Final Fantasy II Labyrinth of Nightmares Part 2: Hunters of Transient Dreams, Chapter 5
“Maria!” Firion drew Maria to him, cradling her gently against his chest as if she were a small animal. She was so overcome with joy that the only thing Maria could do was sob out Firion’s name as he held her against him. Guy looked over the two of them, choking back on his own emotions as he bore witness to the gesture of genuine affection between two of his best friends. Hilda and Minwu allowed the three of them to regain their composure before debriefing them on their current circumstances.
Deist had been the first country Palamecia had struck. Due to its close ties with Fynn, the survivors of that initial onslaught had immediately rushed to the aid of Fynn and Hilda. Hilda had marshalled the remaining forces into a rebel army under her leadership and they had hunkered down under the partially standing remains of what had once been the Royal Palace of Deist. It was a location of strategic importance as Deist was on the southern tip of the continent and allowed the rebel army to spy on the movement of Palamecia forces.
Hilda had sent out a squad from this army to retrieve Gordon, and by extension, Firion and his friends.
Firion opened his mouth to express his gratitude for the Princess’ timely rescue. “Princess Hilda, you have --”
She cut him off before he could continue. “You should express your thanks towards Minwu, not myself. It was his skill with magic that allowed us to retrieve your wandering soul.”
Firion forced his attention to the man in white in the corner of the room. “Thank you, Minwu.”
Minwu nodded in return.
“That man...” Firion mused, thinking of his most recent opponent. “He was a mage too. But his magic was evil.”
“You are referring to Count Borghen? I’ve had several reports concerning him from several of our forces stationed around the world. But Firion…” Princess Hilda trailed off, her regal brow furrowed in thought.
“Yes?” Firion responded.
“This is something that goes beyond magic as we understand it.”
“Beyond magic?”
Hilda turned to Minwu, allowing him to take over the explanation from there.
Minwu began explaining to Firion about magic, something he had devoted his life to mastering. Magic was a power derived from God; it was supposed to be a power used for the benefit of mankind.
However certain parties had learned that if they approached that training with a specific, powerful force, the magic could be warped into something malignant.
Firion interrupted Minwu’s lecture. “What was this powerful force?”
Minwu took a moment to gather his thoughts before quietly answering Firion’s question. “To deny God is an act of intentional malice. It invites the eyes of the Devil, and allows one to gain access to evil, supernatural powers.”
“Evil, supernatural powers?” Firion exclaimed.
As Minwu’s words turned over in their heads, Firion, Maria and Guy thought about Leon and Elma. They had only indirectly seen signs of potential possession in Leon when they had come across the mutilated corpse of Leon’s beloved dog Perry. Elma, whom they had faced directly, had seemed possessed by something intent on taking Firion’s life.
“Could it…” Firion trailed off, trying to order his thoughts in a calm and rational manner. “I mean, surely the malice of one man couldn’t destroy the world so quickly? Or cruelly?”
“You are correct, Firion.” said Princess Hilda. “I cannot help but feel that Emperor Mateus is not our true enemy. That there is another, more powerful, force working in tandem with him.”
“But Princess Hilda,” Maria asked in the small voice that could have come from a child, “How can anyone beat that kind of power?”
Hilda shook her head. “I don’t know.” she said. She straightened,determination glinting through her eyes as she continued to speak. “I don’t know. But so many young people, from all over the world, are coming to me. I can’t let them down. I refuse to fail, even if I am the only one remaining able to fight.”
Maria felt a sudden kinship with this woman before her. Like Hilda, Maria had suffered loss when her parents had been ripped from her in an instance. It wasn’t quite the same as your romantic partner being stolen from you before you could even begin to enjoy marriage, but Maria’s womanly heart ached for the princess even so.
At that moment, Gordon entered the room in brisk indignation. His eyes briefly slid over Firion before blatantly ignoring him to turn his ire fully on the princess, making it clear that Firion,and his earlier interference, had offended Gordon.
