Legends of the Halcyon Era: Muffin Doin’

Alright, so this story marks something a little bit different — at least, for me, and hopefully less for you.

This is the first story in the Legends of the Halcyon Era series I’ve released that was made entirely by me, that isn’t based on a log of a previous adventure with my friends and I. That makes it the first time I’ve written something completely original for the series in about 20 years. (Yes, that means there are others that are still to come.) It was a little bit daunting, after all this time, to try to create a new story here without the aid of earlier logs!

For this story, I really wanted to try to explore the character of Celeste, the newest member of the cast. As she’s pretty new to all of this, I figured it would make a great jumping-on point for anyone interested in following these stories without having to read all the previous episodes (though I still encourage you to do so! Just at your own leisure after this).

Whether you’ve been following since the beginning or are new to the world of Legends, I hope you’ll enjoy this little slice-of-life episode and stick around, because the best is yet to come!

—–

Legends of the Halcyon Era

Muffin Doin’

by

David Oxford/LBD “Nytetrayn”

*****

In a world covered by endless water…

Some time passed following the crash of Xenos Geist’s airship on Monroe Island. While the Air Pirate spent much of his time at the crash site of his vessel, working to get it airborne again, things became business as usual back at the apartment of Nytetrayn and Fenix.

Well, in a manner of speaking.

Aside from settling back into something of a routine, there was a new element in play: The arrival of Celeste, a young lady who had until recently been in a coma, and came out of it with amnesia. In addition to shifting things slightly to accommodate her, Fenix and Nyte, along with their flatmate Janine, had taken to getting her up to speed about the various facets of their daily lives.

She learned about their occupation as Diggers, which saw them venture into the various ruins found on the islands which dotted the globe. Their primary objective was to find and retrieve the quantum refractors left there by the Ancients, a group to which Janine had once belonged, and bring them back to civilization to be used as a power source.

She also learned about the other side of the coin, the Air Pirates. Scoundrels of the skies, these were essentially Diggers who acted with criminal intent, stealing refractors and other belongings from townsfolk, other Diggers, and sometimes even other Air Pirates. Fenix in particular harbored deep resentment towards Air Pirates, as his illegitimate father, Trevor Creed, was one of them.

However, he’d apparently come to peace with their resident Air Pirate, Xenos, after the group had ventured through a particularly dangerous ruin known as “The Devil’s Yard.” It was there that they had encountered another Ancient, Sherman East, who had once sought to lead an uprising against their masters and take over the world, and was keen to resume where he’d left off so long ago. To that end, he restored Janine’s lost memory to her, and she was still dealing with having all of that dumped on her all at once. Janine made the process sound rather painful, as well, leaving Celeste to wonder if she might not be better off without her own memories.

It was also in this ruin that they’d managed to salvage one of four very large refractors, which Nytetrayn then handed over to the hospital so that their machinery could bring Celeste out of her coma. It turned out that Nyte hadn’t consulted with the others about this, which left them upset about the loss. It also left Celeste feeling a bit guilty whenever the subject was brought up, as she never wanted to be a hindrance to anyone.

But as far as Xenos went, it seemed that he and the others had formed a bond over the course of their trials and tribulations, and he seemed pretty nice, as her understanding of Pirates went. He adhered to his own code of honor. He also seemed torn between being the sort of gallant, romanticized version of swashbuckling swagger who enjoys the finer things in life that you might see in a book or movie, and carrying out the sort of lower-level thievery inherent in his bloodline.

It was all quite a bit to take in. And amidst the heavily-armored robot-fighting explorers, the larger-than-life Air Pirate, and the simply stunning female physical specimen with godlike powers from an ancient civilization, Celeste felt very, very small.

Her stature wasn’t the only thing that made her feel this way, as the others practically towered over her more petite frame, but she also just felt so plain by comparison. She felt like a mortal among gods, and had no idea how she fit in with this group. Or if. What could she bring? “What good can I be to them?” she wondered.

Maybe she should have remained behind at the hospital, but things had happened so quickly. Given what Nytetrayn had done for her, she probably made the right choice. She certainly didn’t seem to have many better options.

Nytetrayn had invited her to stay with them, and so she was going to try to make the most of it. Perhaps the answers would come yet, in due time.

*****

It was a nice day on Monroe Island. Not too sunny, not too cloudy, but just overall nice. The perfect kind of day for going out and hitting the town.

