Aris and his party were peacefully enjoying their breakfast the next morning.

Well, it was mostly peaceful.

Aris himself had a lot on his mind. Filo must undertake a trial to become the next Filolial Queen? But...why her? I know she's very different from other Filolials, but why Filo specifically? Surely there are other Filolials that are different the same way she is.

Fitoria stood off to the side, watching the party eat with attentive eyes. She looked as though she was waiting - waiting for them to finish eating, likely.

Sure enough, the moment Raphtalia took her last bite, Fitoria approached Filo. "Come with me. It is time."

"Huh?" Filo got up and followed. "Time for what?"

Fitoria said nothing as she led Filo into a clearing within the Sanctuary. "Your trial," she said. "Filo - I have chosen you to be my successor - the next Filolial Queen."

"Wait, really?" Filo seemed excited.

"However!" Fitoria's interjection dashed Filo's excitement expeditiously. "This act is not done frivolously. In simpler terms, Filo - you must pass a test. A test I will give you, and a test to determine if you are worthy to succeed me when I pass on."

"What kind of test is it?" asked Filo.

Fitoria did not answer with words - not immediately. She held her hands out and cast a spell, creating a dome of magical energy around herself and Filo. "A trial by combat," she said. "If you best me, your trial is over, and you pass. But in the event that I am victorious, you will fail."

"Alright, then, bring it on!" Filo said confidently. "I've fought a lot alongside my friends!"

"But they may not help you here," Fitoria chided. "This is your trial, not theirs."

"No worries!" said Filo. "I can still win alone!"

Fitoria huffed. "We shall see."

BGM: Vector to the Heavens - Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Filo leaped into the air, raising a foot for a landing axe kick.

Fitoria dodged easily. "Too slow."

With telekinetic magic, Filo was sent flying into the top of the dome. Her wings spread, keeping her aloft.

She looked down. Fitoria had disappeared.

Filo yelped as an arm struck her back, sending her plummeting to the ground below. Fitoria had teleported behind her.

Filo landed on the ground with a grunt of pain. She got to her feet, shrugging it off. "Time to use a move Sora taught me." She held out her hands. "Aeroga!"

A massive tornado blasted from Filo's outstretched hands and hurtled toward Fitoria.

Fitoria nonchalantly cast a counter-spell, causing the whipping whirlwind to peter out.

Fitoria charged with a punch. Filo blocked with her forearms, but still went flying.

The two powerful Filolials exchanged blow after blow. Filo was able to land a few hits, but they did virtually nothing to stop Fitoria's relentless assault.

"Filo." Fitoria said firmly. "What do you fight for?"

"I thought you knew," said Filo. "I'm fighting for my friends!"

She charged, throwing a punch. Fitoria dodged.

"You failed to defeat the dragon last night, and you're failing to beat me now," Fitoria rebuked. "How do you expect to be of any use to them?"

Filo gritted her teeth. "Shut up! I'll beat you like Papa beats the eggs he cooks in the morning!"

"Not with such shallow willpower as yours!"

Fitoria knocked Filo down with ease.

Filo staggered to her feet. "You haven't won yet. I'm going to get so much stronger than I've ever been. For them...for my friends."

"It's always about those friends, isn't it?"

Filo growled. "At least I have some!"

She managed to land a strong punch. Fitoria was not phased.

"Sora told me this once. And I'll tell you now!" Filo yelled. "My friends are my power, and I'm theirs!"

Fitoria gave Filo a deadpanned look. "Are you?"

The Filolial Queen's body began to glow. She was absorbing the mana in the air around her.

"Filo!" Aris called out. "Stay calm and watch out for her attacks! You can do this!"

"We know you can!" Sora added. "You're our power, Filo! And we're yours!"

Filo clenched a shaking fist, tears in her baby blue eyes. "I won't let you down!"

Magic of her own began engulfing her body, strengthening her.

Fitoria sighed. "You're still too slow."

"Maybe," said Filo, "but I'm stronger than you'll ever hope to be!"