“Hilda!” Gordon barked, marching directly in front of her.” Hilda, I demand an explanation. I’ve been informed that I have been removed from the battle corps. I am in perfect health. I have every intention of returning to the front lines immediately-”
Hilda cut him off with an imperious gesture of her hand. “You have proven yourself inept with command, Gordon,” she told him coldly. “I will not allow you to abuse the soldiers under my care any further. The front lines have suffered enough rescuing you from your own foolhardiness, and I will not reward that loyalty by allowing them to bear the consequences of your selfish behavior!”
“But…” Gordon retreated momentarily, the wind briefly taken out of his sails before his eyes lit back on Firion. It allowed him to gather the indignation to muster up a counter riposte to Hilda’s claims. “It was them!” He accused, pointing at where Firion, Maria and Guy had gathered around each other. “If they hadn’t interfered, I would have had Count Borghen! I was willing to die if it meant killing him as well!”
“Silence, Gordon.” Hilda ordered, regal grace adding power to her command. “The point in victory in battle is to live to see it through. There is no meaning in holding your life so cheaply. Accusing these people of interference when they were trying to save you is wrong.”
Hilda paused, looking at Gordon with implacable eyes. “I heard about Mai, Gordon.”
Gordon said nothing.
“I heard he loved you.”
Gordon stiffened at the observation, but continued to say nothing.
“I have been informed that he took a direct hit of cannon fire meant for you.”
Gordon continued to remain silent.
Hilda regarded Gordon before continuing in a tone of quiet finality. “You will not participate in any future battles, Gordon.”
Gordon immediately began to protest but it was clear that Hilda had no intentions on hearing him out. She bowed to Firion, Maria and Guy before exiting the room.
Prince Gordon stood there fuming after being lectured, and Firion struggled to find the words that wouldn’t offend the second son of the Kashuan Royal Family. After all, what sort of commiseration could a commoner offer in speaking to a prince? The effort was in vain; Gordon shot Firion a glare before turning on his heels and stalked out.
“You’re being rude, Your Highness!” Maria called out. Unlike Firion, she had no problem in speaking her mind.
“Maria!” Firion began to chide her, but faltered. After all, she had only said what he himself was already thinking.
“You’ll have to excuse him,” Minwu stated quietly from where he had stationed himself in the corner of the room. “Prince Gordon is desperate to earn forgiveness from Princess Hilda.”
“He is?” Firion asked, looking into the mage’s gentle eyes.
“When faced with the spectre of death for the first time, Prince Gordon was paralyzed by his fear and found himself unable to fight for home or freedom,” Minwu explained. The mage chose his words carefully, painting a picture of Gordon’s turmoil and grief. He had been in Fynn, celebrating the marriage of his brother to Hilda, when the dark clouds of Palamecia’s power grab had covered the world.
Gordon bore witness to his brother and his father taking up arms against an enemy too strong for them to obtain victory. His mother and her retinue were chased down and slaughtered for sport by enemies in thrall of their own capacity for violence. He heard Hilda’s pleas for help but bound by his own horror, Gordon was unable to breach his terror to bring himself to act.
By the time he was able to gain even a modicum of mastery over his fear, Gordon stood alone in a desolate wasteland.
“He abandoned his family to escape,” Firion fought to keep his tone free of any judgement, even as he felt his own anger rising at the evidence of the Prince’s cowardice.
“He didn’t have the strength to fight back,” Minwu emphasized. “Not then.”
The three of them turned Minwu’s words in their heads like it had been a solemn incantation.
“That’s why…” Firion didn’t finish his thought as he thought about Gordon’s compulsive drive to defeat Count Borghen at all costs if it meant that the rebel army would have gained significantly from such a victory. Gordon’s motivations were suddenly clear to all three youths.
“Do you think Princess Hilda is able to forgive Prince Gordon?” Maria asked Minwu.
Minwu did not give an answer; he hid his eyes underneath his white hood and it made his expression inscrutable. There was only silence, and the heavy air that had somehow become the new normal since the world went to war two months ago.
