Dramatis Personae
Terra Branford: Human Esper
Locke Cole: A Treasure Hunter
Edgar Figaro: King of Figaro
Sabin Figaro: Prince of Figaro
Arvis: An old man
Setzer Gabbiani: An opportunist
Banon: Returner leader
Shadow: A loner
Celes Chere: An Imperial General
Kefka: General of the Imperial Forces
Leo: Genral of the Imperial Forces
Gestahl: The Emperor
Cyan Garamonde : A noble knight of Doma
Cid: Genius scientist
Relm Arrowny: Child artist
Strago Magus: Blue Mage
Maduin: An Esper
Ramuh: An Esper
Vicks: A soldier
Wedge: A soldier
Vargas: Blitz master
Moogles
Returners
Town's people
Figaro Soldiers
King of Doma
Act One
Scene One
A cliff
Terra and two soldiers stand poised above the town of Narshe.
Vicks:
See now, brother of arms,
The town doth transcend the darkness
And shows promise to our great cause!
Truly bless'd be this endeavor,
Though uncertain be the fate of our quarry!
Wedge:
Peace, fellow of the sword,
I see truth to your speech, but,
Only haggard guessing could yet
Enfeeble this course! Espers,
By last word I know, live quite
Lasting lives, despite age.
Vicks:
Yet love may yet be misplaced!
Here stand with us this stale,
Who's love may be for void!
What know you of her position?
Wedge:
Ah, truly an ally she is, for
Lord Kefka, in wisdom untold,
Has fit her as though a mare,
With the crown born to slaves.
Her love, dear Vicks, is ours.
Onward to our goal, for glory
Is to those of the Empire!
(Exeunt Vicks, Wedge and Terra)
Scene 2, the Town of Narshe
Guard:
Lowly dogs of Imperial birth,
Disperse from this even land!
No will, great or ill
To either side wish we.
Be that your wish is for blood?
(They fight)
Vicks:
Tis battle which awaits!
Unfold yourselves, for
Narshe awakens with red fury!
(They move through the town, fighting as they go, until at last they reach the caves.)
Wedge:
Sources say only of one,
And that the caves house
It's fallen form. Lest
He lie, we shall find it
Awash in the shadows to Hell.
Guard:
Ages have not spared
This noble beast for
The dark tidings of Gestahl!
Set upon them, Whelk! Earn
Thine keep!
(They fight Whelk)
(As they move throughout the cave, they at last come upon the Esper. It is frozen in the ice and
glowing steadily. Terra seems entranced by the great creature.)
Vicks:
As truly as the claims of old!
Lo, this must surely be
The beast of legend and lore,
An Esper we find now,
Lest I am deceiv'd of all
But mine senses remain true,
For awake I stay before this
Towering dream!
Wedge:
But what is this? Girl,
Come back to thine post,
Duty has not been forsaken,
And your orders quite clear!
(Wedge is cast away in a blinding flash.)
Vicks:
Wedge? Where for art thou?
(Vicks follows Wedge, and they are never seen again.)
(Terra approaches the Esper, and is zapped into unconsciousness by the Esper)
(Curtain)
Scene Three, Arvis's House
(The scene opens in Arvis's house, a well furnished dwelling on the northeastern side of town.
Terra is in the bed, while Arvis is about ready to enter the room.)
Arvis:
Doth I see correct,
That slumber hast relinquish'd
Its greedy hold so soon?
Steady be your will,
And loyal your feet to earth,
As I hold your torment nigh!
This crown bears a curse,
As surely it be a crown,
Fit only for the slave!
Make yourself at ease first,
Then if you must,
Make all attempt.
Terra:
Be I so certain of nothing,
If only to say that I know,
That mine name is Terra.
Arvis:
And to be so full
After so short a time!
Be there nothing you require,
That you regain so steadfast?
No will I have seen,
Does compare to yours,
Oh Maiden Terra!
(A knock at the door)
Guard's Voice:
Bring us the stale!
She is of but one coat,
And it bears the ill mark
Of the wicked Gestahl!
Arvis:
Time hast made itself an enemy,
For I have no time to plan,
So away with you this second,
Lest the hand of death claim
You well before your hour!
(Terra runs out the back door, straight into the mines. She is eventually cornered by the
Narshe guards.)
Guard:
To your safety no refuge
Doth remain, witch!
Fold and come with us!
(The ground opens up and Terra falls to the next level. She takes a few cautious steps but
surrenders to blackness. The dream sequence opens.)
Kefka:
As yet I can smell the smoke,
As terrible fire consume,
The spoils of war be mine,
While the flesh of foes rot in Hell!
You, sorceress most mild,
Shall be my avatar,
As this crown hold you in step!
Victory be my coat in all things,
As the soul of magic remaineth mine!
(The scene switches to a battle, in which Kefka comments on Terra's unconscious killing.)
Kefka:
Sweet be the flame!
Destroy all! Destroy all!
For nothing to remain but
A mere desert of stone,
That is your quest!
(Once more, the scene switches to Gestahl talking to his soldiers.)
Gestahl:
No power doth exist like ours!
Days of strife are past,
As only the glory of Red Victory
Awaiteth the Empire!
As for all minds to bend,
And all arms to raise in salute,
The will of all men shall crumble,
In now we hold truth through the ages!
Be only small resistance before us,
And it begins to fall,
A glorious fall from grace,
For no sword may dent our shield!
Be steadfast and bold,
Cruel to the enemy,
Crueler to your friends!
Hold the strength of the Empire
As a personal edge!
No end to our might is seen,
As Prometheus to man gave
No end to his new power!
Soldiers:
Hail! Hail! Long live Emperor Gestahl!
(Curtain)
Scene Four
Arvis's House
Arvis:
Ah, be health so profound,
As to deliver to me my friend,
Sound as all for the night,
Lest promises of Midas taunt you
Ever still in dreams of wealth?
Locke:
Nay, good sir! You do me ill!
Tis relics of the dead which I seek,
Knowing no comfort of mortal spoil,
They entrust them to me,
Being as yet I am a treasure hunter!
