Start Date: March 14, 2022
Windwillow
Final Fantasy IV
Chapter Eleven
Despite receiving Rydia as a returning ally, the situation is dire. Not only have the seven stolen crystals escaped them, but in the chaos they had lost both Yang and Cid to Golbez's machinations.
Now, having returned to Baron, the party makes ready to infiltrate the shinobi nation of Eblan, now under siege from Golbez and his minions.
Can Eblan be saved? What of Rubicante, the elemental archfiend sent to obliterate it? The battle now shifts to the southwest and will lead to a new ally, but ignite a race to save the final dark crystal.
Can Golbez be stopped...?
Scene One
Back at Baron, the party informed Cid's engineers of what had happened; the loss of Yang and Cid should have struck them, but oddly enough they were optimistic.
"The Boss ain't gonna die!" said one, with a smile. "Shame on ya for thinkin' otherwise, Cecil!"
Cecil sighed.
"Your optimism is... um..."
One of the engineers patted Cecil on the shoulder.
"Boss told us to upgrade the Enterprise, and so we will. When we're done, you'll be able to carry Damcyan's hovercraft wherever you need!"
Rosa cocked her head.
"Why would that matter, if we can just use the airship to move around...?"
The engineer smirked.
"There's places where the Enterprise can't get to. I hear you're gonna head to Eblan, right? You can GET there with the airship, but if you wanna explore the underground waterways you'll need the hovercraft."
Rydia cocked her head.
"Did Cid plan this? How would he know we had to go to Eblan next?"
Kain shook his head.
"Call it a deduction. He didn't know about Eblan, but if we need the hovercraft to explore the rest of the world..."
Cecil nodded.
"Using the hovercraft opens up the rest of the world to us!"
One of the engineers raised his hand.
"Two shakes of a lamb's tail and we're done! Get goin' to Eblan!"
Rosa smiled.
"We won't let this opportunity go to waste."
Scene Two
It took a day for the upgrades to be finished, but immediately afterwards they were off. After taking off they visited Troia, to meet with Edward. Saddened as he was by the previous events, he assented to giving them the hovercraft.
After traveling for a time from the airship, the party activated the hovercraft and went towards the castle. Once there they found an abandoned, decimated castle. Little of it remained, and its surrounding village was blasted to pieces. Its finest architectural monuments had been defaced.
Clearly Golbez had struck, but the lack of corpses was encouraging. The party took the hovercraft through the reefs nearby, where they found an encampment of Eblanians. Their feeble possessions adrift, they huddled around each other for warmth.
One of the young ninja placed his hands together, clapping his palms and creating a small spark that created a campfire.
"Katon!" he said, a strange wind dancing around him as the fire started. The people settled around the fire, still shaken but now warm.
Cecil crouched by the campfire.
"A strange art," he remarked. "How did you start this fire?"
The youth bowed.
"Pardon, but Eblan's secrets are its own."
Cecil shook his head.
"My apologies. It was an idle thought..."
The auburn haired young ninja sighed.
"That being that, who are you? Why are you here?"
Cecil paused.
"I come as a friend is all. Now, how can we aid you?"
The young man nodded.
"Our royal family was abducted... We all fear for them. The King, the Queen, Prince Edge..."
Rydia crouched nearby.
"Prince Edge...?"
The youth sighed.
"Edward Geraldine, our heir. He asks us to call him Edge. Everyone loves him, though he may be a bit rough around the edges. Ah, no pun intended."
Rydia sighed.
"Seems like a fun guy. Wonder if we'll ever meet...?"
Cecil shook his head.
"Where have they been taken?"
The youth bowed his head.
"To the Tower of Babil..."
Kain cocked his head.
"They've gone underground?"
The young man paused, confused.
"It, uh... is a tower to the north. I had no idea that gigantic structure went as low as it does high."
Rosa nodded.
"I believe the giant tower is the same building, though mammoth to stretch from the underworld to the overworld. Golbez's base is more grand than we thought."
Cecil sighed.
"The important part is rescuing the royal family. We'll head north..."
The youth shook his head.
"You'll need to go through the caverns," he said. "The only way in is through the northern cave."
Kain nodded.
"To the north caverns, then. We must make haste."
Scene Three
The makeshift refugee camp happened to follow the same underground path that was now their destination. As they traveled, the party found weapons strewn across the floor, like strange curved swords and bladed fiorets of steel. They encountered no survivors, until they reached a horde of undead.
Kain shouldered his lance.
"Horrible. They've been reanimated as puppets."
