Protector
NOTES: This tale is the first part of my Final Fantasy IV trilogy, which
continues with "My Enemy, My Friend" and finishes with "Reunion". Also, a
lot of the dialogue in this tale is straight out of the video game, so if
there's too much of the spoken word... well, that's just how it is.
VARIANCES: For those who have only played the American version (easy type)
Gilbert=Edward
Cain=Kain
Golbeze=Golbez
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Rydia, seven years old and quite frightened, stood on the west slopes of
Mount Hobs. The wind was blowing fiercely, and the few clothes she had
didn't seem enough to keep her warm. She glanced over her shoulder to see
the white mage, Rosa, who stood there waiting patiently. "Come on, Rydia,
just cast the fire spell," she called out.
"No!" she said, nearly in tears. "I hate fire!"
Cecil, who had "rescued" her from the village of Mist (under rather
uncertain circumstances), turned to Rosa. "It's because her village was
destroyed in a fire..."
Rydia grimaced. [A fire that you created, Cecil. Never mind that it was
your job and your orders... it's still your fault. And you have the gall to
mention this so calmly, as if you had nothing to do with it...]
Rosa nodded at Cecil's words and came to stand next to Rydia. "Rydia," she
said softly, "I understand how you feel."
[Sure you do,] Rydia thought bitterly.
"But, if we don't get through to Fabul, even more people will die... you're
the only one who can get us through this wall of ice. Please, Rydia," the
white mage begged.
Rydia glanced at Rosa, noticing for the first time her gentle face, now
covered by worry and anxiety. [She really cares about these people, people
she doesn't even know.] "I... I'll try..." she said uncertainly, and took a
step toward the ice blocking the path up the mountain.
Casting a fire spell was the hardest thing Rydia had ever tried to do. Any
time she worked up the courage to try, she would once again see in her
mind's eye the village of Mist, burning. The thick black smoke choking and
blinding her, the ashes of ruined buildings burning her skin, and the
horrible screams of the dying summoners all around her... these were things
she could not forget.
[But I have to try,] she reminded herself. Forcibly shutting out the mental
images as best she could, she meditated to gather the magical power she
needed to cast the spell. It was a simple spell, but... [There!] she
thought, fiercely determined as she grasped the power and quickly reshaped
it into the elemental spell.
"Fire!" she practically screamed in desperation as she let loose the wave
of flame, turning away as fast as she could and gasping for breath at the
effort it took to cast that spell.
She looked back at the slopes as the hot air cooled and the hellish red
haze faded from sight, and she saw the blackened earth in front of her -
the wall of ice had vanished. Not even a trace of water remained. [What
have I done?] she thought, horrified and impressed at the same time.
Rosa ran up to her and dropped to one knee, giving her a warm hug as she
said, "You did it, Rydia!"
Rydia panted, still trying to get some air into her lungs, then blushed a
little as Rosa gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "I knew you could do it,"
she heard Rosa whisper as she stood up.
Rydia stood there pensively for a while, then hurried to catch up before
the party left her behind.
----------
Later that day, Rydia was left alone with Rosa in one of the castle's
towers as the men - Cecil, Prince Gilbert, and the monk Yang - prepared for
battle. Rydia didn't know very many healing spells, but what she did know
could be a great help; at least, that's what the king of Fabul told her.
"If they need my help," she mused out loud, rather thoughtfully, "Fabul
must be in a lot of trouble."
Rosa turned and looked at her. "Yes, they are. In fact, we'll probably have
to perform more burial rites than healing spells." She sighed. "I really,
really hate this. Soldiers and warriors just don't seem to care how many
innocents get wounded or killed, they just worry about following orders. I
could never do that..."
Rydia looked at the slightly older woman. "But you still like Cecil, Miss
Rosa? Even after... what he did..." she trailed off brokenly, not wanting
to continue the thought any further.
Rosa put an arm around the girl. "Sometimes I wonder about him..." [No one
should have to go through what you have, especially at your age.]
Rydia buried her head in Rosa's chest and began to cry soundlessly, tears
falling from her cheeks. "My... my mother is dead... she died right in
front of my eyes and I couldn't do a thing to save her," she managed to say
after a few minutes. [And it's Cecil's and Cain's fault,] she thought but
didn't say.
Rosa wrapped her arms comfortingly around Rydia, letting her cry as much as
she needed to cry. She wanted to help this girl, to comfort her and bring
her through this terrible time in her life, but she just didn't know what
else to do or say. [Is this what it's like to have children, to be a...
mother?] she thought, mulling over things a bit while Rydia shifted in her
arms.
Eventually, Rydia looked up at Rosa, who was shocked to see the pain in the
younger girl's bloodshot eyes. "I'll never live a normal life," she said,
and Rosa could hear the raw, bitter emotion behind her words. It tore at
her heart as she realized, seemingly for the first time, that Cecil and his
friend were solely responsible for the devastation this poor girl had lived
through.
"Miss Rosa?" Rydia asked quietly, jarring her out of her rather depressing
thoughts.
"Yes?" she responded tenderly.
"Will you... will you be my protector?"
Rosa blinked, momentarily at a loss for words. [Protector?]
"I can't trust a Dark Knight to protect me, after what he did..." she
continued softly. "Will you watch over me?"
Rosa nodded, her mind made up. "I will," she said. "I'll do everything in
my power to keep you safe."