Arvis:
Regards to your choice of title
Lay futile in this day of war,
As one requires service to mend...
Locke:
Speak you of rumor'd cur,
For mine ear doth play the part
Of herald to grey news!
Imperial fodder cast no interest,
And my love dies upon their sight!
Arvis:
You judge in haste,
Remember you this day
For when I make so ill a judgement
And pass upon you the title of cur
For the relics forc'd from owners past!
Locke:
Alas, you speak of truth dear friend,
For in death I would see too late,
And regret hinders the soul from the soil!
Much obliged in spirit be I for your words!
In what state of pain find I this girl?
Arvis:
Truth ultimately tells of my bare mind,
Yet last I saw of soldiers in the mine.
Be you swift in recovery,
And the speed of God on your feet!
Find Terra, as hope for all rests with
This most unlikely of flowers!
(Curtain)
The Mines of Narshe
(Locke arrives on the scene, just as soldiers are about to close in on Terra. He leaps in for the
rescue and dispatches of the pursuers. Moogles join in the battle as well.)
Locke:
Be this true that figures favor
Mine enemies? Tis been too long!
Moogle Voice: Kupo-eth! Kupo-eth!
(Enter Moogles, Mog at the lead)
Locke:
Egads! Moogles in these caves?!
Wish you assist me in endeavor true?
(The moogles and Locke fight back the forces of Narshe, and Locke helps Terra to her feet.)
Locke:
Hast health found thee back?
Safety has also found you,
So it seems now.
Terra:
Kind sir, I know not of what happened,
Yet from all marks, it appears
That I am in total due to your aid.
Many thanks go to you in my name.
Locke:
Fraction of praise, truth be told.
I am to thank the moogles of this cave
As their aid made all effort true.
Your thanks may as yet be due them.
Aye, save all word until saftey is reached.
Be your name Terra, then?
Terra:
Indeed. Though of all else...
Locke:
Hold thy tongue until the best hour.
Now be us content with escape.
Away with us now, as Narshe sleeps
With nary an eye closed,
As war promises to consume all lands,
And soldiers are in short temper.
Best we be on our way,
And that now we move south.
(Exeunt all)
(Curtain)
Scene Five
The Castle of Figaro
Locke:
Our journey is for the moment ended,
As safety lies within this stone.
The king will offer aid as we seek,
For my legs desire rest,
And for your part your mind.
Be we set within,
As hour falls upon hour,
And beasts of the desert
Adore the flesh of man o'er worm!
Guard:
Who goes there?
Ah, Locke! Many are the days
That King Edgar doth pine,
When such meetings will be
A most unnecesary step!
Locke:
As well as should be!
Is all set then for our time?
Guard:
Indeed, sir!
Locke:
Then be we on our way,
Never was it in my blood
Despite mine profession of choice,
To leave the nobles awake.
(They enter the castle, and go into the throne room. Foregoing all pleasantries, Locke steps
right up to the throne and speaks quietly in the ear of Edgar. He steps down and approaches Terra
haughtily, sizing her up.)
Edgar:
In such are the words of Bannon,
That one would be fit to hold fate,
Yet you believe this girl...
Terra (flustered):
My pardon begs for yours, sir,
For no mention of title has reached my ear!
Be you so unscrupulous
As to invite your own company
When my own word has
Yet a play in full matter?
Edgar:
Ah, words of truth thou speak,
My own part hath been false,
And my voice errant in goal!
To such beauty I act a cad,
Tho now I rectify my wound,
To act as gardener to this
A flower of such wonder!
Mine name be Edgar,
And this kingdom falls to me.
Locke:
I see nothing amiss
And this parring went to accord!
Myself shall exit with haste.
(Exeunt Locke)
Edgar:
Is it truth that you,
A woman of such vision,
Be aligned in coat with Gestahl?
Fears may then be allayed,
Gestahl holds pact with me,
As to remain allies this day,
And for all others forseen!
Terra:
Be that all truth?
Or hold you more reason,
Since dark tidings awash
Even the barest of hands!
Mine own self I know,
Yet as do many others,
Who would see me a sword
In their campaign versus life!
Edgar:
My response be three-fold,
So that in honesty you see me plain:
First, you shine like the sun,
A beacon of light which blinds
All judgement yet causes joy!
In you I see only the spring,
A morn where all is yet pure,
While the dew, fresh and clear,
Washes all evil to the soil!
Second, I see much within thee,
That I would do well to mend!
Interest born of your fair mind,
Excites me into hope that you,
With all faculty of sense,
Would find me as so I see you!
Your situation, though it be
Of some interest to me and mine,
Yet falls into place behind
All visions of your spectacle!
Terra:
Pardon? Be you well, sir?
Edgar:
Alas, time does much
To rust the amorous pioneer!
(Exeunt Edgar)
Terra:
Mortal women swoon in time,
For such devotion to be paid,
For such is the way of life.
Know I not the same virtue?
Yet in what realm gain I right,
As to be considered in that light?
(Exeunt Terra)
(Curtain)
Scene Six:
A bedroom in Figaro Castle
(Locke is waiting for Terra to approach so that he might speak with her. He stands at left,
while Terra enters from downstage.)
Locke:
Such confusion vexes
An otherwise flawless visage!
Be you not in wonder,
As to how I consort with kings?
Terra:
Nay, I...
Locke:
Pressing matters lay upon you...
Terra:
Nay, nay. Tis nothing to press,
Which be most vexing of all!
Lost in my thoughts are memories past,
While to me all clear is but today!
No thought falls through the shade
Of a mind warped by ill crown!
Locke:
At a loss of memory!?
Confound it all! I knew not...
Never worry, as all will come
As the infant mind matures.
Terra:
And the name of Edgar?
Be he aligned with the darkness?
Much complexity lies
Behind eyes of pain,
For I see no ill,
Nor hear no venom.
Flattery is a tool
Most often forged by evil,
But sense yields no such force.
