(OOC: Just a little random banter... But did it ever seem strange to anyone else just how small the mountains were in IV? Mt. Hobs was four screens, including the optional save-point part! Haha... I'm strange...)
They reached the summit with little disturbance. Whatever it was keeping the undead calm, Morgan and Constance weren't going to question it. The rickety bridge that spanned the two peaks lay before them.
"... Do you want me to go first?" Morgan asked, looking not at the bridge, but at the unsettling amount of air beneath it.
Constance gulped and nodded, "Go for it."
She wasn't supposed to say that! She was supposed to offer herself, then I'd argue, then we'd go together... In spite of this thought, Morgan stepped onto the bridge. It wasn't nearly as shaky as he thought it would be...
"This shouldn't be too much trouble at all. It's not that unstable."
Constance edged onto the bridge behind him, growing more confident with each step. And why wouldn't she? The sound of rope tensing didn't start until they were about three-quarters of the way across.
"Um... Morgan. Did you hear that...?"
"Yeah..."
They both behind them, slowly. The rope towards the other end was reeling and snapping. They picked up their pace and reached the second peak, in time for the rope to snap, and for the bridge to sway slightly to the side.
"Only one rope?" Constance wondered aloud.
"I guess so." Morgan decided to turn his attention to the building ahead.
"That's where the light was... Right?"
"That's what I always heard from the Elder."
They approached the building. Morgan stopped.
"What is it?"
"The moaning... It's starting again."
They rushed to the building, the apparent source.
Inside, they found a room of crystal. Mirrors lining the walls. The moaning had stopped, and all they could hear was the echoing of their footsteps. Each mirror was spotless, though it seemed dingy and lifeless inside the chamber.
"There's... Nothing here." Morgan said, growing nervous, "Was... Was Gabriel wrong? Did we trap ourselves on Mt. Ordeals for no reason?"
Constance inspected the walls. Passing them one by one. She stopped cold.
"What is it?" Morgan approached her.
"Morgan... There's something wrong with this mirror."
Morgan joined her in front of the center mirror. Upon entrance, it seemed normal, but with a close eye on it, it revealed something more than just their reflections.
"What is that..." Morgan strained a little, trying to make out a figure that appeared in the back of the mirror. He looked behind him. Nothing. Back at the mirror. The figure seemed... Empty somehow.
"Morgan, it's coming closer..." And it was. The hollow figure, a mere silhouette, was 'walking' towards them. They would've observed more, had a tremor not begun.
"What's going on..."
The outside mirrors clouded in shadow. Out from them, came two dark figures. One revealed a cape as it walked, the other, no discernable traits, other than it had a female form.
"... Cara? Gabriel?" Morgan had little time to confirm, as he found himself victim of a whip lashing.
Morgan cast Shell.
Constance cast Protect on the two of them, "We shouldn't need a shell. They had little or no magical ability."
Morgan dodged the whip, "No telling what will come... Look out!"
Cara had let out in a flying kick, which landed on Constance.
"Blast!" Morgan sent a Fira and Aera spell together at Cara, knocking her off of Constance, who then cast Cura on herself. Morgan's staff was out, and aimed at Gabriel, "Blizzaga!" The ice careened into Gabriel's now shadowy figure, motes of darkness flying off on impact.
Constance's attention was drawn to the center mirror again.
"..ss.."
"What?"
"STOP!" The effect of Morgan's spell lasted all of two seconds, and Cara and Gabriel were on the offensive again.
"Resistant to time spells..." He muttered.
Constance's attention was still absorbed by the figure, "v.ss.."
"What are you trying to say."
"You hear something?" Morgan demanded, "Thundara!" the bolt struck both targets, knocking them back. Cara performed an acrobatic leap, fist crashing into Morgan's head. He wasn't even able to recover from it, when a bolt of shadow hit him from behind, knocking him to the back wall of the chamber. He struggled up, noting Gabriel's new focus, "Constance!"
"Vessel? That's what you're saying?" Constance shot a look towards Morgan upon hearing her name and saw Gabriel casting some sort of spell, "Silence!" The spell stopped. Gabriel charged at her, flailing his whip.
Morgan thrust himself into Gabriel, knocking him down. Cara was not far behind.
"Morgan! I think I know what the mirror wants."
"What the mirror
wants?"
"Morgan, this is the chamber of light. The light needs a new vessel to counteract the darkness in the land."
"And how are we supposed to do tha-!?" Morgan had to throw up his staff to deflect a blow from Cara.
"This is how..." Constance said, with a wistful tone. She threw herself at the mirror, "HOLY!"
"Constance!?"
The room flashed, the holy energy bouncing off each mirror, causing a hiss from the shadows. As the light's intensity weakened, the room was revealed to be luminous, each mirror gaining a lustrous shine. A glow, it seemed. The shadow faded. