The World of Ruin
Author: Furysetzer
Prolog 3�War into Armageddon
When we last left the companions, they were standing face to face in front of the Espier frozen in ice. Terra was attempting to use her magical powers to try & connect with it, like when she first encountered it. Unfortunately for all, it worked.
Unwillingly, Terra was transformed into some kind of pink, flying being. Unwittingly, she flies away, screaming through the sky. General Celes swore that she looked� like an Esper�
Locke saw which way she went, which was toward the west. King Edgar volunteers to take the group over the mountains. Along with his martial arts brother Sabin, & his friends Gau & knight Cyan, they travel to Figaro Castle. Using its ability to travel underground, they run into the adventurer Locke�s hometown of Kohlingen.
Terra has been here, as they can see by the burned buildings. The people of this small, unsophisticated town are holding a meeting, in which they try to figure just what is going on. Being the only 1 to be able to get their attention, Locke asks their help. Wanting to get rid of the outsiders, they tell them which way the monster went. They left immediately the next morning.
During the night, Celes learns of Locke�s past. A long time ago, his fianc� lost her life. Before she died, he put her in stasis with medicinal herbs. Neither dead nor alive, she sleeps in the care of a trusted family friend. He hasn�t forgiven himself since.
They all travel south to a rich town, Jidoor, & later, to Zozo. In this rain soaked city, they encounter the crime boss, Dadaluma. After trashing his goons, Celes� psychic connection to Terra leads them to the tallest building. There, they find Terra. She is sleeping in a bed, still locked in that pink, cat-like form. An old man, named Ramuh, sensed her danger & summoned her there. He turns out to be an Esper, himself, & greets them, expecting their visit.
Ramuh explains that Terra is a half-Esper. He proceeds to tell them of the Empire�s rush to gather Espers. Some of which they already know, but he explains their intentions. They are draining magical power from Espers, for use in their machines & human experiments. Ramuh was a prisoner there, before escaping. Terra�s father is there. Only he can restore her to human form.
With that, he turns himself into magicite, little stones, and the remains of an Esper when he dies. He begs them to free the others. With just about no other choice, the group splits up.
Edgar & Sabin return to Narshe, to report their findings. Gau agrees to watch after Terra. Celes, Locke, & Cyan try & figure out how to get to the southern continent. Only problem is, it�s nearly impossible to get there now. They�ve cut off nearly all access.
Returning to Jidoor, the 3 were trying to decide what to do when a man runs up to Celes. He mistakes her for a
girl named Maria, a famous opera singer. He hands her a letter. It was written by some famous gambler named Setzer. It says that he�s going to steal Maria away during her performance & marry her. It�s the ultimate proposal.
The Impressario tries to take Celes back to the Opera House, so he can keep an eye on her. They explain she is not Maria, rather Celes. He�s taken aback, mumbling something about looking like her twin. He runs south, back to the Opera House.
Locke has heard stories about Setzer, a rich gambler who owns the world�s only airship. If they could somehow befriend him, they�d make the Imperial lands in no time. They follow the Impressario, the director of the Opera House.
Once there, he agrees to their plan, no matter how reluctantly. Locke wants to substitute Celes for Maria during the show. Setzer will nab Celes, instead, & Cyan & he can follow them to the airship. Got that? Good. Because Ultros the octopus has followed them. He�s till a bit miffed about his humiliation & wants revenge.
During the show with Celes on stage, he hangs above in the rafters, & waits until just the right moment to get his 5 minutes of fame with a 10-ton weight. Fortunately, Locke finds Ultros� letter of gloat. He & Cyan go after him, & all 3 end up falling onto the stage below.
Just then, an anchor falls through the roof, & down goes Setzer. He snatches up Celes, & takes off.
They quickly dispatch Ultros by summoning Ramuh�s ghost from the magicite. They scare him off, & using another stone Ramuh had given them, Locke & Cyan levitate upward to the airship.
