Final Fantasy IV is the copyright property of Square Enix, and therefore, I do not hold any rights regarding the characters and the overall plot used in this story.
This FFIV novelization will be taking material from both the original release and the DS remake. More than that, however, this is my own retelling of the classic series and the changes made to it will hopefully serve to enchant the reading experience.
Lastly, I would like to thank Saika and goodwitch08 for taking the time to beta read this first chapter for me.
"Captain. If all goes according to schedule, the Red Wings will be arriving over Mysidia approximately 1 hour from now, and that the entire fleet should become clearly visible to its citizens in the next 5 minutes."
Within the small chamber, a man clad in full, darkened armor looked towards his lieutenant before he gave a polite nod. His attention then shifted to his left at a group of mages, all of whom were chanting quietly with their arms outstretched towards a brilliant yellow light found at the very center of their circle, "Are there any problems arising on this end?"
"No, Sir Cecil," A short, brown-haired black mage who Cecil was unfamiliar with answered, her face still tight in concentration, "As was discussed in the briefing, the Serpent's Road is maintained through the two ends of both Baron and Mysidia. It's not so much a question on whether or not we can teleport all of your soldiers in, but how many we can send before the Mysidians close their side of the gate. Please keep that in mind."
"I see..." the dark knight trailed off as he glanced around the stone-walled chamber and saw the sober faces of his men as they prepared themselves for the upcoming battle, "So, it's almost time..."
"Captain, if I may?"
Cecil turned to see the anxious face of Owen, one of the new recruits under his command, and he asked, "Yes? What is it, Owen?"
It took several moments before the rookie soldier could seem to find the right words, and when he did speak, it was with a good deal of reserve, "... I can understand if we were on the battlefield, meeting the enemy as they meet us. Yet this... without even a formal declaration..."
Cecil closed his eyes and recalled his carefully prepared answers before he spoke, "As much as chivalry may demand it of us, there is no true etiquette when it comes to war. This strategy laid out by his majesty will allow both the greatest degree of success and the lowest number of casualties."
"But... We've always had peaceful relations with Mysidia. Yet now, on a whim, his highness—"
"Hold your tongue, Owen. It wouldn't do for you to so speak broad and ill of the one whom you swore your loyalties to," Lieutenant Klaus rebuked, yet his anger subsided as Cecil placed a hand on the veteran warrior's shoulders.
"Remember, we are merely the blade wielded to serve the kingdom, and that his majesty's orders are for the good of Baron. The Water Crystal has brought much prosperity to the town of Mysidia, and with it our own kingdom will grow greater still..."
"Captain… This isn't… This isn't why I wanted to become a knight of Baron... "
"... If you wish, you may be grouped with the last dispatch team that passes through the gate. I'm sorry, but this is the extent I can do for you."
"Sir Cecil, 35 seconds have already passed since the appointed time of operation," the unfamiliar black mage chided in.
"Right, right..." the dark knight unsheathed his sword and pointed it towards the light. He then shouted with as much heart as he was able to muster, "Onward men! For Baron!"
With his men' war cry at his back, Cecil jumped into the portal; his entire form felt weightless and free as he was engulfed by the brilliant bright light.
"...ir Cecil..! Sir Cecil! Look alive! His highness demands your immediate appearance, and daydreaming in front of his eminence's presence would hardly be proper conduct for a man of Baron to act."
Snapping out of his reverie, the dark knight diverts his eyes away from the silent, gleaming light of Mysidia's Water Crystal in his hands, and he looks into the face of an irate Baigan bearing down on him; strands of his usually well-kept, dirty blond hair looking slightly disheveled. Cecil makes an apologetic gesture which the royal guards' captain pompously ignores before standing to follow him into the corridor leading to the King's audience chamber.
Inside the room, Baron's king sits leisurely atop his throne, his gaze following the two figures entering his chamber. Cecil and Baigan walk up to the base of the steps that lead up to the king's throne before they crotch down to one knee and bow.
"Your majesty," They chorus in unison.
Moments passed as the king of Baron simply regards Cecil's still form before speaking, "I see you were successful in retrieving the Crystal."
Without taking his eyes of the floor, Cecil replies, "Yes, your majesty."
"I would have it."
"Sire."
Looking up and to his side, Cecil sees Baigan standing with his hand extended towards him. A single beat went by, one the dark knight hoped had gone unnoticed, before he relinquishes the Crystal to the royal guards' captain. Baigan makes his way up the steps, delivers the Crystal to the king and then resumes his stationed position by the sovereign's side.
"Marvelous," the king awes, his gaze focused entirely on the Crystal, "Excellent work, Cecil. You may leave us."
The dark knight stands and moves to leave, however, his mounting uneasiness slows his pace while his haunting thoughts give rise to his voice, "Your majesty."
Baron's king silently glances back at Cecil while Baigan's face shows greater signs of annoyance at the interruption, "His highness has given you leave, yet you impose on his presence even further? The insolence."
Swallowing, Cecil begins, "Forgive me, Sire, but my men have begun forming doubts regarding his majesty's policies as of late... And without any given explanation, their misgivings will only grow heavier. "
"As will yours?"
