Hold your tongue, you perverse failure!" Loretta yelled. "Lest I burn it to cinders in your unholy mouth! You say my brother is only capable of defending small villages, but you know not where he has battled in the past! You are clueless to the disaster we were forced to endure at nine years of age! Yet we endured regardless! I would wager that when you were nine years old, all you knew was being spoiled rotten!"

"Like the sorry excuse for a hero you are!" Ness added.

"Hey, I'm at least trying to contribute!" Ren exclaimed in his defense. "We have to kill the Skull Captain-get off me!" He was interrupted by an assault from the very monster he spoke of, "otherwise, the Soul Eater won't spawn."

Aris decided to heed Ren's advice. He held out his arm to analyze the Skull Captain.

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED (HOSTILE)

Skull Captain

Species: Maritime Undead

Habitat: Unknown

DESC: "An endlessly reviving menace that haunts this floating ship during this Wave of Calamity. Old legends tell of a ruthless pirate who commanded a bloodthirsty crew, and that the Skull Captain is what remains of that pirate - whose bones were refused death by his own hatred. Slaying his body will only cause him to reanimate again, but perhaps it would be prudent to remember that in life, the Skull Captain was the type of leader to send his crew to battle while he skulked in his own shadow..."

Its own shadow... Aris pondered. He eyed the Skull Captain as he smacked away a Kraken tentacle with the Master Sword. Beneath the Skull Captain, he saw no shadow - likely caused by a lack of sunlight. If we don't have sunlight to cast a shadow, we can make our own light.

"Raphtalia, light magic!" he exclaimed.

The Demi-Human nodded, reciting an incantation as quickly as she could. "As source of thy power, I order thee - decipher the laws of nature and illuminate my surroundings! First Light!"

Like a flashbang thrown by a soldier, Raphtalia lit up the deck of the ship with a burst of light. The Skull Captain shielded its face, protecting its nonexistent eyes from the flash. A shadow was cast where it stood. The shadow almost seemed to writhe in pain.

"Attack the shadow!" Aris shouted, readying the Master Sword.

He drove his blade into the wooden deck of the ship, piercing the shadow like a knife through a turkey. Sora joined him, striking the shadow with his Keyblade.

A beastly roar rocked the ship as the Soul Eater took shape, appearing as a ghostly fish with pale scales and a demonic grimace.

NEW CREATURE DISCOVERED (HOSTILE)

Soul Eater

Species: Third-Wave Boss

Habitat: Unknown

DESC: "The Boss Monster of the third Wave of Calamity. It is said to have been the beast that slew the notorious pirate who became reanimated as the Skull Captain. As a ghost, it is immune to almost all physical attacks, and therefore must be fought via magic or other means. Soul Eaters attack and feast on the souls of their prey, preventing those souls from every reincarnating. To lose one's soul to the Soul Eater is to be forever consigned to oblivion."

Ren reared his sword. "Thunderbolt Slash!"

Itsuki, who had managed to reach the ship's deck amid the fray, piled on more firepower. "Thunder Shot!"

Motoyasu joined in. "Lightning Spear!"

Forking arcs of crackling electricity did nothing to faze the Soul Eater.

"Jeez, it's sturdy," Itsuki remarked.

The Soul Eater roared, a ball of green energy appearing in its gaping maw as it prepared an attack of its own.

Aris, Sora, and Ness stood firm in front of everyone else.

"Air Strike Shield!"

"PSI Shield!"

"Defense!"

An Air Strike Shield from Aris, a PSI Shield from Ness, and a Reflega spell from Sora worked in tandem to fend off the oncoming attack from the Soul Eater.

"Wind magic time!" Filo cheered. "Tornado!"

Aris held out his right arm. A burst of green energy replaced his human-looking hand with a strange device that resembled a small dragon's head. A stream of fire shot forth from the mouth of the dragon, swirling into Filo's Tornado to transform it into a cyclone of searing heat.

"What was that?" Raphtalia asked.

"A Flame Emitter," Aris replied, "but we haven't the time to fully explain."

He readied another Spirit Summon. The ethereal avatar of a young girl appeared. She wore ornate clothes endemic to desert-dwelling people, carrying two curved scimitars in her hands as she bombarded the Soul Eater with a resounding clap of lightning.

