Start Date: March 22, 2022
Windwillow
Final Fantasy IV
Chapter Fourteen
Kain having betrayed them again, the party finds themselves absent eight crystals and any hope they may have held. At the Dwarven Castle, Golbez remarked that he aimed to reach the moon using the crystals.
How? For what purpose? Why did he begin all this madness?
With these questions and more unanswered, the party has returned to the Feymarch to report to the King and Queen.
Scene One
"I see that the situation is grim..." remarked Leviathan. "To think that young man would go astray in such a way..."
Cecil clenched his fist.
"Kain and I ..."
He turned to Rosa, who was crying softly. Cecil narrowed his eyes, his emotions wild. Rosa had suffered so much because of both Kain AND himself; restoring all this to what it was seemed impossible.
"We will discuss many things when this is all over," said Cecil as he bowed his head. "But I don't know what to do now. I... just can't even think anything rational at this point..."
Edge folded his arms.
"I'm gonna slap that punk when I see 'im."
Rydia shook her head.
"It's all Golbez! He's manipulated every single person on this planet, and for what? To visit the moon?!"
Asura paused.
"Did I just hear that correctly, dear?"
Leviathan nodded slowly.
"So," he whispered. "He's after Bahamut..."
Rosa stopped crying.
"Who is Bahamut?"
Rydia stood stunned.
"Wait a minute. Just... BAHAMUT?! This went from really bad to absolute worst real quick..."
Edge cocked his head.
"Anyone care to elaborate for us not in the know?"
Leviathan sighed.
"Bahamut is the God of Eidolons, and he resides on the moon. His power would be enough to destroy the entire planet if used unwisely... And Bahamut's power makes ours utterly insignificant. We could offer no resistance."
Cecil shook his head.
"Wait. Why destroy the world, if he could rule it? Something is amiss..."
Asura nodded.
"Whatever the root of it all may be, we must reach the moon."
Edge sighed.
"Do we have a clue as to how?"
Leviathan shook his head.
"No. But if there is a way, you'll need more power... More Eidolons."
Rydia cocked her head.
"Uh... more?"
Leviathan nodded.
"The Sylphs of Wind and Odin the Reaper. Seek them out."
Edge groaned.
"Please tell me we have some idea WHERE to look?"
Asura nodded.
"The Sylphs reside in a cave far to the north, by the Tower of Babil. As for Odin, he resides in..."
Leviathan paused in shock. He exchanged glances with Asura, who met his gaze. They both lowered their heads.
"Where?" asked Cecil.
Asura shook her head.
"In... Baron..."
Cecil startled. Leviathan sighed, and extended his hand.
"Grab my hand and hold it. Don't ask why, you'll know when the time comes."
Slowly Cecil extended his hand and Leviathan clutched it. A searing pain shot through his body, and he fell to one knee.
"Cecil!" gasped Rosa.
Staggering to his feet, Cecil examined his palm. There he found a strange diamond shape had been carved into it, warm to the touch. He turned to Leviathan and looked at his eyes. There was an emotion in them he couldn't place. It looked somewhere between sorrow and pity.
Cecil nodded slowly.
"We'll head for the Sylphs first. You said they're by the Tower, right? It shouldn't be too hard to find. Let's leave immediately."
After they did, Leviathan turned to Asura and frowned.
"It had never occurred to me that Odin was..."
Asura nodded.
"I suppose the King never told him..."
Scene Two
The Cave of the Sylphs was far to the west of the Tower of Babil. After reaching it and entering, the party found that the cavern looked much like the Feymarch. Rydia explained that the same elemental spirits that made up the Feymarch lived in the Sylphs' cave as well.
As they wound their way through the cavern, they found that there were no monsters like the dark Fey who attacked them back at the Feymarch. Instead they went through chamber after chamber until reaching an area with multiple stalagmites jutting from the earth.
Rydia drew her whip.
"I sense something foul!" she hissed.
A roar sounded and from behind one of the stalagmites came an unholy aberration. It was a massive green creature best described as a living mouth, with a wide maw and tentacles draped throughout its body. Its eyes were attached to other tentacles jutting from its head.
"A Malboro!" gasped Rydia. "Everyone, get back! Don't breathe in its stench!"
The Malboro inhaled, and wheezed out a noxious green gas. Rosa and Rydia got out of the way in time, but Cecil and Edge were engulfed.
"No, Cecil!" Rydia screamed. "Whatever you do, don't trust your own senses!"
Rydia's voice was fogged, a distant echo in Cecil's ear. He staggered and drew his sword, his vision dim. The Malboro had seemingly disappeared into the wretched stench it had belched, leaving Cecil alone in darkness. He couldn't see anyone, not even Rosa or Rydia or Edge.
