Shade/Story
Story (Post-Remaster)
Note: Shade's storyline was remastered under the KMS story team's new continuity in the Milestone Update.
The Six Heroes
Before being given the name Shade in the present day, this pirate hero grew up as a war orphan without a name and became a wandering mercenary. He developed the fighting style of a pirate and survived countless trials in the wake of endless death around him, leaving him without purpose or desire. When he first met Freud, he told Freud that he had nothing to live for, to which Freud told him that he had nothing to die for either. This motivated the hero to keep living, and so he dedicated his life to the one who had saved him. Freud even gave the hero a name, which he cherished deeply. He was one of the many people who gathered at the Dragon Master's Tower, which was lit by Ryude and his band of soldiers in order to warn Maple World that the end of the world was approaching. He joined Freud and four others to become the Heroes of Maple who fought against the tyranny of the Black Mage. With no family, no clan, and no attachments, the hero had no ties but to the comrades who stood alongside him.
During the last days of the war, the pirate hero and the others received a letter from the Demon, who planned to betray the Black Mage. The Heroes took the chance opportunity and stormed the Temple of Time. While Freud, Afrien, and Mercedes stormed the Black Mage's throne room, Phantom, Luminous, and the pirate hero went ahead and faced the Commanders. While Phantom left to deal with Orchid and Lotus, Luminous and the pirate hero approached the throne room, where they were stopped by Guwaru. Just as they were about to fight, Magnus appeared from behind and stabbed Guwaru, absorbing the spirit magic inside of him in order to permanently lengthen his lifespan, which had been cut short by Kaiser's attack. Declaring that he was done with Maple World, Magnus left and used the newly created Interdimensional Portal in order to return to Grandis. Luminous and the pirate hero entered the throne room, where they saw Afrien and Mercedes unconscious, and Freud heavily injured.
Freud told them that the Black Mage's power far exceeded their own, and that they could not hope to defeat him. Instead, he hoped to use the remaining Seal Stones in order to seal the Black Mage away by having them absorb the stolen Transcendent powers, thus creating a powerful Seal of Time, though he added that it was merely a theory, as the Seal Stones had never been used in such a way before. He used a spell to freeze time, allowing Luminous to place the seals around the Black Mage. However, Freud then informed them that there was one more component needed to activate the seal: the time of one living person. After a heated argument, the pirate hero chose to become the sacrifice. His time was absorbed into the Seal Stones, causing all traces of him to vanish from memories, photographs, and any other object that proved that he once existed. Freud then told Luminous that in order to create the seal, they needed to force the Black Mage into drawing out his full power so that he would have no choice but to resort to using the Transcendent of Time's power. After placing the spell on the Seal Stones, Freud undid the time freeze, and Luminous engaged in a fierce duel with the Black Mage. Luminous used the full extent of his light magic to counter the Black Mage's dark magic, forcing the Black Mage to use the power of time. Immediately, the Seal Stones absorbed the stolen power and activated the Seal of Time.
Main Story
Across Dimensions
As the Black Mage's seal began weakening, with one of the Seal Stones cracking, the pirate hero momentarily flickered into existence, where he briefly appeared in the Black Mage's throne room and saw both the Black Mage sealed away and the cracked Seal Stone before fading back out of existence into a space between dimensions, where he remained unconscious for centuries while the seal still held. Over the centuries, as Maple World and Grandis began to fuse, the pirate hero saw a light emanating from a dimensional crack. Hearing someone crying out for help, the hero crossed between dimensions and appeared on the moon of Vulpes in Grandis, where he saw a tiger monster attacking a fox Anima girl named Moonbeam, whose parents had already been killed by the creature. Though severely weakened, Shade attempted to save Moonbeam by standing between her and the tiger. As he collapsed from the tiger's attacks, the guardian of the fox Anima, the Fox God, appeared and defeated the tiger before bringing the hero back to her domain above the clouds. With the hero having risked his life to protect a fox Anima, the Fox God vowed to protect him, in turn. Realizing that the hero's existence was unstable and fading, the Fox God began to pour her power into him in order to stabilize his existence over the years, though at the cost of weakening her and forcing her into slumber for a long time.
Awakening on Vulpes
Many years later, the forgotten hero awoke at the foot of the Fox Tree, where he found Moonbeam looking down at him, excitedly claiming that the Fox God had granted her wish. Upon seeing his confusion, Moonbeam told him that he was under the Fox Tree, to which the hero asked her whether he was near the Temple of Time, and what had happened to the Black Mage. Moonbeam replied that she had never heard of either of those terms and explained that he was at the home of the Pointy-Ear Foxes. The hero then noticed Moonbeam's strange animal features, as well as the fact that there were many moons in the sky, to which Moonbeam told him that there were always many moons in the skies of Grandis, causing the hero to realize that he was somewhere completely different from Maple World. Moonbeam then asked him to come with her to the Anima village, and so the hero reluctantly followed her back to Fox Point Village. There, Moonbeam explained that though they didn't normally allow strangers to enter their village, the hero was an exception, as he had saved her life once before, much to his confusion. She also added that since the hero had no sharp claws or teeth, he didn't seem to pose any danger at all. She then told the hero that he would still need to get permission from her grandfather, Silver, who was their chief, in order to settle in their village, to which the hero told her that he couldn't stay, as he needed to return back to Maple World. Upon learning that the hero had no idea how to get to Maple World, Moonbeam told him that the area outside the village was dangerous, and that he would quickly get into trouble if he tried to leave in his current state. Realizing that Moonbeam was right, the hero agreed to meet with the chief. After the hero introduced himself, Silver noticed that he had no ears or tail, meaning that he would not be able to take care of himself. He took pity on the hero and decided to take him in before asking him what his name was.
The hero began recalling how Freud had given him his name when they had first met, but Silver mistook his silence and assumed that he was struggling to name himself, for which he decided to come up with a good name for the hero. Silver suggested several strange names, but Moonbeam rejected all of them and decided that she would name him, since she was the one who had found him. Because he was dark and mysterious, she gave him the name Shade, which she explained was the perfect complement to Moonbeam.[1] After receiving his new name, Shade decided to visit the new house that Silver had given him, which had been left empty after its owner had gone away. Despite his new life, Shade wondered what had happened to his friends. Given that he was still alive, he wondered whether it meant that the seal on the Black Mage had failed. However, he refused to believe that the other Heroes would have given up so easily, and so he assumed that they were hiding out somewhere, waiting to get back together. He decided that he needed to focus on getting his strength back first so that he could join them. After inspecting his new house, he returned to Silver, who told him that it was time to meet the neighbors. He explained that it was their tradition to give rice cakes to new neighbors, and so he gave Shade some old rice cakes to distribute to the other Anima. The Anima in the village were pleased to receive the rice cakes, but gave several back-handed compliments about Shade's lack of ears and a tail. They also gave Shade new clothes in order to make him look more presentable. After greeting his neighbors, Shade returned to Silver, who explained that the last step was for him to pray to the Fox God. Shade was escorted to the Fox Tree by Moonbeam, who prayed for the Fox God to watch over her new friend, whom she called weak and vulnerable. At Moonbeam's insistence, Shade also prayed to the Fox God. Suddenly, a light engulfed Shade and filled him with strength. Moonbeam explained that it was the Fox God's blessing, which would allow him to use the power of the spirits contained in his new Fox Marble. Moonbeam then taught him the basics of how to use his new power and explained that it would be useful to him for hunting and taking care of himself.
An Honorary Fox
After returning back to the village, Moonbeam decided to teach him how to hunt. She joked that failure meant starvation, but she promised that she would still feed him, even if he failed. Shade first hunted for Dried Caterpillars, but because he was opposed to eating such food, Moonbeam had him hunt for Sparrow Eggs. After he returned, Moonbeam told him that the adults had prepared a gift for him, as the village had a tradition of giving gifts to baby foxes after their first successful hunt. Shade went back to his house and found their gift of raw liver. He tried to eat it, telling himself that people ate raw fish, but found that he couldn't stomach it. Nevertheless, he decided to thank the Anima by lying that he had eaten it. However, he noted that the villagers seemed cold when he thanked them. Silver explained that he was meant to have given a gift in return to the villagers. Since he believed that Shade had already eaten the liver, and since Shade was too weak to get large gifts, Silver suggested for him to bring Mouse Tails. After hunting and obtaining them, Shade got lost on the way back to the village and stumbled across a large tiger monster. As he felt a strange sense of déjà vu, Shade's head began to throb as he collapsed in pain. Suddenly, Moonbeam arrived and stood between Shade and the tiger, claiming that she would save him, just as he had saved her in the past. Her words caused Shade to recall a memory from many years ago, when he had awoken in the Temple of Time and seen the Black Mage sealed behind the Seal of Time. Suddenly, Shade had begun flickering in and out of existence, causing him to disappear into a void between dimensions. Within the void, Shade had heard the sound of someone crying out for help, causing him to reach out into a bright light pouring out from a dimensional crack, allowing him to cross over into Grandis. There, he had seen the tiger monster towering over Moonbeam, who was crying behind the bodies of her parents, who had already been killed by the monster. With the last of his strength, Shade had rushed forward and taken the tiger's attack before it could reach Moonbeam, causing him to collapse and flicker out of existence once again. Just then, the Fox God had appeared and defeated the monster before bringing Shade to her domain. Shade then recalled how the Fox God had, for many years, poured her power into him in an effort to stabilize his flickering existence, though Shade had remained in a coma all the while. Because of Shade's actions in trying to save a fox Anima, the Fox God had vowed to save Shade, no matter what, even though the exertion of energy had caused her to fall asleep for a long time.
Soon after, Shade awoke from recalling the memory back in his home, where Moonbeam demanded to know why he had gone off on his own to hunt for Mouse Tails when he was already so weak, adding that she could have done it for him so that he wouldn't have gotten hurt. She then told Shade that she hated him and ran off towards the Fox Tree. Confused by what he had done wrong, Shade decided to go after her. At the Fox Tree, Shade apologized to Moonbeam for getting hurt and worrying her. Moonbeam told Shade that she was the one who had hunted the liver herself, and so Shade had no reason to hurt himself while trying to get gifts for the other villagers, who hadn't done any of the work. Realizing that he was still too weak, even with a spirit, Moonbeam decided to give him her own spirit. Against Shade's protests, she transferred her guardian spirit to him, explaining that she had promised to protect him. She reassured him that she was strong, even without her spirit, and that Shade could protect her if she ran into trouble. Back at the village, Silver told Shade that he had heard that Moonbeam had given him something special and explained that she would get extremely attached to certain people, likely because she had lost her parents at a young age. He asked Shade to take care of Moonbeam just as much as she cared for him. He then added that it was time for Shade to undertake his coming-of-age ceremony, which would allow him to be acknowledged as a true fox. He told Shade to speak with the villagers in the town and obtain five marks of certification from them. First, Timber asked him to defeat Red Poison Frogs and Green Poison Frogs. Next, Compass gave him a quiz about the Pointy-Ear Foxes. After passing the quiz, he took Patience's test to defeat the Delinquent Chicks and Brook's test to defeat Punk Chicks. Finally, he approached Moonbeam, who gave him her certification without having him do anything. With five marks of certification, Silver proclaimed Shade to be a true fox and one of their kin. He told Shade that the villagers had prepared another gift for him and asked him to go home and see. Back at his home, Shade found that the Anima had prepared fox ears and a tail for him. Shade hated this gift as well, as he didn't want to lose his identity while in the unfamiliar world.
A Way Back Home
Realizing that he needed to give the Anima a gift in exchange, Shade returned to Silver, who eagerly told him that there was someone who may know about where he came from. Silver explained that though most Pointy-Ear Foxes lived in close-knit families and never left the village, there were some who wandered the world, with one of those Anima coming back. Suddenly, both of them noticed that it had begun to rain, with Shade realizing that he had never seen it rain before. Silver explained that rain meant that a fox Anima was crying somewhere. As no one in the village was crying, he suspected that the rain was indeed because of Moonbeam. However, he explained that she had never cried once since losing her parents. Worried that something bad had happened to her, Shade went to the Fox Tree, where he found her hairband caught onto one of the branches. He began scaling up the tree and soon found Moonbeam attempting to reach the highest branches. Moonbeam sadly smiled and explained that she had been hoping to reach the top of the Fox Tree so that the Fox God would be able to hear her wish – for Shade not to leave. She explained that she had always known that he would leave one day, as his scent was of the wind. She explained that she had given him her spirit because she didn't want him to leave. By having Shade promise that he would protect her, she had hoped that it would make him stay by her side.
Shade told her that he had a friend, and that his friend was the first person to have ever helped him. At the time, Shade had told him that he didn't have a reason to live, but his friend had then told Shade that he didn't have a reason to die either. That friend had also promised that they would get through the tough times together. Shade explained that before arriving at the village, his friend's face was the last one that Shade had seen. He told her that his friend was likely in pain and blaming himself, thinking that Shade was gone, and so he needed to go back to see the ones who were waiting for him so that he could tell them that he was alive. However, he promised to return to Moonbeam once it was all over. Moonbeam asked Shade if she was a friend who was just as important to him as his friends from Maple World were. Shade promised her that she was, to which Moonbeam explained that the fox Anima called such people ‘companions'. As she and Shade were companions, she told him that he was bound to come back to her. She also told him that she would miss him greatly while he was away and made him promise to come back soon. With that, they carved a mark of companionship on the Fox Tree. As they had made their promise under the Fox Tree, she explained that Shade was sworn to keep his promise in the name of the Fox God. With that, Moonbeam told him that she was hungry and raced back to the village. However, Shade noted that the rain still showed no signs of stopping.
Second Job Advancement
Back in the square, Shade found that the entire village – except for Moonbeam – had come out to see Tumbleweed, an Anima wanderer and Moonbeam's uncle who had returned back to town. Silver explained that Tumbleweed was the owner of the house that Shade was staying. Tumbleweed immediately recognized Shade as a human and asked if he was from Maple World. Shade asked him how he knew about Maple World, to which Tumbleweed explained that though he had never personally been there, he had heard that the Interdimensional Portal in Pantheon allowed for travel between Grandis and Maple World. Tumbleweed was surprised that Shade had never heard of an Interdimensional Portal before, as he believed that Shade must have used one to arrive in Grandis. He was further surprised to learn that Shade had no idea that he was in another dimension, to which Shade explained that he had assumed that he was merely on a different world. Tumbleweed then agreed to guide Shade to Pantheon, with the entire village sharing a portion of their power with Shade in order to protect him until he returned.
In Pantheon, Shade marveled at how the atmosphere was completely different from Vulpes, noting that the Nova appeared to be just like Magnus. As they entered the town, Shade thanked Tumbleweed for guiding him, to which Tumbleweed told him that it was nothing. After a pause, he noted that it had rained all the way out of Fox Point Village before adding that it seemed that Moonbeam seemed to care deeply about him. He explained that Moonbeam had always smiled when she was younger, before he had left the village. He then admitted that the reason why he had left was because he had been trying to run away, as Moonbeam had reminded him of his dead brother. He explained that he had been afraid that he would grow to resent Moonbeam if he had stayed, as she was a reminder of how his brother and sister-in-law had been killed, while Moonbeam had survived in their stead. He then thanked Shade for saving Moonbeam when she was young, and for becoming her friend in the present day.
A Changed World
After Tumbleweed returned back to the village, Shade met with Cartalion, who guided him to the Interdimensional Portal, from which he emerged in Henesys. Though he realized that everyone in town was human, he still felt that something was different. At the center of the town, he found Chief Stan and asked him about Maple World. Stan immediately grew annoyed, as he thought that Shade was playing a joke on him. When he realized that Shade was being serious, he gave an in-depth explanation about Maple World using his Maple Map. After seeing the new geography of Maple World, Shade recognized Ossyria. Stan explained that Athena Pierce had come from Ossyria as well, and told him to speak with her at the Bowman Instructional School. Shade recalled Athena as the little girl who would follow him and the other Heroes around. He remembered that she had been heading to southern Victoria Island by airship and had likely settled down. He also wondered whether she would know anything about Mercedes. Arriving at the Bowman Instructional School, he was surprised to see that Athena was an adult. Athena, in turn, was surprised by his words and took it to mean that Shade was surprised that she hadn't been cursed by the elves. She explained that she had been lucky to avoid the curse, adding that the centuries which had passed since then were enough time for an elf to mature. Shade was utterly confused by her words, as he recalled that the day that they had faced the Black Mage was the same day that young Athena had gotten on the airship to Victoria Island. Athena realized that Shade had been cursed by the Black Mage and explained that it had been centuries since he had been sealed away. She then explained the story of how the Heroes had successfully sealed the Black Mage away, and how they had been cursed to be frozen in ice soon after. Shade was shocked to learn that centuries had passed, as it had only been one year since he had awoken in Vulpes.
Shade then asked what had happened to the other Heroes, to which Athena explained that all the curses had lifted on the five Heroes. As they had gotten weaker from the curse, they were roaming Maple World in order to rebuild their skills. She added that though no one knew why the curse had broken, she suspected that it was due to the Black Mage's resurrection. At Shade's surprise, she revealed that centuries after the Black Mage had been sealed away, the seal had been broken, after which he had attacked Maple Island, with the slumbering Heroes awakening soon after. With the Heroes wandering Maple World in order to regain their power, Athena told Shade that she would inform him once she learned where they were. Shade thanked her and explained that he wanted to see Freud first before wondering what had happened to Afrien. Athena uncomfortably told him that Afrien had taken the curse in Freud's place, which meant that Freud – a human – couldn't have survived for centuries. Athena added that after the other Heroes had been cursed, Freud had roamed the world and told the story of the five Heroes, but she wondered why he had never mentioned Shade. Shade was overwhelmed by the news, unable to believe that he would never see Freud's smile again. He began wondering why Freud had left him out of his stories, and whether it was out of guilt that Shade had taken his place as a sacrifice. Though Shade had wished to find Freud and tell him that it wasn't his fault, he noted to himself that he would need to accept that Freud was gone, no matter how hard it was.
Third Job Advancement
As Shade began training to regain his strength, Athena soon reached out to him and informed him that Mercedes would be visiting Henesys. Shade quickly returned to Henesys, where he found Mercedes good-naturedly teasing Athena for her gullibility in thinking that she had met another one of the Heroes, reminding her that only Aran, Freud, Phantom, and Luminous had accompanied her into the battle against the Black Mage. Just as Athena noted that Shade didn't seem to be lying, she quickly noticed Shade's distraught face as he ran away. Athena sadly watched him leave as she told Mercedes that Shade had seemed genuinely upset while hearing about Freud's fate, to which Mercedes wondered whether he had been a mercenary who had accompanied Freud, though Athena remained unsure. Elsewhere, Shade realized that it now made sense why Freud had omitted him in his stories, and why Athena still couldn't remember him. He noted to himself that Mercedes not being able to remember him seemed to confirm his suspicions that his existence had been erased as a result of him sacrificing his time. In order to confirm his theory, he went to Minar Forest, where he found a time capsule that he and the other Heroes had made. Though they had promised to open it together, Shade hoped that they would understand why he had opened it himself. Inside, he found Phantom's contribution, a scroll from Luminous, a whetstone that Aran had used to sharpen Maha, one of Afrien's scales, and the token of the Ruler of Elves, though he wondered whether Mercedes had meant to put it in there, as he assumed that it was quite important. He then found his own contribution, a photograph of all six of them. He remembered that the others had told him to put his most prized possession inside, and so he had put in a photo of his only friends in the world. However, upon looking at the photo, he was shocked to find that he had been erased from it. He left the forest distraught, finally accepting that he had been erased from Maple World.
Believing that he had no place in Maple World anymore, he decided to return to Vulpes, where he knew that at least the villagers would still remember him. He returned to Fox Point Village, but to his surprise, he noticed that the mark of companionship which he had carved with Moonbeam had disappeared. In the village, he was shocked to find that Moonbeam, Silver, and all the Anima villagers only saw him as an intruder, chasing him out of the village. At the outskirts of town, a devastated Shade noted that none of the Anima remembered him, even though their power was still with him. Suddenly, Shade was teleported into the Fox God's domain, which he recalled from his dream during his time comatose there. The Fox God recognized Shade as a human and demanded to know how he had the power of the fox spirits, noting that he had not only her strength, but the strength of the other Anima as well. Though the Fox God believed that he had stolen that power, Shade quickly explained everything that had happened to him, causing the Fox God to realize that he had been forgotten each time that he had crossed dimensions. Believing that his story added up, the Fox God noted that she now understood where her missing power had gone, realizing that Shade was the one whom she had poured her power into in order to save. In order to ensure that he would not feel the same pain again, the Fox God gave Shade her blessings, explaining that though she couldn't undo the memories which had already been lost, she could ensure that he wouldn't be forgotten again. She then told Shade to make new memories, adding that she wanted him to be happy. With that, she sent Shade back to Vulpes, where he was relieved to know that his curse had been lifted. Though he wondered whether he ought to go back to the Anima and rejoin them, he soon recalled Athena's words about the Black Mage's resurrection and realized that he couldn't ignore the Black Mage's threat to Maple World. Knowing that he would only end up saying goodbye to Moonbeam again, Shade decided that he would only return to see her once the Black Mage had been defeated once and for all.
Alliance Quest
Shade then continued to train in Maple World until he suddenly began to feel unnaturally drowsy. After falling asleep, he had a terrible nightmare of Moonbeam and the other Anima running in fear of him, the five Heroes looking at him with anger in their eyes, and himself disappearing as he sacrificed himself to power the Seal of Time. Suddenly, the Black Mage appeared before him in a dark void and told Shade that the only reason why Shade hadn't disappeared was because, as a Transcendent, the Black Mage was still able to remember him, and that Shade would disappear once he did. He then asked Shade if he would make the same choice again, knowing what it had cost him. Awakening from his nightmare, Shade wondered whether it had really been a dream, or whether it was the Black Mage using his power, which meant that his full resurrection was imminent. Reflecting on the Black Mage's words, Shade recalled how one of the Seal Stones had been cracked when he had first opened his eyes in the Temple of Time, and how he had rematerialized into existence imperfectly once the Black Mage's seal had been broken. He noted that it was only thanks to the Fox God pouring her power into him for many years that his existence had been stabilized, with her blessing serving as a temporary solution to let his existence persist while crossing dimensions. However, he noted that the curse hadn't been erased fully, which meant that there was a chance that he would disappear if the Black Mage did.
He then thought to himself that he had always been prepared to sacrifice himself on that day, and that his only regret had been that his friends would have felt guilty about it, which had made it fortunate that there was no one who would be sad that he was gone. However, he wondered whether he would have made the same choice if he had known that he would not die, but be eternally forgotten, never to be truly part of any dimension. Nevertheless, he decided that what had happened was over, and that even if others had forgotten him, he only had more people to protect. Because of this, Shade committed himself to growing strong enough to stop the Black Mage, for which he decided that he would need allies. He decided to meet with Athena Pierce, who had forgotten about his existence after he had crossed dimensions. Mistaking him for an Explorer, Athena asked him whether he wished to join the Alliance, adding that more and more people were joining now that the Heroes had returned. With Athena's help, Shade traveled to Ereve and met with Cygnus before joining the Alliance. He then promised to himself that he would see Moonbeam someday if the Fox God's blessing still held and protected him from disappearing with the Black Mage.
Fourth Job Advancement
As Shade continued to train and grow stronger, the Fox God called to him and summoned him to her domain, where she worriedly asked him why he hadn't returned to Fox Point Village, and whether the Anima had refused to hear his story. Shade explained that with the Anima unable to remember him, he had taken the opportunity to finish his business on Maple World first by defeating the Black Mage. The Fox God explained that after she had given her power to him, she had fallen into a deep slumber, which showed how strong and precious that power had been. However, she told him that she had done so gladly, as she recognized him as a fox under her protection and cared for his happiness. She then asked Shade whether defeating the Black Mage was how he would be happy, to which Shade explained that he wanted to protect everyone, and that after protecting Maple World, where his old ties were, he would return to Grandis, where his new ties were. The Fox God accepted his wishes, though she noted that he still ought to see Moonbeam, even from afar, as he would miss her for a long time if his business took him many years. She then teleported him to Vulpes, where it was still raining. There, he met with Moonbeam, who, despite keeping her distance, noticed that Shade had sad, longing eyes. Shade, in turn, asked Moonbeam why she was crying, and whether it was because she was afraid, to which Moonbeam replied that she had no idea why she was crying. After a pause, Shade noted that even if old memories faded, new ones could still be made. He then told Moonbeam that he would make a promise before walking away, leaving Moonbeam confused by his words. As he walked off, Shade spoke aloud to himself that after it was all over, he would come back and dry her tears. After returning back to Maple World, Shade's strong determination strengthened his bond with the spirits.
Temple of Time
While exploring the Temple of Time, Shade's memories were drained by Dodo. After being told by the Memory Keeper to return to where his adventure began, Shade thought to himself that the beginning of his adventure was when Tumbleweed had told him about Maple World, and though he noted that Tumbleweed wouldn't remember him, he believed that it was a good excuse to visit Fox Point Village. He then traveled to Vulpes, where he met with Tumbleweed. Though Tumbleweed didn't recognize Shade, he realized that Shade was a human. Tumbleweed explained that he was thinking of going to Maple World next, though everyone in the village wanted him to stay for a while, as he had just returned from his last trip. He told Shade that he loved traveling, as staying in one place got boring. He explained that one should always be moving forward, looking for where the road takes them. As Shade began to head out, Tumbleweed wished him good luck and hoped that he found what he was looking for.
Final Quest
The Fox God brought Shade to Vulpes, claiming that she had a gift for him. Shade immediately noticed that it wasn't raining, though he wasn't sure whether to be relieved or saddened by it. He then met with Moonbeam, who recognized him from his last visit, and eagerly showed him her new guardian spirit, which took on Shade's appearance, causing him to wonder whether it was a gift from the Fox God. Moonbeam explained that her guardian spirit had suddenly taken on a new form before asking him where he came from, and why her spirit looked like him. Shade explained that he came from a place with only one moon, and that he had no idea why her spirit looked like him. Moonbeam replied that according to her grandfather's stories, some guardian spirits took on the appearance of the person one missed the most, and that such spirits were more powerful than any other. She then wondered in bemusement whether she had been missing him all the while, despite having only seen him once. Moonbeam then explained that she didn't have any close friends, and that her parents had died at a young age, even as the fox Anima lived closely with their families all their lives. Because of this, she had never been able to relate to her peers when they had talked about their family ties, which had made her feel estranged from the other foxes. However, she smiled and told Shade that her guardian spirit would now be her close friend at her side, which meant that she wouldn't have to be lonely anymore.
Upon hearing Shade's relief, Moonbeam noted that his scent was of the wind, which meant that he would likely be leaving soon. Though Shade thought to himself that he didn't want to leave Moonbeam, he noted that he still needed to honor his promise to keep Maple World safe. Moonbeam then asked him to at least tell her his name, to which Shade told her that his name had been given to him by someone that he missed dearly, and that he would share it with her on the day that he could be with that person again. As he left, Shade noted to himself that if the legend was true, his guardian spirit would gradually begin to resemble Moonbeam as well. Soon after, the Fox God reached out to him and asked whether he liked the gift. Shade thanked her and explained that Moonbeam's new guardian spirit looking like him had put her at ease, and that it had ensured that she wouldn't be lonely. The Fox God then gave Shade one more gift, transforming his guardian spirit to take on Moonbeam's appearance in response to his longing for her.