Spirit Summon

Riju

Summon Type: Companion

DESC: "The spiritual avatar of a young Gerudo chieftess who lived and reigned thousands of years ago. With the help of a legendary hero, she claimed a sacred relic that amplified her abilities and cemented her as the Sage of Lightning."

Filo unleashed Tornado after Tornado, amplified by Sora's elemental magic and accompanied by Riju's lightning.

Even this, however, was not enough to defeat the Soul Eater. Aris realized what had to be done.

Raphtalia looked worried. "Are you...?"

Aris nodded. "I'm going to use it. Or...at least, I'm going to try."

Raphtalia sighed. "Just...promise me you'll stay safe...okay?"

"Raphtalia..." Aris placed a tender hand on her shoulder. "...I promise."

Smiling, Raphtalia stepped back to allow Aris some space.

He closed his eyes. Aris began to will every ounce of rage within him to grant him strength.

His eyes opened. An ethereal void surrounded him.

"̶̼̖̺̩̀͜T̸͇͙̰̣̟̺̈́́͠H̶͍͋̓O̴̺͛́Ů̶̡̢͓̫̻͆ ̴̯̱͖̠̼̯̮͌̀̌̌̉H̶̛̪͕̘̜̓́̇̍̅̓̕A̵̢̢̫̦̹̝̹̰̅̈͆̒̈́͌̇͝Ŝ̶̢̱̹̖̠̞̗̋̎̒T̵̡̮̰̯̦̺̿͐̾ ̷̳̭͔͓͇͐̊͗̉̄Ć̷̛̣͕̀̅̅̾̚A̴̝̮̺͈̯̯͔̬̍̂̌͑͠Ĺ̶̢͚̤̼̏̌͜L̵̢̳̠͖͓̤̎̃͋͊͠ͅḘ̷̲͕̪͚̭̣͒̈́͂͜T̶̛̖̗̃̽̾̃͊̚͝H̷̨̢͍̭̻̭̘̍̓͊́̇͗ͅ ̸̨͇͇̹̌̎͘Ǔ̷̧̳̦̺̈́̃̆̊P̵͉̋̓͐̕O̷͍̱̓͒̃̐̉̂̒͝Ņ̸̜̦͍̳͉̬̈́͆͂̋͌͒̋͜ ̸̢̢͛̀̇̈̕̕͝Ḿ̶̠̫̫̟̃̄̎͒͋́̈́Y̷̖̆͊͜ͅ ̴̡͍͉͙̭̇̿̆̊͘͝P̵̨̰͕͈̂̔̓̅̄͂̓Ơ̸̜̓̑̌̂̓̂W̴̡̨̝̞̜̰̐̀̈̔̏̒̎E̴̹̼͌̈̾̈́̎͆R̴̨̭̬̺̒͐́̑͜ ̶̼͇̋͘͝A̸̧̧̳̓G̴̛̣̦͚͕͓̹̩̒̋͒͗͑͂͝Ā̸̢̞̟͕̲̼̲́͋̕I̴̺̪̻̗̦̐͜Ň̶̛̛̜̝̭̽́̋̆͝ͅ,̸̧̛͉̰̯̳̀̀̓̎̈́ ̷̡̜̲̠͈͍̖̺́̀̓̕͝͝H̶̨͚̥̖̘̀̑̓͗̎̎͆͘E̸͓͌̑̈̑̀͛́R̸̲̂́͊͆́Ó̸̧̖̮̜̫̘̬̤̋͒͠,̴͚̪̏̒̌̚"̴͉̟̟̰̩̗̈́̓̕ crooned a familiar, demonic voice.

Aris nodded.