Rosa nodded.
"We must send them to rest."
As the undead screeched and charged, Cecil drew his sword.
"To rest, but it must be by the sword."
The undead lurched forward, their soldiers' arms laced with dried blood. Cecil stepped forward and coated his sword with light. He flicked out his wrist and with a roll of his hand snatched a ball of light and drove it into the crowd.
With a bright shine, the light broke apart into smaller waves of light that stunned the undead. Cecil nodded to Rosa, and she put her hands together and began to chant. She flicked her wrists, creating a brilliant wave of holy energy that vaporized the deceased, returning them to rest.
"Come back, bastard!" yelled a voice from ahead. "You not man enough to take me on alone?!"
Cecil gestured and the party advanced around a corner. They found a defiant, oddly dressed young man holding two daggers backhanded. He was silver haired and covered with robes and a veil. Across from him was Rubicante, who folded his arms.
"I have no business with one such as you," he said contemptuously. "It is not as if you can stop me."
The youth tightened his grip and lunged.
"Oh, I'll stop you, you punk!"
Without looking back, Rubicane flicked his wrist, sending the man backwards into the wall. He turned and walked forward before disappearing in a cloud of flame. The young man staggered to his feet, shaken.
"Damn! I can't even stop one jackass? Pathetic! The hell kinda prince am I?!"
Cecil sheathed his sword as he approached.
"Prince? Are you Prince Edward Geraldine of Eblan?"
Edge shook his head.
"The name's Edge. And who's asking?"
Cecil extended his hand.
"I am Cecil Harvey of Baron, and I come to assist you. How may we aid you?"
Edge scoffed.
"Stop talkin' so fancy, why don'tcha. You sound like an old man."
Cecil cocked his head.
"Uh... okay... How can we help you?"
The prince nodded.
"Much better. Anyway, I ain't got no time. I gotta go find my parents! They've been taken to the Tower... I couldn't protect them, dammit!"
Kain folded his arms.
"This prince is quite... informal. Not what I expect of royalty..." muttered Kain.
Rydia sighed.
"Don't worry, we'll help you out."
Edge cocked his head.
"Oho? And where did this young fox come from, eh?"
Rosa shook her head.
"Her name is Rydia of Mist. Now, we haven't time to waste. Let's go and find your parents!"
Edge nodded. But on a certain level he was still smitten with Rydia, even given the situation. He picked up his daggers and sheathed them behind his back.
"Just ahead is the entrance to the Tower. We can get there in a couple minutes. And I wanna find my parents more than anything else on this earth..."
He staggered and fell, sweat dripping from his brow.
"Edge!" yelled Cecil.
Edge glared at Cecil.
"I just need some rest..."
Cecil shook his head.
"You're half-dead, be honest."
Edge groaned.
"So I die, so what! I'll do what I want!"
Rydia shook her head.
"I don't want to bury any more friends! Please, let Rosa heal you!"
Edge paused, blushing. She was so damn cute...
He nodded and fell back on his rear. Rosa rushed over and began to heal him. Through the light his eyes shimmered with rage.
Scene Four
As might be expected the architecture of the upper Tower and its lower half was identical. The walls and floors seemed bio-mechanical, with living energy pulsing through its futuristic halls.
The first floor was where the fight began. A swarm of ogres and cait siths appeared just as they entered the complex. Behind them were strange, mechanical orbs that made awful sounds.
Rydia layered her hands over each other, and a bright green light was emitted.
"Ramuh..."
She whirled her hands about and clasped them together, and a flash of light signaled a new Eidolon. From above a lightning bolt split through the ceiling, a giant explosion revealing an elderly man in earth-toned robes holding a staff. The staff had runes all around it, and coiled up to the head of a snake.
"We're sending Grandpa out to fight?!" said Edge. "Call me crazy, but he's gonna break some bones or something!"
Rydia scowled, as did Ramuh.
"The great sage Ramuh can take of himself," said said with disdain. "As I believe he will do, right, Sir?"
Ramuh nodded. He lifted up his staff, and lightning pulsed from it. As he swung it down he slammed the butt of the staff into the ground. The result was a torrent of lightning that enveloped the enemies - and a good portion of the Tower itself - and obliterated them with monstrous thunder.
The aftermath was remarkable. Much of the interior of the room they were in was destroyed, and a large hole emerged from the attack radius. There was no sign of the monsters save for smoke and sizzling fire.
Rydia raised her hand.
"Thank you, Sir! Give my regards to the King and Queen!"