With Celes� magic, they sneak aboard. Setzer returns from the engine room, & finds them all there. They tell him of their intentions & hopes. At first, he doesn�t want anything to do with them. He�s gotten rich from the Empire preparing for war, & doesn�t want to tip his hand, going against them. They eventually do convince him, & he transports them to the port of Albrook.
Setzer pledges to sneak them into Vector, the Empire�s capital. He wants to see for himself the unlawful acts they�re committing. They travel on foot, northward to the valley within the Triangle Mountains. There, they sneak into the Magitek Research Facility within the industrialized city.
They crawl about in the complex, eventually finding a huge laboratory. They crash open the giant glass cylinders, where the Espers are being held in stasis. The Espers start to recover fast when a scientist in a yellow raincoat rushes in. He turns out to be Cid, Deles� grandfather.
The noise also attracts Kefka, who barges in with a lethal robot. Confronted with the intruders, & a good dozen magical Espers, he takes a less direct approach. He tries to con them by using Celes, going on about her being a spy & how her plan to get them there worked perfectly.
Of course none of it is true, but he takes the opportunity of confusion. He uses the robot to produce an ultrasonic wave, immobilizing the four of them. However, it doesn�t work on the Espers. They attempt to defeat Kefka to no avail. Still too weak for his muscle, the robot slays them all. Their smoking, magicite remains lay strewn about the floor.
Kefka marvels at this. Cid theorizes that complete transition of their magic is only available in those stones. Celes wakes up just then, standing on wobbly legs. When asked if she�d come to her senses, Celes responds by casting a spell upon Kefka & herself. They disappear in a wavy light, giving the others a chance to escape.
Locke, Cyan & Setzer wake up, discovering the mess left behind. After picking up the magicite left behind, Cid tells them of what Celes did for them. Now, they have to beat a hasty retreat, as they hear Kefka�s laughter resound through the halls. They escape down a private elevator with Cid.
The newcomers, Setzer & Cid, are appalled by what Kefka has done. Setzer feels used, having consorted with them on numerous occasions. So does Cid, who promises to go straight to Emperor Gestahl. They have to get out fast, so Cid pushes the 3 into a mine cart. They are whisked along the tracks�
�which leads right to the streets of Vector. Being pursued by guards, Setzer signals Tillate, his co-pilot. He commands the airship over the city, dropping anchor. They jump aboard out of harms. Way. They fly out of there, headed on course for Zozo.
The 4 are back in the room, with Gau & Terra. They place Maduin�s magicite over her chest. She opens her inhuman eyes, & calls her father�s name. Images come into everyone�s mind. They tell the story of the Esper�s world, created after the War of the Magi. Apparently, a woman stumbled into their domain about 20 years . She opens her inhuman eyes, & calls her father�s name. Images come into everyone�s mind. They tell the story of the Esper�s world, created after the War of the Magi. Apparently, a woman stumbled into their domain about 20 years ago. She is wounded, so they keep her there until she is cured. During this time, Madonna & Maduin fall in love. The other Espers let her stay, sensing that she isn�t evil like other humans. A baby is born unto them.
Around the same time, a younger Gestahl finds their world. In a rush for power, he wages a war against them. Before they are able to seal the gateway, he manages to capture many of them, including Maduin & his family. Trapped in the human world, Madonna begs Gestahl to save her baby just before she dies.
He realizes her connection with the Espers. He also knows of the prize he holds in his hands. He takes it for his own, vowing to unlock their secrets & come back to the Esper world again.
Terra has reverted to her human form, & now knows about her past, though still with amnesia. With more of a control of her powers, she vows to stop them. After being brought up to speed, they all return to Narshe, to join their friends.
Setzer takes them there, officially lending his support to the Returners. A talk with Edgar, Sabin, the elder of Narshe, & Banon, the Returner leader, reveal that the town of Narshe is ready to take a stand against the Empire. Their plan calls for a pooling of resources. The Returner�s information, Narshe�s resources, & Figaro�s money could join together for a simultaneous strike at Vector.
