I don't have the confidence to say it aloud
but somehow I want to convey how very dear you are to me;
Other than the Jumis, this has to be the saddest side story in Legend of Mana. Actually, the Jumi's had a happy ending. And it seemed like there would be a happy ending for Irwin and Matilda, but alas, even that didn't seem to work out for them in the end. There is not too much information given in the game, so I did my best. Thus said, I'm done blabbing now, click the names to read more.
matilda irwin escad quotes Matilda The Gato's Temple of Healing High Priestess, she grew up within the confines of Gato forced to lead a strict lifestyle. She grew up with Irwin and Escad. Her first and only time doing as she pleases is when Irwin takes her into the Ulkan Mines. The air is hard to breathe for humans, so Irwin leads her to an area of the cave where the air is easier to breathe. As they are resting, the entrance to the mine collapses. Matilda becomes afraid, this being her first time outside of Gato, but Irwin reassures her that the elemental spirit she possess will protect her, even if he ends up dying in the cave.
'i won't become the priestess'
Matilda stops crying to look at Irwin. She professes that she won't become the High Priestess, as priestess aren't allowed to befriend demons. She wants to go to the Underworld and be free of the adults who constantly tell her what to do. After a moment of silence, Irwin asks her to summon her Elemental so that they can escape. After another pause, she summons her Light Elemental, but instead Irwin takes it, telling her they both should be able to use their power as they like, and that he will destroy the world for her.
the person who appears in my mind
Without her Elemental, Matilda ages quickly. Unlike Escad, Matilda knows exactly what Irwin is doing, he didn't take her power out of spite, he took it to destroy the world that wouldn't allow Matilda, or himself, to be free to lead their lives as they choose. Close to death, Matilda refuses to hinder Irwin, she is willing to watch him destroy the world. She weeps that her friend Escad will not listen to her or anyone else, and is hellbent on killing Irwin.
When Irwin is killed by the Hero, Matilda dies at the same time. Matilda is able to revert to true age in the Underworld (she also becomes the Eighth Wisdom) and meet with Irwin again, where she is more candid about her feelings for them. Maybe it's the choices I made in the game, but Irwin listens to what Matilda says, then vanishes/warps away from her.regardless of the hardships
Matilda loved Irwin. Here we have the classic Romeo and Juliet scenario. Matilda did not look at Irwin and see a half demon, she saw him, only him and loved him. But she was destined to become High Priestess and serve the people. Circumstance would never allow her to be friends with Irwin, much less, be his lover. So the only way the two could see out of it, was death. If they could not be free in this life, perhaps the next would smile on their previous misfortune. While Matilda would have been satisfied with just passing away, Irwin wanted to take the rest of the world, that oppressed them, down as well.
Somehow letting the world be destroyed seems a tad... extreme. Perhaps it is an inner resentment Matilda holds towards the world that she had to sacrifice her happiness to. Maybe she is thinking with her heart and not her head; she has longed to be with Irwin for so long that she has tunnel vision, per se. Another reason could be that, this is Irwin's wish, it is what she feels will make him happy, and if it will make him happy she will not impede upon his happiness. Even if she didn't agree with him. Happiness is, after all, intrinsic.
{ closeIrwin The world of Mana runs rampant with discrimination. Needless to say, being a half-demon, Irwin faces much hatred due to his demon heritage. It appears that it is for this reason alone that Escad dislikes him. It's amazing that he and Matilda managed to forge a friendship, but the two do, and it blossoms into more than just friendship.
'if you hate this world i'll destroy it'
Irwin takes Matilda to Ulkan Mines with the knowledge she has never been allowed to go or do as she pleases, so it's an adventure for her. She asks why Escad hates him, and why he is hated for being a demon. She expresses that she does not wish to be High Priestess, as she will no longer be able to be his friend. He denies being her friend, bitterly telling her I just want to eat you up, like all demons do. Of course Matilda doesn't believe him. It may have been the nature of the conversation in the mine, or it could have been his intentions from the start, but Irwin has her call out her Elemental so he can take it. You gotta live! If you hate this world so much, I will destroy it!. He takes her Elemental, knowing that her life is tied to it, but needed the strength of the Elemental to achieve his promise to her.
ruler of the fairies
Irwin has managed to sway the fairies, who hate humans with a passion, to his bidding. He had intentions of bringing Matilda to the Land of Faeries, but of course that plan is foiled by the hero. His intention is to resurrect Lucemia, the Wyrm of Light, to destroy the World. He sends only a single message regarding Matilda: "You will see that it was only a dream when everything has come to an end". Of course, the world cannot be destroyed and the hero defeats him. When he dies, Matilda dies. Possible because Matilda's life was tied to her Elemental and as Irwin held the power of her Elemental, which 'died' with Irwin. In the Underworld, he admits to Matilda that she has been a thorn in [his] heart. With that he vanishes.
