A/N: Hello! I changed my name again, from JustOneAuthor to this, but I'm still the same author! I've come up with a new story, as promised. Though I'm still working on some other tales, including my Jett story, I thought I'd share this piece. I am again dedicating a story to my buddy April, who is beyond perfect. I love you lots April, so I hope you enjoy this the most! A big shout out to those who've enjoyed and reviewed my previous works, too.

Note: Phantom's POV, debatable origins and colors, and delicious hints of pairings you all know well. Rated T just in case.

Disclaimer: I don't own Maplestory or the cover by purplerainistaken on DA, but I do own my ideas, love for Phantom, and writing.

Royal Purple

I dislike the colors blue and red.

Wait, perhaps that's not the right wording...

I utterly despise blue and red.

You know why? Because they make purple.

And you know what purple is? That's right, my eye color.

But that's not where my story begins. No, it all started in a growing, sandy country, where the monarchy was everything and the hopes and dreams of the people were stored inside a dusty little jar.

That jar, somehow, found its way into my hands.

They expected the kid with pretty amethyst eyes to bring the Queen down. I barely knew she existed and they chose me over some brawnier guy.

Well, sure, a Sand Bandit I could be. Call me a chivalrous thief, the mastermind of charity. Why, I even started the family business. Mother never suspected anything behind her dainty knitting, and father was cooped up in the very palace his son was stealing from.

Oh, I guess purple is where it all started.

Let's see, I remember leaving by Genie, getting chased by a giant mushmom, taking a carriage to some leaf town, and turning a corner...

...into love. It's when Cupid decides he has nothing to do and wants to mess with some unsuspecting mortals.

Well, she was hardly mortal. I mean, it wasn't everyday I claimed someone to be my forever, okay?

Comical confessions aside, I fell quite hard. If I wanted to steal her treasure, I would've done the deed and left. That jewel was an excuse to sneak onto her balcony every night like a persistent juvenile and build up her pile of roses. I stayed in her world, the forests that breathed when she breathed and the waters that glistened like her eyes.

Though, I believe I attempted to steal some lives one night, at a party, particular suitors that flocked her throne like a murder of crows.

I'm getting better at this, aren't I?

Despite my confident jest, I'm a romantic, a romeo, if anything. In Magatia, nowadays, they call that boy a lover, not a fighter. I happen to know this poor fellow, and disdainfully share his love life.

'We were not meant to be' is what I'm really implying, my star-crossed friends.

It was an evil flower, not a weed, that stole my precious rose. So I tried to kill him, and hesitated.

We have the same eyes.

I guess purple must be a prophetic color. It's as annoying as Balrog, and it's the reason why Lotus is still alive.

But it led me to them.

I think folks call us "The Five Heroes". I'd prefer "Four Heroes and a Thief", but hey, I'm not majority.

Freud was so attached to me, it was like having a younger brother; a brilliant brother, whose time and knowledge was not meant to end so soon. He understood me when no one could.

Aran and I kind of started off on the wrong foot. She questioned my every move, and in turn, I threw jokes and silly gestures at her. I think she's the only one who doesn't understand my sense of humor, but considering who she is, I'd say we're friends.

Mercedes was the Elven Queen, which triggered some bad memories. You know my gig with royalty. However, we are comrades nonetheless, and she accepts that I have a different, if not unique, sense of justice.

Let's see, who am I forgetting? There's only three...ah, that's right!

Him. The guy who looks like he's constipated all the time.

Good old Luminous.

If you thought Aran and I hit it off, wait until you get a load of this guy.

Enemies is an understatement, but sworn is too farfetched. We were somewhere in the middle.

To put it simply, I hated him. If I was fire, he was ice. If I liked waffles, he liked pancakes. If my underwear was white, his was—you get the point.

The one thing that still bugs me today are his eyes. He used to have this set of electric blue orbs, and guess what?

He's gone all heterochromatic on me. Joy.

But our reunion isn't as bad as it sounds. It came with a new age, the only setbacks being the people and choices we left behind.

I've met my friends again and it's refreshing to know we have a new face in the group. I think he's someone Freud would've enjoyed more than reading.

Or maybe all that ice damaged my brain.

Hey, remember how much I loathed blue and red? Note the past tense.

I think it's got something to do with the light mage I told you about. You know, the one that hates me as much as I hate him?

He's the reason I've begun to treasure my eye color. I guess we learned to appreciate each other. It only took, what, a couple of centuries?

It's that idea he proposed that caused our relationship to really change.

What was it he named my eye color?

"Royal purple."

Thump.

My heart's pounding again. See what I mean?

I told you the ice is messing with me.

What can I say? I tried. Typing and uploading through my iPad is so difficult, so I probably made 2x more mistakes haha. This style's a lot more free and simple than my previous Maple work. Did you guys get all the references and jokes? I feel so nerdy now. Feel free to correct me and review, I'd appreciate it like always. Thank you, and stay tuned for more!