She leaped into the air as Fitoria cast a barrier spell.

Filo lifted a hand. "Spiral...Strike!"

Ethereal claws extended from her outstretched fingers, tearing through Fitoria's shield like a rock through glass.

Filo somersaulted forward, nailing Fitoria's cranium with an axe kick.

Fitoria went down as Filo landed.

"I won't lose..." Filo said tearfully as Fitoria got up in front of her. "I'll grow stronger...for them...for my friends..."

She staggered to her feet and limped toward Fitoria. Filo raised a hand, punching Fitoria with barely any force - if any at all.

End BGM

"We've done enough Filo," said Fitoria.

The magical field around them dispersed.

"I...I failed...didn't I?"

Fitoria shook her head. "No, Filo. You passed with flying colors."

"Filo!"

Ness ran over, his backpack jostling behind him as he dropped to his knees in front of Filo and threw his arms around his friend. "Filo, you did it!"

"Y-Yeah..." Filo strained. "I...I did..."

"You did," Fitoria affirmed. "And I'm quite glad that this is the case."

"Does that mean...I'll be the next Queen?"

Fitoria nodded. "Actually, unrelated question," she said. "While we were fighting, I...noticed something. You seemed to have a particular person on your mind whenever you mentioned your friends. Who was it?"

Filo hesitated. "Papa..." she said, "should I tell her what happened to..."

Aris nodded, knowing who Filo was about to refer to.

"Okay." Filo turned back to Fitoria. "I...I have a lot of friends, and we've all been traveling together. But...we're one person short."

"What do you mean?"

"My best friend...a girl named Melty," said Filo. "She's...missing."

"What happened to her?"

"She..." Filo didn't seem to want to go on. "P-Papa, can you take over? I don't know if I can talk about this..."

"I understand, Filo," Aris reassured her, patting her head. He turned to Fitoria. "Melty was...kidnapped by pirates. Well, first she was kidnapped by a pompous snob of a nobleman named Idol Rabier, whose servants summoned the dragon you saved us from last night. But...before we could rescue Melty from Idol, Idol handed her over to pirates. A man by the name of...Captain Hook."

Fitoria sighed. "I assumed as much."

"Wait..." Filo gasped. "You knew?"

Fitoria nodded. "Yes. One of my abilities is a degree of clairvoyance. I used it to understand who it was you were remembering as we fought."

"C-Can you tell me where Melty is?"

"She is still with pirates," said Fitoria, "but...not the pirates you mentioned. From that, I would assume a different group of pirates must have engaged this 'Captain Hook' and his crew in a maritime battle and taken Melty with them in the process."

"Is she safe?" Filo asked, worried.

"Yes," replied Fitoria. "She is quite safe. And...happy."

"Happy?" Aris looked skeptical. "How could she be happy when she's being held hostage by pirates?"

"You will find out if and when you reunite with her," said Fitoria. "For now, however..."

Fitoria raised her palm. In a flash of light, an ornate tiara appeared.

Filo's eyes sparkled. "What's that?"

"This is your reward," said Fitoria.

Somehow understanding what to do, Filo knelt before her Queen.

Fitoria placed the tiara on Filo's head. "Filo. As Filolial Queen, I hereby crown you, by the power vested within me, as my successor. Rise...Filolial Princess."

The Filolials in the area let out a loud cry of joy.

Filo rose to her feet as instructed.

Ness couldn't contain his excitement. "This is amazing! Now I'm friends with two princesses!"

Suddenly, the tiara on Filo's head disappeared. A strange blonde cowlick appeared in its place. Somehow, however, it seemed as though it had always been there.

"A cowlick?" Loretta chuckled. "That's the symbol of Filolial royalty?"

"I mean, Fitoria has three of them," Cloud pointed out.

"Indeed," said Fitoria. "They are sort of a measurement of longevity for Filolial royalty. As Filo grows older and stronger, she will gain more."

Filo pouted. "Does that mean I'm gonna look like you?"

She clearly was not fond of this cowlick she had.

