A/N: Hello and welcome to my first pure Maplestory fic! I have written a crossover with the Demon Slayer and another Nexon game called Mabinogi, but this story is Pure Maple! This story was inspired by a dream I had.

It predates the sealing of the Black Mage, but comes after the death of Aria. It will mostly deal with Phantom and how he "gets along" with the rest of the Heros, considering he was never really accepted by some of them. But it will also follow the Lumiere, as you will soon see how his beloved airship played a bigger role in the success of the war against the black mage, than anyone might think possible.

My stories only continue with reviews! Unfortuantely I have an overload of story ideas and school work and art work. I cannot do them all at once. I don't like to let ideas die so I always write a first chapter, but whether it continues or not will be based on how interested people are in the tale I have to tell. If you would like to read more of Phantom and the Lumiere, please leave a review! Something more than "Please Continue". At least say that you liked it! Follows are fine but I don't count those towards motivation to continue!

Well that's all I have to say. Please enjoy!

Chapter 1 – Take Care My Friend

"Can't you at least hear me out?" The young man's grey eyes were red from tears, as he slammed his jewel covered hands down on the table.

"I did tell you that it was foolish to fall for her. Now you've gotten yourself dragged into their war." His friend sat across the table. Her thread and needle moved skillfully through the pair of pants she was mending. Her face held little interest in Phantom's plight.

"It isn't just THEIR WAR! The Black Mage-" but he was cut off as a flaming card flew past him and sliced through one of the feathers on his hat.

"THE BLACK MAGE DOESN'T EXIST!" The woman's purple eyes filled with rage staring at her old friend. "All those years that we trained for these powers, all those years we st-" she paused when the door of her shop opened. A young demon boy entered, his tiny wings pulled close to his back.

"Should I come back later?"

The woman smiled and stood. "No that's alright Damien. I've got your mother's order right here." Phantom watched as she collected the pile of clothing and passed it along to the boy who thanked her and went on his way. "Even a sweet boy like him isn't left out of this stupid war they've invented." She said settling back into her chair. "His brother went off to fight, saying that he was protecting all of us here in Leafre. Well you're both fools."

"But…"

"This big bad Black Mage that you've all invented, is nothing more than a human with abnormal powers," she scoffed. "Fear of the unknown. That's all it is. Or are you really some supernatural Phantom like everyone says?"

Phantom shrunk back from those words. Of course he was only human. But that didn't mean that the Black Mage was… "Taria I wish you would just-"

"Just what? Listen to you? That's what I've been doing for years Nuet," Phantom grumbled about her use of his childhood name, but she paid no attention, "and for what?! We trained together, we stole together. We built you up to be some kind of unstoppable god, in the people's eyes." Taria sighed and picked up her sewing again. "Then you went and fell in love with that woman."

Phantom sighed, a small amount of his ego returning to his voice. "Taria… I'm sorry I hurt you. I-"

"Oh don't be daft, you were a brother to me nothing more." She smiled as his ego deflated, just like it always had when they were children. "And it's not the treasure that I'm upset about either."

"Well then what is it?" Phantom groaned. He tapped his cane nervously against his leg. He must either convince her soon or leave to meet Frued.

"It's the thrill I miss. We had such fun gaining and testing our powers, then you had to go and blow it all, asking nicely for Skaia."

"Well you have to admit, the idea had style." Phantom claimed a small victory point from Taria's small chuckle. But his victory was quickly lost.

"Yeah style. Then what did that give you? Nothing but a broken heart, and a gem which's power you can't use." Taria looked up at the disheartened Phantom. He had always been such an impulsive boy, even to the point of asking her to teach him the magic she had with playing cards. Those years of developing new skills, and copying the skills of others, had been such fun. When he had suggested thievery as a way to test her powers, she'd gone along with it. There would have been no stopping him anyway. The same though had crossed her mind the day he announced his love for the Empress Aria.

Phantom stared away at the ground. His fists clenched at his sides, the grip on his cane would have left him with white knuckles had he not been wearing gloves. "You may not believe me but the Black Mage does exist. He killed her!"

"Fine so go join the war. Join those Heros that everyone is talking about. But for once in your life, think about what you're about to do," Taria pleaded with him. "War isn't something you fight on a whim. You can't quit if you start to lose. You can't leave then try again later."

"I know."

Phantom's voice caught her by surprise. He wasn't looking away nervously either. He stared her straight in the eye, completely sure of his choice. "I am completely aware of what I'm doing, and of what I'm asking you to do."

Taria sighed, "I still think you're a fool. But fine. I will keep them hidden for you. Just make sure you come back alive."

Phantom laughed and tossed her the key to the Lumiere, his haughty attitude returning instantly. "You worry too much. The Phantom can never die, remember?" His cape whipped in the wind around him as he opened the door and vanished into the afternoon rain.

Taria ran her hands through her hair and looked at the key ring. It was in the shape of the Phantom Theif's calling card. She knew that it wasn't really the airship that he wanted her to protect. She knew the jewel Skaia was hidden on that ship. "What's he thinking, leaving it here?" Giving in to her curiosity, she got up and changed the shop's sign to Closed, before locking the door.

She had walked some distance into Minar forest before she flooded her energy into the key. The sound of rushing air came from above and a small boat attached to four chains, converging onto a larger chair, dropped from the sky. The decorations are as fancy as always, she thought as she climbed on board. The small boat rose into the sky and passed through a layer of clouds, where, just above the level of the rain, the airship Lumiere hovered, waiting for its master's return.

As she looked at the ship from below, her heart sank. She knew right then, that if Phantom ever returned to his beloved craft, it would not be for a very, very long time.