Fifth Job Advancement
Upon entering the Erda Flow and meeting with the Goddess of Maple World, the Goddess asks the player what it is that they cherish most in the world. Shade gets to choose between the other Heroes or Moonbeam.
Ellin Forest
When Wiz explains that Ellin Forest had existed centuries ago, Shade gets some exclusive dialogue, in which he recalls that Athena Pierce had intended to head to the southern plains of Victoria Island and wonders why she had settled in Ellin Forest instead.
When Karen initially refuses to allow the player through the Temporal Gate, Shade gets exclusive dialogue, in which he tell Karen that he used to live during that time period, and that he had to leave for reasons beyond his control, because of which, he wants to see how everyone had fared without him.
Upon meeting Yuris, Shade will believe that he's been forgotten in the past as well, as Yuris doesn't recognize him. He introduces himself as a friend of Freud, to which Yuris will reply that she's never seen him before.
When Perzen doesn't recognize Shade as one of the Heroes, he will wonder whether he might have been erased from history, but he notes that Perzen clearly still remembers the existence of the Heroes themselves.
After returning back to Wiz, Shade will explain how he had been perceived differently, to which Wiz speculates that the will of the world might have altered their appearances in order to prevent paradoxes.
Lion King's Castle
After the player defeats Von Leon and returns to J, who notes that Von Leon was inactive after completing his revenge, Shade gets exclusive dialogue that replaces the generic script. Rather than J noting that something about Von Leon's story doesn't make sense, Shade is the one who notes that something doesn't make sense. Shade explains that the coalition hadn't been a formidable force, and that if they had truly had the power to destroy a kingdom, they would have certainly used that power against the Black Mage. He notes that the coalition had struggled just to hold themselves together, and that they hadn't even managed to do that. Shade adds that it would have taken everything they had to launch an attack on Von Leon's kingdom in the first place, and that it makes no sense for them to have wanted to attack him in the first place. J agrees and admits that Von Leon's story only leaves them with more unanswered questions.
At the end of the investigation, J notes his impressment with Shade for knowing ancient history even better than him, adding that he had been researching history since joining the Alliance.
Root Abyss
When the player asks Alicia how she had ended up in Root Abyss in the first place, as it doesn't seem like a safe place for a little girl, Shade gets exclusive dialogue in place of this, in which he instead wonders how Alicia had ended up in Root Abyss in the first place, as it doesn't seem like a place for the Transcendent of Life.
Shade does not get the generic line in which the player realizes who the World Tree is, as he already knows this information.
Silent Crusade
When Bastille suggests that the Commanders were responsible for creating the crack in time in Perion, Shade wonders to himself whether it's time to face such an ill-fated challenge such as the Commanders once again.
When Bastille tells the player that Arkarium was responsible for opening the crack in time, Shade immediately recognizes Arkarium's name and speaks it aloud in shock.
Shade gets an exclusive script when he encounters Afrien in the past. Upon meeting Shade, doesn't recognize him and asks him who he is. Shade is shocked to find Afrien so weak and explains that he's come at Maha's request. Afrien asks him whether Maha and Aran are well, to which Shade reassures him that both of them are fine, and that Maha had taken Aran to be sealed away on Rien. Afrien notes that Shade seems strange, and that while it may be because of his own weakness, he can't sense anything from Shade at all. Shade asks Afrien whether he's okay, to which Afrien explains that he and the other Heroes have been weakened from the Black Mage's curse. He adds that the curse will lift once the Black Mage breaks free, for which he prays that he and the other Heroes will stay lost forever, as they had made a tremendous sacrifice to seal him away. After Shade finds the lost Onyx Dragon egg, he explains that Arkarium has come to kill the Heroes in the past, and that he's followed Arkarium to the past in order to stop him. Afrien then tells him that Freud will hide it in a safe place, to which Shade thinks "Freud..." in his head before Afrien asks him to help Mercedes, whom Shade notes looks exactly as she had on the day when he had last seen her. Afrien extracts a portion of Shade's strength and notes that it's quite astonishing, as the energy inside him is quite unique. Just as he begins to say more, he stops himself and gives Shade the crystal. After Shade heals Mercedes with it, Afrien thanks him and explains that the Heroes will awaken one day. He then asks Shade to investigate a dark presence at the Temple of Time.
Kritias
Upon hearing that Empress Aria had visited Kritias recently, Shade gets exclusive dialogue, in which he thinks to himself that he'd been having doubts ever since hearing the name “Kritias”, but after hearing the whole story, he's now sure that it's the same kingdom that the Black Mage had annihilated hundreds of years ago. He then wonders why the kingdom that had vanished into thin air centuries ago has appeared now all of a sudden.
Fox Valley
When Shade initially receives Maru's letter, he wonders what could have happened to the fox Anima, who don't normally welcome outsiders. Because of this, he decides to follow the letter to see what's going on.
Upon arriving at the village, Shade notes to himself that he's returned once again.
When Maru tells Shade to make fox ears, Shade thinks to himself that making ears sounds like something the foxes would do. Maru then explains that their village doesn't like outsiders, which is why Shade will need fox ears, to which Shade recalls how he had once received fox ears as a gift from the villagers.
Upon meeting the Sky Guardian, Shade gets exclusive dialogue, in which the Sky Guardian recognizes him and notes his surprise that Shade had made it all the way up to the Fox God's domain.
At the end of the storyline, Shade gets an exclusive scene at the end of this storyline, in which he wonders whether he has any reason to stay now that the crisis has been resolved. He notes to himself that he's worried about Moonbeam, and that now that the foxes aren't wary of him because of his association with Maru, he now has a chance to go and see her. While he's heading from the Fox Tree to the village, Maru is recruiting the other Anima children to the Fox Point Rangers. The children ask Maru where the stranger with no ears or tail is, to which he tells them that Shade has already gone back home. If Shade has finished his level 200 quest, Maru notes that Shade looks a lot like Moonbeam's guardian spirit, to which she happily notes that though she had wondered whether she had been mistaken, he really had come back. Maru asks her whether she knows Shade, though Moonbeam just laughs in response. Regardless of whether Shade has completed the level 200 quest or not, however, the dialogue converges here and the kids head out in order to help the adults rebuilt the village. Shade then arrives as soon as Moonbeam and the others leave, after which he goes back to the Fox Tree and notes that though everyone else has forgotten him, it was still nice to see them again. However, he regrets that he hadn't been able to talk to Moonbeam, and with his business concluded, he decides to leave.
Black Heaven
The night before the operation, Shade stood alone atop a cliff gazing at the sky. He lamented that he had no one to hang out before the final battle, even though he had expected as much. Even though the other Heroes didn't remember him, Shade was grateful to be alive fighting alongside his friends. As dawn approached, his thoughts turned to Moonbeam and he wondered how she was doing.
After Athena Pierce and the player fight their way to the main deck, Athena gives a word of encouragement to the player as they charge into battle, which depends on their class. For Shade, Athena tells him to make the enemies remember his name.
Heroes of Maple
- Main article: Heroes of Maple
After Afrien's death, Evan reunited the Heroes to follow Freud's message and find Abraxas. Together, they deduced from Freud's message that one of their comrades had been erased by the sealing spell. Having felt a strange sense of kinship with Shade during Black Heaven, the Heroes met with Shade and reunited with him once again. While Evan, Mercedes, and Luminous sought out Abraxas, Shade traveled to Turtle Island with Aran and Phantom in order to confront Damien. However, Damien and his demon army headed for the ruins of Abraxas just as they arrived. Just then, the Demon arrived and revealed to Shade and the others about his relationship Damien and his intention to stop his brother. The Heroes then rushed to the ruins of Abraxas in order to reinforce the others, claiming the airship and fleeing before learning about the Abyss Crystal from a message left behind by Freud, who revealed that it was a dark substance created from the Black Mage's awakening as the dark Transcendent of Light, capable of stealing the power of higher beings. Having used the crystal to take the power of time from Rhinne, the Black Mage had sealed it away in a subspace between Maple World and a parallel world within their dimension called Friends World. With the barrier between worlds having been broken by Elwin, the Heroes traveled to Friends World in order to claim the Abyss Crystal first. Despite the Heroes' best efforts, however, Damien and his demon army claimed the crystal first, Damien then absorbed the crystal into his Sword of Destruction and used it to take Alicia's power for himself. Together, Aran and the other Heroes defeated Damien with the help of the Demon, putting an end to his ambitions. In order to restore back the world's vitality stolen by Damien, the Heroes shattered the Abyss Crystal, scattering Alicia's life force in order to save Maple World.
Vanishing Journey
After the player defeats Arma, Kao will speak to the player while being carried through the cave. For Shade, Kao asks to let his sacrifice be enough. He then wonders if it would be arrogant of him to hope that his sacrifice will save the world. Shade then asks Kao where he kept Moonbeam's guardian spirit, to which Kao explains that when he had regained his memories, he couldn't sense the spirit's energy anymore. He recalls how, despite being a stranger, Moonbeam had trusted him without hesitation and had given him her power that he had to eventually return. He notes that Moonbeam's spirit and her world don't exist anymore, despite how much he had wanted to protect them. He then asks Shade if Moonbeam is doing alright, after which he apologizes, as he had forgotten about the curse for a moment. He adds that he's sure that she's doing fine before telling Shade that he needs to protect the world, adding that they both will remember the charge that had been entrusted to them, even if the memories fade away.
Yum Yum Island
Upon encountering the Afrien fusion, Shade will recognize that the creature is made from Afrien's Erdas. While fighting it, he notes to himself that despite the fusion's power, it's still nowhere near Afrien's strength.
Lachelein
When the Adversary is first brought to Lucid by the Dreamkeepers, Lucid will snap her fingers in order to transform them into a butterfly, though she will be shocked after nothing happens. Shade has a slightly modified version of this scene. Since Lucid recognizes Shade, she already knows that he isn't part of her dream, and so she snaps her fingers already knowing that nothing will happen. Lucid will then mock Shade about how he can't remember the only person in the world who can still remember him.
When the Adversary confronts Lucid atop the clocktower, Shade gets exclusive dialogue, in which he asks Lucid why he can't remember her. Lucid replies that she had merely been playing around and adds that it wouldn't be fun if he knew everything. Following this, the scene returns to the generic dialogue, in which Shade will tell Lucid that no one in Lachelein is happy.
Esfera (Post-Remaster)
Note: The Esfera storyline was remastered under the KMS story team's new continuity in the NEXT Update.
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Esfera (Pre-Remaster)
Upon seeing the memory of Will capturing Tana, Shade gets some exclusive dialogue, in which he notes that the closer they get to the Black Mage, the more Commanders they find that hadn't been there centuries ago. He wonders how long the Black Mage has been laying the groundwork for all this and notes that they need Freud now more than ever.
After Will tells the player about the Black Mage's words that "the ultimate light can only be found in the ultimate darkness", Shade wonders whether Luminous might know anything about it.
Upon learning that the power of creation is mastery over Erda, Shade wonders whether the light that Tana uses is different from that which Luminous uses.
Labyrinth of Suffering (Post-Remaster)
Note: The Labyrinth of Suffering storyline was remastered under the KMS story team's new continuity in the NEXT Update.
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Labyrinth of Suffering (Pre-Remaster)
After Cygnus tells Neinheart that she will lead the fleet into Tenebris in the Adversary's place, Shade gets exclusive dialogue, in which he senses the Empress' resolve and notes that though it's been a long journey, he'll finally meet the Black Mage soon. He then thinks to himself that he still remembers the decision that he made on that day. He recalls the determination that he had when he left everything behind and risked his life to stop the Black Mage, vowing that he'll remember that determination when he faces the Black Mage again.
As darkness begins to fall around the fleet as they approach Tenebris, Shade will wish that Luminous was there with them. He then realizes that if Luminous had cast a light, then it would be visible ahead, making him realize that something might have happened on Luminous' end.
When the player first meets with Azalin - Hilla disguised as a Night Walker - she notes that it's strange that despite him not having any large, stand-out achievements, he had just happened to have one day fallen in with the legendary Heroes. She adds that while she doesn't know whether he's just well-connected, there has to be some reason why the Heroes let him hang out with them. She then asks if she's touched a nerve before saying that she had merely been thinking out loud.
After the Adversary collapses into despair as a result of Hilla's machinations, they pass out in a void of darkness within their own mind. As their morale and strength threaten to diminish completely, the mysterious divine light speaks to them in the form of someone close to them and provides them motivation to continue. For Shade, the voice of Freud asks him why he risks his life to save others. He tells Freud that it's because everyone is that precious to them, to which Freud asks him why he cares so much for Maple World, and what his purpose is. Shade replies that Maple World is the home where his loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Freud asks him if he can remember what he needs to do now, to which Shade begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that he couldn't protect anyone. He adds that there's nothing that he can do, and that he's completely helpless, as even before, he had barely managed to seal the Black Mage, who had still come back in the end. He then asks what else he can do now, to which Freud tells him to open his eyes and see for himself, explaining that even if Hilla covers his eyes, she can never cover the truth. Freud asks him to open his eyes, get up, and do what he has to do. He tells Shade that he remembers him, and to never let them change his mind. He then tells Shade to keep moving forward, just as he had done before. He reminds Shade that all roads exist inside his heart, and to never forget that. He then adds that the memories of them all will live on forever, and that he'll always be with Shade. As the voice fades away, Shade recognizes the voice as belonging to Freud.
Limina (Post-Remaster)
Note: The Limina storyline was remastered under the KMS story team's new continuity in the NEXT Update.
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Limina (Pre-Remaster)
When the Adversary faces the Black Mage, he tells them that their path has always been preordained. Shade thinks to himself that he doesn't know what will happen if the Black Mage disappears, as he himself might disappear too. However, he reminds himself that it isn't about him before vowing that he'll transcend the destiny that the Black Mage has created to put an end to their long history.