Aris felt a ripple in his Soul Energy. He checked Filo's status.

Her attributes had all skyrocketed. The cowlick seemed to have given her some kind of stat bonus.

"Swordsman Shield Hero." Fitoria turned to Aris. "I have something for you, as well."

Aris waved his hands. "I...really wouldn't like a cowlick."

"Not that," Fitoria chuckled. "Hold out your right arm for me."

Aris complied.

Fitoria raised a hand to her scalp and pulled out one of her cowlicks, which was miraculously replaced by a new one. She dropped the cowlick she had removed into Aris's arm, causing it to disappear in a flash of green.

A notification popped up on his status display: Shields were force unlocked.

He checked his shields. Though he was not yet at a sufficient level to use them, Fitoria's cowlick had granted him access to the entire Filolial Series of shields.

"Well, with all of that taken care of," said Fitoria, "I believe some merriment is in order."

"What did you have in mind?" asked Sora.

"You all seem like you've, to put it in layman's terms, seen a thing or two," said Fitoria. "In other words, you seem like you would have some stories to tell."

"Ooh, I know one!" Sora chimed in. "Cloud! Tell us about that time you had to dress in drag!"

BGM: Laughter and Merriment - Kingdom Hearts 2

Cloud sighed, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "No, Sora, I am not telling that story again. You've already heard it."

"But we haven't," Raphtalia pointed out. "And this is something that we just have to know about."

"Yeah, come on, Cloud!" Ness chided. "I'm sure you'd look good in a dress!"

Cloud sighed. "There's no way I'm talking you guys out of this, is there?"

"I believe not," said Fitoria. "I'm quite intrigued myself."

The mercenary slapped a palm to his forehead. "Fine..."

"So, you had to rescue her from a brothel?" asked Aris.

Cloud nodded.

Raphtalia winced. "Eugh."

"Yeah, agreed," Cloud remarked. "Don Corneo is the most depraved bastard I've ever met. Tifa happened to be in there because she was trying to get information out of him. My friend Aerith and I were worried about Tifa, so...we went in and rescued her."

"And that's when you had to disguise yourself as a woman, I presume," said Fitoria.

Cloud sighed. "Yep. And the odd part is...it worked. Too well, even. See, Don Corneo was hosting an...audition that day. An audition to see who he would pick as his next...companion."

Loretta gritted her teeth. "I just want to find this Don Corneo character and blast his head open."

"Can't say I blame you," Cloud remarked. "But, anyway...he ended up picking me. Meanwhile, Tifa and Aerith wiped the floor with his goons outside. Wish I could've seen that part."

"Well, from what Tifa told me, it was probably amazing," Sora mused.

"Continuing on," said Cloud. "After Tifa and Aerith finished up with the goons, we questioned Corneo. He had his men slinking through the slums looking for us - or, specifically, our group - Avalanche. But the reason why...that's a story for another time."

"Aw," Sora said, disappointed, "I wanted to hear more."

"I'll tell you the rest later."

"Wait, hold on, I just remembered something!" Sora interjected. "Cloud, you...you still have the dress, don't you?"

Cloud's entire face was red. "I do not."

"Yes you do," Sora prodded. "You told me you keep it on you in case you...need a disguise."

Cloud sighed, bringing a hand to his forehead. "Alright, yes, I still have the damn thing."

"Well, now you've gotta show us what you look like wearing it!" Ness chimed in.

"I am not doing that."

"Do it!" Sora cheered.

Everyone was looking at Cloud expectantly.

Cloud got up. "Alright, fine. But only this once."

He disappeared behind a tree to change.

Before long, he appeared.

Everyone burst out laughing. Even the stoic Fitoria let out a chuckle.

"My, my, who is that beautiful lady?" Loretta quipped.

End BGM

"Is this a good time for that talk?" Aris asked as he approached Fitoria late that night.

"It will do," said Fitoria. "Now...did you ever really try to make up with the other three Heroes?"

Aris realized her point. She was correct. "No. I didn't. And I haven't tried to clear my name either. I mean...why should I bother? They have the entire country wrapped around their finger."

"If you don't tell them they're wrong," said Fitoria, "they'll see it as an admission of your guilt."

"Maybe." Aris sat down next to Fitoria.

"When I bring you out of the Sanctuary tomorrow morning," said Fitoria, "I will leave you near one of the other three Heroes. I expect you to take the opportunity to talk to him."

"You're not going to come with us?"

Fitoria shook her head. "I won't involve myself any further. Not until the four of you can show me you are worthy of it."

"The other Heroes aren't just going to suddenly become my best friends, you know." Aris sighed. "But I'm going to try my best."

"If even one Cardinal Hero is missing," Fitoria explained, "fighting a Wave becomes impossible. In that case...it would unfortunately be better for all four Heroes to die in order to make room for new ones - ones that are more willing to cooperate with one another."

"So, what you're saying is...if I'm unable to work things out with the other Heroes...all four of us will be killed?"

"Yes." Fitoria nodded. "By me. I...It would pain me greatly to have to do such a thing."

She met Aris's gaze with serious eyes. "I cannot say how many Waves will have passed when it happens, but there will come a time when destiny will demand great sacrifices from all of us. There will be a battle in which the Heroes must choose what they fight for: the world, or its people. I dread this moment. If...you choose to fight for the world, many will die. But the Heroes will be able to fulfill their duties."

"And if we fight for the people?"

"Such will be a hard path to take," said Fitoria.

"How do you know so much about this?" asked Aris.

Fitoria looked down. "I don't know. There are many things I forget - more than I know. But...I do recall that saving the world and saving its people are far from the same thing. The Heroes who came before you hoped that their successors would fight for the latter."

"I'm not quite sure I understand," said Aris, "but I suppose it makes sense, especially coming from heroes."

"You aren't ready to make that choice - not yet," said Fitoria. "Such a decision comes with many hurdles, none of which can be conquered alone."

"Fitoria," Aris inquired, "why did you come to me with this? Would it not be easier to convince one of the other Heroes to forgive me?"

Fitoria sat down next to Aris. "I...suppose I consider you to be a Hero of higher worth than the other three."

"Why is that?"

"You raised Filo," said Fitoria. "And it's clear to me that you treat her with such love that she considers you a father. Surely someone like that can't be all bad."

"You do have a point there."

"In any case," continued Fitoria, "I believe you're up to the challenge of convincing the other Heroes of your innocence. But, if not...all of you are far too weak. Even if I'm not the one to do it, you will all be killed eventually if my fears come to fruition."

"If my future battles are so arduous," said Aris, "I...may have to grow more accustomed to my Fierce Deity form."

"I advise against it," Fitoria cautioned. "But if you truly think it necessary, I will not stop you. Still...the more the Fierce Deity awakens within you, the more it corrupts your mind, drawing you closer and closer to the darkness. The ancient god whose likeness is embodied by the Fierce Deity may have been a hero, but he too fell to the shadows because of his own power."

"I'll try to use it as sparingly as possible."

"Good."

BGM: Friends in my Heart - Kingdom Hearts 1.5 ReMix

Aris turned to Fitoria. "You know...after all that talk about putting me to death...you're a very kind person Fitoria. Thank you. For everything." He smiled.

Fitoria's eyes widened. That smile was familiar to her.

Just like...him... she thought. Just like the hero...the man I considered a father. I...I haven't felt like this in a long time. Is...Is this what Filo feels...? This sense of...comfort...?

Without thinking, Fitoria lowered her head into Aris's lap.

Aris gasped. "Wh-Wha..."

"Please..." Fitoria whispered. "Let me do this...just for a moment..."

"Fitoria..." Aris realized something. "Y-You were raised by a Shield Hero, weren't you?"

"I can't remember," said Fitoria.

Aris began stroking her hair. "Deep down...you really are just like Filo."

Fitoria smiled, her eyes closing.

But, if there's one thing I remember, she thought. It's the gentle touch of a kind soul.