"No..! Your majesty, I would never—"
"Never question his highness' intentions?" Baigan interjects, "But you have just done so. If not from yourself, than through your soldiers whom you bear the overseeing responsibility for."
"Your majesty..!" Cecil pleads.
"How little you must think of me, Cecil, for so little a reason as to sway your loyalties away," closing his eyes, the king of Baron takes a deep breath before continuing, "I see now that placing so heavy a burden on you was a lapse in my own judgment. To correct this, I hereby strip you of your duties as captain of the Red Wings this very moment."
"Please! Sire..!"
The sound of twin doors opening behind him causes Cecil alarm enough to whip his head around. He eases upon seeing it is his best friend and good rival Kain entering the audience chamber. The dragoon makes a quick bow to the king before speaking, "Pardon the intrusion, my liege, but Cecil would never come to doubt his majesty's will. He has always—"
Raising his hand to demand silence, the king ignores Kain's outburst and goes on, "There is a task in need of completion. Renew your vow of allegiance: to your sword, to your king, to your kingdom and to yourself by completing this feat."
Taking out a small item from the inner folds of his robe, the King hands Baigan a ring the color of deep burgundy and in turn the royal guards' captain gives the ring to the dark knight.
"Go to Mist by tomorrow's early light. You will need that ring for the mission I have set for you," Turning his focus onto the dragoon, the king continues, "And Kain. Since you have displayed such a vested interest in his well-being, you may accompany Cecil to see his task become wholly successful."
Cecil and Kain look at each other, questions filling their minds as they stand confused with the simple, yet vague set of instructions laid out by the king. The dark knight hesitantly asks, "But Sire, what are we to do if we are able to reach Mist? And what is necessary to complete this task?"
"Cecil, do you distrust me?"
"Never, your majesty," the dark knight responses instinctively.
"Then this is all you will need to know. This too is part of your trial," The last of the king's words stabs sharply at the dark knight's heart, and he starts to recall the countless good the sovereign has done for him since his infancy. Upon reflection, it seems like pure blasphemy to question the wisdom of the man who had practically raised him as his own.
The king gestures that any further discussion on the matter is now closed. The two knights make a quick bow to the king before leaving the audience chamber. As they arrive back in the recreation room, they finally feel free enough to speak their thoughts.
"... No worries, Cecil," Kain reassures, sternly patting his friend's back as they continue to make their way to the soldiers' resting quarters, "Once we've completed this task for his majesty, he's sure to restore your position as the Red Wing's captain in no time."
Shaking his head, Cecil replies, "It's not that, Kain..."
"Oh? And just what exactly is it then? Perhaps you mean to leave me do all the work while you steal the glory? I must say your cunningness as a black knight have certainly sharpened, if nothing else," the dragoon sneers, though his eyes remain without spite.
Cecil responds to Kain's good-natured ribbing as best as he could, however, he is only able to manage a half smile in return. Before the dark knight could think up a snide comeback of his own, the two knights spot Cid, chief engineer to Baron's Red Wings, and the cleric Rosa, a long time friend of theirs since childhood, waiting outside the quarters.
Being the first of the two to notice their arrival, Rosa happily calls out, "Cecil! Kain!"
"Hey, you two sure took your sweet time. Rosa here was just about to storm up to the king's throne room herself if you were few seconds slower in bringin' him in, Kain."
"Cid!" the cleric cries indignantly, her face slightly flushed as she quickly turns towards the dark knight, "Are you ok, Cecil? Are you hurt anywhere? How about the other soldiers? Were there any injuries or deaths? From Mysidian's side as well..?"
"Yes, I'm perfectly fine, Rosa. And no, while there were several soldiers who sustained injuries during the assault, none of them died or were too severely wounded. The Mysidians..." Cecil gazes down and shakes his head, "The overall outcome could have been far worse. It was thanks to his majesty's strategy that the battle ended as quickly and cleanly as it could..."
"Jeez, what the hell is the king thinkin'? He has me workin' my fingers to the bone on those airships only to turn around and use them for this..!" Cid grumbles with a deep frown etched beneath the great bush that is his brown beard, "At least I have Cecil here to take care my babies while they're away from home."
Lowering his gaze, Cecil begins to say, "About that, I—"
"Cecil and I have been charged with an crucial mission by his majesty, so he won't be able to look after your airships for awhile, Cid," Kain interrupts as he casts a fleeting glance at his friend, "Since we leave for Mist early tomorrow, it would do well of us to retire for the day."
"Yeah... probably should go back home and finally get a good nights sleep myself. Haven't been back at the house for well over a week now, so my daughter might be gettin' mighty worried," Cid muses while scratching his beard. He then makes a final wave to the other three and trots off towards the castle gate leading to town. Rosa continues to study Cecil's demeanor a moment more before speaking.
"It is getting rather late, so I shall retire as well," Rosa's eyes shifts between the two knights; her gaze lingering on the dark knight for a good while longer, "Safe travels you two, and please take care of yourselves."