Locke:
Tis true that appearances deceive,
Yet I find no fault in Edgar,
For his alliance with Gestahl
Be as thin as glass,
And twice as brittle!
The surface means to vex him,
Not you, my dear.
Edgar signed with Bannon,
And such a pact
For what can be measured,
Is as strong as blood!
Returners do well to hide,
Even when such veins run blue,
And Fiagro is quite truly
The bluest by the north!
Terra:
Worry yet sets upon me.
I know not when I shall be whole
And certainly know not what truth
Lies within my soul!
Locke:
Seasons pass and show nature
What lies ahead for earth.
So with you once time
Clears a path toward your destiny!
(Curtain)
Scene Seven
Figaro Throne Room
(Locke and Terra arrive to speak with Edgar, but the meeting is called short by an Imperial
summons from Kefka.)
Edgar:
Ah, tis such a wonderous day
So hope I that you found it so!
Have you seen all you wish?
Guard (excitedly):
My leige! Tis a messenger of Gestahl!
Edgar:
I speak too soon!
Most likely dark news,
Borne by that humorless rogue!
As a hyena to the kill,
I sense an odor most foul!
Kefka lurks from the south!
(He goes out to meet Kefka half way. While approaching, Kefka berrates his soldiers.)
Kefka:
Such a thorn be your hide,
Oh miserable Gestahl!
For mine own part,
To be used as a page,
For a meaningless king!
Laugh upon me, fate,
As thou hast rended my pride!
Miserable cretins of Figaro,
To live in so low a land!
Ahem! Sand lays upon mine feet!
Soldiers (nervoulsy):
Yes, sir!
(They dust off Kefka's feet and stand.)
Soldiers:
All is set, m'lord!
Kefka:
Cretins!
(They walk to the castle, and Kefka pushed a guard aside and moves within, walking right up to
Edgar's face.)
Edgar:
Be I so fortunate,
And God so kind,
As to bring before me,
A humble servant of Gestahl,
The great Lord Kefka?
To what do I owe such sage honor?
Kefka:
I am brought through word,
And it be no loveless hint,
That a worthless siren reside
Within these very walls.
Surrender her as I stand,
Or face my grey mood!
Edgar:
Rumors abound up north,
Of one fair yet brave,
Who controls the power of old!
In set of your quest,
Be this the one you seek?
Kefka:
Spite, spite! Tis but a charm
Yet one dear enough to Gestahl,
That this creature has held
Without word of consent!
Be she within?
Edgar:
Alas, through no fault of mine,
Have I aquired so many maidens fair!
To sort them would be a waste,
As grains of sand be fewer,
Than women within my borders!
Yet, none of which you say
Have come to my vision.
Be I sure of else,
I shall send word,
By the honor of Figaro
And all my blood!
Kefka:
Chance favors the prepared!
Fate favors those who conform
For Gestahl and the Empire!
Lies mix blood in his eyes,
And this land is no exception,
And of even less import!
Be sure of your tongue,
Or be sure of our wrath!
(Exeunt Kefka and soldiers. Enter Locke)
Locke:
I am of the opinion,
Please correct me if I err,
Yet I think Kefka is,
By all rights clever,
But dim of function!
Edgar:
Where for is Terra?
(Enter Terra)
Locke:
Perhaps it be time to rest?
The sun falls weary,
And I share its fatigue!
Edgar:
T'would be best I think,
If you both depart for slumber.
Myself must speak with the Chancellor,
To plan for Kefka's encore!
No limit holds him ambition,
And is such the duty
Of the king to curtail his hopes!
Darker ravens have set their sights,
But none have claimed Figaro!
If thou wilt excuse me, m'lady,
I must be off for the planning!
Ah, horrid be the life of royalty!
(Exeunt all as the curtain falls)
Scene Eight
Figaro Castle
(Edgar awakens from his sleep and finds that Kefka has set fire to Figaro castle. Preparing to
escape, Edgar gives the order for the mechanical castle to bury itself.)
Edgar:
Kefka! Was there never a deed,
Though foul and of low trust,
That ever you would visit upon friend?
Woe to your foes, if in friendship you slay
As an act of love! Be you no more,
Or still no greater than a common sore?
Dare you fawn at our gates this eve?
Kefka:
Cunningly played as you attempt,
But I see only a mask to hold
Truth from your rebellious lips!
I am not detered, and once again I demand!
Bring me the conjuring whore,
Lest I allow Hell judge Figaro!
Edgar:
For years the answer would be the same!
Her presence plagues not my door,
Nor my false hospitality give her respite!
To the Emperor I pledge this,
And I stand by this my word!
Kefka:
Unfortunate for us both,
As I rather hoped for reason to impart.
Yet I see your youthful pride blocks all,
But be it so strong as to impart the screams
Which your people yelp as dogs?
Fall, then, Figaro! Fall!
(Edgar runs back to the Chancellor)
Edgar:
Be you prepared?
Chancellor:
Aye, m'lord! All is ready!
(Edgar moves ot the ledge as if to look around in despair. Kefka approaches him with
confidence in his succ-ess.)
Kefka:
Has love bent your will to righteousness?
Doth thine senses remain steadfast
As to deliver the girl with haste,
And honor thine just contract?
Edgar:
Though my will be not in the act...
(Edgar jumps down onto a waiting chocobo, accompanied by Terra and Locke. They wave at
Kefka and begin to ride off.)
Edgar:
...I must take my leave!
Kefka:
For shame, Edgar! Figaro burns and you run,
Thine tail set afire with the guilt of your pride?
Ignorance to believe I will let Figaro stand
Whilst its absent king rides yellow!
Edgar:
Upon my command! Dive!
(The castle begins to rumble and sink into the sand.)
Kefka:
Ack! New luck favors fools!
Rend their hides, lest I rend yours!
(Magitek soldiers advance and engage the trio. Edgar and party emerge the winners and ride
off, kicking dust in Kefka's face as they ride.)
Kefka:
Blast all! I shall follow in wrath!
All corners submit to the Empire!