After killing the Black Mage, the Adversary dies and scatters into Erda. As this happens, Shade gets exclusive dialogue, in which he thinks to himself that this is really the end for him, and as he disappears, he breaths a sign of relief that he'll finally be with Freud again.
When the White Mage asks the Adversary why they refused to take Tana's life, the Adversary replies that it was because Tana had cried out for help, and that she hadn't wanted to disappear. Shade gets additional dialogue, in which he explains that he had thought that he had been prepared for his fate too, but he had realized that even in spite of that, he still hadn't wanted to disappear, just like how Tana hadn't either, and so he couldn't do that to her.
After the Adversary's conversation with the White Mage, they will return back to the real world. As they do, the White Mage will give them a unique title based on their class; the title he gives to Shade is "Forgotten Hero". As he begins fading away from the Erda Flow, Shade fears that he's fading out of existence, as the Black Mage - whom he believes to be the only anchor to his existence - has been killed. However, the White Mage will warmly tell Shade to be at peace, as 'she' will remember him.
After the final battle, the Adversary will return back to the Outpost and speak with Neinheart and the other leaders of the Alliance. For Shade, Neinheart tells him that all of Maple World owes him a debt that can never be repaid. Cygnus adds that they'll never forget his part in the battle, or his sacrifice. Neinheart agrees and calls Shade a hero for the ages. Shade is lost for words and chuckles awkwardly before thanking everyone. Cygnus then asks Shade what's next for him, which causes Shade to think that he hadn't even thought about that. He then wonders to himself what heroes do once their villains are gone before supposing that he should be happy that he's still alive to wonder that. He then thinks to himself that there must be more before telling Cygnus that he's planning to go on a quest to find himself. Cygnus then wishes him a safe and fulfilling journey.
Aftermath
After a large celebration party, Evan unexpectedly decided to visit Freud's birthplace, where he found that the other Heroes were also there. Evan was surprised, as they had told him that they had ‘other stuff' to do and had sent him off like a child. Aran laughed and explained that she had changed her mind, but that it had been worth the trip to see the baffled look on his face. Mercedes told Aran not to make fun of Evan, reminding her that he had helped them save the world. Luminous noted that it appeared as though they all had the same ‘stuff' to do. Just then, Phantom appeared in a flash and saw that they had beaten him, though he declared that the star of the show always appeared last. Mercedes snapped that he was meant to be at another extravagant party, but Evan broke up the fight and told them that with Phantom, all the Heroes were there. As Phantom began smiling, Mercedes asked him what he was smiling about, to which he noted the irony of the grand Heroes who had defeated the Black Mage celebrating in an abandoned shack to mope about their long-lost companion. Mercedes then suggested watching the moon and stars, which were visible from the broken roof. They wondered whether Freud had ever watched the sky as they had, but Phantom pointed out that there likely hadn't been a hole in the roof while Freud had still lived there. Aran mentioned that she recalled how Freud had many holes in his roof, and that he had been too lazy to fix them. Shade countered that Freud wasn't so much lazy as he was content with the feeling of a rundown cottage. The Heroes then looked back fondly on Freud and his eccentric ways. Soon after, they all prepared to leave when Evan asked when they would see each other again. The Heroes reassured him that they were like family, and that they would see each other again at the next crisis, as they were Maple World's greatest heroes.
After everyone left Freud's house, Shade was left alone. He realized that the others likely had loved ones to see and considered finding some celebration to go to himself, though he decided against the idea, as Freud's house was where he felt most at home. He recalled how he had believed that he would fade away after the Black Mage was defeated and how, for a long time, he hadn't minded the idea, since no one would ever remember him. However, he found that he was glad that he hadn't disappeared before speaking aloud to Freud and telling him that he'll now go to the person who's waiting for him. Shade then went to Vulpes, where he found Moonbeam praying at the Fox Tree. Though he was wary of whether Moonbeam had forgotten him, he was pleased to see that she remembered him from his last visit, adding that it was the first time the Fox God had granted her wish, despite praying for a long time. When Shade asked her what she had wished for, Moonbeam explained that when she had been young, she had wished for her parents to be brought back to life, and that when she had grown up, she had wished for her best friend to come back. However, she added that from the moment they had met, she had wished for him to come see her.
Shade replied that the Fox God had now granted two of her wishes, to which Moonbeam asked him whether he could now be with the one that he missed the most, and whether he would tell her his name like he had promised before. Shade replied that though he couldn't stay with that person, as he had more work to do, he would nevertheless tell her a different name. Moonbeam excitedly introduced herself first, with Shade introducing himself by a different name. Though Moonbeam realized that Shade would soon leave, he nevertheless promised to come see her again and carved a mark of their promise upon the Fox Tree. As he began to leave, the Fox God appeared before him and asked why he was leaving, as he had told her that he would come live with the Anima once the Black Mage was defeated. However, Shade replied that he still had many more people to protect, as the ones who had shared their fate with him to protect Maple World were his family, just as the Anima were. The Fox God began asking him about Moonbeam, noting that she would still miss him, causing her voice to squeak as her fervor accidentally caused her to speak in her voice as Sino. Quickly making her voice deeper in embarrassment, the Fox God noted that Moonbeam was also someone that he wanted to protect, to which Shade noted that the guardian spirit which the Fox God had bestowed upon her would keep her safe as he kept moving ahead. The Fox God asked him whether he meant to say that the fight was not yet over, which Shade confirmed, adding that now that Maple World was safe, it was time to protect Grandis.[2] After a pause, the Fox God told him that she would honor his will. She explained that it was her destiny to protect the foxes, which meant that their paths would have to diverge, though she invited him to seek her out whenever he needed her help.
Convergence
While searching for Grendel the Really Old, the Adversary, Elwin, and Lily traveled to Morass, where they encountered the White Mage. Shade asks the White Mage if he knows how to remove the curse on him. The White Mage replies that he doesn't know how, but he tells Shade not to worry, as he'll shortly see that the curse will soon mean nothing.
Cernium
Upon reading about how the Overseers had originally created the Seal Stones as the Godspheres, Shade gets some exclusive dialogue, in which he realizes that Freud hadn't created the Seal Stones out of nothing. He then wonders whether Freud had drawn out the divine power that had permeated into the land after the end of the war.
Shangri-La
While speaking with Sino in the pavilion, if the player has not completed Fox Valley, they can select the default dialogue prompt to speak with Sino, allowing them to overhear Sino talking to Chouxian the ox elder about what happened in Fox Valley. For Shade, Sino assures him that Moonbeam and the others are safe.
If the player has completed Fox Valley, Shade gets exclusive dialogue in place of the generic script, in which Sino greets him by name at the beginning of the dialogue and laughs embarrassedly upon realizing that it's Shade's first time seeing her in her Anima form as Sino.
While speaking with Sino in the pavilion, Shade can trigger an exclusive dialogue by selecting a second prompt that only appears to him. Sino tells Shade that there are some people who always protect each other, even if they can't meet. They miss each other, even without knowing that they do, and even if the memories fade, their hearts still persist. She explains that even if they can't get back those lost memories, they can still build new memories again, adding that she thinks that he understands what she means.
Arteria
Before the Adversary leaves to rescue Cygnus, Shinsoo calls to the Adversary and addresses them with a unique title based on their class; the title she gives to Shade is "Hero of Maple World".
Black Sea
When Edea gives her report on the Ancient Gods, she explains that the Ancient Gods had been born from the creation of the universe itself, and that their numbers were said to be in the hundreds. Shade gets exclusive dialogue, in which he recalls how, according to the ruins of Abraxas, it was said that the Ancient Gods had originated from 365 creations.
When Malefic Star claims to be a sea spirit, Grendel notes that she's quite different from the spirits that he's familiar with. Shade gets exclusive dialogue here, in which he agrees with Grendel and notes that there's no way that a spirit could have such an evil aura.
Geardrak
When Ailene notes that there aren't many Ancient Gods left, Shade gets exclusive dialogue, in which he notes that according to the records in Abraxas, the Ancient Gods were the embodiments of the 365 laws dwelling within 365 creations. He then realizes that the fact that there aren't many Ancient Gods left in the world means that Darmoor must have already secured most of their power.
Story (Pre-Remaster)
The Six Heroes
Before being given the name Shade in the present day, this pirate hero grew up alone and detached from the world. He developed a fighting style that was extremely uncommon; centuries in the future, it would be considered that of a pirate. When he first met Freud, he explained that he had nothing to live for, to which Freud told him that he had nothing to die for either. This motivated the pirate to keep living, and so he dedicated his life to the one who had saved him. Freud even gave the hero a name, which he cherished deeply, though that name was lost to time. He was one of the many people who gathered at the Dragon Master's Tower, which was lit by Ryude and his band of soldiers in order to warn Maple World that the end of the world was approaching. He joined Freud and four others to become the Heroes of Maple who fought against the tyranny of the Black Mage. He had no family, no clan, and no attachments but to the comrades who stood alongside him. During the last days of the war, the pirate hero and the others received a letter from the Demon, who planned to betray the Black Mage. The Heroes took the chance opportunity and stormed the Temple of Time. While Freud, Afrien, and Mercedes stormed the Black Mage's throne room, Phantom, Luminous, and the pirate hero took out the aerial forces with the Lumiere, after which they landed near the Black Mage's throne room. With Aran and Phantom covering them, Luminous and the pirate hero entered the Temple of Time. As they approached the throne room, they were stopped by Guwaru. Just as they were about to fight, Magnus appeared from behind and stabbed Guwaru, absorbing the spirit magic inside of him in order to permanently lengthen his lifespan, which had been cut short by Kaiser's attack. Declaring that he was done with Maple World, Magnus left and used the newly created Interdimensional Portal in order to return to Grandis.
Luminous and the pirate hero entered the throne room, where they saw Afrien and Mercedes unconscious, and Freud heavily injured. Freud told them that the Black Mage's power far exceeded their own, and that they could not hope to defeat him. Instead, he hoped to use the remaining Seal Stones in order to seal the Black Mage away by having them absorb the stolen Transcendent powers, thus creating a powerful Seal of Time, though he added that it was merely a theory, as the Seal Stones had never been used in such a way before. He used a spell to freeze time, allowing Luminous to place the seals around the Black Mage. However, Freud then informed them that there was one more component needed to activate the seal: the time of one living person. After a heated argument, the pirate hero chose to become the sacrifice. His time was absorbed into the Seal Stones, causing all traces of him to vanish from memories, photographs, and any other object that proved that he once existed. Freud then told Luminous that in order to create the seal, they needed to force the Black Mage into drawing out his full power so that he would have no choice but to resort to using the Transcendent of Time's power. After placing the spell on the Seal Stones, Freud undid the time freeze, and Luminous engaged in a fierce duel with the Black Mage. Luminous used the full extent of his light magic to counter the Black Mage's dark magic, forcing the Black Mage to use the power of time. Immediately, the Seal Stones absorbed the stolen power and activated the Seal of Time.
Main Story
Awakening on Vulpes
After being erased from Maple World, the forgotten hero fell into a state of non-existence. Centuries later, the instant that the Black Mage's seal was broken, he materialized on the moon of Vulpes in Grandis. He awoke to the sight of Pointy-Ear Fox Anima children poking and prodding at him. The bravest, Moonbeam, asked him how he had arrived in their territory. He explained that he was a human who had come from the Temple of Time, but Moonbeam replied that she had never heard of either of those terms. The hero then noticed that there were two moons in the sky and realized that he was somewhere completely different from Maple World. He also realized that nearly all of his strength had been drained. The children concluded that the hero's ignorance meant that he was stupid, and so Moonbeam decided to take responsibility for him. Back at Fox Point Village, Moonbeam explained that the elders were opposed to her bringing a stranger into the village, and so she asked him to speak with her grandfather, Silver, who was their chief. Silver realized that without ears or a tail, the hero was likely unable to take care of himself. He took pity on the hero and decided to take him in, allowing him to stay in an abandoned house in the village. He then asked the hero what his name was. The hero tried remembering the name that Freud had given him, but Silver assumed that he was struggling to name himself and decided to come up with a good name for him. Silver suggested the names ‘Mystery', ‘Oddity', and ‘Muddle', but Moonbeam rejected all of them and decided that she would name him, since she was the one who had discovered him. Because he was dark and mysterious, she gave him the name Shade, which she explained was the perfect complement to Moonbeam.[3]
After receiving his new name, Shade decided to visit his new house. Despite his new life, he wondered what had happened to his friends. Given that he was still alive, he wondered whether it meant that the seal on the Black Mage had failed. However, he refused to believe that the other Heroes would have given up so easily, and so he assumed that they were hiding out somewhere, waiting to get back together. He decided that he needed to focus on getting his strength back first so that he could join them. After inspecting his new house, he returned to Silver, who told him that it was time to meet the neighbors. He explained that it was their tradition to give rice cakes to new neighbors, and so he gave Shade some old rice cakes to distribute to the other Anima. The Anima in the village were pleased to receive the rice cakes, but gave several back-handed compliments about Shade's lack of ears and a tail. They also gave Shade new clothes in order to make him look more presentable. After greeting his neighbors, Shade returned to Silver, who explained that the last step was for him to pray to the Fox God. Shade was escorted to the Fox Tree by Moonbeam, who prayed for the Fox God to watch over Shade, whom she called weak and vulnerable. At Moonbeam's insistence, Shade also prayed to the Fox God. Suddenly, a light engulfed Shade and filled him with strength. Moonbeam explained that it was the Fox God's blessing, which would allow him to use the power of the spirits. Moonbeam then taught him the basics of how to use his new power and explained that it would be useful to him for hunting and taking care of himself.