the gravity of love
It is hard to understand Irwin because he does not soften his words, or fold Matilda gently into his arms. None of the Prince Charming sort of thing. He takes her Elemental, knowing it will weaken and eventually kill her. He attempts to have her kidnapped and taken to the Land of Fairies, knowing she is extremely aged and near death. He refuses to come near her. It is easy to understand why an outsider like Escad would misunderstand his intentions; he took her power for his personal gain and threw her aside once she was useless. But that can't be anymore wrong. What he wants is to be able to be with Matilda freely. So the entire time, from childhood up until adulthood he has been working to find a means to destroy the world, freeing Matilda from all obligations. There is no doubt that Irwin is an outcast in society, what would he know of gentle emotions and the subtleties of love? Having those feelings and not knowing what should be done with them would really make love a thorn from Irwin's perspective. Strength and the ability to protect is a symbol of his devotion, a love that lacks well versed stanzas or murmured sweet nothings, which circumstance would render impractical.
{ closeEscad "Born into the Liotte family of Holy Knights. He fights for the cause of justice with an overbearing sense of righteousness." In essence, everything is extrinsic for Escad. Irwin is half demon, demons are evil, therefore Irwin is evil. There are no in-betweens or gray areas with Escad. For this reason, people either like him and hate Irwin, or feel that Escad is a royal douche. I tend to go for the latter. Maybe he would be redeemable if he were against Irwin for attempting to destroy the world, but instead I think it's a matter of his inflamed pride. How dare that filthy demon touch the High Priestess and take her power? How dare he be the object of Matilda's affections?
the battle line has been drawn
The sad thing is, Irwin and Escad were once friends. While Escad proudly takes up his duty as a knight, Irwin does as he pleases, which is exactly what Matilda wished she could so. Once Escad noticed how much closer Matilda was with Irwin, I think that ended the friendship. Unable to admit defeat, Escad blames his anger on Irwin's demon heritage rather than the fact that the girl he liked chose his friend over him. After Irwin takes Matilda's Elemental, he is confronted by Escad. The two battle, but Escad is the one who falls into the Underworld and remains there for 10 years. During this time the Lord of the Underworld (as well as one of the then Seven Wisdoms) Olbohn refines Escad's sword skill. Escad takes this as a sign that the Wisdom's want Irwin dead and returns from the Underworld with all the intentions of killing Irwin.
you will not, will not due
Escad may have loved Matilda as well, but if he did I think what came foremost was his honor as a Holy Knight and his duty to serve the High Priestess. If he does love Matilda, it is the stifling love that she wanted to escape from; he loves her when she is doing what she is supposed to be doing as High Priestess, but angered when she did as she wanted, like going to Ulkan Mines with Irwin. Escad will not allow anyone to stand between him and Irwin- not the hero, not Matilda's pleas and tears, and not he and Matilda's childhood friend, Deana. He wants Irwin dead and this desire consumes him.
Maybe, in his own way he thought he was doing what was best for Matilda. Even though it was obvious that Matilda did not want what others thought was "best" for her, she wanted the freedom to chose for herself. As a Holy Knight, his life had to be as restricted and structured as Matilda's, but unlike her, he craved such structure. He cannot fathom Matilda being unhappy because of it, he cannot fathom why she would want something other than to follow her destiny and become the High Priestess. He came from a lineage of Holy Knights, and she from a lineage protected by the Light Elemental, the road was already paved for both of them, all they had to do was walk it, why would anything else be necessary? In the end, he dies by Irwin's hand, still unrepentant. He asks the hero to finish Irwin off and save the world before fading away in a ball of light.
{ closeTime for a bit of quote analysis, I think this will be even more helpful to understand each character's psyche.
Heaven's Gate | Underworld | Two Torches
Matilda and irwin: heaven's Gate
Irwin: Matilda..... You haven't changed at all.
Matilda: Don't be silly, Irwin... Look at me! I have become a wrinkly grandma in the past ten years.
Irwin: ...... Your appearance has changed.
Matilda: I have also become quite pessimistic, too. But I did not know demons aged. Look at you!
Irwin: The Land of Faeries strongly reflects one's thoughts. You can form your own appearance by imagining it.
Matilda: Is that why you wanted to take me to the Land of Faeries?
Irwin: That is one of the reasons.