I shalt find thee in time, Edgar,
And upon such moments thine life hangs bare!
Beware all else, as Kefka has thee mark'd!
(They ride off, and Edgar engages in conversation with Terra and Locke)
Edgar:
Bravo, Figaro! Surely fate smiles!
Against the odds we gamble freely!
Our course holds nigh to the south,
Doth it not?
Locke:
Indeed it does! Bannon saw council,
And I shall deliver upon my honor!
In this way alone may more than one veil
Reveal all truth in its course.
Southward lies many a destiny,
And both would do well to pursue its splendor,
If a treasure hunter pleases you as guide!
Edgar:
For mine own part, glady and well met!
Yet to Terra I am not a vessel.
Her will yet remains a cloud!
Follow you us to Bannon?
No force to either side,
That even will tempers our resolve
So with justice outweighs desire!
Danger lurks nigh, borne of Imperial stock,
And raised with savage care!
Terra:
I shall follow. No other holds council,
And truly were all men left to save,
None would return so great a favor,
As thou hast shown me in action!
Locke:
Such awesome might swirls
Within such unassuming veins!
By what right pass'd this power
And moreso what act,
Allowed freely this power to thee?
Terra:
Lies would be that I know all!
To the fawn which stands at birth,
So I feel the ability to cast.
Edgar:
Yet I know of no human borne,
No matter how endowed,
To be so gifted yet...
(Terra stalls, hit by the words)
Edgar:
I beg forgiveness. For mine part,
I be rude to judge any of all,
Or even any of nothing.
Locke:
Regards fall upon both sides,
Yet it is a blanket of darkness,
In both soul and sky which cease,
So for Bannon we make haste,
Lest night beasts lay us to waste!
(Exeunt all, curtain falls)
Scene Nine
Mt. Kolts
(Terra, Edgar and Locke climb the slopes of Mt. Kolts. Just as they are about to cross to the
other side, they are attacked by a wandering fighter.)
Vargas:
Where hence lies Sabin?
Only in the darkest of deception,
And the cruelest of denials can one lie,
For only he fits the part of flatterer!
Speak now, and tell me of his treachery,
Lest your demise fall total!
Edgar:
Sabin...Sabin doth lie nearby?
Vargas:
Hold fast all coniving speech!
Learned I am in his ways,
And his will regardeth such lowly tactics!
Send he thou to displace from my scorn!
Ever shall pain remaineth, and he no surgeon!!
Locke:
Dastardly brute! Know we nothing of Sabin!
Vargas:
Lies all!
(They fight. Enter Sabin)
Vargas:
Sabin! Lo, you doth show nerve to face me!
I thought such will faded with pride,
Though truly such worth fell justly to me,
Only to be snatched away without care!
Sabin:
Nay, you forget the black truth!
Dear Vargas, much love has wasted,
For you in fury untold did act
In such a manner as to spill life!
Father and teacher to us both was he,
Now nothing more than a feast for worms!
Vargas:
Ah, but forget you that he doth act
In mirrored so manner as to forget,
That I alone fall of his seed!
Foregone was I when you entered,
And foregone I am now that he fell!
Death made you the master,
Yet only by choice of a craven fool!
Sabin:
Hush such lowly word!
Master, in such great wisdom,
Had seen you in place which I stand!
Vargas:
Lies! Spite and more spite I cast upon you!
Sabin:
Twas a spirit unlike any other,
But now it no longer can be seen,
For I relish mine sight,
And as such no sight gives you honor!
Vargas:
Cease thine lies! Have at you!
(They fight, Sabin eventually claiming victory.)
Edgar:
Truly heaven smiles pure,
For to deliver upon this day,
A brother I once chanced as lost!
Be you sound? Be you fit as all?
Sabin:
Dear brother, much vexation has been
The deprevation of familiar consort!
Lie I awake nightly to profess such to God!
Be you aware of such hard word which falls,
Rending Figaro to Imperial ash?
Edgar:
To dear a price doth be paid.
Never falls the sword without
Steadfast a blow to counter it by!
Petty acts of Imperial will control much,
Yet fail to hold the heart of Figaro!
This much I pledge to send to Gestahl,
So that his image fall swift and clean!
Terra:
Much confusion vex me still,
And no more must be of the sum!
Truly be this man a brother to Figaro?
In bearing I see but a widely brute,
Though refined to poise in grace.
See much in blood say my eyes,
Yet only your words can mend my percept!
Sabin:
Though of poise I find grace,
And of truth I be of the blue,
Much else has no mark save to me,
For royal ties bind me not to a throne!
Edgar rules with just hand,
And all else falls to ill reception.
Locke:
Be we in haste for Bannon?
He surely awaits a fine word,
And as such we have one or two to give!
Sabin:
As I might as well.
Be I a credit of value,
My wish is to show faith in good cause!
No cause can be of higher import,
Or perhaps of less futility,
Than to bounce the Imperial Monarch!
Edgar:
Gladly, dear brother! Truly a credit,
And even moreso be your aid!
Locke:
Then let us away, as we march by north!
(Exeunt All)
Scene Ten
The Returner Hideout
(The trio arrive at the secret Returner Base, and are brought before Bannon to discuss Terra's
role in the upcoming war.)
Guard:
What ho! Who goes there?
Be you friend or foe?
Edgar:
Tis I, Returner brother!
Ask I audience with fair lord,
So that in wisdom I see
Where once confusion held court!
Guard:
Hail, King Edgar! Last seen
You held much love in his eyes!
Be you and company so inclined,
I shalt escort you myself forthwith!
(They are brought inside and meet with Bannon)
Bannon:
Greetings King Edgar and loyal Locke!
Be this a matter of broken rights,
That Gestahl doth force you here this night?
Locke:
Tis but a scratch of Imperial force!
No harm befell a man of Figaro,
Yet left in the wake men southern colour!
From Arvis I bid greeting, as well as here,
A child of grand senses most strange!
Void of hold, free will brought her to us.
Now she stands to meet your gaze,
And see the word fall clean from honest lips!
