Time's Tale

Standard Disclaimer:

All characters are copyrighted to their respective owners and do not in any way, shape, or form reflects the nature of said owners (Unless, of course, they actually do).

This story is a work of fiction and is not meant to resemble any person, place, or situation outside of sheer coincidence.

Due to the nature of this story, it is intent for Mature Audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

You have been warned.

We now present you our Feature Presentation with no commercial interruptions. Enjoy the story!

Death. In all its finality, it was the ultimate truth that one could not escape from its grasp forever. It was, in fact, one of the few things that even something as terrible and fearsome as the Black Mage did not brush aside so easily. He too had spent decades of his life trying to find ways to overcome such a hurdle in his mad quest for ultimate power born out of the darkness. All living things, in the end, had to die.

Mercedes knew this.

In fact, having grown among the forests and becoming groomed for her role as the Queen of Elves, Mercedes could accept that fact that all things had to come to an end. Even she, despite the longevity elves got to enjoy, far more so than any other race in Maple World with the possible exception of dragons, knew that one day she would die. Like her predecessors before her. She could accept that. She could even accept the fact that she would die, long after the few humans she could truly trust had died and buried and all but forgotten except in lore and perhaps fantasy.

But right now, she didn't want to accept this.

She stood, almost still as youthful as she was the day she had broken free of the terrible curse that the Black Mage had set on her and her fellow people, next to a bed where a much, much older man lay. Nearby, a dragon rested, looking over the two of them. He was fairly large, his size almost filling up a quarter of the room, which was truly saying something considering that they were in a room within the Elven Court. The Elf Queen rested her hand on his, as he looked up with a tired smile on his face. She looked down to him, also smiling, though they both could tell it was somewhat forced. Still, she had to be strong. Being a leader meant that you had to put on a brave face, even under troubling times. One had to be an example for others to follow, and that person had been her. When she was alone, she knew she could weep and mourn and allow herself to show weakness, but right now wasn't the time. Right now, she had to stay strong.

Time almost seemed to flow differently for her. How it felt like not so long ago when she and the man had first met. He had been no more than a boy then, a person who was forced onto a destiny that he didn't fully understand, nor was he even sure he was ready for. But not to be deterred, he had risen up to that challenge, growing and learning from her and the others what it meant to be a Hero, until the day they once again faced their ultimate destiny, where all of Maple World hung in the balance.

"Are you ok, Merc?" The elven woman nodded slowly, her smile becoming a little lighter upon hearing the nickname. No one else had ever dared to call her in such an informal tone, save perhaps the other Heroes. And even then, only he ever called her 'Merc' and only he was ever allowed to do so. Mercedes could hardly forgive herself if she allowed Aran or even Phantom the leeway she gave Evan with her name.

"Are you feeling ok, Evan," she asked.

"Just tired," he replied. And it was true. Lately all he could feel was being tired. Only a few times he would join his companion out for a short walk, to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, before he felt his body slowing down and demanding rest. But neither of them would trade those precious moments for anything.

The Black Mage, the most feared being to ever walk the world, had broken through the seal some time after the rest of the Heroes had been freed of their curses. Of course, it was to be expected. The Black Mage was immensely powerful, perhaps the most powerful spell caster to ever exist. Sealing him away within the deepest reaches of the Temple of Time was all that they could do, given the fact that they couldn't defeat him outright. And though the seal was the last hope they had, which thankfully had managed to work, they knew that it was, at best, a temporary measure. It couldn't last forever, though even Mercedes could admit surprise that it managed to hold for as long as it had.

The Maple World Alliance, led by the five Heroes, stood before him and his legion of monsters, commanded by some of his most fearsome commanders. Thousands of Explorers, the members of the Resistance and the Cygnus Knights clashed against the fearsome mob in order to allow the Heroes a chance at fighting the Black Mage at full capacity. Unlike before, the five would stand together as one against him, and everyone prayed that they would stand even the slightest chance against him.

Several factors had tipped in their favor. One was the fact that they were all together in the fight. Centuries ago, only Mercedes and Freud had managed to break through the siege to face the Black Mage. Aran and Phantom had been delayed striking down several of the Mage's minions, and Luminous had been forced to conserve all his power for activating the seal which would trap him away. The only reason they had gotten so lucky was the fact that one of the Mage's commanders had rebelled against his master, screaming about a 'betrayal' and his actions had managed to weaken the Mage enough for the seal to be effective.