An Honorary Fox
After returning back to the village, Moonbeam decided to teach him how to hunt. She joked that failure meant starvation, but she promised that she would still feed him, even if he failed. First, Shade hunted for Dried Caterpillars and Spotted Wings. Because he was opposed to eating such foods, Moonbeam had him hunt for Sparrow Eggs. After he returned, Moonbeam told him that the adults had prepared a gift for him, as the village had a tradition of giving gifts to baby foxes after their first successful hunt. Shade went back to his house and found their gift of raw liver. He tried to eat it, telling himself that people ate raw fish, but found that he couldn't stomach it. Nevertheless, he decided to thank the Anima by lying that he had eaten it. However, he noted that the villagers seemed cold when he thanked them. Silver explained that he was meant to have given a gift in return to the villagers. Since he believed that Shade had already eaten the liver, and since Shade was too weak to get large gifts, Silver suggested for him to bring Mouse Tails. Shade brought the tails to Silver, who promised Shade that he would distribute them to the villagers on his behalf so that he could clear up why Shade hadn't initially gotten them any gifts. Suddenly, Moonbeam approached him and demanded to know why he was covered in cuts, asking if anyone was bullying him. Shade explained that he had been hunting for Mouse Tails, which upset Moonbeam, who told him that she could have done it for him so that he wouldn't have gotten hurt. She then told Shade that she hated him and ran off towards the Fox Tree. Confused by what he had done wrong, Shade decided to go after her.
At the Fox Tree, Shade apologized to Moonbeam for getting hurt and worrying her. Moonbeam told Shade that she was the one who had hunted the liver herself, and so Shade had no reason to hurt himself while trying to get gifts for the other villagers, who hadn't done any of the work. Realizing that he was still too weak, even with a spirit, Moonbeam decided to give him her own spirit. Against Shade's protests, she transferred her guardian spirit to him, explaining that she had promised to protect him. She reassured him that she was strong, even without her spirit, and that Shade could protect her if she ran into trouble. However, she made him promise to keep it a secret from the other Anima. Back at the village, Silver told Shade that he had heard that Moonbeam had given him something special and explained that she would get extremely attached to certain people, likely because she had lost her parents at a young age. He asked Shade to take care of Moonbeam just as much as she cared for him. He then added that it was time for Shade to undertake his coming-of-age ceremony, which would allow him to be acknowledged as a true fox. He told Shade to speak with the villagers in the town and obtain five marks of certification from them. First, Timber asked him to defeat Red Poison Frogs and Green Poison Frogs. Next, Compass gave him a quiz about the Pointy-Ear Foxes. After passing the quiz, he took Patience's test to defeat the Delinquent Chicks and Brook's test to defeat Punk Chicks. Finally, he approached Moonbeam, who gave him her certification without having him do anything. With five marks of certification, Silver proclaimed Shade to be a true fox and one of their kin. He told Shade that the villagers had prepared another gift for him and asked him to go home and see, promising that the rule of gifting back to the villagers didn't stand for his own coming-of-age ceremony. Back at his home, Shade found that the Anima had prepared fox ears and a tail for him. Shade hated this gift as well, as he didn't want to lose his identity while in the unfamiliar world.
Saving Moonbeam
Months later, a girl named Sniffs came to Shade's house and explained that something bad had happened. She told him that it was raining, but when Shade didn't understand the significance of her words, she told him to speak with Silver. At the village square, Silver explained that rain meant that a fox Anima was crying somewhere. He added that it took more than a few tears to bring such a downpour and added that he was especially worried because Moonbeam was missing. As no one in the village was crying, he suspected that the rain was indeed because of Moonbeam. However, he explained that she had never cried once since losing her parents, and so he suspected that something very bad had happened to her. Shade decided to go after her and went to the Fox Tree, where she had last been seen. There, he found Moonbeam's pet, Soufflé, all alone and realized that without her spirit, Moonbeam was in danger. He went into the forest to find her, where he fought his way through tigers and discovered Moonbeam being held captive by the Tiger Chief, who wanted to marry her. After he defeated the Tiger Chief and took Moonbeam back to the village, Silver thanked him profusely. He explained that even though he had acknowledged Shade as a fox, he had still thought of him as an outsider. However, Shade's heroic actions had made Silver consider him a member of his own family. Because of his bravery, he and the other villagers had prepared yet another gift for him. Shade reluctantly returned home, but he was pleasantly surprised to find a hand-crafted medal. He then experienced a surge of emotion and wondered whether it was what it felt like to have a family. Thinking back to his fight with the Black Mage, Shade realized that it felt like a dream from long ago and wondered whether he even wanted to return to Maple World if he were to find a way.
A Way Back Home
Several months later, Shade found that the village was much more restless than usual and wondered if something had happened. He asked Moonbeam about it and noted that she seemed much more standoffish than usual. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Moonbeam started crying and apologized to him before running off. Shade asked the villagers what had happened, but they told him that it would be better for him to hear it directly from Moonbeam herself. Finally, he asked Silver, who explained that Tumbleweed had returned back to town. After learning that Moonbeam was crying, Silver realized what the problem was. He explained that Tumbleweed was the owner of the house that Shade was staying at and suggested that he ask Tumbleweed to get the full details. He reassured Shade that Tumbleweed had likely just come to pick up a few things, and that Shade wouldn't need to vacate the house. Shade then went to speak to Tumbleweed, who recognized him as a human and asked if he was from Maple World. Shade asked him how he knew about Maple World, to which Tumbleweed explained that though he had never personally been there, he had heard that the Interdimensional Portal in Pantheon allowed for travel between Grandis and Maple World. Shade realized that Moonbeam likely knew about the portal, and that she had been trying to hide it from him. Though he loved his new life in Vulpes, Shade desperately wanted to see what had happened to Maple World after his fight with the Black Mage, and so he decided that he would return back to Fox Point Village once he had seen Maple World with his own eyes. Realizing that Moonbeam was still worried for him, even after having given him her spirit, he decided to try to put her at ease by bringing her a gift of Hyena Fangs. He brought the fangs to Moonbeam at the Fox Tree, where Moonbeam asked if he had heard everything. She explained that she had always known that he would leave one day, as his scent was of the wind. She explained that she had given him her spirit because she didn't want him to leave. By having Shade promise that he would protect her, she had hoped that it would make him stay by her side.
Shade told her that he had a friend, and that his friend was the first person to have ever helped him. At the time, Shade had told him that he didn't have a reason to live, but his friend had then told Shade that he didn't have a reason to die either. That friend had also promised that they would get through the tough times together. Shade explained that before arriving at the village, his friend's face was the last one that Shade had seen. He told her that his friend was likely in pain and blaming himself, thinking that Shade was gone, and so he needed to go back to see the ones who were waiting for him so that he could tell them that he was alive. However, he promised to return to Moonbeam once it was all over. Moonbeam asked Shade if she was a friend who was just as important to him as his friends from Maple World were. Shade promised her that she was, to which Moonbeam explained that the fox Anima called such people ‘companions'. As she and Shade were companions, she told him that he was bound to come back to her. She also told him that she would miss him greatly while he was away and made him promise to come back soon. With that, they carved a mark of companionship on the Fox Tree. As they had made their promise under the Fox Tree, she explained that Shade was sworn to keep his promise in the name of the Fox God. With that, Moonbeam told him that she was hungry and raced back to the village. However, Shade noted that the rain still showed no signs of stopping. Back in the square, the entire village came to send Shade off, except for Moonbeam. Silver told him that Moonbeam wouldn't come out of her room, since she didn't want to watch him leave. Given the heavy rainfall, he suspected that she wouldn't stop crying anytime soon either. Tumbleweed then gave him a scroll that would take him to Pantheon, instructing him to tell Cartalion that he had come on Tumbleweed's behalf, which would be enough for Cartalion to take care of him. Arriving at Pantheon, Shade noted that it was much different from Vulpes. The Nova, as descendants of dragons, also reminded him of Afrien. After finding Cartalion, he explained that he had come on behalf of Tumbleweed. Cartalion immediately grew belligerent and explained that Tumbleweed had conned him into drinking to the point of blackout, after which Cartalion had woken up alone with a huge tab that Tumbleweed had incurred in Cartalion's name. Nevertheless, he apologized for being rude and asked how he could help. After learning that Shade wanted to travel to Maple World, Cartalion directed him to the Great Temple, where Shade entered the Interdimensional Portal and emerged in Henesys.
A Changed World
Though Shade realized that everyone in town was human, he still felt that something was different. At the center of the town, he found Chief Stan and asked him about Maple World. Stan immediately grew annoyed, as he thought that Shade was playing a joke on him. When he realized that Shade was being serious, he gave an in-depth explanation about Maple World and asked him to bring his Maple Map. After a long search for the map, Shade obtained it from Bruce in the Golem Temple and brought it to Stan. After seeing the new geography of Maple World, Shade recognized Ossyria. Stan explained that Athena Pierce had come from Ossyria as well, and told him to speak with her at the Bowman Instructional School. Shade recalled Athena as the little girl who would follow him and the other Heroes around. He remembered that she had been heading to Victoria Island by airship and had likely settled down. He also wondered whether she would know anything about Mercedes. Arriving at the Bowman Instructional School, he was surprised to see that Athena was an adult. Athena, in turn, was surprised by his words and took it to mean that Shade was surprised that she hadn't been cursed by the elves. She explained that she had been lucky to avoid the curse, adding that the centuries which had passed since then were enough time for an elf to mature. Shade was utterly confused by her words, as he recalled that the day that they had faced the Black Mage was the same day that young Athena had gotten on the airship to Victoria Island. Athena realized that Shade had been cursed by the Black Mage and explained that it had been centuries since he had been sealed away. She then explained the story of how the Heroes had successfully sealed the Black Mage away, and how they had been cursed to be frozen in ice soon after. Shade was shocked to learn that centuries had passed, as it had only been one year since he had awoken in Vulpes. Shade then asked what had happened to the other Heroes, to which Athena explained that all the curses had lifted on the five Heroes. As they had gotten weaker from the curse, they were roaming Maple World in order to rebuild their skills. Shade was thankful to know that his comrades were alive, as he told himself that he would have lost his mind if he were the only one alive. He asked Athena if Freud was still studying dragons in Leafre, as he wanted to meet his best friend immediately. Athena tried to find a way to tell Shade about Freud, but as she couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth, she instead told him that it would be too dangerous for him to go to Leafre at his current strength and advised him to train in Victoria Island for the time being, promising to let him know if she heard from any of the other Heroes.
Meeting Evan
Some time later, Athena reached out to Shade and told him that she had kept the truth about Freud from him. She explained that she originally hadn't wanted to tell him the truth after he had already been so overwhelmed with the knowledge of centuries having passed, but as he had adjusted and gotten settled into his new life, Athena felt that it was the right time to reveal that Freud was dead. The news shocked Shade, who was under the assumption that the Heroes had been frozen in ice. Athena told him that Afrien had taken the curse in Freud's place, meaning that he hadn't been frozen. As hundreds of years had passed since then, she explained that it was unlikely that Freud could have survived for so long. Athena added that after the other Heroes had been cursed, Freud had roamed the world and told the story of the five Heroes, but she wondered why he had never mentioned Shade. Shade was overwhelmed by the news, unable to believe that he would never see Freud's smile again. Athena told him that Afrien had awoken from his curse and offered to send Shade to see him. Shade was teleported to Turtle Island, where he encountered Evan and Mir. When Evan asked why he had come to the island, Shade explained that Athena had sent him to see Afrien, which relieved Evan, as he was worried that Shade was a treasure hunter. Evan told him that Afrien was unwell, and that he had fallen into a deep sleep. He then introduced himself as the new Dragon Master and Mir as Afrien's child.
Shade noted that Evan resembled Freud, as they had the same kind eyes that became crescent shaped upon smiling. Evan was pleased to hear Shade's words, as becoming a great Dragon Master like Freud was his dream. Shade encouraged Evan by saying that he believed in him. He then told Evan that he would come back later to meet Afrien, as he didn't want to meet an Onyx Dragon while they were feeling down. In his mind, he realized that Afrien was likely depressed because Freud was no longer a part of the world. Evan apologized that Shade had come so far for nothing and offered to send him back to the Six Path Crossway. After returning back, Shade refused to accept Freud's death until he got some closure, such as seeing Freud's grave or meeting someone who had witnessed Freud's death. He still believed that Freud was alive, at least to him, and supposed that if Freud was out there, he would be by the ocean, recalling how much Freud had loved watching the tides. Shade decided to write Freud a letter and send it out in a bottle. After writing his letter, he went to the edge of Gold Beach. He then voiced out all his pent-up feelings about why Freud had left him out of his stories, wondering whether it was because of the gruesomeness, or whether it was because of Freud's guilt for letting him sacrifice himself. By venting out his frustrations, Shade was able to let his feelings go and came to realize that being left out of the story was probably for the best, as he realized that people calling him a hero would be too much for him to handle in its own way. With that, he threw the message in a bottle into the sea.
Encounter with Lucid
Soon after, Athena reached out to Shade and asked if he had met Afrien. Shade explained what had happened on Turtle Island, to which Athena explained that Afrien had been getting worse ever since the curse had been broken. She then told him that it would be best for him to go to Elluel if he wanted to meet Mercedes, as she stopped by every now and then in-between traveling. She sent Shade to Elluel, having told Philius about him already. In the town, Shade met Philius, who welcomed him to their city. He explained that the curse of the Black Mage had already been lifted, and that Mercedes was in the Royal Chambers. There, Mercedes greeted him as an old friend and asked him how he was. Shade told Mercedes that they hadn't been able to say their goodbyes on the day when they had faced the Black Mage and asked what had happened after the battle. Mercedes began to stumble over her words and abruptly changed topic, asking him to check out Elluel. Shade told her that Elluel was a beautiful place and asked if the others ever came. Mercedes replied that everyone had already been to Elluel, and that Shade was the last one left. Shade told her that Freud had always wanted to see Elluel, to which Mercedes explained that Freud had stopped by recently. She then asked him how long he had been asleep, as everyone else had awoken a while ago. Shade was surprised to know that Freud had been to Elluel, to which Mercedes explained that Freud had asked about him, as he had wondered what had been keeping him. Shade began growing suspicious, realizing that there was no way that Freud could have been there. He then decided to test Mercedes by asking if she remembered the special sandwich that she and Aran had made.