Bannon (eyeing Terra):
Word from the south came grey,
Now no seasoned gossip persuade full hearts,
Yet in blame fault follows like a tail,
That many soldiers lost their breath,
Engaged with but one foe.
Pitted against this young girl,
No man stood chance versus the throne!
Terra:
Sheer spite! Never held I such a grudge!
Locke:
Bannon! Truth passes her mind in total!
A space most dark fills a will most bland,
For no trained killer of men have we,
But a soul pure of all blame,
As wills outside her sphere made all offence!
Bannon:
Long tales speak of a terrible day,
When all mankind lost it claim to purity,
When a stale of black ignorance,
Opened the fate of men,
Gathered in sides of six!
Anger, hatred, lust, pride, violence,
All dark tidings spilled forth
A never ending wave of horror!
Left in aftermath most uncertain,
Was found one weapon to counter,
And one weapon alone!
Mankind was left with hope,
One shinning hope to cut back hell itself!
Believe in your eyes, child,
For a mirror of truth they confide,
That bless'd be the will of this girl!
Sincere is my mind in belief!
Gestahl holds court in broken will,
As indeed the south lies broken still!
Against his foul temper is my hope,
That thou has eyes to see my word!
Edgar:
Know not ye of tidings past?
To seal so certain a doom,
Before life hast time to bloom?
Pitch such thought,
And hold steadfast to care!
Brew upon your mind as yet,
For foul wakes such hands,
That would wrest your life,
And use it for darkness!
(Curtain falls)
Scene Eleven:
(Terra and the rest of the Returners are gathered around a table in the main hall, discussing the
upcoming battle against the Empire)
Bannon:
Your thoughts and ears, I pardon!
Much certainty falls on Gestahl,
For in his arsenal is power great!
Magitek power flows through
The veins of this colossus!
Nary my mind falls to play,
Where did he aquire such strength in this day?
Edgar:
Locke has been a shadow,
Though in his dark travels,
Much light has been shed.
Truth be known,
Many a man of wisdom be chained,
Forced by Gestahl to study,
Though it be the ways of old, not new!
He asks not for cannons or guns,
But revives such tales of magic!
Bannon:
In my mind many thoughts dwell,
Yet a single which hold this tale!
Magitek and Espers he seeketh now,
As in the days of old battle,
Per say the War of the Magi!
All: NO! It cannot be! (And other such various murmurings)
Sabin:
A war of such length and pow'r,
Our ways were lost a thousand fold!
Be such tradgedy about to unfold anew?
Bannon:
Gestahl hold no bound for power,
And foolishness often follow suit!
Ne'er forget that flattery mask cleverness!
Be on guard that the south shall come,
And in such time Narshe fall to woe!
The Esper of the same may ally yet,
But with a force which falls against,
And battles for the common good!
The stuff of the end lies in Gestahl's hands,
Yet a ray of hope lies with us still!
Terra can speak with the tongue,
For she casts as a mage of yore.
Be she to speak with the beast,
Then heaven smiles upon us with mercy!
Terra:
By word of my mind,
Such tasks lie only to me,
Now I prolaim to side with the light!
Council I will hold with the creature,
Mayhaps to our glory and benefit!
Sabin:
Belief finds no hold on my senses!
Such tone aggravates all logic!
Speak you as if this were sport!
Bannon:
Ne'er the matter now it seems,
As I...
(A noise interrupts the meeting - a sound of someone falling through the doorway.)
Locke:
What foul happens afoot?
(They run to the entrance and see a wounded Returner stumbling into the room.)
Returner:
Sir...Sir Bannon!
Gestahl doth...doth approach!
Soldiers uncounted gather at Mt. Kolts!
Barley half a day's ride slows their path!
Bannon:
Indeed! Now we must make haste!
To Narshe I shall ride on the river Lete!
Terra and Edgar, follow Sabin as well,
For such peril as awaits may require
Strength as known only to Figaro!
Edgar:
Wise be the voice of Bannon!
To Locke I say only this,
That if on Kolts the Empire treds,
Then South Figaro be in further distress!
Muster your courage and sally south!
Locke:
To slow their progress?
Thou hast enlisted pure a rogue!
Yet concern floods mine heart,
That Terra be on guard,
And ne'er merely from swine of the south,
Yet from the advance of a silver tongue,
Attach'd to most royal a mouth!
Edgar:
Stay thy course! Away be you, thief!
(Locke smiles at first, but is hurt by the thief remark. Only the urgency of the situation dictates
that he not remove Edgar's lungs with his dirk. Bannon, Terra, Edgar and Sabin all head for the raft to
take them to the Lete, and soon they are on their way toward Narshe.)
(Curtain)
(From here the story diverges. I shall skip the shortest and most unnecessary scenario of
Terra, Bannon and Edgar, as no new characters are met in this scene. I will be giving a brief version of
Sabin's scenario, sans the Phantom Train and Gau, and Locke's will be alluded to in scene seventeen.)
Scene Twelve
The Eastern Countryside
(After a disasterous raft ride, Sabin finds himself wandering the world on his own. He is
uncertain about the fate of his friends, and his only hope now is to hike the long trip back to Narshe)
Sabin:
Confounded be so false a tide!
To fall from grace once made ill,
Now lose I my strength of will?!
Spite for the River Lete!
(He begins to walk, and spies an oddly dressed man in black standing by an old house.)
Sabin:
Relief washes clear!
All scent I had lost of hope!
Be that civility hold in so far a land?
Seperate paths have taken mine,
And you seem no way in burden!
Be that I need find Narshe,
Mayhaps you direct my cause?
Shadow (With little emotion):
Truly, sparrow, you have fallen,
And far from the nest at that!
Paths converge in infamy,
As south to Doma be you set.
Sabin:
Doma? Be that the south?
Ne'er was I so far from Figaro,
Not so far to believe mineself lost!
Shadow (Almost without care):
Gestahl bid Doma fall into fold,
And beset upon yonder kingdom
A reign of the wolf.
