Author's Mumblings: I've kept a lot of details true to the classic NES game, such as names (the Light Warriors' names are no more than 4 digits long, because that's all the game allowed) and items and whatnot, but I've taken some creative liberties, too. The White Mage, for example, is a woman. Frankly, I think that makes total sense, since her robe looks like a dress and she has long, red hair. You could even argue that the white magic she casts paints her as a mother figure, protecting the rest of the party, or some such nonsense. Whatever. The main thing is the Red Mage: He's always been my favorite character. He's a snappy dresser. Who wouldn't love him?
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or any of its characters. I am neither a square nor soft.
Coneria was a small but beautiful kingdom on the tip of a broad peninsula in an inland sea. The soil was rich and fertile and the citizens were sheltered from storms on all sides by the vast continents that wrapped around. For the most part, the inhabitants were happy. The King was a kind and fair man, and their kingdom was far removed from the dangers of the world. They all heard the stories of what went on beyond their safe city walls. They all knew of the dangerous creatures that lurked in the forests, the pirates in the sea, and the Dark Elf that waged war somewhere far to the south, and rumors of four elemental Fiends, but it was all so far away. They all felt safe. All, that is, except for Lukahn.
Lukahn the Prophet warned of danger for Coneria and the rest of the world. One day, he gave a speech before the entire kingdom, where he made a series of predictions. First, he predicted that those closest to the King would betray him; second, darkness would fall on Coneria; and last, when all hope seemed lost, four warriors would arrive bearing four orbs who would go forth to bring light back to the world. These Light Warriors, he said, would be the saviors of Coneria. Shortly afterwards, Lukahn went on a pilgrimage to Crescent Lake and was never heard from again.
One who doubted the words of the prophet was Garland, the King's knight. He vowed to protect Coneria to his dying breath and believed he was strong enough to stop anything the dark forces could throw at him. In a sense, he was correct. It was not darkness that would be his undoing, but love.
The King's wife had been dead for some time, and he worried about having an heir to the throne, so he finally married a young princess named Jane, making her his Queen. Jane cared for the older King, but she wanted children desperately. After a year of marriage to him, she knew what the King would not admit to himself: He had no heirs from his previous marriage because he was infertile. One night, Jane crept down to Garland's bedchamber and woke him. "Give me a child," she whispered to him.
Soon after, the royal family welcomed Princess Sara. Although the King was expected to want a son for an heir, he was delighted with his daughter and loved her more than anything in the world. "Could we have another?" He asked Queen Jane.
"A Prince?" She asked.
"Another Princess."
She smiled warmly at him and kissed his face, hoping the guilt did not show on hers. That night, she again visited Garland, and visited him every night for a month until she was sure she was pregnant, again. For her, it was simply a matter procreation. Garland, however, saw it as making love, and he told her so. She vowed never to sleep with him, again.
Years passed, and the king and queen raised their daughters, but Garland could not stop thinking about Jane. Each year, his obsession grew stronger and stronger. On Sara's sixteenth birthday, Garland said to Jane, "Please come to my room tonight. I must have you."
Jane fixed him with a cold stare. "I do not know what you are talking about. If ever say anything like that to me again, I shall have your tongue cut out of your dirty mouth."
Garland carefully hid his rage. He calmly told his squire, Mace, that it was time for Princess Sara's horseriding lesson. Sara, her attendants, Mace, and Garland all rode outside of the city walls. As soon as they out of sight of the town, Garland attacked the aides and rode off with Princess Sara. He took her to an ancient ruin, the Temple of Fiends, far to the north and bound and gagged her. He paced anxiously, wondering what to do next, when he heard a voice come from somewhere near the altar.
"What will you do, now, Sir Garland? You can never go back to Coneria."
"Who are you?" Garland demanded, drawing his sword. "Show yourself!"
"You poor child, cast aside by that evil woman," The voice went on. "We can help you get revenge on her. We can make her wish she had never crossed you. We can help you seek vengeance on everyone."
"I am hardly a child," Garland said, approaching the altar. "I'm getting old." He jumped around the altar, but there was no one on the other side. The voice laughed. It seemed to be coming from everywhere, now.
Sara watched with growing fear. She could hear no voice other than Garlands. As she watched, he continued speaking to this unseen force. From what she could discern, it seemed to be striking a bargain with him. After a time, a deal was struck, and Garland opened his arm with a knife over the altar. Blood splattered on the cold stone. Sara tried to scream, but the gag muffled it. And then, all at once, the light was sucked out of the room. Darkness flowed in a tangible stream through the air, to the altar, and into Garland's wounds, healing them. His eyes turned black and his muscles swelled under his armor. Sara screamed again, but this time, the noise was drowned by the sound of thunder outside. A storm the likes of which no one had ever seen was brewing. It swept through Coneria, damaging the town. When it finally blew over, the King sent some men out to find Garland and the others. They found bodies, and a gravely injured Mace, who told them what had happened. As they carried him back to the castle, they were attacked by Imps; dark creatures who had not been seen in the area for hundreds of years. It was then that they knew that Darkness had come to Coneria.