Mercedes immediately replied that she recalled how much Shade had liked it. Shade then told her that he had misremembered, and that they had actually made spaghetti that was so sweet that he hadn't been able to eat it. Mercedes awkwardly laughed and told him that it had all happened a long time ago while calling him ‘Shade'. Shade then called her out, explaining that Mercedes shouldn't know his new name, and that Freud was missing. Mercedes grew irritated by Shade's perceptiveness and revealed herself as Lucid. Lucid told Shade that it would have been better if he had stayed in her dream and moved on, thinking that he had met Mercedes. Shade recognized her ears as elven and asked why she was imprisoning the elves in her illusion. Lucid told him that it wasn't his business and explained that she had been having fun in Elluel, though Shade's interference had put a stop to it. She then promised that she would pay him back with an unimaginable nightmare before disappearing. Shade realized that if his meeting with Mercedes had been a dream, then the other elves must still be asleep. He rushed outside and found Philius in a disturbed sleep. He tried shaking the elder awake, but as Philius was an enchanted sleep, Shade decided to get water from the Fairy Fountain, as Mercedes had once told him that it could wash away all bad things. He returned with the magic water and sprinkled it on the elders and Moonie, causing them to wake from their dreams. Philius thanked him for his actions, but he explained that Mercedes was away, though he promised to let him know when she returned.
Meeting Aran
Soon after, Athena reached out to Shade again and thanked him for his actions in Elluel. She told him that Aran had returned to Rien and began to explain the warrior's condition, but she then decided against it, as she felt that it was best for him to hear it from Aran herself. At the Rien port, Lilin greeted Shade and told him that Athena had let her know that he was coming. She told him that Aran was at Riena Strait, and so Shade took a boat and sailed past the debris in the water before docking on the island. He then encountered three penguins who refused to allow him entry. After surviving a dangerous snowball fight, Shade tried to explain that he had come to see Aran. However, the penguins assumed that he was trying to kidnap Aran and decided to test him to see if he was worthy of seeing her. They told him to guess which igloo they were hiding in, and as they continued popping between igloos, Shade grew frustrated until Aran finally arrived to stop the penguins. Shade then asked if she remembered him, but Aran explained that she had lost her memories, though she was trying hard to get them back. Shade told her about the last time that they had seen each other in the Temple of Time, when she had told him to go on to fight the Black Mage while she covered him. Aran realized that they must have entrusted each other to watch their backs, and as warriors only showed their backs to their friends, she asked if they had been friends in the past. Shade told her that they were, but Aran apologized and explained that she still couldn't remember him. However, she promised that she would come find him once her memories returned, to which Shade told her that he would be waiting. He also shared one of his memories of her and Mercedes making lots of food. Though most of it hadn't been good, he promised that he would eat her cooking again if they ever got the chance, though he asked her to use less sugar next time.
Meeting Phantom
After he spent some more time training around Maple World, Athena Pierce reached out to him and explained that she couldn't locate Phantom. She told him that for obvious reasons, Phantom was difficult to track down, and she wondered how he could be so well-hidden yet so flashy at the same time. Shade realized that it would be easier to wait at a place where Phantom was likely to visit, and so he decided to go to Phantom's secret vault in Orbis. There, he discovered that the lock had been broken. He realized that Phantom couldn't have been the one responsible, since it was his own vault, and so he suspected that it had been a burglar, though he noted that there were no signs of robbery. He then decided to go to another one of Phantom's vaults in Ariant. Inside, he found a large lock on the door and wondered how he would get past it. Remembering that Phantom would always tell him to ask for help if he needed money, he decided that Phantom wouldn't care too much about a lock, however expensive it was. After breaking in, he found Phantom's stash of gold. On a shelf, he also found a box that he remembered had contained something valuable. However, he found that the box was empty, making his realize that Phantom must have already passed through. He then traveled to Phantom's final vault in Leafre, where he found a voice-activated Guardioso. Shade was hesitant about destroying the Guardioso, as it was much more expensive than a lock, but to his surprise, the Guardioso recognized his voice and let him in. He entered the vault and realized that the reason why Phantom had placed such a strong defense in the Leafre vault was because of the large portrait of Empress Aria that he had hung up on the wall.
Just then, Phantom arrived and recognized Shade as the intruder who had been breaking into his other vaults. After a small skirmish, Shade told Phantom that he was taking his joke too far. Phantom was confused by what he meant, to which Shade told him that Aria's portrait would get ruined if they kept fighting. Phantom immediately put his guard up and asked how he knew about Aria. Annoyed, Shade told him that Aran had already played the memory loss card. Realizing that Shade knew Aran as well, Phantom asked if the Black Mage had sent him. Shade could tell from Phantom's eyes that he truly didn't recognize him, but he wondered how Phantom had only forgotten him and not Aria or Aran if he was also suffering from memory loss. Confused and hurt, he decided to retreat in order to figure out where everything had gone wrong. He wondered whether Phantom was playing a cruel joke on him, but he decided that he would visit Luminous first before confirming his suspicions, and so he asked Athena Pierce to locate Luminous for him.
Meeting Luminous
Some time later, Athena reached out to him and explained that Grendel the Really Old had seen Luminous not too long ago. Shade went to Ellinia and met Grendel, who mistook Shade for a new Explorer. After finding out that he wanted to see Luminous, Grendel hoped that it wasn't about some world-threatening doom again. Grendel told Shade that he didn't know where Luminous lived, but he explained that there was a girl who lived with Luminous, and that she would regularly visit the Magic Library. Just then, Lania arrived and greeted Grendel as ‘Grandpa Grendel', explaining that she had come to borrow a history book, since Luminous wanted to learn more about Maple World's history. Shade then introduced himself as an old friend of Luminous, which excited Lania, who asked him all about Luminous on the way back to her home. As they arrived at Lania's home, she was intrigued to know that Luminous and Phantom hadn't gotten along from the beginning. She asked if they had been enemies in a previous life, but Shade told her that he felt as though Luminous and Phantom were fairly close and fought just as brothers would.
Just then, a horde of Lupins arrived and Lania lamented that she hadn't brought the Sentrobo with her. Shade told her that he would take care of it and defeated all the Lupins. As they moved closer into the forest, more Lupins appeared. Just then, Luminous arrived and defeated them all. Lania introduced him to Shade, asking if he recognized his old friend. Luminous was confused, claiming that had never met Shade before, but Lania told him that Shade had told her stories about the Heroes from centuries ago. Just like Phantom, Luminous immediately put up his guard and demanded to know what Shade was after. Devastated that Luminous didn't recognize him either, Shade apologized to Luminous for having burdened him the most, as Luminous was the only one who could have activated the seal. He added that that he didn't want to go through the same experience again, as twice was more than enough. He told Luminous that he was glad to find him happy, even happier than the last time they had seen each other, and told Lania to take care of Luminous before leaving. Lania called after Shade, but Luminous tried to stop her and explained that Shade was a stranger. However, Lania reproached him and explained that such sad, longing eyes couldn't be directed towards a stranger.
Forgotten Again
Back in Ellinia, Shade recognized that the anger in Luminous' eyes was the same as that in Phantom's, meaning that both of them truly had forgotten about him. He then wondered whether the sacrifice that he had offered for the Seal of Time hadn't been his life, but rather, his very existence, which he realized would explain everything, as his existence being erased would be why Freud had only told the story of five Heroes, and why Athena didn't remember him at all. Shade then realized that even if he had been erased from everyone's memories, there should still be some sort of hole in their memories, meaning that they should at least know that someone had filled those gaps in their minds, even if they couldn't remember who. In order to confirm his theory, he went to the roof of the Lion King's Castle, where he found a time capsule that he and the other Heroes had made. Though they had promised to open it together, Shade hoped that they would understand why he had opened it himself. Inside, he found Phantom's contribution, a scroll from Luminous, a whetstone that Aran had used to sharpen Maha, one of Afrien's scales, and the token of the Ruler of Elves, though he wondered whether Mercedes had meant to put it in there, as he assumed that it was quite important. He then found his own contribution, a photograph of all six of them. He remembered that the others had told him to put his most prized possession inside, and so he had put in a photo of his only friends in the world. However, upon looking at the photo, he was shocked to find that he had been erased from it. He left the Lion King's Castle distraught, finally accepting that he had been erased from Maple World.
Believing that the others would only see him as a threat, he decided to return to Vulpes, where he knew that at least the villagers would still remember him. He returned to Fox Point Village, but to his surprise, Silver treated him like an outsider and told him to leave immediately. Shade was shocked, but he hoped that it was because Silver was experiencing memory problems because of his old age. However, when he met the other Anima, they also treated him as a stranger and tried to chase him out of the village. Shade wondered whether Moonbeam still remembered him and asked Silver where she was. Silver assumed that Moonbeam had led him into the village and explained that ever since she had lost her connection to the spirits, she would sit by the Fox Tree and stare off vacantly into space, as though she were possessed by a ghost.
Shade realized that it was still raining because of her sadness and wondered if her sitting by the Fox Tree, the last place where they had been together, meant that she still remembered him. There, he met Moonbeam, who asked him who he was and why he didn't have fox ears or a tail. Dejected, Shade told her that he had come to see his friend. Moonbeam asked if his friend lived in their village and realized that he probably meant Tumbleweed, who knew many people from Maple World. Shade then looked at the Fox Tree and found that even the mark of companionship that they had carved on the tree had disappeared. Moonbeam told Shade that he was strange and added that she doubted that he fit in anywhere. She wondered if he was just like her, as she had been rejected by the other Anima because she had lost her guardian spirit. She explained that she couldn't even remember how it had disappeared, and so she had assumed that the Fox God had taken it away for her bad behavior, for which she had been praying to the Fox God every day in order to ask for her spirit back.
Shade asked if he could make a wish to the Fox God as well. Moonbeam told him that the Fox God might not grant his wish, since he wasn't a fox, but added that it couldn't hurt to try. Shade then wished for the power and courage to put everything back into its place. Suddenly, power emanated from the Fox God's statue and filled Shade. Moonbeam got excited and told him that the Fox God would grant his wish, though she wondered about her own. Shade then told her that though she couldn't remember, she had lent him something important. Though he wished that he could give it back, it wouldn't leave him, and so he supposed that he would have to first finish what he had started. He then apologized and told her to wait a little longer. Moonbeam was confused, as she couldn't remember lending him anything, but she noted that he smelled familiar, just like the wind. Shade then took his leave, utterly defeated. He realized that no one would ever remember him, no matter where he went. As he didn't belong in Maple World or Grandis, he felt as though there was nowhere for him and he began to wonder why he even existed.
Where It All Began
Though crippled by the realization, he decided to investigate further into why everything had gone wrong. He wondered whether the Anima had forgotten him after a certain period of time or immediately after he had left Grandis. He decided to speak with Athena Pierce in order to see if she could help him again. He went back to Henesys and began to explain the situation to Athena. However, she interrupted him and asked him who he was. Shade immediately realized that Athena had forgotten him yet again. Piecing together everything that had happened to him, he concluded that everyone had forgotten him when he had moved between worlds. Lost and confused, he decided to return to the Temple of Time, the place where everything had begun. At the temple, he met with the Temple Keeper and asked about the Gate of the Present. The Temple Keeper explained that the Black Mage had been sealed there until recently, but that no one had entered since the seal broke. Shade asked if there was any way for him to enter, but the Temple Keeper told him that the Gate of the Present only opened to those who were not part of Maple World. Shade realized that since he had been erased, the door may still open to him. He approached the Gate of the Present, and sure enough, it appeared open to him, confirming his suspicions that he truly wasn't a part of Maple World any longer. Upon passing through, he entered the Black Mage's stronghold, where lingering traces of darkness manifested as Omens. He fought his way through and entered the throne room, where he defeated a Master Omen. He then examined the broken Seal Stones all around and supposed that he should be thankful that his sacrifice had kept Maple World safe for centuries, though he felt that it was a small comfort after everything that he had been through. Though he didn't regret his choice, he wondered if he could have made the same decision after knowing what the consequences would be.
Nightmare
After leaving the Temple of Time, Shade continued to wander Maple World until he suddenly began to feel unnaturally drowsy. After falling asleep, he had a terrible nightmare of Moonbeam and the other Anima running in fear of him, the five Heroes looking at him with anger in their eyes, and Freud crying out to him as he sacrificed himself to power the Seal of Time. Suddenly, he was transported to a dreamscape where he encountered the Black Mage, with Lucid floating beside him. The Black Mage laughed and told Shade that the only reason why he still existed was because, as a Transcendent, the Black Mage was still able to remember him. He then asked Shade if he would make the same choice again, knowing what it had cost him. Shade then awoke with a start and wondered if it had really been just a dream, as the Black Mage had felt so real. He also noted that Lucid had been in the dream as well and wondered if she had created the nightmare as payback for his interference in Elluel. Thinking back to what the Black Mage had said, Shade wondered if it meant that he was only alive because of the Black Mage and realized that if the Black Mage were to die, Shade would die with him. He then laughed grimly and wished that it worked in reverse. He realized that he had always been prepared to sacrifice himself ever since the day of the final battle, and that if he could give his life to rid the world of the Black Mage, he would gladly do so again. He then resolved that he would live to see that future through, making it his singular goal to defeat the Black Mage.
Joining the Alliance
Soon after, he decided to seek out Empress Cygnus, as he hoped that she would know more about the Black Mage. He went to visit her in Ereve and told her that she resembled Aria, adding that it must have given Phantom a start. Cygnus was intrigued that he knew about Aria and Phantom. Shade explained that they were old acquaintances, and that he had no love for the Black Mage, just like the other Heroes. He then told her that he had come to see if she could share any information about the Black Mage with him. Cygnus told him that she would help however she could, in exchange for Shade lending his support to the Alliance. Shade was surprised and told Cygnus that she was very trusting, as it was a big leap from sharing information to cooperating. Cygnus told him that even though she was young, she could tell honesty when she saw it. Shade was impressed and agreed to join the Alliance, thus gaining access to their intelligence network. Shade then continued his training in Maple World for some time.