The cleric follows after Cid and the two knights watch her depart. Just as soon as she was out of earshot, Cecil turns to his friend and says, "Thanks, Kain. I owe you one."
Turning his eyes away, the dragoon replies with an unexpected iciness, "Hn. Don't bother thanking me."
"Kain..?"
"Make sure you get some rest for tomorrow's journey, since we don't know what to be expecting," Kain asserts and without waiting for a reply, he opens the quarters door and heads inside. Cecil attempts to follow him, but loses track of the dragoon in the sea of soldiers filling the rooms.
Having reasoned that his friend merely wished to be left alone, Cecil makes his way to the upper floors. It is only as he approaches closer to his bedchamber does he realize how truly fatigue he feels. As soon as he enters his room, the dark knight places the king's ring on top of his cabinet and leans his sheathed sword up against the wall. He then removes his helmet and sheds his heavy armor plates onto the floor before flopping unceremoniously onto his bed. And though his body remains weary, sleep would not take Cecil as relentless thoughts continued to plague his mind. He spent what seemed like hours looking out his window, simply watching one of the twin moons shine with a dull gleam.
The Hanging Moon and the Waning Moon, the former being the only one presently occupying the night sky. As the name implies, there is a set cycle pattern the Waning Moon undergoes depending on the days and the seasons. Tonight marks its renewal phase where it vanishes only to gradually reappear again in the following nights to come. By contrast, its twin is the polar opposite. Looking to be 3 times bigger than the sun, the Hanging Moon can still be seen looming over the earth even on the brightest of days. It has remained static and motionless throughout the centuries, so much so that many astronomers are no longer researching any aspects regarding its nature.
"Cecil?" A muffled voice suddenly calls, followed by two soft knocks at the door, "Are you awake..?"
Recognizing the voice, the dark knight ponders for several seconds on whether or not to answer; his burning need to relieve himself of his guilt battling with his desire for others not to be burdened with his worries. Her continued, persistent presence gives Cecil the final incentive to get up and open the door for Rosa who remains standing outside the doorway.
The cleric looks at Cecil with concern before she finally speaks, "Are you truly alright?"
Turning away, the dark knight replies, "Like I said before, I'm fine."
"If that is so, then why won't you look at me?" Rosa questions while she takes this moment to step closer to Cecil's side, "You're troubled by what transpired in Mysidia, aren't you? It's perfectly natural for you to feel this way, Cecil, because you're a good man who would never willingly wish harm onto others."
"It's not just that..." the dark knight trails off, looking reluctant to say anymore. However, Rosa does not press him for further details and instead waits for him to continue. A couple of minutes pass before he looks ready to speak.
"... Despite all my doubts, I still carried out the deed in the name of his majesty. Despite all my misgivings, I was still too timid to truly speak my thoughts towards the king," Casting his eyes to the floor, the dark knight solemnly exclaims, "I'm such a miserable, cowardly wretch."
"No. The Cecil I know is no coward. Not the Cecil I love..." Rosa declares, and the conversation suddenly trends to a topic neither one is willing to pursue at this point. A long, resounding silence follows.
"You leave for Mist tomorrow," the white mage states as a means to fill the mute void.
"You need not worry. Kain will be with me," Cecil replies gratefully, placing a hand on her shoulder in a way of reassurance, "The hour is late, you should get some rest."
"Just promise me you'll be careful, and that you'll come back to me," Rosa implores before she turns to dash out of the quarters. As soon as the white wizard is out of sight, Cecil closes the door and returns to bed; the darkness of the room his only solace as he drifts off to a dreamless sleep.
Cecil promptly arouses from his slumber and looks out his window to see the sky still dark, yet just light enough to drown out the many stars over the horizon. Feeling it's a good enough time to start preparing himself, the dark knight suits back up in his body armor and dons his helmet. He takes his sword, unsheathes it and checks in acute detail the condition of the blade.
Finding everything satisfactory, the dark knight's free hand reaches towards his cabinet but pauses. A few beats pass before he lowers his hand and opens one of the cabinet drawers. Taking out a small black box from within, Cecil simply stares at it; the events from last night playing involuntarily through his head. He squeezes the box tenderly, the peace and security it provides already easing his heart and mind, before choosing to put it inside his inner pockets. He then swiftly takes the king's ring off the cabinet and leaves his room.
The dark knight makes his way down to the lower floors and exits the soldiers' quarters; the clanging of his armor as he moves being the only sound filling the torch-lit corridors. As he nears the castle gate, another fainter clanging noise can be heard. Cecil turns the last corner and is not surprised to see Kain, in full body armor with his signature dual-edged spear strapped to the harness sling on his back, making his way towards the gate at the opposite end.
As the two meet up in front of the gate, Kain easily greets, "Well then. Shall we, Cecil?"
Smiling, the dark knight fastens his helmet's visor down and responds, "Of course. I'll be counting on you, my friend."
"Ha! Just leave it to me." And so, the two knights leave the castle gates of Baron and set out towards the visible mountain range not too far away from their home. Their destination: the valley of Mist.