The Gathering – Silver Moon
"It is my sworn duty to protect you princess. I am going with you." He had said, breaking free from the assembled rangers and walking over to his princess, taking her hands in his own.
She had nodded her head sadly, unable to tear her eyes away from him.
"You are human, Merrick and the Earth is your home. Please stay. Live in this world." She pleaded him earnestly.
"I will do as you wish…" He said, bound by his oath to obey his princess' requests, no matter how much he wanted to protest. The kingdom of Animaria was lost to the ages, but they were still bound by its customs. He had let go of her hands as he whispered one final time. "Princess…"
He had watched the love of his life go away, back to her enchanted island, with no way of contacting her ever again.
The princess was right. Unlike her, he was a mere human. The next time she awakened, maybe a thousand years later, he would be long gone.
She had relieved him of his duties, given him the freedom he had always desired… to explore the world unburdened by the responsibilities of a knight. His father was a knight and from birth, he was trained to succeed him. He had felt suffocated by the legacy he had never asked for and had even gone as far to attempt running away from the kingdom, and that was when he met her, the most beautiful maiden he had ever led his eyes on, playing with children. She had looked up at him and her smile had been infectious. That was the moment he knew he was in love.
He found his purpose… to ensure she never stopped smiling, whatever may be.
The war with the Org Nation changed everything.
Gone were the stolen glances, shy smiles, and hushed whispers between them.
The kingdom needed allies and the only way other nations could be persuaded to fight alongside them was through an alliance between kingdoms through marriage. Princess Shayla was the key to their salvation and the price was their love.
However, things had escalated unexpectedly before the wedding. The kingdom had been razed to the ground and their guardian deity Animus had been obliterated by Master Org's attacks.
Left with no other option, Merrick did the only thing he could to save them all… to save her… He sought out the dark powers of the Cursed Mask. He was able to defeat the Orgs but sacrificed his soul in the process, forcing his friends to seal him away.
Three thousand years later, he was freed and the Orgs had returned. He got back his princess but the past haunted them, preventing them from resuming what they had before…
Even after defeating the Orgs, he had still lost… He had accepted he would never see the princess again and set out on a path to explore the world he had helped save. He had been joined by a seemingly redeemed Zen Aku, the two of them traversing through the wilderness and occasional small towns, wherever the wind took them, but every morning, he still woke up to dreams of his lost love.
He regretted not standing up for himself. Why had it been so hard for him to tell the princess how much she meant to him? Why had he not told her that she was his world? Why had he fought for her?
He had regretted it the moment she had turned around with their jackets and morphers, yet had found himself unable to move…
He had let her go, and now, no matter how much he wished it to be untrue, he would never see her again.
A strong breeze against his face broke his train of thoughts. He and Zen Aku were sitting on the shores of a lake, taking in the serenity around them.
"Something is wrong…" The duke org warned him. He had felt it too… the sudden shift in the winds and the uncanny feeling of something coming.
A portal suddenly appeared in front of them and the two warriors quickly scrambled to their feet in alarm. They watched surprised as an unconscious woman in yellow robes rolled out of the portal, which closed immediately after.
The two looked at each other and then at the woman lying near their feet, her face and ornaments now covered by a fine layer of silt. She appeared to be unhurt.
Merrick could not explain it but he felt a strange sort of kindred with whoever she was and by the look in Zen Aku's eyes, he felt it too.
He had no idea what the fates had planned for them, but he could not let go of the thought that this was just the beginning…
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