The second was the fact that the seal had drained the Mage's powers heavily. There was still no mistake that the Black Mage was far more powerful than them. Perhaps even still, the most powerful person in Maple World. But any and all advantages were welcome, and even if it made the battle the slightest bit easier, it would be welcomed.

The third was, surprisingly, Luminous himself. Having been imbued with the essence of the Black Mage's powers meant that the Mage himself was incomplete. They had all worried that Luminous would go berserk or even worse, that the Black Mage would be able to control him and use his powers against the Alliance. But it hadn't happened, and Luminous had not only managed to control his darkness, but use some of it in the battle against its master.

But even with all this going for them, it was the most difficult battle they had ever faced. Legends would be told about the conflict for hundreds of years to come, the final great battle between Maple World and the Black Mage. But Maple World had prevailed, and the Black Mage was no more. None of the Heroes had managed to escape without injury, and Aran and Luminous had nearly died as a result. Of them all, only Phantom could stand and that was only barely with the help of his cane. Even Mir didn't have the strength to support his master.

Of course, the Black Mage being gone didn't mean that peace was completely restored to the world. Several members of the Black Wings still prowled, in the hopes of trying to revive their master. And the evil force that the Black Mage commanded was still a strong threat to the world. But for the first time in a long time, true peace was able to return to the people, even for only a short while. The dark cloud that was the Black Mage, which threatened to consume them all, was finally lifted.

The years had passed, as Maple World slowly recovered from the terror that the Black Mage inspired. No longer needed, the Heroes had separated for the most part, leading their own lives. Mercedes had returned to her people, Aran to the endless days of training, Phantom back to his thieving ways, Luminous to the quiet life he sought and Evan to his farm. That wasn't to say that the Heroes no longer interacted with the world around them. Luminous often studied with Grendel in his library, sorting through ancient text. Mercedes took to visiting Henesys to see Athena, and occasionally Evan. And on many clear nights when the moon was full, one could see the Lumiere in the sky, as if watching over the world much like Ereve does.

Ten years after the defeat of the Black Mage, it had happened. Evan was visiting Elluel when he spoke to Mercedes of his feelings to her. He had not expected a reply back, only wanting to say what he had felt so as not to regret never letting her know. And it confused Mercedes so much so that it ended up being the first time in a long, long while that she had ever lost sleep over something.

Evan was a good friend – no, a best friend, really. One of the first human friends she had made upon awakening to this new, more modern Maple World. The fact that his resemblance to Freud had helped in a way to relax her. But thinking over what he said, she really had no idea just where she stood with the boy. Until she began to realize that he was no longer a budding human teenager, but a young human man. He was relatively the same age as Freud was when they first met.

Mercedes knew what Evan was talking about, but she had no real experience in the matter. She had never felt any of those feelings for any male elf, and considering the length of the average elf's lifespan, none of the Elders felt a need to pressure her with things like marriage or producing an heir. But of course, that wasn't even considering the fact that Evan was a human. While humans and elves generally stayed out of each other's way, the result had been that many older elves had little trust of humans. Though they did end up interacting with humans eventually, it was mostly due to the ever present threat of the Black Mage that they united. Even now, Elluel was only open to the other Heroes and the Cygnus Knights due to the fact that the world was still trying to stabilize itself and Mercedes was still needed. But she knew that soon she would need to make the choice of keeping Elluel out in the open or returning to the life of separation from the rest of the world that had been the tradition for hundreds of years.

But the more she thought about it, the more things that seemed to get in the way appeared in her mind. Could she even return his feelings? Indeed, while she and the other Heroes interacted with one another, the only one that she had felt comfortable with talking to was Freud. And even then, it didn't seem nearly as comfortable as talking with Evan. And would such a relationship even work? Never in the history of Elluel had an elf and human married, let alone have a child.

In time, Mercedes indeed came to realize that her feelings stemmed far above just 'friends' and she reciprocated his feelings. Of course it wasn't without some troubles. Many of her people would stare at Evan as he walked through the town with Mercedes at his side. And of the Elders, Philius was livid that she would disgrace herself as to pursue a relationship with a human that went beyond friendship. But the Queen was firm in her decision and there were many people who supported her actions. No longer would Elluel hide behind traditions, for traditions had caused them to nearly lose their entire way of life in the distant past.

It was an extravagant affair when the wedding came. Of course, being a queen meant that Mercedes could take it all in stride, but Evan was constantly on the verge of a panic attack. He hadn't felt so nervous in his entire life. Heck, even standing before the Maple Alliance hadn't been as nerve wrecking. The so-called 'coaching' from Phantom mere minutes before he was to become the husband of a queen didn't help either.