That’s just what Celeste decided to do on that day, as she ventured forth from the apartment she shared with the others. Good digging leads had been slow recently, and while there were ruins on the island to explore, the others were biding their time in the hopes of landing one with a more promising payoff. As a result, they hadn’t really gotten to show her the ropes of their trade.

In the meantime, Celeste took the opportunity to go out and explore the town a bit. While The Devil’s Yard dig had yielded a lucrative payoff, a good chunk of it had been lost in the crash of Xenos’ ship out on the beach. Even so, there was enough left over for them to get along in modest comfort for a little while, at least, and they were happy to chip in and give Celeste a bit of Zenny so she could enjoy herself in the meantime.

The town of Monroe itself was a small one, sharing its name with the island it sat upon. Despite this, it was full of various shops, restaurants, and other businesses – perhaps more than there were people living there. It acted as a sort of rest stop, a hub where travelers could stop and rest for a while, enjoying themselves as they took in the local offerings. It also acted as a great place for meet-ups and connecting flights, for those who did not have their own airships.

The bell on the door clanged a bit as Celeste made her first stop: the local junk shop.

“Oh, hi, Celeste!” said the shop owner, Lance, as he turned from his work.

“Hi, Lance,” Celeste replied cheerfully.

“How’s life treating you?”

“Oh, about the same as usual,” she said, as she headed for her favorite part of the shop. While Nytetrayn and Fenix tended to favor the weapons and Digging equipment, Celeste passed that stuff over. She instead found herself fascinated more by the variety of assorted odds and ends that Diggers had brought back from their adventures through various ruins.

Little of it was considered to have any real value, but Celeste looked over the items with great interest, just the same. One item looked like it might have once been some sort of shield, though with a chunk of the bottom broken off, it likely wasn’t going to protect anyone now. Another item looked like a feather, only it was made out of metal. A large, conical piece looked like it might have been a horn used to project sound over great distances… or perhaps once adorned the head of a mechanical animal? She couldn’t quite be sure.

One item in particular managed to catch her eye. It looked like some sort of book, albeit made of metal. The words on the pages inside were indecipherable to her, but the strange illustrations captivated her.

“See anything you like?” asked Lance.

“Oh, um, maybe…” Celeste replied, as she looked the book over. She put the book back, after finding the sticker with a higher-than-expected price. “No… no, I think I’m good,” she added, a little disappointed.

“Alright,” Lance said, as she started for the door. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

“Sure, I’ll do that,” Celeste said. “Bye, Lance.”

Though she left the junk shop a little disheartened, Celeste wasn’t deterred. She wasn’t going to let that spoil her day. There were other things to do, after all.

For starters, her main reason for going out was to grab a few things at the store for the others. It wasn’t much, but she was happy to do it, as it was the least she could do to try to earn her keep.

After visiting the local convenience store and grabbing some staples – milk, cereal, coffee, bread, and that sort of stuff – she stopped at the fountain in the middle of the town to rest for a moment on one of the benches surrounding it. Even when she wasn’t running errands for her roommates, it was a nice little place she liked to stop at occasionally to gather her thoughts – and often quieter than the apartment, if only relatively so.

She didn’t have much time for introspection, however, as she soon heard shouting coming from up the way. She looked up to see the cause of the disruption: a lady calling out for a small dog who’d gotten away from her, embracing its opportunity to enjoy its newfound freedom by running like it had places to be.

Celeste quickly sprang into action, and managed to get the dog’s attention by clicking her tongue and holding her hand out to pique the canine’s curiosity. It happily trotted over to Celeste, tongue hanging out and tail wagging, allowing her to get a grip on its collar while she pet it. Soon enough, the owner had caught up.

“Thank you so much!” the woman said, as she hooked her leash to the dog’s collar. “Miss…?”

“Oh, you can call me ‘Celeste’,” she replied.

“Thank you, Celeste,” the woman continued. “I don’t know what happened; one moment, we had the door open, and the next, he’s suddenly making a break for it. I don’t know if I’d have been able to catch him before he reached the edge of town.”

“Don’t mention it, I’m just happy to help,” Celeste said, kneeling back down to the dog’s level. “What’s his name?” she asked, scratching him behind the ears as he occasionally licked at her face, tail wagging like he’d just discovered how.

“Rush,” the lady replied. “It’s the name of a dog from an old legend, who helped his master save the world.” Looking at the dog, she continued with some exasperated bemusement, “but maybe not the most fitting. I swear, this one will be the death of me.”