Only problem is, their numbers are too few. They need more manpower. This is where Terra�s heritage comes into play. They want her to travel to the Esper Gate. Since they usually distrust humans, they guess she is their best chance to convince them to help stop the war.
While all the others storm the capital from the north, a small party flies to the Badlands, an inhospitable, mountainous land. The only entrance there, an Imperial base, is deserted. Against their better judgment, Setzer lands the airship.
Following her instincts, Terra leads them to the base of the mountains. Setzer stays on the airship while Sabin, Gau, Mog the moogle, & Terra go inside. They make no progress within the volcanic underground, until Terra finds an ancient sword of incredible power. She uses the Atma Weapon to break the enchantment, & they step into the dimensional gateway to the Esper World.
Terra changes into her Esper side, & focusing her energies, she opens the adamantine metal doors. In walks Kefka, alone. Cocky as ever, he boasts magical powers, having waited for this trap. Sabin & Gau keep him at bay while Mog & Terra rush into the other side. Something goes wrong, & the Espers become crazed. They burst through the gate, & take off. Three of them barely escape alive. Kefka & Mog are presumed dead.
They race back to the airship, where Setzer sees some Espers burst through the mountains, & fly away. Rising into the air, an Esper attacks them. The engines become damaged, causing them to go out of control. The airship crashes.
The party recuperates, & find themselves on the western shore of the southern continent, near a small town of Maranda. After a quick rest, the 4 are riding chocobos back to Vector, to join the main assault.
They meet the others, where they see something startling. The city of Vector is nearly burned to the ground! Even the palace, while still standing, is not untouched. A guard comes outside & invites 2 representatives to speak with the Emperor. Edgar & Banon go inside.
Gestahl explains that the Espers have attacked his city. His army is nearly wiped out. He holds a white flag, the sign of surrender. Gestahl laments the war, his tragic mistake. He seems to now want peace, after seeing the Esper�s power first hand.
The Returners agree to his proposition. The emperor holds a great banquet, a sign of newfound trust. Everyone was there, & Gestahl spoke freely. General Celes was safe, though not there. Kefka was behind bars for �unspeakable war crimes.�
That is only a prelude to the problem at hand, however, as Gestahl explains about the Espers. They were last spotted flying to a continent in the northeast. He pleads Terra, the only 1 to persuade them, to travel there. He argues, they have to stop them from causing any more destruction, & explain there is no more war.
After much deliberation, they finally agree. Banon will take the troops back home, & the rest will stay at Vector, not trusting the Emperor completely. Locke joins Terra, & they travel to Albrook to find General Leo. He will escort them as mediator by ship.
At the town, Leo announces 2 others will be joining them. One is a mercenary, Shadow, & his dog, Interceptor. The other is General Celes.
Before they depart, & on the way there, Terra & Locke confront their past, & deal with their situation. Locke, half-heartedly with Celes, & Terra shares her heart with Leo. All the while, Shadow looks on, despondent & attentive at the same time.
They arrive at the faraway coast, forming 2 groups in different directions. Celes & Leo in 1, the other 3 people head to the northeast. Terra, Locke, & Shadow run into a small, common town.
There, they meet an ordinary old man, Strago, sleeping under the giant tree in the center of town. They ask him about the Espers, but he claims ignorance. He seems to not know anything about this �magic� they�re talking about. They�re about to leave when Strago notices Terra�s sword. He becomes very excited, piping that he�d very much like to decipher the ancient inscriptions upon the blade.
They take him up on his offer. He invites them into his house, where they meet his granddaughter Relm. She�s a strange kid, who instantly falls in love with Interceptor, whom she deems �cute doggy.� Per Strago�s suggestion, they stay at the inn to give him time to decode the language.
During the night, Strago bursts into their room. He pleads for their help. Relm was staying at her friend�s house, when a fire broke out. She�s trapped in the burning building. Locke & Terra rush out. Shadow doesn�t bother, suddenly wondering where Interceptor went.
