Legends of the Halcyon Era

Foreword & Prologue

Mega Man has been a part of my life for practically the entire time the franchise has been around.

I've made friends, I've had opportunities to do some pretty cool stuff, and I even met my wife, all thanks to Mega Man.

Even so, after a while, it's become something I almost feel like I've started to take for granted. It's something that feels like a part of me, and has been for a long time, and even when I'm not immediately focused on it, it's something that's still there. Even after relaunching this site at the start of the year, there was still something missing.

Then, several months ago, my wife and I sat down, and I got to watch the anime Cowboy Bebop for the first time, and parts of it reminded me of an RPG that I played with some friends many years ago. It was a freeform thing set in the world of Mega Man Legends, and the character interactions and such in the anime compelled me to look back at some of the logs I'd kept all these years. In doing so, I was reminded of the many good times, and what I believe were some good stories we ultimately ended up telling. I fell in love with that world again, and in turn, it helped reignite my passion for Mega Man, turning it from a flicker into a flame.

I also felt that they deserved more. Not only to have their untold stories finally told, but told to a wider audience that I hope will appreciate them, laugh with them, and maybe even have their emotions stirred by them.

I've been a writer for a long time now -- a couple of decades, at least -- but it's largely been news, articles, interviews, and things of that nature. Only on the rare occasion have I managed to dip my toe into any sort of fiction writing, and even then, the biggest thing was an ill-fated comic. So in a way, this is still kind of new to me, and I'm hoping to grow with the experience.

Don't think for a moment that this is a change in direction for The Mega Man Network, however. Now that the groundwork is laid, I hope to go between this and more reviews and the articles that you've seen over time, and ShadowRockZX is still here with the news as it happens. There are other things I'm trying to get rolling behind the scenes as well -- even while working on this, I haven't been ignoring the site.

As for the story, I understand it's probably not going to be everyone's cup of tea. While it takes place in the world of Mega Man Legends, it doesn't star MegaMan Volnutt or any of his cast and crew. I feel like that's not my story to tell -- maybe someday, if I'm really lucky, but not today. And for what it's worth, I'm going to try to keep things firmly within the "T" rating category, since that's as high as a Mega Man game has gotten.

Instead, I hope you'll join me to see what else might be happening in that far-flung future we all know and love. I've long enjoyed seeing and sharing what creations the members of the Mega Man fan community have made, from art to cosplay, music, videos, fan games, characters, and though it's been a while since I've had time to read any, fan fiction. Heck, it's through that last one that I met my wife, as I mentioned before. It's with that in mind that I humbly (and admittedly, a bit nervously) hope that you'll enjoy my own offering to the community and welcome it in kind.

Now, I happily present to you what I call "Legends of the Halcyon Era".

In a world covered by endless water...

The year is unknown, a number lost to the winds of time. Several thousand years ago, the planet known as Terra was plentiful in land and in life, but all of that has changed. Over the millennia, knowledge of what the world once was and how it came to be has been lost.

Vague clues to the past lie in various ruins scattered around the world, remains of a time long forgotten.

Amidst the vastness of the ocean covering this world, small islands and other patches of land stand above the waves, home to the people residing there. Forced to eke out a living on these islands, they rely on ancient technology, technology that utilizes a powerful energy source known as quantum refractors.

Throughout the ruins upon the land and the ocean, these refractors are sought out by the brave heroes of this world, explorers known as Diggers. It is through them that the civilizations of Terra gain the energy so badly needed to endure and survive.

Then there are the Reaverbots.

Remnants of the long lost civilizations of the past, no one knows exactly what the Reaverbots are, for what purpose they exist. Sticking to the ruins whose pasts they share, Reaverbots protect the precious refractors the Diggers seek. As such, they are typically viewed as an enemy to civilization.

On this day... two unsuspecting Diggers are about to find some of the most unusual Reaverbots ever seen... and something more.