“Aww, I think it’s a nice name,” Celeste said, as she continued scratching Rush behind his ears and asking, “who’s a good boy?”

“Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, Celeste,” the lady said. “I’m Irene. But I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before. Are you just passing through, or…?”

“Oh, I’m kind of new in town,” Celeste said, a little sheepishly. “I just moved in with some friends in the apartments on the edge of town.”

“Oh…” the woman said, her tone shifting slightly. “I see. Well, I’d better be getting back, now,” she said as she started to lead the dog back the way they came. “It was a pleasure meeting you!”

“Bye,” Celeste said with a slight wave as she stood there, thinking to herself how the sudden shift in Irene’s demeanor was kind of strange. It wasn’t the first time someone had acted that way when they’d heard where she was living, however.

She soon shook it off, and decided she should be on her way as well. She scooped up her shopping bags and headed for the last stop on her trip.

“Welcome to Maple Sisters, where we rise to any occasion – oh, hello there, Celeste!”

The Maple Sisters was a bake shop in town, run by two sisters. Molly, the younger and more cheerful of the two sisters, tended to handle things in the front of the store.

“Hi, Molly!” said Celeste, as the door closed behind her with the jingling of the bell hanging from above.

Just as Molly turned to greet Celeste, she accidentally knocked over a rack of packaged pastries from atop the tall counter. But before she could even make it around the counter to pick them up, Celeste gathered them all and was putting them back, arranged by type.

“There you go!” Celeste said, as she put the last one away.

Molly smiled. “Thank you, dear! What brings you in here today?”

“Oh, you know. Just out running errands, seeing what looks good,” Celeste said.

“She probably just wanted to get out of that looney bin on the edge of town, and away from all those weirdos!”

Celeste and Molly looked up in the direction of the voice, which came from the door to the back of the shop, where all the baking was done.

“Sally!” Molly shouted to her older, gruffer, and flour-covered sister, who now stood in the doorway. “You can’t just say things like that to the customers!” she added.

“Oh, give it a rest, Moll,” Sally shot back. “Everyone in town knows it’s true. Especially after the toga incident!”

Celeste was a little taken aback by all this. Before she could speak up in her friends’ defense, though, Sally continued.

“You, though, you’re alright,” Sally continued, as she looked at Celeste. “You know, if you ever want to get out of there, we can fix you up with a place to stay, and even put you right to work!”

Celeste smiled a bit nervously. It wasn’t the first time someone had made the offer to “help get her out of there,” but it didn’t feel right to her. They were the ones who’d helped her, after all – heck, she practically owed her life to them.

“I’ll… think about it,” Celeste said, sheepishly. She didn’t want to burn any bridges, after all, and though she may not be looking to move out, maybe it was better to keep any job prospects open?

“Eh, suit yourself, dear,” Sally said as she wiped her hands on a towel before throwing it over her shoulder and heading back to work. “The offer stands!” she called out from the back, muttering something about “whenever you come to your senses” afterward.

“Sorry about that,” Molly whispered. After a moment of awkward silence, she spoke up, and added, “We’re, ah, having a special on muffins… three for 1,300 zenny?”

“Muffins!” Celeste said, trying to bring an air of normality back to the room. “That sounds great!” she said, thinking to herself that she wouldn’t have enough left over to get anything for herself. But that was okay; the others would love them.

After picking out a trio of muffins using what little money had been allotted to her, she soon made her way back to the duplex apartment they occupied on the edge of town.

On the way, she passed the landlord’s office, which occupied a separate building apart from the duplex. As she saw the landlord’s face peeking out of one of the windows, she offered a wave, but he quickly closed the shades in response. It struck Celeste as a little weird in itself, yet it didn’t seem to be an unusual occurrence when she passed by.

Entering the apartment, it was clear that everyone else was busy doing their own things. Nytetrayn was out back in the fenced-in enclosure behind their apartment, working on his – what did he call it? A “Ride Armor”? Whatever that was. Or sometimes he’d just call it a “mech” for short.

Music blared from behind the closed bathroom door, as Janine was doing whatever it was she did in there. The door to Fenix’s bedroom was also closed, albeit for apparently different reasons. His voice made its way through periodically, though, as she could hear him shouting things, such as, “C’MON, REF! ARE YOU BLIND?!” and “HE DIDN’T EVEN HIT YOU THAT HARD, YOU PANSY!”

Okay, so maybe this lot was a little weird. But who wasn’t? She enjoyed their company just the same, and they seemed to like her, and that’s what mattered, right?

After putting everything else away, she went around and called for her roommates. “NYTE! JAN! FENIX!”

Fenix stormed out of his room, muttering something about how, “I’ll show them, I’ll show them all,” while Nyte entered wiping his hands on a towel after a quick stop at the kitchen sink, and Janine came out of the bathroom wrapped in one towel, with another around her hair.

“Hey, Cel, what’s up?” asked Nyte.

“I just got back from shopping, and I picked you guys up a little something,” she said, holding up the box from the bakery. All three leaned in close as she opened it up, and made a drawn out “Ooh!” sound in unison as she distributed the baked goods accordingly.

First up was Fenix. The son of a ruthless Air Pirate, he liked to put on an intimidating front, often wearing his masked helmet beyond any reasonable need to. But Celeste could tell that beyond all his bluster about guns, women, and wrestling, deep down, he was a bit of a softy.

“Thanks, kiddo!” said the towering Digger, as he took his lemon poppyseed muffin and tousled her hair a little bit before walking away, trying to figure out if there was a way he could eat it without removing his helmet.

Next was Janine. Unlike Celeste, she had a very open, liberated demeanor. She was unafraid of showing off her body or being flirtatious… very flirtatious. She was also built like a literal goddess, which Celeste couldn’t help but find a little intimidating, if not humbling.

She’d been imprisoned in a ruin underground for who knows how long, but now that she was free, she was making the most of what life had to offer. She enjoyed social interactions in any form they took, and now she treated life like one big, never-ending weekend.

“Thanks, dear!” said the not-quite-as-towering (but still pretty tall) Bureaucratic Unit, as she brought Celeste in for a big, embarrassing hug square against her chest, before taking her cranberry muffin and skedaddling with it.

Finally, there was Nytetrayn. She didn’t know much about him, except that he otherwise seemed like the most “normal” of the group. He really enjoyed digging and working on stuff to facilitate that, and it was thanks to him that she was even here at all. After all, he was the one who provided the large refractor which could power the equipment used to bring her out of her coma. When she revealed she had no memory and nowhere else to go, he didn’t hesitate to invite her to stay with them, and in a way, seemed like he felt responsible for her. Heck, he’d even given up his bedroom to sleep on the sofa, just so she’d have a reasonably-comfortable place to rest.

“Thanks, Cel,” said the shortest of her three roommates, though he was still a good head taller than her. He took his chocolate-blueberry muffin and stepped aside to eat it, but as he was about to take a big bite off of the top of his confection, he stopped short when he noticed something. “Where’s yours?” he asked.

“Oh, the special was only for three, and I didn’t have enough left over for anything else,” Celeste explained.

Nyte looked at his again, and back to Celeste, who was just smiling as she prepared to toss the package into recycling, happy that her gift was a hit with her friends. He looked at his muffin again before splitting it in two. It was a little uneven, and after a moment’s thought, he held up the slightly-bigger half to her. “Here,” he said. “You should have some, too.”

“Oh, thank you!” Celeste said, as she accepted the half-muffin, and the two enjoyed their treat together.

On the other side of the room, Janine was stifling the biggest, shiny-eyed, high-pitched sound of adulation imaginable as she watched the two. They didn’t pay her any mind, though, even after Fenix walked over and dragged her away.

To be continued…

—–

Legends of the Halcyon Era is a work of fan fiction set in the world of Mega Man Legends. It is largely adapted from a series of freeform RPG sessions, combining ideas from several contributors, and further fleshed out here in a prose format.

David Oxford, also known as LBD “Nytetrayn,” is a lifelong Mega Man fan who, along with his wife Nadia, has co-written the Mega Man Robot Master Field Guide and Mega Man X Maverick Hunter’s Field Guide from UDON Entertainment, and runs The Mega Man Network (themmnetwork dot com). You can also find him on Twitter @LBD_Nytetrayn and @themmnetwork, and on Twitch and YouTube under the name “Nyteworks.”

You can also find Legends of the Halcyon Era as it updates at Archive of Our Own.

Thanks for reading! And if you like what we’re doing here, please consider supporting us through Patreon or Ko-Fi!

Character art by Victor Campan. Logo by Tabitha Ramsey. And I basically put it all together with an edited background.