Ramuh bowed his head, and with another thunderous explosion he disappeared in a field of green mist. Rydia turned to Edge and glared at him. He said nothing, but the egg on his face was hard to wipe off.
Edge turned, to find a set of ogres staring him down. Rydia lifted her hands, but he waved her off.
"Let me show you MY skills!" he said with a smirk.
The ogres bellowed and charged, but Edge drew his daggers and zipped forward. One dagger severed an arm, another a head, and with a violent and wild spin he diced the ogres to mincemeat. He turned to Rydia and winked. She sighed, and waved him off. Edge's face dropped.
Scene Five
The party continued, and eventually found themselves in a wide open space. There was no sign of monsters at first, but then a series of mechanical bits appeared. Edge drew his daggers and slashed through one, but it made a shrill shriek as it died.
A claxon sounded from the damaged machine, and from around the corner came several humanoid robots wielding rifles. The remaining bits circled around and continued to blare.
"I hate machines!" groaned Edge. "I could never figure out a typewriter, and now we have these punks getting in our way!"
One of the humanoid robots fired its rifle. Edge dodged quickly, but as the whole group fired his face dropped. Rosa swept both hands forward, and a barrier reflected the attacks back at the machines, destroying them.
Cecil coated his sword and charged, severing one bit. Rydia slammed her hands to the ground and spears of lightning pierced the remainder and shred them to bits. Edge sheathed his daggers, and smiled at Rydia.
"Thanks, babe!"
Rydia scoffed. From above two chimeras slammed to the ground. One was a hulking red ogre, while the other was a bright blue naga - a snake with the head of a human - with fins and fangs bared. Edge growled, lunging at the naga.
The naga swiftly evaded his swords, and opened its mouth wide. A series of ice spikes pierced his shoulder, dropping him, but he slashed off a fang as he fell. As he staggered, the ogre belched fire at him, scorching him.
"EDGE!" shouted Rosa. She ran forward and laid her hands on the prince, a soft light slowly mending his wounds. The naga roared and opened its mouth again, but Cecil swirled his sword and deflected the ice back at the ogre, who was pierced and fell.
Edge staggered to his feet, and readied his daggers. As he charged, the ogre seemed to freeze. It snarled, struggled, and slammed itself to the ground with a violent bellow. Edge stopped cold, uncertain.
"Ed..." it croaked.
The naga writhed and screamed.
"... ward..."
Edge froze solid. The naga and ogre seemed to take on human characteristics, a soft gleam in their eyes slowly forming. Edge began to tremble, his blood running cold.
"Edward..."
The prince staggered, his wounds still ailing him. He knew that voice.
"M-m-mother?!" he shouted.
The naga nodded. The ogre screamed and fell to its knees, writhing violently. Edge stepped backwards, shaking. His heel slipped and he fell to his rear. He stared at the ogre, tears forming in his eyes.
"Father..."
Cecil sheathed his sword, and Rosa lifted her hands away. Rydia's eyes widened, and she began to shake violently. Edge staggered to his feet, dropping his daggers as he stumbled forward.
"Mom...?" he whispered. "Dad...?!"
The ogre gripped its head.
"Edward... It... is..."
Edge ran forward despite his injuries, embracing the two chimeras. He tightened his grip, tears in his eyes. As she watched, Rydia began to cry.
"Dad! Mom! What the hell happened to...?!"
The naga lowered its head.
"Rubicante did... this..."
A snarl formed on Edge's face.
"That BASTARD! I'll kill him! Come on, let's..."
The ogre shook its head.
"It's too late for us," said the King. "We have been irrevocably mutated. There is no going back, Edward."
Edge tightened his fist.
"I told you to call me Edge!"
The Queen coiled herself around her son.
"Sorry. Edge..."
Staggering to his feet, the King lowered his head.
"I place Eblan in your hands, my son. Protect it always, and love its people as we have."
Edge shook his head.
"No. Y-you can't..."
The King and Queen stepped back silently. Edge's knees buckled and he fell.
"Goodbye..." said the Queen.
As they became engulfed in flame, Edge staggered to his feet and rushed towards them. Cecil ran forward and held him back, arms tightened against his chest.
"Let me go!" snarled Edge. "Let me go, damn you!"
Cecil shook his head. The King and Queen faded to ashes, and he dropped the prince to his knees. Edge crawled towards the remains, crying loudly. As his hand touched the ashes he broke down completely.
Rosa said a soft prayer, and Cecil tightened his fist in silent fury. Rydia began to sob, with no words, just sheer grief. They had to be avenged. They would be.