"Damnation!" gasped Cecil. "What in hell...?!"
In the corner of his eye, he saw Golbez step from behind him. He readied his sword, and waited for the warlock to make a move. When he didn't, Cecil inched forward slowly with blade outstretched. As he charged, Golbez shrieked and recoiled.
"Cecil!"
His sword stopped cold just at Rosa's face. He slapped himself hard, and slowly returned to his senses. What he had thought was Golbez had been an illusion of Rosa, and as his vision returned and his senses became awake he realized that the Malboro's maw was right above him.
Coating his sword in light, he gave a mighty swing and decapitated the giant monster. As it fell dead to the ground he gripped his face hard with both hands, dropping his sword. What the hell had happened?! He'd almost killed Rosa!
"The Malboro's breath distorts the senses," came Rydia's voice. He turned to see her stepping towards him. "One whiff will warp all five senses and make you a complete wreck. You and Edge both inhaled it... So that's why you almost..."
Rydia paused. She wasn't about to say out loud that he almost killed his lover. She shook her head.
"That doesn't matter. We're through it."
Cecil cocked his head.
"Wait. What about Edge?"
Rydia pointed behind her, to a dazed Edge. He staggered, stumbled, but had a bizarre look on his face.
"I had to slap him a few times," she said. "The breath took him hard."
Edge swooned. Rydia was charming even when she was beating the snot out of him...
Rosa pointed to the distance.
"I see a house!"
Edge stumbled, holding his cheek.
"Cool... Why's everyone look so out of focus?"
Scene Three
Cecil knocked on the door.
"Hello?"
The door cracked open, and the face of a young woman emerged. She was beautiful, clear golden skin with silver hair and clear eyes.
"We don't want any more humans," she said. "I'd like you to leave..."
Rydia raised her hand.
"Wait! I'm a summoner! King Leviathan sent us here to ask for your help!"
The Sylph cocked her head.
"The king...? Come in. Tell us what's happening."
As the door opened to reveal two more Sylphs, the sight of a bedridden figure made Cecil gasp. He'd seen him before... But how he saw him now baffled him.
"Yang?!" he gasped as he brushed aside the Sylph, running to his bedside and kneeling next to an unconscious Yang. He shook him hard. "Yang! You're alive!"
The Sylph shook her head.
"We found him by the Tower of Babil. He was really banged up, so we took him back home. We healed his wounds, but he won't wake up."
Cecil shook Yang back and forth, receiving no response.
"Yang, wake up!"
There was silence, until a slow snore broke from Yang's mouth. Everyone paused, cocking their heads. After almost dying, he was sleeping? Here, on what should have been his death bed?
"Oh, come on!" spat Edge. "Wake the sucker up already!"
The Sylph shook her head.
"We've tried all our spells, but nothing will wake him up. Perhaps a kiss could awaken him, were it from a true love..."
She paused.
"Hang on. You still haven't explained what's going on!"
Rydia sighed.
"This'll sound like a whopper..."
Scene Four
Having discussed the situation, the Sylphs were now aware of what was happening.
"I'm afraid we have to decline," said one as she turned to Yang. "He needs constant attention to survive, and without us, well..."
Cecil nodded.
"Then we won't force the issue."
He turned towards the door, but stopped and looked back at Yang.
"Please, take care of him."
The Sylph nodded.
"Until he awakes, we shall attend to him."
After that the party left, returning to the Falcon. Aboard they steered towards the Dwarven Castle. Edge folded his arms.
"Dumbass is sleeping and we still can't wake him up? Hit him with a frying pan or something..."
Rosa shook her head.
"All we can do is inform his wife when we return to the surface. She'll be relieved that he's alive."
Rydia nodded.
"We can't ask the Sylphs to leave him to die... We'll have to make do with what we have."
Cecil was quiet, and said nothing. He was still shaken that an Eidolon had been in Baron all along, and that he'd never heard a word of it. Why would the king never tell him? Had he been hiding something?
"When we leave the underworld," he said quietly, "After informing Yang's wife we'll make haste to Baron. As it is, we can't even get there ourselves anyway..."
Rosa nodded.
"I'm sure Cid will have a plan. We can count on him."
Edge shrugged.
"Or the old fart's sleeping, too..."
Scene Five
Back at the Dwarven Castle, the party reported back to King Giott. He was shaken by the news of the crystals' seizure, notably because he could do nothing to stop it. The party returned the necklace to his daughter, as well.
"So," said Cecil. "We have a problem. Even if we get out of the underworld, there's no way to chase that bastard to the moon. What can we do...?"
King Giott paused.