The Grand Athenaeum
Shade continued his training in Maple World for some time until he learned about the Grand Athenaeum, which was said to hold all the world's records, and so he traveled there in the hope that it held clues on the Black Mage. There, he met Thales the Librarian, who asked him to give him keywords about the topic that he was interested in so that Thales could recommend books to him. Shade told him to look up the Black Mage and Thales explained that he had found 3849 results with titles such as “The Sealing of the Black Mage”, “Commanders of the Black Mage”, and “Appearance of the Black Mage”. Shade asked him to narrow it down to the Black Mage's resurrection. Thales found only one book on the topic, but told him that it wasn't available to the public, and so he asked if Shade had another search in mind. Shade then asked him to search for the Seal of Time. Thales found a book about the Seal of Time and briefly perused it himself in order to learn that the Seal of Time was what had sealed the Black Mage. He then found a book called “The Black Mage and the Five Heroes”, explaining that it likely held everything that Shade was looking for. He then asked if there was anything else Shade wanted to search. Shade then whispered his old name to Thales, who began to look for any records of him. Suddenly, Shade told Thales to stop looking for him, as he decided that even if there was a record of him in the library, he wouldn't dwell on the past any longer.
Temple of Time
While exploring the Temple of Time, Shade's memories were drained by Dodo. After being told by the Memory Keeper to return to where his adventure began, Shade thought to himself that the beginning of his adventure was when Tumbleweed had told him about Maple World, and though he noted that Tumbleweed wouldn't remember him, he believed that it was a good excuse to visit Fox Point Village. He then traveled to Vulpes, where he met with Tumbleweed. Though Tumbleweed didn't recognize Shade, he realized that Shade was a human. Tumbleweed explained that he was thinking of going to Maple World next, though everyone in the village wanted him to stay for a while, as he had just returned from his last trip. He told Shade that he loved traveling, as staying in one place got boring. He explained that one should always be moving forward, looking for where the road takes them. As Shade began to head out, Tumbleweed wished him good luck and hoped that he found what he was looking for.
Final Quest
Shade soon achieved the same strength that he had centuries ago. After hearing that Mercedes had returned to Elluel, he decided to see her, even though he knew that she wouldn't recognize him. There, he introduced himself to her as a simple traveler who had always wanted to visit Elluel. Mercedes greeted him and as they spoke, she noted that he seemed familiar, as though he were someone that she ought to know. Shade then took his leave and decided to head back. Just as he had thought, the visit to Mercedes had hurt him and he began wondering why he even wanted to get stronger. He then realized that he had only tried to grow stronger because of the guardian spirit that Moonbeam had given him, and so he decided to return it back to her. He returned to Vulpes, where he found Moonbeam at the Fox Tree. Moonbeam immediately smiled and told Shade that he looked just like her guardian spirit. Shade was surprised, as he believed that he possessed Moonbeam's spirit, but Moonbeam then summoned her new spirit and demonstrated that it looked identical to Shade. She explained that after praying to the Fox God for so long, she had finally received a new guardian spirit after losing her old one. Just then, Silver arrived and confronted Shade, whom he believed to be an outsider. However, Moonbeam told him not to be mean to someone who looked just like her guardian spirit. Silver was surprised and told Shade that there was a legend that the guardian spirit of a Pointy-Ear Fox Anima took the shape of the one whom they most longed for, and that such spirits were said to be more powerful than any other. Moonbeam expressed her doubt, asking how she could long for someone whom she had never met. Silver asked Shade whether he had ever met Moonbeam before, to which Shade explained that he had borrowed her guardian spirit, and that he had come to return it. However, Moonbeam had no recollection of it and told him that she didn't need another guardian spirit. Seeing that Moonbeam was happy, Shade told her that he hoped that one day, she would remember that he meant as much to her as she did to him. After heading back to Maple World, he was pleasantly surprised to find that his guardian spirit had changed to take the form of Moonbeam.
Fifth Job Advancement
Upon entering the Erda Flow and meeting with the Goddess of Maple World, the Goddess asks the player what it is that they cherish most in the world. Shade gets to choose between the other Heroes or Moonbeam.
Ellin Forest
When Wiz explains that Ellin Forest had existed centuries ago, Shade gets some exclusive dialogue, in which he recalls that Athena Pierce had intended to head to the southern plains of Victoria Island and wonders why she had settled in Ellin Forest instead.
When Karen initially refuses to allow the player through the Temporal Gate, Shade gets exclusive dialogue, in which he tell Karen that he used to live during that time period, and that he had to leave for reasons beyond his control, because of which, he wants to see how everyone had fared without him.
Upon meeting Yuris, Shade will believe that he's been forgotten in the past as well, as Yuris doesn't recognize him. He introduces himself as a friend of Freud, to which Yuris will reply that she's never seen him before.
When Perzen doesn't recognize Shade as one of the Heroes, he will wonder whether he might have been erased from history, but he notes that Perzen clearly still remembers the existence of the Heroes themselves.
After returning back to Wiz, Shade will explain how he had been perceived differently, to which Wiz speculates that the will of the world might have altered their appearances in order to prevent paradoxes.
Silent Crusade (Post-Remaster)
Note: The Silent Crusade storyline was remastered under the KMS story team's new continuity in the KMS Spring 2023 Update
When Bastille suggests that the Commanders were responsible for creating the crack in time in Perion, Shade wonders to himself whether it's time to face such an ill-fated challenge such as the Commanders once again.
When Bastille tells the player that Arkarium was responsible for opening the crack in time, Shade immediately recognizes Arkarium's name and speaks it aloud in shock.
Shade gets an exclusive script when he encounters Afrien in the past. Upon meeting Shade, doesn't recognize him and asks him who he is. Shade is shocked to find Afrien so weak and explains that he's come at Maha's request. Afrien asks him whether Maha and Aran are well, to which Shade reassures him that both of them are fine, and that Maha had taken Aran to be sealed away on Rien. Afrien notes that Shade seems strange, and that while it may be because of his own weakness, he can't sense anything from Shade at all. Shade asks Afrien whether he's okay, to which Afrien explains that he and the other Heroes have been weakened from the Black Mage's curse. He adds that the curse will lift once the Black Mage breaks free, for which he prays that he and the other Heroes will stay lost forever, as they had made a tremendous sacrifice to seal him away. After Shade finds the lost Onyx Dragon egg, he explains that Arkarium has come to kill the Heroes in the past, and that he's followed Arkarium to the past in order to stop him. Afrien then tells him that Freud will hide it in a safe place, to which Shade thinks "Freud..." in his head before Afrien asks him to help Mercedes, whom Shade notes looks exactly as she had on the day when he had last seen her. Afrien extracts a portion of Shade's strength and notes that it's quite astonishing, as the energy inside him is quite unique. Just as he begins to say more, he stops himself and gives Shade the crystal. After Shade heals Mercedes with it, Afrien thanks him and explains that the Heroes will awaken one day. He then asks Shade to investigate a dark presence at the Temple of Time.
Silent Crusade (Pre-Remaster)
Shade gets an exclusive script when he encounters Afrien in the past. Upon meeting Shade, Afrien doesn't recognize him and asks him who he is. Shade is shocked to find Afrien so weak and explains that he's come at Maha's request. Afrien asks him whether Maha and Aran are well, to which Shade reassures him that both of them are fine, and that Maha had taken Aran to be sealed away on Rien. Afrien notes that Shade seems strange, and that while it may be because of his own weakness, he can't sense anything from Shade at all. Shade asks Afrien whether he's okay, to which Afrien explains that he and the other Heroes have been weakened from the Black Mage's curse. He adds that the curse will lift once the Black Mage breaks free, for which he prays that he and the other Heroes will stay lost forever, as they had made a tremendous sacrifice to seal him away. After Shade finds the lost Onyx Dragon egg, Afrien asks him to help Mercedes, whom Shade notes looks exactly as she had on the day when he had last seen her. Afrien extracts a portion of Shade's strength and notes that it's quite astonishing, as the energy inside him is quite unique. Just as he begins to say more, he stops himself and gives Shade the crystal. After Shade heals Mercedes with it, Afrien thanks him and explains that the Heroes will awaken one day. He then asks Shade to investigate a dark presence at the Temple of Time.
Kritias
Upon hearing that Empress Aria had visited Kritias recently, Shade gets exclusive dialogue, in which he thinks to himself that he'd been having doubts ever since hearing the name “Kritias”, but after hearing the whole story, he's now sure that it's the same kingdom that the Black Mage had annihilated hundreds of years ago. He then wonders why the kingdom that had vanished into thin air centuries ago has appeared now all of a sudden.
Fox Valley
When Shade initially receives Maru's letter, he wonders what the point of him going is when no one is going to remember him, though he ultimately decides that it can't hurt.
When Maru tells Shade to make fox ears, Shade he recalls how the villagers had given him fox ears as a gift and momentarily wonders whether it's time to use those.
At the end of the storyline, Shade gets an exclusive scene at the end of this storyline, in which he decides to go visit Moonbeam, as he thinks that it doesn't feel right to just walk away now that the crisis is over. While he's heading from the Fox Tree to the village, Maru is recruiting the other Anima children to the Fox Point Rangers. The children ask Maru where Shade is, to which he tells them that Shade has already gone back home.
If Shade has finished his level 200 quest, Maru notes that Shade looks a lot like Moonbeam's guardian spirit, to which Moonbeam says that Tumbleweed has mentioned that her guardian spirit looks a lot like people that he's met in Maple World, as they all have no ears and no tail. However, Moonbeam also notes that Shade seemed very familiar. Moonbeam's guardian spirit takes on the form of Shade - the person whom she misses the most - even if she doesn't remember him or why she misses him. If Shade hasn't finished his level 200 quest, Moonbeam offers to help with the rebuilding efforts, though she adds that she doesn't know whether she'll just get in the way, since she doesn't have a spirit.
Regardless of whether Shade has completed the level 200 quest or not, the dialogue converges here and the kids head out in order to help the adults rebuilt the village. Shade then arrives as soon as Moonbeam and the others leave, after which he goes back to the Fox Tree and carves another mark of companionship on it, just as he and Moonbeam had done right before he went to Maple World for the first time, though he knows that the mark is going to disappear when he goes back. However, he decides to take comfort in the fact that everyone is safe now, and the fact that he'll always remember them, even though they won't remember him.
Black Heaven
The night before the operation, Shade stood alone atop a cliff gazing at the sky. He lamented that he had no one to hang out before the final battle, even though he had expected as much. Even though the other Heroes didn't remember him, Shade was grateful to be alive fighting alongside his friends. As dawn approached, his thoughts turned to Moonbeam and he wondered how she was doing.
After Athena Pierce and the player fight their way to the main deck, Athena gives a word of encouragement to the player as they charge into battle, which depends on their class. For Shade, Athena tells him to make the enemies remember his name.
During the Black Heaven operation, Shade met Aran and, with her memories of meeting him in Riena Strait being erased after he moved between dimensions to Grandis, she befriended him once again, and the two later became sparring partners.
Heroes of Maple (Post-Remaster)
- Main article: Heroes of Maple
Note: The Heroes of Maple storyline was remastered under the KMS story team's new continuity in the Dreamer Update
After Afrien's death, Evan reunited the Heroes to follow Freud's message and find Abraxas. Together, they deduced from Freud's message that one of their comrades had been erased by the sealing spell. Having felt a strange sense of kinship with Shade during Black Heaven, the Heroes met with Shade and reunited with him once again. While Evan, Mercedes, and Luminous sought out Abraxas, Shade traveled to Turtle Island with Aran and Phantom in order to confront Damien. However, Damien and his demon army headed for the ruins of Abraxas just as they arrived. Just then, the Demon arrived and revealed to Shade and the others about his relationship Damien and his intention to stop his brother. The Heroes then rushed to the ruins of Abraxas in order to reinforce the others, claiming the airship and fleeing before learning about the Abyss Crystal from a message left behind by Freud, who revealed that it was a dark substance created from the Black Mage's awakening as the dark Transcendent of Light, capable of stealing the power of higher beings. Having used the crystal to take the power of time from Rhinne, the Black Mage had sealed it away in a subspace between Maple World and a parallel world within their dimension called Friends World. With the barrier between worlds having been broken by Elwin, the Heroes traveled to Friends World in order to claim the Abyss Crystal first, with Shade being able to travel there without being forgotten, as there was no dimensional crossing involved with traveling to Friends World, which existed in the same dimension as Maple World. Despite the Heroes' best efforts, however, Damien and his demon army claimed the crystal first, Damien then absorbed the crystal into his Sword of Destruction and used it to take Alicia's power for himself. Together, Aran and the other Heroes defeated Damien with the help of the Demon, putting an end to his ambitions. In order to restore back the world's vitality stolen by Damien, the Heroes shattered the Abyss Crystal, scattering Alicia's life force in order to save Maple World.