"̴̳̬͕̈́̃͘S̶̢̟̠̞̹̉͒̈́̆̄̚͜Ō̶̬̠̈͑ ̶͚͈̝̹̺̐́͛̕̕͝͝B̷̭̓͂͌͛̽̓͊͝E̵͇͇̺̱̖̫͐̑̊̎̈̈́̑͌ ̵̲͇͓̭͊̐I̴͎͈̎̓̊̿̽́̕͝T̷̢̞͇̬̙́̄̑,̵̡̙̘͎͙̏̌̓́̍̌͝ ̴̧͌̈́̚͠T̸̢̛̹̥̰̋̈́̅Ḣ̴̗́̄E̸̹͙̞̥͖͛Ņ̸̛̼̭͕͔̲̲̣͌̈́̒̽͐,̷͓̳̃̒̾͛̋̔̀"̴̫̖̺̺͕̠̂̐́͛̃͆͝ said the Fierce Deity. "̸̺̉͌͑W̸͖̔͒I̸͉͕̟̊̒T̴͓̦̥̈́Ḧ̶̭̹̕ ̷̗̻͝M̸̨͚̼̀̅Ȇ̴͉̟,̵̟̍̆ ̸̮̲̻́̕T̷̥̞̒̕͜H̵̝́̈O̷̺̼͐͝U̶̹̣̔ ̸̢̪͓̀̂͋A̵̢̦͋R̸͕̐T̸̢̤̀̈́̕ͅ ̸͓̩͆̿O̸̮̲͊̑ͅN̶͍̓E̴̙͂̊̈́ͅ.̴̮̳̞̀ ̵̟̓̍W̷̛͎͑̋Ỉ̴̯͚͠Ţ̷͎͓̏̀͋H̶̛̠̔ ̷̡̲̆Y̸̲͉͋̌̇Ô̴̭U̵̻̗͉͋́͗,̵̭̽̕͜͝ ̸̰͒̊I̶̝͘ ̷̨͉́Ạ̷̧̡͆̽M̵̝͒ ̷̱̟͌̀̅Ȍ̶̞͜ͅN̵̥̞̼͒E̷͎̪̣̔͘.̴̠̟͑ ̵̘͕̌͆̉͜C̶̢͠A̵͍̠̐̅͊L̶̠̋̎L̶̨̛͖̄ ̸͓̀U̴̦̫̩͌P̷̳͖̻̈̎O̷̖̥̲̐̾N̸͚̅̐ ̵̜̪͋̽̈́ͅT̴̳̰̖̀̐͒H̵̡̃́͜͠Ī̸͙͖͓N̷̢̤̑̿Ë̵̫́̂͝ ̶̠͐͐͝ͅÄ̴̞̹̥́̾N̷͇̓͜Ỉ̸̯̥̩̿Ḿ̸̠̅͝Õ̴̬S̵͚̞̣̅I̸͖̰͕̽͂̽Ṫ̶̘́̉Y̷̦̻͉̾͗͠ ̵̢̛͇͚̾́Ä̷̬̩̼́̄̇N̸͔̬̹̂Ď̸̡͠ ̶̨̲̠̈́̾W̷̩̄Ì̵̟T̸̪̺̽̚͘H̵͈́̇ ̴̭͖̑̇̆I̷͙͑̕T̶̢̙̊̏,̴̬̗̿̕ ̷̪͐S̵͇̀͂M̷̹͖̆̎I̵̦͕̽̿̎T̸̖̣̈́E̶͚͛ ̵̖͖̝̉A̸̤̹̒̓ͅL̴̫̃̋L̴̲̼͙̆ ̵̥͠Ẁ̶̨̺ͅḦ̷̟͑ͅŐ̴̡̑̕ ̵̭̇̐̑D̸͎̦̄̿͠A̵̟̣̿̐R̶͙̮̦͌E̴̖̓ ̸̞̎O̴̳͂̏P̶͍̞̤̂̕P̷̯͕͒O̵͈͊̐S̸̮̒̓É̴̤͎ ̸̛͚̱̺̒̉T̸͕̪̜͝H̷͉͗̋̚E̵̲͇̔̉͝Ȇ̴͉̦!̷̱̉̚"̴̹͇̫͌

Aris took the form of the dark Hero-God as he let out a roar of primal fury, white lightning bursting from his body as he transfigured.

Fierce Deity Aris emerged from a ball of alabaster lightning, landing on the deck of the ship and facing the Soul Eater.

"What...What happened to him?" Itsuki was utterly shocked.

Fierce Deity Aris cleaved into the Soul Eater's incorporeal body with his helix-shaped longsword. White lightning crackled from the gash as the Soul Eater shrieked in agony.

Motoyasu shrugged. "Don't bother trying to stop him," he said. "The guy's lost all sense of humanity."

"I mean...it's working," Ren pointed out quietly.

Loretta eyed the complacent Cardinal Heroes. "What are you three standing around for!? You all can fight, can you not!?"