The younger girl wrapped her arms around Rosa's neck and kissed her softly
on the cheek, drawing a slight blush. "Thank you, Miss Rosa."
"Please," Rosa said, somewhat embarrassed, "just call me Rosa."
----------
Just a few hours later, the battle had been joined. The Red Wings had
commenced with their preferred method of attack, saturation bombing. The
castle was filled with the noise of battle, and the carpet was stained red
(among other colors) with the blood of those already slain.
Rosa and Rydia had managed to take refuge in the secret area next to the
throne room, Rydia providing the means to dispatch stray monsters while
Rosa made sure they both survived the frightening trip from the tower.
Sadly, there was almost no one alive to heal.
Just moments later, the girls saw Cecil, Gilbert, and Yang come into the
throne room. Rydia paled as she saw Gilbert nearly die before the other two
came back to kill the two monsters threatening him. Gilbert, she thought,
was a decent guy as far as guys go. He deserved better than a painful,
messy death at the hands (claws?) of those Gargoyles.
"To the Crystal!" they both heard Cecil say according to his particular
idiom, and the three men dashed into the Crystal Room. [They don't even
have the sense to lock the door behind them,] Rosa thought sadly. She was
about to go out and lock the door when another figure entered.
It was Cain, with a demonic grin on his face. Shadowed as it was by his
dragon helm, he looked... not quite human.
Rosa shuddered at the sight and glanced at Rydia to see her face pale and
drawn and her jaw set. She remembered Cain, obviously, and the memories
were none too pleasant. "He hasn't changed at all," she said through
clenched teeth. "Not a bit."
Cain disappeared into the Crystal Room. "Will Cecil need help?" Rosa asked,
more to herself than to Rydia.
[Does he deserve help?] Rydia thought bitterly. "We'd better go anyway,"
she said reluctantly, and crept out into the throne room. Rosa followed her
closely, keeping an eye out for any stray monsters.
The two reached the door just as Cecil spoke. "Cain!" he said gladly. "Come
to fight with us?"
"Certainly." Cain's tone grew uglier. "But against you!"
"What?!" Cecil exclaimed, quite horrified as the implications of the remark
hit him.
"Single combat, Cecil!" the Dragon Knight yelled at the Dark Knight as he
jumped into combat. Rosa and Rydia stood horrified as the two men, once
friends, started attacking each other in a frenzy. Cecil was good with his
sword, there was no doubt about that; but how was he supposed to hit
someone who spent half his time in the air?
"Got you!" Cain yelled after an incredibly vicious shot, and Cecil
collapsed onto the floor. "Now to finish you off," he said cruelly as he
withdrew his spear and poised for a quick, deadly thrust.
"NO!" Rosa yelled and bolted into the room, Rydia following close behind
but remembering to shut the door. "Cain," she said tearfully, "don't do
this!"
Cain looked at her, then quickly looked away. "Don't... don't look at me,"
he groaned, sounding human for the first time as he put his hands to his
head. Everyone was trying to figure out just what to do when a cold, deep
voice rang out, reaching to the far corners of the Crystal Room.
"Why so troubled, Cain?"
Everyone's attention was drawn to the door, where an imposingly tall man in
black full platemail stood. This could be none other than the infamous Dark
Lord - "Golbeze!" Gilbert yelled furiously, even as his face turned an
interesting shade of gray. The prince was the only one of the party who had
seen Golbeze before, and it was in some decidedly unpleasant circumstances.
"That's right," Golbeze said icily. "And now, I'll be taking that crystal."
Yang blocked the path. "Over my dead body!" he proclaimed loudly as Gilbert
bravely took a stand behind him.
A faint, mirthless smile touched Golbeze's lips. "That's the idea."
Rydia's heart nearly stopped as Golbeze lifted a hand and, without any
preparation whatsoever, fired off a searing green lightning bolt, cutting
straight through Yang and Gilbert and throwing them to the side. "Cain," he
said calmly, "get the crystal."
"Yes, Master Golbeze," Cain replied eagerly and started up the path.
Rosa ran after him. "Cain, don't do it!" she cried out, not realizing
Golbeze was right behind her.
Cecil looked up painfully from his spot on the floor. "Rosa!" he said
weakly. "Get... get away from him!"
Golbeze walked up and firmly grasped Rosa's arm. "So, you value this girl's
life, hmm?" he said, looking at Cecil. "I'll take her as my battle prize,
then."
Rydia felt like she had been punched in the stomach. [That arrogant, evil
man... if I had the knowledge I'd summon every beast I could throw at him!
But there's nothing I can do now...] She just stood there, totally
powerless to stop Golbeze as he walked out of the room with Rosa in tow,
his black cape billowing out and eventually covering Rosa from sight.
Cain grabbed the crystal and hurried after the retreating Dark Lord. He
paused by the prostrate Dark Knight and muttered, "You got off lucky this
time, Cecil," then left quickly.
"Rosa..." Cecil moaned pitifully.
Rydia was thinking about her, too, and nothing else. [Rosa... you told me
you'd protect me. It looks like I need to protect you, instead.]
[One day,] she thought, far more coldly than a normal seven-year-old girl
could even imagine, [I will be the most powerful summoner in the world. I
will have full control of my powers, and I will use every method at my
disposal to crush Golbeze into dust and atoms and rescue you.]
[And then... only then... we can be together again.]
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