Heroes of Maple (Pre-Remaster)
- Main article: Heroes of Maple
During the events of Black Heaven, Aran and Shade grew close and became sparring partners. When Aran and Shade were training, they received news of Lilin being kidnapped by the demon army. Aran brought Shade to Turtle Island and met up with Evan and Mir. Aran broke a large ice wall and fought several troops in the demon army, with Shade as a backup, in order to save Lilin. The group soon found Afrien being corrupted by Damien. Aran briefly fought against Damien, who branded Maha with his mark. With Maha's power disrupted from Damien's attack, Aran and Shade promised to meet Evan at the Sanctum of Abraxas later on after repairing Aran's polearm. After Maha was healed, Aran and Shade fought the demon army from the other side of the sanctum, which took them a long time to reach the other Heroes. The group eventually escaped the demon army when Evan activated the Eye of Abraxas, an ancient airship left behind at the ruins. Aboard the ship, the Heroes found a message left behind by Freud, who revealed the existence of the Transcendence Stone, a primordial substance capable of controlling or destroying a Transcendent, which existed somewhere in Friends World. Hoping to claim it before the Black Mage, the Heroes traveled to Friends World - with the barrier between worlds broken by Elwin - and attempted to recover it. While Phantom, Mercedes, and Luminous carried out the operation, Aran, Evan, and Mir stayed behind in the airship and discussed Shade's curse, which prevented him from crossing dimensions to Friends World with them. However, the Heroes soon came under attack by Damien's forces, who were aiming to delay the Heroes by destroying the airship. Aran and Evan managed to escape the crashing airship and met up with the other Heroes, with Shade using a inter-dimensional communication system to contact them from Maple World. With Damien having taken the Transcendence Stone and claimed Alicia's power for himself, Aran and the other Heroes returned to Maple World and stopped him with the help of the Demon. In order to restore back the world's vitality stolen by Damien, the Heroes shattered the Transcendence Stone, scattering Alicia's life force in order to save Maple World.
In the credits, Aran is shown laughing at the missing section of the mural depicting the Heroes sealing the Black Mage, much to Shade's embarrassment.
Vanishing Journey
After the player defeats Arma, Kao will speak to the player while being carried through the cave. For Shade, Kao asks to let his sacrifice be enough. He then wonders if it would be arrogant of him to hope that his sacrifice will save the world. Shade then asks Kao where he kept Moonbeam's guardian spirit, to which Kao explains that when he had regained his memories, he couldn't sense the spirit's energy anymore. He recalls how, despite being a stranger, Moonbeam had trusted him without hesitation and had given him her power that he had to eventually return. He notes that Moonbeam's spirit and her world don't exist anymore, despite how much he had wanted to protect them. He then asks Shade if Moonbeam is doing alright, after which he apologizes, as he had forgotten about the curse for a moment. He adds that he's sure that she's doing fine before telling Shade that he needs to protect the world, adding that they both will remember the charge that had been entrusted to them, even if the memories fade away.
Yum Yum Island
Upon encountering the Afrien fusion, Shade will recognize that the creature is made from Afrien's Erdas. While fighting it, he notes to himself that despite the fusion's power, it's still nowhere near Afrien's strength.
Lachelein
When the Adversary is first brought to Lucid by the Dreamkeepers, Lucid will snap her fingers in order to transform them into a butterfly, though she will be shocked after nothing happens. Shade has a slightly modified version of this scene. Since Lucid recognizes Shade, she already knows that he isn't part of her dream, and so she snaps her fingers already knowing that nothing will happen. Lucid will then mock Shade about how he can't remember the only person in the world who can still remember him.
When the Adversary and Protective Mask jump into the Arcane River to escape, Lucid is pleased because she believes that they will decompose into Erdas. If the player is Shade, Lucid will solemnly say that she'll remember him.
When the Adversary confronts Lucid atop the clocktower, Shade gets exclusive dialogue, in which he asks Lucid why he can't remember her. Lucid replies that she had merely been playing around and adds that it wouldn't be fun if he knew everything. Following this, the scene returns to the generic dialogue, in which Shade will tell Lucid that no one in Lachelein is happy.
Esfera
Upon seeing the memory of Will capturing Tana, Shade gets some exclusive dialogue, in which he notes that the closer they get to the Black Mage, the more Commanders they find that hadn't been there centuries ago. He wonders how long the Black Mage has been laying the groundwork for all this and notes that they need Freud now more than ever.
After Will tells the player about the Black Mage's words that "the ultimate light can only be found in the ultimate darkness", Shade wonders whether Luminous might know anything about it.
Upon learning that the power of creation is mastery over Erda, Shade wonders whether the light that Tana uses is different from that which Luminous uses.
Labyrinth of Suffering
After Cygnus tells Neinheart that she will lead the fleet into Tenebris in the Adversary's place, Shade gets exclusive dialogue, in which he senses the Empress' resolve and notes that though it's been a long journey, he'll finally meet the Black Mage soon. He then thinks to himself that he still remembers the decision that he made on that day. He recalls the determination that he had when he left everything behind and risked his life to stop the Black Mage, vowing that he'll remember that determination when he faces the Black Mage again.
As darkness begins to fall around the fleet as they approach Tenebris, Shade will wish that Luminous was there with them. He then realizes that if Luminous had cast a light, then it would be visible ahead, making him realize that something might have happened on Luminous' end.
When the player first meets with Azalin - Hilla disguised as a Night Walker - she notes that it's strange that despite him not having any large, stand-out achievements, he had just happened to have one day fallen in with the legendary Heroes. She adds that while she doesn't know whether he's just well-connected, there has to be some reason why the Heroes let him hang out with them. She then asks if she's touched a nerve before saying that she had merely been thinking out loud.
After the Adversary collapses into despair as a result of Hilla's machinations, they pass out in a void of darkness within their own mind. As their morale and strength threaten to diminish completely, the mysterious divine light speaks to them in the form of someone close to them and provides them motivation to continue. For Shade, the voice of Freud asks him why he risks his life to save others. He tells Freud that it's because everyone is that precious to them, to which Freud asks him why he cares so much for Maple World, and what his purpose is. Shade replies that Maple World is the home where his loved ones live, and that it's a precious place, filled with all their memories. Freud asks him if he can remember what he needs to do now, to which Shade begins to say hopelessly that everyone is already dead, and that he couldn't protect anyone. He adds that there's nothing that he can do, and that he's completely helpless, as even before, he had barely managed to seal the Black Mage, who had still come back in the end. He then asks what else he can do now, to which Freud tells him to open his eyes and see for himself, explaining that even if Hilla covers his eyes, she can never cover the truth. Freud asks him to open his eyes, get up, and do what he has to do. He tells Shade that he remembers him, and to never let them change his mind. He then tells Shade to keep moving forward, just as he had done before. He reminds Shade that all roads exist inside his heart, and to never forget that. He then adds that the memories of them all will live on forever, and that he'll always be with Shade. As the voice fades away, Shade recognizes the voice as belonging to Freud.
Limina
When the Adversary faces the Black Mage, he tells them that their path has always been preordained. Shade thinks to himself that he doesn't know what will happen if the Black Mage disappears, as he himself might disappear too. However, he reminds himself that it isn't about him before vowing that he'll transcend the destiny that the Black Mage has created to put an end to their long history.
After killing the Black Mage, the Adversary dies and scatters into Erda. As this happens, Shade gets exclusive dialogue, in which he thinks to himself that this is really the end for him, and as he disappears, he breaths a sign of relief that he'll finally be with Freud again.
When the White Mage asks the Adversary why they refused to take Tana's life, the Adversary replies that it was because Tana had cried out for help, and that she hadn't wanted to disappear. Shade gets additional dialogue, in which he explains that he had thought that he had been prepared for his fate too, but he had realized that even in spite of that, he still hadn't wanted to disappear, just like how Tana hadn't either, and so he couldn't do that to her.
After the Adversary's conversation with the White Mage, they will return back to the real world. As they do, the White Mage will give them a unique title based on their class; the title he gives to Shade is "Forgotten Hero". As he begins fading away from the Erda Flow, Shade fears that he's fading out of existence, as the Black Mage - whom he believes to be the only anchor to his existence - has been killed. However, the White Mage will warmly tell Shade to be at peace, as 'she' will remember him.
After the final battle, the Adversary will return back to the Outpost and speak with Neinheart and the other leaders of the Alliance. For Shade, Neinheart tells him that all of Maple World owes him a debt that can never be repaid. Cygnus adds that they'll never forget his part in the battle, or his sacrifice. Neinheart agrees and calls Shade a hero for the ages. Shade is lost for words and chuckles awkwardly before thanking everyone. Cygnus then asks Shade what's next for him, which causes Shade to think that he hadn't even thought about that. He then wonders to himself what heroes do once their villains are gone before supposing that he should be happy that he's still alive to wonder that. He then thinks to himself that there must be more before telling Cygnus that he's planning to go on a quest to find himself. Cygnus then wishes him a safe and fulfilling journey.
Aftermath
After a large celebration party, Evan unexpectedly decided to visit Freud's birthplace, where he found that the other Heroes were also there. Evan was surprised, as they had told him that they had ‘other stuff' to do and had sent him off like a child. Aran laughed and explained that she had changed her mind, but that it had been worth the trip to see the baffled look on his face. Mercedes told Aran not to make fun of Evan, reminding her that he had helped them save the world. Luminous noted that it appeared as though they all had the same ‘stuff' to do. Just then, Phantom appeared in a flash and saw that they had beaten him, though he declared that the star of the show always appeared last. Mercedes snapped that he was meant to be at another extravagant party, but Evan broke up the fight and told them that with Phantom, all the Heroes were there. As Phantom began smiling, Mercedes asked him what he was smiling about, to which he noted the irony of the grand Heroes who had defeated the Black Mage celebrating in an abandoned shack to mope about their long-lost companion. Mercedes then suggested watching the moon and stars, which were visible from the broken roof. They wondered whether Freud had ever watched the sky as they had, but Phantom pointed out that there likely hadn't been a hole in the roof while Freud had still lived there.
Aran mentioned that she recalled how Freud had many holes in his roof, and that he had been too lazy to fix them. Shade countered that Freud wasn't so much lazy as he was content with the feeling of a rundown cottage. The Heroes then looked back fondly on Freud and his eccentric ways. Soon after, they all prepared to leave when Evan asked when they would see each other again. The Heroes reassured him that they were like family, and that they would see each other again at the next crisis, as they were Maple World's greatest heroes. After everyone left Freud's house, Shade was left alone. He realized that the others likely had loved ones to see and considered finding some celebration to go to himself, though he decided against the idea, as Freud's house was where he felt most at home. He recalled how he had believed that he would fade away after the Black Mage was defeated and how, for a long time, he hadn't minded the idea, since no one would ever remember him. However, he found that he was glad that he hadn't disappeared, asking aloud to Freud if that was a good thing like he believed.
Convergence
While searching for Grendel the Really Old, the Adversary, Elwin, and Lily traveled to Morass, where they encountered the White Mage. Shade asks the White Mage if he knows how to remove the curse on him. The White Mage replies that he doesn't know how, but he tells Shade not to worry, as he'll shortly see that the curse will soon mean nothing. Soon after, Maple World and Grandis fuse together, removing the need for crossing dimensions. Because of this, Shade can now travel between the two worlds without being forgotten.
Cernium
The night after Carlisle requests the Alliance to aid Cernium, the Adversary speaks with Cygnus in Ereve. During this conversation, Shade gets some exclusive dialogue after accepting Cygnus' request to join the Glory Guard in the expedition to Cernium. He thinks to himself that before going to Cernium, there's one place that he needs to visit first. He notes that if the seal between Grandis and Maple World really is gone, and if the two worlds have merged together, then he must be that much closer to getting rid of his curse. He then thinks to himself that there's a lot at stake now, and that this small victory should be enough to keep him going. He then travels to Vulpes and meets Moonbeam at the outskirts of Fox Point Village. Moonbeam doesn't recognize Shade and asks why he smells so familiar. She's also surprised that Shade knows her name, and that he's already aware that he looks like her guardian spirit. Shade then thinks to himself that he had thought that he had been ready to sacrifice everything when he had taken on the Black Mage, but he now realizes that there's one thing that still weighs on him. He realizes that dwelling on the past isn't doing him any good, and that all he can do now is make new memories. He then introduces himself to Moonbeam and explains that he comes from a place where there's only one moon. He tells her his name, and then asks her not to forget it.
Upon reading about how the Overseers had originally created the Seal Stones as the Godspheres, Shade gets some exclusive dialogue, in which he realizes that Freud hadn't created the Seal Stones out of nothing. He then wonders whether Freud had drawn out the divine power that had permeated into the land after the end of the war.
Shangri-La
While speaking with Sino in the pavilion, Shade can trigger an exclusive dialogue by selecting a second prompt that only appears to him. Sino tells Shade that there are some people who are connected, even without knowing each other. They miss each other, even without knowing that they do, and their guardian spirits take on each other's forms in response to that desperate longing. She explains that those relationships are bound to continue somehow, and that she thinks that he understands what she means.
Arteria
Before the Adversary leaves to rescue Cygnus, Shinsoo calls to the Adversary and addresses them with a unique title based on their class; the title she gives to Shade is "Hero of Maple World".
Trivia
- Shade's starting clothes are named after stars, Deneb and Altair. Deneb coincidentally happens to be the furthest star in the constellation, Cygnus.
- The contents of the "letter written to Freud" in Shade's pre-Milestone storyline are determined by the player.
- Shade is the only currently known person to have gotten into Phantom's secret safe - ironically through the same means (breaking the lock).
- Oddly enough, the Guardioso placed in front of the Leafre vault recognized his voice, despite not recognizing Phantom during his job advancement.
References
- ↑ In KMS, the name that Moonbeam gives him is Eunwol, which translates to ‘hidden moon’. While she calls him Shade in GMS because ‘Shade’ is a complement to ‘Moonbeam’, her reasoning in KMS is because she recalls how Shade had come from a world with only one moon, rather than many, and so she names him ‘Eunwol’, which means ‘hidden moon’.
- ↑ If the player has completed Fox Valley before this quest, Shade gets some exclusive dialogue. The Fox God notes to herself that considering that Gerand Darmoor had been blocking her vision, there's no guarantee that his growing threat won't come to be directed at her foxes.
- ↑ In KMS, Moonbeam's name is Rang. Her original reasoning, rather than Shade being a complement to Moonbeam, is that since humans come from a world with only one moon, not two, she names him Eunwol, which means 'hidden moon'.