Leo hold counsel a league south,
And as a hound to the scent,
Gives no sample of losing hold.
Sabin:
Destiny, thine ways amuse me still,
And share we a bed many a night!
Shadow:
Steel grows dull with time,
Well might rust grip with the dew.
No crimson run awash of my dagger,
And if such company hold intrigue,
Then by all means, mine service be yours!
Sabin:
Obliged and well met, friend stranger!
Most evil sense give comfort to care,
Be no such mark place'd nigh!
To destiny's bed march we both!
(Exeunt Shadow and Sabin)
(Curtain)
Scene Thirteen
The Imperial Military Base
(Shadow and Sabin arrive at the base and hide behind some crates to gather as much
information about the Imperials as possible. Enter Leo and soldier.)
Soldier:
Sir Leo, Sir Leo!
Leo:
Soothe such haste in sense!
Be there report?
Soldier:
Nay, sir. All falls as was.
Many a man waits to rush,
For to clash under thine noble banner
Make no man greater of pride!
Command, General Leo, that we attack!
Be our taste for honor no better than Doma?
Leo:
Peace! So hefty weight make blood thin!
Lives concern me where honor nears confusion!
Doma's force remain steadfast and alert,
So ne'er was mine thought moreso placed rightly!
Soldier:
My life counts as waste,
Lest it be used for your aim!
Leo:
Again, I entreat thee, peace and rest!
Distress follows by unneeded loss!
Have you not a mother? A father proud?
War tears down many walls,
And rend nature from the core!
Let not the next tree which falls,
Be that of your own kin!
My own part shall be to tend pain,
And such loss mars my spirit
A million times o'er!
Soldier:
Thy will falls as command!
(Exeunt Soldier)
Sabin:
Ah, Leo, well played, good man!
If war be not the wall of fate,
Then on another day,
Arms might be cast
For views of the right and true!
(Enter another soldier)
Soldier:
Sir Leo, if please you my report,
A word is sent from our Lord!
(Leo reads the carrier pigeon)
Leo:
False hope lies in this,
That my will doth rebel,
Yet in Gestahl's care my life resides!
To Vector I travel,
For it be the throne's will.
Battle turns now to the squire,
Though the knight be wary
And hesitant in so early a weaning.
Soldier:
By your word, m'lord,
All plans rest in honor!
Leo:
Then I take leave.
(Exeunt Leo, Enter Kefka)
Kefka:
Rightly so be the fate of an ass,
As to be herded by mere word!
Such hold no man place on me,
Lest he find the binds soon revers'd!
Absence makes just effort,
That command fawns at my feet!
O, woe to pitiful Doma!
Be so wretched a land mine,
To make wretched from within!
Turn on yourselves in taint,
Slavish bodies of fools!
Let the pit of your meals,
Be the grave of your souls!
(Enter Leo)
Leo:
I am summoned to away.
Make no haste to end this contest,
As haste falls ill to victory!
Honor escapes you yet,
But orders are of equal bearing!
Lest you remember your stock,
Forget not that within walls lie brothers!
Kefka:
If brothers to you they be,
Then a wretch had you for mother!
That you are of yet failed
Makes mine own course the greater.
Before your counsel begin,
MY men shall vanquish all within!
(Uncertain, Leo leaves Kefka behind to command the troops.)
(Exeunt Leo)
(Enter Soldier)
Kefka:
Mine patience fails with the hour!
Be my brew set for the serving?
Toxins works best when fed,
And as sheep to the trough,
So ready Doma to the river!
Soldier:
Yet Leo gave command...
Kefka:
Weary I am of Leo's thin spine!
So frail and weak it bends,
That his steps fall awkward,
And his stride with lesser care!
Generals are to be made of firmer stuff!
Hasten to comply in good faith,
As a god to you my law shall act
Lest your life hold you no worth,
And your flesh readied for pain!
Soldier:
Aye, m'lord, then all be set,
Though plans so sour of nature...
Kefka:
Enough! Pour the brew,
And we shall let Doma writhe,
Be it an hour or a day,
Mortal men can but deter such fate!
Sabin:
Stay thine course, inhuman cur!
Kefka:
Silence, lest life fall in red cascade!
(They fight, but Kefka is hit once and scampers off yelping, Sabin in close pursuit. Soldiers
come in aid of Kefka, and Shadow and Sabin have no choice but to fight them off while Kefka sneaks
away to pour the poison in the river.)
Kefka:
Pan never played so fine a melody,
That the voice of pain doth compare,
For in the wond'rous truth o' agony,
My ears scream their pleasure bare!
(Curtain)
Scene Fourteen
The Castle of Doma
(Cyan is standing watch atop the tower of Doma Castle, watching as the Imperial Base bustles
with some activity. Concerned, he notices that the water looks a bit odd in color.)
Doma Sentry:
Sir Cyan, lest sight gives chase,
Certain it is that Gestahl moves quickly,
Agitated by so stoic a resolve,
Another plan must we weather,
Though all end seems so lost in blood.
Cyan:
Tarry not in ragged waste,
That the mind grow more ragged still!
Fix your pains on living,
And through this storm tred we safely!
(He looks at the water. Suddenly, soldiers around the castle start to drop like flies.)
Cyan:
By what foul mechanations...?
Sentry:
Can all fate be so sealed?
Has God turned face from this battle?
Cyan:
Nay! Observe with care the water,
See how grey the flow,
How thick it writhe as it laps?
No such act of nature force our hand!
Low has the Imperial aim fallen,
As to use so vile a tool!
Poison flows through Doma's great heart!
Sentry:
Contemptable spite!
Be there such cowards alive?!
Cyan:
Yet duty has been misplaced!
The king yet dines this night!
Hurry forth!
(They race to the throne room, where the King of Doma has fallen and lies as if dead.)
Cyan:
Your highness! Be you sound?
King of Doma:
Be that you, Cyan?
Darkness lays upon mine eyes!
Noble wars no longer break,
That Gestahl would stoop to Hell!
Yet nothing halts time,
And Doma's runs short...
Cyan:
Never!
King of Doma:
Cyan, most favored of knights,
That your service follows two lines,
You are of true valor!
There be no other in this world,
That doth match thine might!
I...I am not long of time,
I feel...much burn!
Run, now, and show...
Show this might, for your...
For your son and wife!
Cyan:
You highness! Say not such words!
(Doma dies)
Cyan:
Black winds howl through
This damned and honorless world!
How that so noble a soverign
Doth lie while the world continues,
Without sword to avenge!
Fickle love for brothers
Is shown by Imperial spite!
(Cyan runs from the room to meet with his family, but gets there too late.)
Cyan:
Elayne! Owain!
A voice to call, I beg!
Be you safe from harms way,
Then my life to no ends is save!
(He rustles his wife, who is holding her son. The boy falls from her limp arms, both lifeless.)
Cyan:
No....!
This is...
Inhuman fiends!
Whores of Satan!
By mine blade,
I shall slay all,
And send you back to mingle
With your dark lord!
(Exeunt Cyan)
(Curtain)
Scene Fifteen
The Imperial Military Base
(Cyan bursts through some soldiers, sword drawn and he easily dispatches four men as he
charges through. Many more rush to meet him, and Sabin offers aid.)
Cyan:
Be mine life a beacon,
That all Imperial dogs heed!
Come and contest death,
As life hold no worth
In the breath of foul vipers!
Be you now afraid to face a man,
When it be children that fall as prey?
Fawning swine, come forth and perish!!
Sabin:
Impressive a stance,
More impressive a tongue.
So noble a heart need aid,
And be my fist worth all...
(He plunges in to help Cyan, Shadow in silent tow. Eventually, the Imperial soldiers are either
dead or runnning for Magitek armor.)
Cyan:
Mine life owed in total,
That your aid came swift and sure!
Sabin:
There be no time to parlay!
Come hence and with speed!
(They, too, find Magitek armor.)
Cyan:
Sir Sabin, mine life be owed in total!
Be you so set for other land,
As mine hath fallen to ruin?
Sabin:
Aye, I am bound it seem to Nikeah,
As Doma offer aid not from ash,
Yet you ask part company,
So soon for having raised white?
Cyan:
White? Absurd! No such fall
Can be so place'd on Doma still!
My shadowed heart yearns further,
As to strike the heart,
Rather than this useless leg!
The head of Gestahl may find respite,
Though only after it meets mine sword!
Sabin:
Very well, then, let us away!
Shadow:
Though without mine aide.
Sabin:
Mean you to away?
Such hope was mine,
And every moment hence,
That my brother of arms
Would see couse in the north!
Shadow:
Fare thee well.
(Exeunt Shadow)
Cyan:
Affable fellow.
Sabin:
Ha! Well then,
Be we on course,
Lest sloth keep good men bound?
(They go charging through the camp, dispatching soldiers as they ride in the advanced armor.
Eventually, they are free to leave for the south.)
(Curtain)
Scene Sixteen
The Countryside of Nikeah
(While heading to Nikeah, Sabin and Cyan hope to find a way to Narshe
Cyan:
Huff! Such marches were ne'er subject!
Men under such command as mine,
Found their yield firm but working!
Soon, say my feet, rebellion
Shall take hold, and to Nikeah I remain!
Be that wastrel Shadow of sound mind,
That to abandon such foolish errands...
Sabin:
Bah, it be but a league further!
Can so distinct a murmur be heard,
From the retainer of noble lord late?
Such hounds of the hunt,
And still more the fox,
Have traversed with less complaint!
Merely enjoy these strange lands,
For providence tells not
When next we travel by them!
Cyan:
It be a time too soon,
That God cast in yonder path!
Spite fall to the Empire!
(They arrive in Nikeah, and soon they are able to find passage on a ship to Narshe.)
Sabin:
As providence falls plain!
Time hast seen fit to ally,
That the boat to Narshe ready sit!
What ho, good sir,
May we board this eve?
Captain:
Never often be seen men of foreign birth!
Much love leads the nose to the seas,
Or be you here on southern enterprise?
Sabin:
Love for the south falls ill!
Be there no talk of Imperial cur,
For insomuch as we hear of them,
Our ears rebel and stomachs grow weary!
Cyan:
In truth is but a ship we seek,
That for Narshe see us whole.
Captain:
Then your souls be fit for a time,
That your transport I offer hence!
Be your mind fit and body able,
Rest now from troubles untold!
(The boat begins to sail off, and the curtain falls, taking Sabin and Cyan into the north.)
(Curtain)
Scene Seventeen
Narshe, Arvis' House
(At rise, Bannon, Terra, Edgar, Arvis and the Narshe Elder are conversing over a battle with
the Empire.)
Elder of Narshe:
I am fit of wit,
Yet certainty escapes my grasp.
Be you so proud to proclaim,
That Imperial power equal Narshe?
Sheer folly to admit so,
Even in jest this action be sport!
That lives fall to loss...
Arvis:
Never was such a thing suggested!
Bannon:
Yet he speaketh correctly!
Arvis:
Bannon!
Bannon:
For the hasty fools who proclaim,
That in Narshe's mines lay such power...
Much blood will be loosed on the soil,
And all drawn by Imperial blades!
Elder of Narshe:
To consider so be further end!
What know we of magic,
That you surrender sense to weild?
Hope in an Esper long perished
Be hope placed in story!
Truly a child offer no aide,
When Gestahl bears full weight
On small Narshe's own people!
(Sabin enters with Cyan)
Sabin:
Brother!
Edgar:
Sabin! Be you so sound?
Sabin:
Indeed, while much thanks
Falls to this great soldier,
Who has seen much,
And battled all the more!
He hails of Doma,
Though he be the final herald...
Cyan:
All truth hast been told.
No enterprise be so foul,
That the Empire does not partake,
So long as goals are clear.
Lives of innocent care empty,
While Kefka cackled and slipped,
The river a most poisonous brew!
Elder of Narshe:
Monstrous fiends! Surely,
There be no end to Gestahl,
That at least all pride be still,
And such cruelty be moreso!
Edgar:
See you now the penalty for delay?
The forces of Gestahl lie not far beyond!
Would Narshe follow Doma in one red fortnight?
Elder of Narshe:
Sadness leaps of Doma,
Yet their fate be a lesson,
For Returners thrived a thousand fold,
As a child by its mother,
For truly Doma was the mother
And the Returners the child!
Be we to make the mistake...
(Locke enters with Celes)
Locke:
Full nonsense is spouted!
Imperial forces travel hence,
Leaving a swath of darkness
As their dogs leave even darker drops!
If of course, that dog be Kefka,
Who stands at forefront bearing sword!
Bannon:
Be this true! Can all be so swift?
Locke:
Is so! Celes here,
Was under Imperial banner...
Cyan:
Deceit! I knew mine eyes sat true!
(He draws his sword.)
Surely none see innocence here!?
The colour of the south
Lies as thick without the banner,
Just as with!
General Celes, as a devil to the soul,
Torched fair Miranda and unknown others!
Are we so blind as to stand idle,
As she mocks us beneath a mask of purity?
Not I, who shall avenge lives unknown!
Locke: (Jumps to her aid)
Word has been given,
And if you, sir, make me a liar,
Then further prices be paid,
For no life falls before me,
Lest it be those who threaten
And cast eyes on my charge!
Edgar:
Such words be without need!
As yet no fault remain
That we can judge and
Judge with fainess and valor.
Bannon:
Said soldiers approach!
Elder of Narshe:
So be it, then.
Yet know you all of my reservations!
Be the blood shed here not in vain,
But to help bring a bend of hope.
False words give no joy,
That I may gush praise on this effort!
(Enter soldier)
Soldier:
Lord Bannon, the Empire cometh!
(Curtain)
Scene Eighteen Part One
The Approach and The Cliffs of Narshe
(Kefka and the soldiers march in force toward the town. With hundreds of men at his
immediate command, he shouts his orders so that there will be no mistake in his intentions in Narshe.)
Kefka:
Bore me not with detail!
Rend all hide if the end meet need!
To burn and pilage is your aim!
Force falls with grace and pain,
While my sword falls with vengence!
To the Esper if life find appeal,
And take from those in my path their own!
Bring it hence for Gestahl's honor,
Or bring your head on a silver platter!
Soldier:
Yet, my lord if I may ask pardon,
Narshe meets no nation's gaze,
Asking nothing but reclusion!
Be we so proud...
Kefka:
MY EARS HEAR NOT!!
BRING ME THE ESPER!!!
(As this scenario plays out, Terra and the others are climbing the cliffs to guard the Esper.
Celes, as can be imagined, is not very popular.)
Edgar:
Locke saved many from said fate,
And none came close to heart!
A mistake to imagine otherwise,
For he merely does you courtesy!
Celes:
For mine own part,
I care not of the matter,
For in life I am not in need,
But rather still resolved
That I carry full weight.
Battle be my domain,
Not the arena of school girls.
Edgar:
Be there another so cold?
Cyan:
A mistake it be to fold,
For my eyes watch your step!
Fall just once,
And Locke be no shield
To your most earn'd fate!
Celes:
Twas mine hate for Gestahl
Which brought me so low,
Yet your eyes shall judge,
And be glad for their pains.
When this day be spent,
I shall show you virtue,
And the true measure of strength!
(Curtain)
Scene Eighteen, Part Two
The Battle for the Esper
(Bannon and the party stand at the top of Narshe's cliffs, the Esper safely at their backs. Kefka
appears and gives the order to attack, sparking a long and bitter battle.)
Bannon:
Ready thine blades
And steady thine hands!
Fail here and fail the world,
As no reprieve be granted to loss
That our cause be great in virtue,
As theirs be wicked in treachery!
Stave back their hands,
And stave off Gestahl!
(Enter Kefka with army)
Kefka:
Be destiny so kind
That bitter sight hold all?
Mine foes are known,
For Figaro stands proud,
Soon to fall dead!
And is my luck so full
As to deliver both traitor
As well as the Tool?
Celes and Terra at once,
So that mine effort be small!
Exterminate all,
Lest your spine shrivels hence!
Bring me the Esper,
Yet first their heads!
(There is a great battle, and in the end, they are sucessful in driving away the enemy. Terra's
magic plays a great part in the battle, and in the end, Kefka is sent away with his tail between his legs.)
Kefka:
Let not such pride consume!
My ardor be not spent,
So wait again for your doom!
(Exeunt Kefka and surviving soldiers)
Edgar:
And such be the fate
Of vermin most foul!
Is the Esper secure?
Bannon:
We'd best show our eyes,
As no wisdom be gained in darkness!
(They climb the cliff to the waiting Esper, which is still locked in the ice. The strange creature
stands proud, and emits a faint glow.)
Edgar:
That we have labored
For such a creature!
Can it be that this beast
Has power still of worth?
Sabin:
Impossible...no?
(The glow becomes more perceptable, and Terra steps forward. Locke stands before her, but
is thrown aside by an unseen force. The others can only watch as Terra confronts the Esper.)
Terra:
My fate stands awash
A dark sea of despair.
I cling to the shore,
My mind a traitor still,
Made a jest by evil,
And used as all else
For the cruelest ends!
You claimed me from hell,
The pit of my mind,
And spared me the fate
Of the Imperial hounds.
Why do you perceive worth,
Where I perceive only waste?
Why spare me you?
(Sobbing)
Why spare me you?
To know me,
I felt your power;
So frightening,
Yet so familiar!
Beast of old,
Tell me of mine self!
Tell me truly of all!
Who was I then,
Who am I still?
Who am I to be thrown
From the shore to the tide!?
(Another arc of light connects between Terra and the Esper, and of course we all know what
happens here. Terra transforms and screams across the sky, and the curtain closes on the first act.)
I will have Act II ready sometime in May, so keep your eyes peeled!
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