Raphtalia nodded. "Aris is doing all the work here!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if he developed back pain from carrying you three losers for this entire battle!" Ness quipped.

Reanimated skeletons - presumably the deceased Skull Captain's undead crew - arrived on the scene. Ren didn't hesitate to start fighting them off.

Itsuki faced off against an onslaught of Kraken tentacles, tearing through them with his powerful arrows.

Pools of inky darkness formed on the deck of the ship, unleashing a swarm of Neoshadow Heartless. Motoyasu went to deal with them.

A voice echoed in Aris's head as he clashed with the Soul Eater. "̶͚͠Ỷ̶̟Ȩ̴͇͂S̷̞̰͂̓,̸̡̀ ̷̼̀͗H̵̭́̈E̶͍̪͝R̵̖̘̒̈́Ò̶̦͝,̵̧̅̕"̵̪͆ it crooned. "̷͔̅ͅL̷̳͠E̸̹̝̓͘T̷̬̋̈́ ̵̱̰̾̄Ỳ̴̦̰̂O̴̍͝ͅŰ̷̫̫̂R̶͉̃̽ ̶̡͍̈͋Ṟ̵̖̒A̷̼̐͠G̸̞̈́̐E̷͚͑ ̷͕̟̍Ṯ̸͛̆A̵͔̒K̶̰͙͒̾È̴̫̒ ̵̨̢̏͠C̷͕̆O̸͈̊͝N̷͚̱̈́̕Ţ̶͖́̃R̵̫̮͛Ö̸̪͙́L̸͓̝̀!̴͓͔͐ ̵̲͂Ś̷̘L̶̲̍̈A̵̓ͅU̴̦̐Ǵ̵̘H̵͎͊̚T̵̰̮̐E̴̥̗̊͗R̷̨͉̈́ ̸͚͗Â̶̼͈͝L̷͉̇L̷̹̖͊͠ ̵̥̙̈T̵̮͒̀ͅḨ̵̐̕Á̴̠̜́T̸̹̀͐ ̵̣̗͌̂D̷͆ͅA̵̲̓̌R̶̺͇͒Ē̴͎͆͜ ̴͉̫͆̂O̸̡̚P̶͍͆P̸̛͕̖O̸̢̰̓S̵͚̿͝Ẻ̴̫̝̑ ̶͇̈́͐Y̷̛̰̓O̷̭̓́Ū̴͚R̷̰͚̊ ̴̨̠͝͝C̵̬͍̒Ó̴̡̯N̶͖̑͜Q̷̪̤͐U̸͉̦͊É̵̮͍Ş̷̡̎͌T̴͙͗ ̴͕̈̚O̴̞̅͐V̶̢̺̈Ẹ̸̎͂Ŗ̶̫̀͠ ̴̣͆͗T̵̮͋̃H̵̡̠̒E̷̬͗̚ ̷̢͚͋̈D̸̖̓̔Á̵̖̒Ṟ̸̎́K̸͍̣͝N̵̪͌E̷̲̅̃S̸̘͚̐͆S̸̪͈̊͝!̸̭̭͛̀"̸̣̩̓

I can't! Aris's mind screamed at the voice. I won't let you control me! I may have called upon your power, but I only wish to protect my friends! I may need your power, but that doesn't mean I want it!

The voice cackled. "̷̨͉̋͘Y̴͚̖̒Ô̶̹̕͜Û̸͓̳̇ ̶͍͚͠T̵̺̈͐R̵̼̺̓̇Ù̵̥͓͒Ľ̷͚̩̈Y̷̓͜ͅ ̶͕͊̅B̵̼́E̸͖͒́L̸͚̄̎I̸̡͗É̸̳̬V̴̙̿É̷̻͍ ̸̙͊͠Ẏ̸͈̖O̵̱̹͛Ủ̵̖͕ ̸̣̈́C̸̫̑̆Ä̵̦́Ň̴̖̀ ̴͇̯̀C̷̯̾̋Ó̷̜N̵̛͔͆T̷͈̓R̴͙̎O̴͖͋̚L̶̫̳͒ ̷̢̒͜T̵͙̆Ȟ̶̰͎E̸͚͕̔ ̶͓̻̽M̴̭͕̓̏I̶̢̢̋G̴͇̀̎͜Ḧ̵̩̪̃T̶̡̡͛̃ ̵͇͝O̶͍͋F̴͓̲̓ ̵̖̱̀A̶̭̅̚ ̶͖̲͛G̶̡͎͊̅O̵͓͋͘Ḓ̷̲̒̃!̶̱͙̊?̷̢̀̚ ̷͔͠F̶͕̗͊Ȯ̸̝O̸͇̰̾L̷̢̗̀I̵̱̅S̴͓͝͠H̸̝̔̈́ ̷̞̄B̴̤̯̿O̶̳̰͌̆Ÿ̷̦̲́̆.̸̡̅̍"̴̬͇͒