In front of the large house, Strago does something amazing. He casts a magic spell & throws the water ball into the fire, which doesn�t help any. The fire is just too strong. Other townspeople rush out & the mayor bursts, �Magic is forbidden!�
Strago yells that Relm is in there; he doesn�t care about their �law.� In desperation, he runs into the blaze. Terra & Locke follow, not about to let him get hurt by himself. In Relm�s room, they see her being guarded by Interceptor. A giant fireball monster is kept at bay. It must have been the source of the fire, as it advances toward them. Using their combined magical powers, they defeat the creature. Barely. They are trapped in the house, as it collapses down around them.
A black-hooded ninja crashes in through the roof. Throwing down a smoke bomb, he saves the dog & unconscious humans.
The next morning, Terra & Locke wake up at Strago�s house. Relm & Strago are there, as well as Shadow & Interceptor. Explanation time: how can the people in this village use magic? Strago says that they�re all the descendants of the Mage Warriors. During the War of the Magi, some humans infused themselves with magical power. They fought against & eventually with Esper beings in driving away the war.
Terra & Locke convince the townspeople of their intentions. They are to find the renegade Espers & make peace. But unfortunately, no leads. It is then Strago deciphers the Atma Sword. To their surprise, it says they are the chosen ones. It directs them to find the Espers at Fate Mountain, to the west. With no other choice, Terra, Locke, & Strago travel there. Relm stays because it is too dangerous. Shadow has mysteriously left the group.
Within Fate Mountain, the 3 find a trio of golden statuettes. They have inscriptions much like the Atma Sword, which Strago translates. They tell of the planet�s history, about the Goddesses war to possess the magic. After the War of the Magi, the 3 Goddesses saw their destruction & wept. They realized they had been tricked. Out of sorrow, they created a separate world for their monstrous creations, the Espers, & sealed themselves away. Turned to stone, they sleep deep within the Esper world for eternity.
Ultros the octopus shows up, coming to steal the statuettes. Then, Relm shows up! She has followed them, too. Despite out-witting the �dumb octopus�, he still manages to steal them. Disheartened after having the Atma Sword stolen while in Thamasa, the 4 of them hurry to complete their mission.
They find the Espers at a cave on the summit. The beasts are fighting General Leo & Celes! Terra manages to separate them & calm them down. Their leader, named Yura, even renounces the fighting between them. It turns out that there has been a misunderstanding. The Espers at the gate went berserk as a result of Terra�s pendant. It made them lose control of their magic powers. After destroying Vector, they were attracted here by the statuettes. It is decided they all return to Thamasa to work out their problems.
At the town, they reconcile. Their job seems done, until something goes horribly wrong. Kefka storms the town with the Guardian, a Magitek tank. Gestahl has duped them all.
Kefka turns all the humans to stone with magic. He then proceeds to slay every 1 of the Espers, for their magicite remains. Leo, who was examining Terra�s pendant, somehow retains consciousness. With his rage, he manages to shatter the spell cast upon him. Kefka uses trickery, & ends Leo�s life.
The next day, an old man enters Thamasa again. He is Gungho, Strago�s childhood friend. He stares in disbelief at the destruction, for even the giant oak is torn in half. He finds Terra�s necklace upon the ground, & it somehow beckons him to place it around Celes� neck. She comes alive, finding Leo dead &Terra missing.
Kefka & Gestahl are at the sealed gate. Ultros is there, with the statuettes. He places them in front of the gate, & Terra, hypnotized, starts to chant. She turns into her Esper side, & breaks the seal.
At Thamasa, Leo�s funeral is held. Celes has freed everyone from the Break spell, & the villagers offer their support. Interceptor shows up. He is badly damaged. Though the dog will be alright thanks to some cure spells. They assume the worst for Shadow.
Also, the rest of the party has shown up. They have escaped Vector alive, & are ready to go after Gestahl. Strago theorizes they are going to go to the Sealed Gate. It all fits. He uses the statuettes & half-Esper blood to once again invade the Esper world & go after the magic.
