Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy games, characters and locations are the property of Squaresoft. I am just a fan author writing my own stories for entertainment.
Author Note: Dialogue in this story might be somewhat different then the actuall FFIV: The After Years game. Some may even be the same, depending on whether I remember the script from the game correctly.
Prologue: The Red Wings
Seventeen years passed since the downfall of the renegade Zeromus at the hands of the paladin Cecil, the dragon knight Kain, the white mage Rosa, the summoner Rydia and the ninja Edge. The moon had since left, and Cecil and Rosa were wed and became King and Queen of the Kingdom of Baron.
Kain went into solitude on Mount Ordeals, Edge had become King of Eblan, and Rydia continued to live in her village.
Not long after Cecil and Rosa's coronation, the couple had a child of their own, who they had named Ceodore. Seventeen years later, Ceodore decided to enlist in the Red Wings air force against his mother's wishes, but unknown to Cecil, Rosa or their allies, a new adventure was about to begin.
Shortly after Ceodore signed up, a Red Wings airship deployed for Mithrill on a training mission. Prince Ceodore was accompanied by the Red Wings Commander Biggs and his second in command, Wedge.
As they landed by Mithrill, Biggs turned towards Ceodore" we will stay at the inn untill the Full Moon".
Ceodore asked" why is that?".
Wedge replied " the lunar energies from the different moon phases impact the effectiveness of white and black magic spells. Of course weapons will not necessarily be a liability".
The next day, Ceodore had gotten up sometime after dawn and headed to the mithrill mines with Wedge.
Once there, Biggs admonished "you're late, (sigh, what a worthless squire they stuck me with). Anyway, your mission is to retrieve the Knight Emblem".
Ceodore nodded" understood."
"Good, now lets move out" said Biggs. With that, the two soldiers and the trainee proceeded into the mines.
As they went deep into the caves and arrived at the first basement, Biggs, Wedge and Ceodore encountered a trio of goblins.
The group defeated the monsters easilly enough, then Biggs spoke with Ceodore" Wedge and I will wait here, you will go the rest of the way to retrieve the emblem.
Try to come back alive or forget about making it as a member of the Red Wings".
Wedge piped up" I'm sure you'll be fine. After all, you are the son of King Cecil and Queen Rosa"
" That has nothing to do with it" said Ceodore impatiently.
Biggs shrugged" at least you have a strong backbone about it, good luck".
Ceodore bravely made his way through the next floor and eventually came across a treasure chest.
Ceodore thought " This must be it" and proceeded to open it. Just as he did, a giant sandworm attacked.
Ceodore fought the monster as best he could when he was hit by its whirlwind spell.
Biggs and Wedge, who had decided to check on their trainee, rushed to his aid. Wedge cried out" Ceodore!"
"Stay back, this is my fight" breathed Ceodore.
Standing back on his feet, Ceodore raised his blade in both hands and focused on his latent Lunarian power. As soon as he boosted himself, Ceodore launched himself at the sandworm and proceeded to slice the living daylights out of it. The monster died from the attack, and Ceodore collapsed from exhaustian.
Biggs quickly ordered Wedge to cast a Cure spell on Ceodore, which he did. As soon as the prince recovered, Wedge smiled" Well done."
Ceodore nodded, then proceeded to pick up the Knight's Emblem (which is really a mummified rat tail). As soon as the job was done, Wedge spoke to Ceodore" I knew you could do it."
"Lets get back to the ship then" ordered Biggs.
As the trio took off in the airship after returning to Mithrill to rest, Wedge asked" so how does it feel to be a member of the Red Wings, Ceodore?".
The prince replied" I honestly don't know what to say"
"Of course you don't, the Knight's Emblem was actually a mummified rat tail, which is what you risked your life to get. It was only a test of your ressolve" said Biggs as they headed back towards Baron.
Ceodore's trials had just begun, but mysterious events were about to unfold.