Aris squeezed his eyes shut as tears began to roll down his cheeks. He was falling...falling into his own darkness.

Another voice rescued him. He opened his eyes at the sound of a soothing, gentle affirmation: "I'm here for you."

...R-Raphtalia? Aris beckoned into the ethereal plane of his heart, standing atop a stained glass floor that depicted him surrounded by his friends.

The lightning stopped. Gone were the blue tunic, leather sandals, facial markings, and white hair. Aris's normal form was restored in their place. The Master Sword returned to its scabbard on his back.

He closed his eyes again, then opened them.

"What happened!?" Itsuki exclaimed.

"He's back..." Raphtalia breathed. "He's okay!"

Aris didn't pay them any mind for the moment. He turned to the Soul Eater. "Shield Prison!"

Several metal shields coalesced to form a spherical trap that contained the Soul Eater, whose newfound prison was then bound by chains across the sphere of shields. It shrieked with rage, slamming its weight into the walls of its confines in an attempt to escape.

The attempt, however, quickly proved futile.

Aris held his hands in front of him, forming his thumbs and index fingers together to make a triangle shape. His left hand gleamed, this time showing a strange symbol shaped somewhat like a teardrop.

A beam of golden light roared forth, incinerating the Shield Prison and the Soul Eater with it.

The floating pirate ship suddenly began to lower to the ground.

"Everyone, evacuate!" Motoyasu yelled.

For once, Aris agreed with the Spear Hero.

"He did it," Ren remarked. "That means the Wave should end any minute now."

The Wave, however, did not end. A sadistically jolly voice suddenly echoed from the forest as the footsteps of some large entity shook the ground beneath the group.

"Well, I'll be jiggered! They actually took that sucker down!"

A hulking mass of haphazardly assembled metal lumbered past the tree line and stopped in front of the heroes.

The behemoth was not autonomous; its pilot was clearly visible. He certainly wasn't human, Demi-Human, or anything one would recognize in this world. He seemed to be a living sack with shadowed indents forming a sickening face and stubby limbs that jutted out from the sack's corners.

Sora recognized the sack man immediately. "Oogie Boogie!?"

Ness tried not to laugh at the rather silly name.

Oogie Boogie leered at the young Keyblade Wielder. "Oh, I shoulda guessed you'd be here, squirt. But that's really no way to greet your amazing old friend Oogie!"

"As if we were ever friends! I bet you're working with Maleficent, too! Just like Hades!"

Oogie laughed. "Bwahahaha! You bet your scrawny bottom, kiddo! Say, you over there!" He pointed a hand-lacking arm at Motoyasu. "Ponytail boy with the spear! I don't think ya noticed yet, but I think a certain someone's been missing from your little posse of ladies."

"Wait...Myne!" Motoyasu realized aloud. "What did you do to her!?"

"Oh, I can't tell ya that!" Oogie jeered. "You'll just have to find out for yourself! I'm no fan of spoilers, ya know!"

"How'd you come back, anyway!?" Sora demanded. "Didn't Jack and I kick your fat burlap butt a few years ago!?"

"So ya did!" Oogie sneered, glaring at Sora with nonexistent eyeballs. "Yeah, that's right! You and your little friends did rough me up that one time. But thanks to a bit of help from my friends, I'm back to teach you and these other clowns a lesson: no one messes with the great Oogie Boogie!"

He put a stubby limb to his lips and somehow managed to let out an echoing whistle. "Heartless! Tear 'em apart!"

Hundreds of Heartless suddenly spawned at Oogie's beck and call, charging toward the surrounded heroes.