Matilda: The Faeries will not accept me.
Irwin: I have the power to make them accept whatever I say. You accept things without question, like the rules of heartless humans. Matilda...Why do you exist in this world? Your life is not about walking the path others make!
Matilda: I know what you are trying to say, Irwin. But we do not always have a choice.
Irwin: ......
Matilda: The only choice I have is.... to be free.
Matilda's physical appearance is of no consequence to Irwin, just as Irwin's demonic heritage is of no consequence to Matilda. The two are able to see beyond that. Being in the Land of Faeries would have not only freed Matilda from her responisbilites in Gato, but returned the youth that Irwin regrets having taken from Matilda as well. Irwin decided to change his appearance to look older, probably meant more as symbolistic move: all the wheels he has set forth into motion, everything he has done and cannot undo, burdens he must carry. So the demenor of a child simply will not due. During the 10 years that Matilda did not see him, irwin has been busy planning away, and it is appearant he is somewhat disappointed that she remained in Gato and gave into other's desires for her to become High Priestess. In saying her only choice is to be free, she is alluding to her intial conversation in Ulkan Mines 10 years ago when she told Irwin she wished to go t the Underworld to escape reality.
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matilda and irwin: the underworld
Matilda: I am the universe. Away from me, Shadoles.
Irwin: ... What happened?
Matilda: That was an easy spell of truth. How does it feel to be dead, Irwin?
Irwin: I'm more surprised about your powers, not my death.
Matilda: Well, actually, it is the power of the universe, not my own. Our souls can create anything we desire in a flash.
Irwin: Just like god...?
Matilda: You can do it, too. All you need to do is to wish for it.
Irwin: I'm a demon. All I desire is to destroy.
Matilda: But that is not correct! You created ME. People around me molded me into a person who I wasn't, but by meeting you, I was able to begin creating the person I really should be.
Irwin: Matilda......Your presence was always a thorn in my heart. If I could, I would wish to be born as a demon again, to bring chaos to this world. ...I need to free myself from a spell named Matilda.
Matilda: Your soul can make anything you wish come true. I am here because not only i wished for it, but so did you. And this unfair world you wished to destroy is about to end. Everything is created through us.
Irwin: Matilda.... I will not embrace you, for your frail body would break if I did.
Matilda: Do not worry. We are no longer encaged in our earthly bodies.
Irwin flexes his clawed hand in thought, then fades away. Matilda slumps to the ground in despair
This pretty much sums up their feelings. I think by saying 'I am the Universe' expresses either the fact she has become a Wisdom or simply the nature of the World. In the World of Mana, the player is capable of shaping the world to their desires. Irwin, on the other hand, wants to be a demon and want the things a demon should desire: power, destruction. Instead he is in love with a human priestess. He DID create Matilda, if a seed of dissention was within her, he cultivated it. He gave her the courage to want more and not be ashamed to want more. This is probably why she fell in love with him. Her other friends were born into their positions as well, but were satisfied with the card life dealt them. After contemplating her words on creating anything we desire, I think he decides to be reincarnated, sans his memories of Matilda. I think this is what he meant by I need to free myself from a spell named Matilda. Perhaps he sees their love as something that will remain tragic, out of nature for a demon, and feels he must bid all such emotions goodbye. So it turns out even in death, the two will not be together.
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matilda and escad: two torches
Escad: Matilda. It's only been ten years since i went to the underworld... How is it possible that you've aged so much?
Matilda: Oh Escad... you are alive...! It has only been 10 years since I lost two precious friends.... You and...
Escad: ...Irwin? Stop thinking about that demon. He took away your elemental powers to fuel his own ambitions. It's his fault you've aged so much, isn't it!?
Matilda: Don't say that. I'm not as unhappy as you think.
.....
Escad: You never took me seriously, even when we were children. But I'm not going to let that demon gain anymore power!
Unfortunately, Escad simply refuses to listen to Matilda. She flat out tells him, that even though she has aged so greatly that she does not blame Irwin and that she is not unhappy. When Irwin saw Matilda for the first time after 10 years, he makes no comment on her age. In fact, he says she hasn't changed at all. Escad on the other hand, brings up the fact she has aged so drastically immediately. Although I will give Escad one thing: he is the only one thinking rationally. Destroying the world because life didn't go the way you planned is rather selfish, actually. It seemed the whole time Escad was acting by a knight's honor by dispatching the demon, but he reveals that it could be tinged in jealousy as well-- Matilda was too busy with Irwin to notice the affection he had for her. Shunned, and to add insult to injury, shunned for a half-demon.
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