Prologue: The Light and the Darkness

Temple of Water. 11 years ago

In the beginning there was nothing. There was nothing in the Void from whence the universe eventually was born. And then...there was Light, and its enemy Darkness came into being at the same instant.

The Priestess Iko thought about this teaching again and again as she stared out of the Water Temple's front steps and towards the lake. A giant figure, carrying a litter on its back, was approaching the temple slowly as if the figure's eyes were closed. They probably were. The priestess was deliberately avoiding turning around and looking at the object that she was supposed to revere and protect. The Crystal of Water shone like the sun as it sparkled upon its pedestal.

The Light from the crystal had once been pleasant and comforting, but it had begun to fluctuate recently. More and more often Iko found that she had no choice but to head for the caves nearby to get away from the Light the Crystal made. It was not lost on her that she hid from the Light and escaped to the Darkness provided by the caves.

Could Darkness really be that bad? Iko wouldoften catch herself wondering, but she never voiced these thoughts out loud anymore. The priests and other priestesses did not seem to have the doubts that she had, or if they did they had never told her so when she used to bring it up. The only person she had heard of that had thoughts like hers had been a well known and respected scholar by the name of Owen. He had announced one day that he had observed that the Cetra had abused the Light to the point that the Light would destroy everything if left unchecked. He had gone on to say that the only hope may be to begin using the power of Darkness.

But he had been arrested later that day for 'seditious libel' and attempting to create a panic. There was just something about it that rang wrong to her and she couldn't help but think that they had just been trying to get rid of him. When she had brought up Owen with the priests, she had been assured he had been arrested for libel and that they wouldn't repeat what he said. She only wished she could believe that.

That was why Iko believed she couldn't go to Stark or Lily for help. Until she had something besides doubts to go on, they'd just tell her she was going through a crisis of faith, or perhaps have her arrested like Owen. Again and again she would shake her head and dispel the notion that her friends would betray her like that, but she hadn't trusted them enough to tell them what she was really thinking. And that just made her feel even worse.

The figure that was coming towards her had begun to shield its eyes as it began to walk up the steps of the temple. The blinding light had begun to fade however, and soon the figure, Stark, was able to climb the steps without having to shield his eyes.

"I found kid." Stark said as he began to take off the litter as carefully and as gently as he could, but it wasn't very easy for the large man to be gentle or careful. Stark was way too large to be completely human, and his features definitely suggested that he had some troll blood in him. He was easily over ten feet tall and he was at least five feet long. His hair had a definite light green hue and his skin had a gray tint and his entire body was covered in muscle, rather than fat despite how wide he was. He was a little slow as were most half-monsters, and he never talked about his parents. But Iko knew that it could just be a coincidence and never asked him if he was half-monster.

For some reason Stark got upset when everyone tried to do things for him, and so Iko waited patiently for Stark to remove the litter on his own. Finally, Stark removed the litter and presented an infant to Iko. The child had fallen asleep, its thumb in its mouth. The short hair on top of the head had just begun to grow long enough to cover the head, which was tilted comfortably to the side. The child looked peaceful and serene in the darkness and it could not have been more than 4 months old at the most.

"Thank you Stark. You did a good job." She said in the sweetest tone that she could as Stark nodded as he handed her the baby…but she saw him blink and his smile drop a little. She had never understood why he didn't like getting thanked.

Stark finally shook his head slowly and ran a hand through his hair as he pointed at the litter. "Why Crystal want kid?"

Iko's blood chilled as Stark's words rang through her soul. Stark had just asked what Iko should have realized from the start. At first Iko looked at the child in appreciation for the beauty of a new born life...but what she should have realized sooner was that this child had been summoned by the Crystal. What could the crystal possibly want with a new born child?

'Priestess. Come forth.'

Iko froze as she heard the voice of the crystal in her head once more. She had heard the crystal speak on several occasions, but it had never sounded so urgent...or strained. The light from the crystal had grown dark. What was going on? Was the crystal becoming tainted with Darkness?

'The child. Bring it before me.'

Fear crawled down her spine as the priestess held the infant's litter protectively against herself. Could she trust the Crystal when its Light had lost its brilliance?

'I know that you doubt me,' the Crystal said as he tried to soothe her. 'But I know too that you have doubt in the Light and have seen the good that can be provided by Darkness in our everyday world. It is why I entrusted you and no other with this task.'

Iko approached the crystal hesitantly. The crystal had talked to her and charged her with silence, that was true. But what if the darkness in this Crystal was evil just as the priests had always taught at mass? What if the Darkness had known her thoughts and was now taking advantage of her weakness?

'I must act, before I am lost to myself.' The crystal explained as it began to grow bright again. 'Place the child before me. Before it is too late.'

But rather than comply with the crystals wishes, Iko began to back away slowly.

'Priestess, you must not leave! I must mark this child now, while my Dark side can still affect this world through me!' The Crystal shouted, but this only caused Iko to switch from backing away slowly to running.

Her flight was stopped before it had begun when she found that Stark had blocked the exit. His arms, that were as thick as tree branches and that could tear these stone walls down, were stretched out to either side preventing her escape. She looked up at the giant and saw him look down at her in confusion.

"Crystal want help." Stark said as if it was as simple as night and day. "Why you not help?"

She stood uncertainly for a few moments, looking between the crystal, and Stark. Could the Crystals plea be genuine? Could it really need a child? What if the crystal really did need help...?

She could get past Stark if she had to. She could cast Mini or Toad on him and then she could simply run past him and escape. But she didn't. Instead she made the hardest choice of her life. It was a leap of faith into a chasm of Darkness, when her whole life she had been taught that Darkness was evil and that salvation could be attained only from the use of Light. She turned around and held the child as the Crystal began to grow darker as it spoke to the infant.

'Welcome, child from the Land of Darkness.' The Crystal of Water said to both the child and to Stark and Iko's minds. 'I wish that I could have called all four of you here tonight, or when you were older as we intended, but it is too late. Already the Light is going out of control, and time is becoming constant. Of the Warriors, we decided that only you could be chosen to imbue with the power of Darkness at an early age, Justice.'

As Iko held the child, a dark miasma began to surround the infant to Iko's surprise. But it was not unpleasant. She could still see the child and she could hear it breathing regularly. If anything it had begun to look healthier! After a few moments the miasma dissipated.

'I did everything I could do and withheld only what I must for the other three Warriors. I have given you two gifts: I have blessed you with the only spirit of the dead that I could impart to you and still finish the second gift. The second gift will bring that land to a place where the Light will not reach it. Where you and the other four shall be able to grow into the Dark Warriors you must someday become. Now, Priestess, Stark,' The Crystal said focusing its attention on her again. 'You must send this child and the other three I indicated to the Kingdom of Sasune. And they must be at the outskirts within two days.'


Iko could not leave her duties behind, and she sent Stark to make his way with the four children to the southwest continent.

Two days later, the continent that held the kingdoms of Sasune and Argus, the Tower that Owen was constructing before his incarceration with the help of his son, and even the races of Dwarves and Gnomes disappeared beneath the oceans waves.


FINAL FANTASY III

The Dark Warriors

(Before we go any further, I have beaten Final Fantasy III DS and I know the full story of the Dark Warriors as it appeared in the game. But that was only the end result.

Who were they before they were the Dark Warriors? How did they grow into the role that they played at the end? What are the good qualities of Darkness? What was the Bad side of the Light? That's just a part of the story I'm going to explore, taking a few creative liberties of course.)