Rubicante must die. These words passed through all of their minds.
Scene Six
At the end of the hallway, Rubicante stood before a large door. Edge staggered forward and hurled a shuriken, but Rubicante slapped it aside.
"You... YOU INHUMAN...!"
Rubicante cocked his head.
"Is there something the matter?"
Rydia stepped forward and charged a spell.
"You mutated his family! THAT'S what's wrong!"
Rubicante shook his head.
"Lugae was responsible. You have my apologies, Edge."
Edge ran forward, but staggered and fell to his knees. His injuries and the trauma from his parents' deaths paralyzed him. Rubicante sighed.
"Emotions are powerful, though sometimes TOO powerful... Humans emotions dictate the way they live and how they die. Your rage has blinded you, Edward."
Slamming his fist to the ground with a bloody spectacle, Edge began to sob.
"Call me Edge, you son-of-a-bitch! It's EDGE! Y-you bastard...!"
He nursed his broken knuckle, as Cecil drew his sword. Rubicante lowered his head.
"What Lugae did was wrong... Were he here, I'd gladly turn him over to you. But, what's done is done."
Edge snarled, blood dripping from his mouth as he bit his lip.
"I won't let..."
His body became enshrouded in multicolored energy.
"I will never let..."
Edge's body sparkled and burst with color and light. He staggered to his feet and drew his daggers, energy pulsing from his entire body. He breathed deeply, narrowed his eyes, and wiped the blood from his mouth.
"I'll kill you," he hissed. "But I won't let my rage consume me, either. You'll die here, Rubicante..."
Rubicante nodded.
"Excellent words."
He swept his hand and a bright light enveloped Edge.
"Edge, no!" yelled Cecil. But as the light faded, Edge's wounds mended and disappeared.
Rydia cocked her head.
"Wh-what happened...?"
Rubicante lowered his hand.
"I've healed him. If I were to kill him now, it would be shameful. I restored his strength so that we may fight properly."
Rosa drew her bow, and Cecil clenched the Mythgraven Blade. Rydia silently brushed away her tears and, as everything calmed, she hurled a wave of lightning forward.
Rubicante swept his cloak across his body, and as he threw it forward the lightning dispersed. He extended his hand and fire began to form from his fingers, soon covering his entire hand. With a resounding boom an inferno of fire erupted from his arm.
Rosa threw up a barrier, but it broke open. Cecil and Edge swiftly evaded, and Rydia dispelled the flame with a blast of cold air. She gasped, held her chest, and staggered. She narrowed her eyes.
Edge shook his head.
"No, Rydia. I can stop him..."
Rydia cocked her head.
"What do you mean...?"
Turning slowly to Rubicante, Edge lifted his hand. He nodded.
Rubicante's arm again was wreathed in flame, and with a flick of his wrist the fire exploded forward. Edge, however, swept his hand across his chest and created a titanic tidal wave that extinguished the inferno.
Edge clutched his daggers and charged, the weapons becoming imbued with blue energy. As he swung a massive wave of bright energy followed, and he lunged forward. His daggers met Rubicante's arm, and clashed.
With all their might the two pushed through the other's attack, but in the end Edge's daggers broke through and cut Rubicante in half. The archfiend smiled as his lower half dissolved.
"Well met, Edge!" he said. "Well met."
Rubicante disappeared in a soft burst of fire, and Edge dropped to his knees. He sheathed his daggers and rose, turning to the party with tears in his eyes.
"The crystals should be just ahead," he said as he wiped his tears. "We're almost there."
Cecil turned to the party and nodded.
"Let's go, everyone."
A group of soldiers rushed into the room, before anyone could react. Edge whirled around and recognized them.
"Seneschal!"
The Seneschal nodded.
"We've come to rescue Their Majesties. Have you seen them?"
Edge lowered his head.
"I... am now king. I'm King Edge, Seneschal."
As the soldiers bowed their heads, Edge turned towards his men.
"Golbez and his minions must be stopped!" he said. "And we're gonna do it!"
The Seneschal nodded. Edge turned to leave, but stopped.
"Take care of Eblan while I'm gone!"
All the soldiers nodded. Everyone continued on through the doorway. There they found a massive, crystalline room - with seven pedestals with seven crystals! Cecil eyed them carefully, and nodded to the party.
Everyone stepped forward, but quickly fell through a trapdoor. As the crystals faded from his sight, Cecil narrowed his eyes.
Golbez had STILL been one step ahead!