The event was held in Elluel, with Empress Cygnus herself coordinating the union between the two. It was a true hallmark of the new Maple World, a Maple World without the fear of the looming threat of the Black Mage. A significant event that the world over would remember forevermore. But for the two involved, such thoughts where neither here or there. All that mattered was what was left after words.

That night, both had fulfilled each other in ways neither of them knew they were missing.

Time continued to pass, the world continuing its march forwards. And it wasn't long before time would come to claim that which was rightfully hers. The first Hero to fall was Aran. It almost seemed fitting, for she was the first to break out of Black Mage's seal. She fell in battle, a true warrior's death as she took down one of the Black Wing's commanders with her who had still firmly rooted in the belief that his master would return. Maha, her polearm, had been returned to Rein to await 'The One who would inherit Aran's will' as the spirit put it.

Luminous had gone next, his spirit returning to Harmony in order to help guide the next group of Light Mages who would surely need his guidance and understanding of both the powers of Light and Dark. Phantom too had exited the stage, peacefully in his sleep as the story was told. No one knew when and exactly where he had died and was buried; only that Empress Cygnus had delivered the message to the last two Heroes personally. However, it was rumored that his body lay beside his one and only love, Aria, to rest with her in the afterlife where they could be together once more.

Thus had left only the last two, Mercedes and Evan, and even then she had known that his time was coming soon. And she feared it. She knew that Evan would die before her. She had known that the day she married him. But a part of her was still sad to see him go, to be forced to watch him journey to a place that she couldn't follow. She would if she could, she knew, but as the ruler of the Elves, she had a duty to be with her people. Her own daughter was nowhere near ready to take on such a monumental role as to be a ruler.

A part of her had thought, perhaps, that it wouldn't have been as hard if the boy had died during the fight with the Black Mage. A victim of his duty, rather than to simply waste away under the watchful gaze of time. But she pushed those thoughts out of her mind. It wasn't healthy, or right, to dwell on them. More because she loved him, more than anything.

Mir raised his head slightly, nuzzling against his master's head gently. Mercedes wondered what would happen to him after Evan passed on. Freud had been the only person in the world who had forged a pact with an Onyx Dragon before the Black Mage all but wiped them out. And Afrien had been the one to take the curse instead of the mage, which had all but completely broken the pact between them. Would Mir continue to live on, as the true last Onyx Dragon on his own? Or would he attempt to find a new master, one who could also forge the Spirit Pact with him?

"Merc," Evan said slowly, feeling his strength fade. Mercedes leaned in, holding his hand and squeezing tightly. The time was coming, she knew, but she didn't want to say goodbye yet. She prayed to Rhinne, knowing it was useless, but still wishing anyway for even just a few more minutes together with him. "Merc… I… love you…"

"I love you too," she replied, almost losing her composure. How bittersweet the words felt now, when thousands of times before they would fill her heart with joy. Evan took a few more deep breaths, looking to Mir and silently communicating through the link they shared. The dragon nodded in understanding, before he took his final breath and passed on.

A grand funeral service took place a few days later. In between, none had seen their Queen, but it was to be expected. However, the Dragon had also vanished, as if knowing that without its master around, there too was no reason to stay. When the time came, Mercedes appeared, looking as regal as always, but still carrying a heavy burden all the same. Everyone could see it and no one questioned.

Time continued to pass. Rumors abounded about another dangerous force that was attempting to rise to power, not within Maple World but within Versal, the parallel world to Maple. Mercedes knew that she would be called upon to fight, perhaps to even share some wisdom of battle. A representative from Harmony would be called to Ereve as well, but there were other signs of potential Heroes rising. Maha, the giant polearm that rested in Rein had vanished and Luminaire, which had had not flown since its previous owner had died, was suddenly seen in the night sky. Mercedes wasn't surprised that another warrior who would be worthy of wielding Maha would rise; the spirit had mentioned so after all. But she was surprised at the thought of someone attempting to sail Phantom's ship. She doubted that whoever was trying to steal it would be as great a thief as Phantom was, but she had to admit that whoever it was had the guts to being a Master Thief.

Mercedes could feel something strange within her. Something that gave her hope.

Time was a strange thing indeed. History tended to repeat itself, time and time again.

And so it was, also, that a young boy would sleep, unknowing that the 'birthmark' on the back of his hand would one day soon live on to fulfill its destiny, the same as the one that came before him and the one that came before, and to all that would come to follow.

Time marched on, unheeding of those it left in its wake…