Role call: Celes, Cyan, Edgar, Gau, Locke, Sabin, & Setzer use the airship to quickly get to the Badlands. Strago & Relm join to put this all behind them.
Flying through the air, they see something strange. The continent of the badlands is rising up into the air! It breaks away from the land, & hovers above the clouds. It appears Gestahl has succeeded.
They are nearly to the Floating Continent when they are intercepted by Gestahl�s airplanes. The Imperial Air Force tries to stop them, but they get away. Now there is only 1 last obstacle in their way.
Ultros rides a flying pink demon, named Chupon. It was released from its hidden prison & now works for Gestahl. In the ensuing battle, 3 party members are swept off the airship while it plunges through the air. They freefall & land upon the Floating Continent, unharmed thanks to Cyan & his Cherub Down relic.
Celes, Cyan, & Edgar have to continue the fight without the others, what with the airship being grounded. They make their way into the maze & run into Shadow. He is injured, thanks to Ultros. He stole the Atma Sword per Gestahl�s instructions, but since he didn�t need it, his usefulness is over. Since his wounds were so extensive, they leave him for now.
Kefka & Gestahl stand in front of the Goddess Statues. Gestahl attempts to wake them up while Kefka broods. Terra is unconscious, being suspended within a hovering prism. The 3 heroes show up.
Gestahl has done it, & freezes Edgar & Cyan with magic. He attempts to hypnotize Celes into joining them for all time. Though she resists & uses Kefka�s own knife upon him meant for her 2 friends. Seeing his arm drenched in blood, Kefka loses it.
He attacks Celes, & when Gestahl intervenes, he turns upon him. Kefka attempts to move the statues out of their delicate, triangular alignment. If he does this, their power would no longer be neutralized, & chaos would ensue.
When Gestahl attempts to stop him, he loses his mental control over the statues. Kefka absorbs their power.
When magic doesn�t work, Gestahl attacks him physically. Bad move. The statues protect their new master & strike him with a giant lightening bolt. Kefka is on top now, which he proves by pushing Gestahl�s prone body off the precipice. He returns to moving the statues.
Shadow shows up, & rescues Celes, who is dangling off the edge by this time. He then attacks Kefka, breaking his control over the others. Edgar & Cyan are freed, & Terra�s prison shatters.
In rage, Kefka retorts by magically knocking the group from the hill. They land down below, with Shadow & Kefka left on top. He tells them to run to the east, for the airship is waiting for them.
Before fixing the ship, the crew witnesses a phenomenon. First, the land started quaking. The whole planet shook from the unstable magic. Strago theorizes about the Trait Goddesses reawakening. Each of the 3 controlled an aspect of the planets surface: land, sea, & air. Rising up in the airship, they see the ocean start to boil. Giant tidal waves smash up against the coast.
Meanwhile, the 4 rendezvous at the drop off point. They jump onto the airship as thick clouds roll in. A terrible storm starts to build. After a minute Shadow catches up to them. He wasn�t able to stop Kefka.
Terra, whom has recovered, implores a getaway, for the Floating Continent is starting to drop out of the sky. By now, the whole sky is in turmoil. The lightening is striking the falling continent with a vengeance. And 1 bolt hits the airship.
The deck is torn in half, & the balloon ruptures in flames. The ship falls apart in mid-air, & the crew is flung into the hurricane wind.
The land mass smashes into Vector� & explodes. The magical energy detonates, triggering a cataclysm. Like a bomb, it sets off other pockets of magical energy all over the globe. The surface of the World of Balance is brutally savaged. The planet tears itself apart, & begins its long slide into Ruin�
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Awesome, huh? It�s 1 of my favorite stories. My props to the people who made this script. It will always be the best in my eyes. I know I added some stuff, so I do hope that it fits in with the game & enhances the story. I didn�t want it to be a carbon copy, because that�s no fun to all those who have played the game religiously after all these years.
Chapter 1