"We dwarves have a legend 'round these parts, passed from ancient times. It says that from the maw of a dragon, a great whale will emerge and unite heaven and earth. I never put any stock in it, for obvious reasons. But..."
Edge folded his arms.
"Heaven being the moon, we have to catch a whale that got eaten by a dragon. Should be easy enough, right?"
Rosa shook her head.
"I... don't think that we're talking literally. Here, let me show you..."
She waved her hand and a map of the world was projected onto the wall.
"Look closely at Mysidia. Can you see anything a little... interesting, in its location?"
The map charted all the world, but with a flick of her finger it narrowed onto Mysidia. At first they saw nothing, but as he examined the coast of Mysidia, Cecil stopped cold. Where Mysidia was located, the land around it looked like a great beast ready to consume something.
"Mysidia!" he gasped. "The maw of the dragon! They have to have the key!"
Rosa nodded.
"Though I'd studied geography, I never thought much of the shape of Mysidia. But, with the clue of a dragon's maw I thought that maybe Mysidia's geography could look like a dragon's head."
Edge shook his head.
"All well and good, but we need to get the hell outta here first."
From behind them, the party heard a cry.
"I told you that you need rest!"
Stepping slowly towards them, Cid staggered and slammed his heels to ground himself.
"And I told you I'm fine!" he snapped. He turned to Cecil and grinned. "If we can't get out, let's just build a drill and dig a big hole!"
Rydia smiled.
"I should've guessed you'd think of something so... direct."
Cid staggered.
"Cid!" shouted Cecil. "You need your rest!"
The machinist laughed.
"I've got enough strength to show these punks how to install the drill, so hold your water!"
Edge sighed.
"Great, we give this guy a big-ass drill. Am I the only one that thinks this is a stupid idea? I mean, we'd have to fly straight up... How would we hold on?"
Cid laughed.
"I'll fix ya up with some chains! It'll be fine!"
Edge rolled his eyes.
"Very reassuring..."
Scene Six
Under Cid's direction, the dwarves installed both the drill and a set of restraining chairs for the party. All they'd need to do is fasten themselves to their seats and fly straight up. Or at least, that was the plan. As they were fastened in, Edge groaned.
"This is ridiculous!" he shouted as the belt was fastened. "Who the hell would belt someone in a chair?! That would never sell!"
Rydia sighed.
"We have to do what we have to do. Just shut up and sit there!"
Edge swooned.
"Well, if you put it that way, let's go!"
Rydia cocked her head. What was this guy's problem? The preperations were finished, and Cecil locked himself into the pilot's seat. Cid stood below in crutches.
"Good tidings!" he shouted. "Tell Yang's li'l missus we'll bring him back... Uh, sometime. You guys figure it out."
Rosa sighed.
"Understood. Thank you for your... elegant speech, Cid."
Cecil started the airship upwards. As he looked down at Cid, the two exchanged glances, and with that he turned towards the entrance to the underworld. Once they reached it, he looked back at his companions.
"Is everyone ready?" he asked.
Edge groaned.
"If I say no, Rydia will slap me. Just get it over with."
Cecil nodded, and turned the airship directly up. As he approached the surface, he eyed the bedrock with scepticism. Would this even work? Regardless, he pulled a lever and the drill began to work.
The Falcon's drill hit the earthen bedrock hard, shaking the airship. Despite Edge's squealing, though, they steadily ripped their way through and into the overworld.
"We did it!" cheered Rydia.
Edge nodded.
"Guess I was wrong. The old fart's plan worked!"
Cecil righted the airship as everyone unshackled themselves. Without delay he turned the wheel and headed towards Fabul.
Back at Fabul, the king and his men were relieved of Yang's safety.
His wife didn't share that sentiment.
"That damn IDIOT!" she yelled, as she picked up her frypan. "Let me down there and I'll slap him awake! I'm gonna pummel the fool so hard he'll have a migraine for the next DECADE..."
Rydia laughed nervously.
"I'm starting to feel bad for Yang..."
Cecil nodded.
"We can get you there via the Enterprise. Your Majesty, when I get to Baron I'll send some mechanics to pick up the airship."
The King grinned.
"Just as long as I don't have to see the deed being done!"
Cid's wife cracked her knuckles.
"Oh, it's gonna hurt..."
Rosa sighed.
"Come with us to Baron, and we'll make the arrangements. I'm sure they can get you there via a ship in a day or two."
Cecil shook his head.
"Actually, I think we can drop them off at the Enterprise directly. There's no reason to delay, after all. Once we get to Baron, I'll gather the crew and ship you there. Now, though, we have business in Baron ourselves."
He narrowed his eyes as he looked to the sky. Whatever secret the King had kept, now was the time to learn it.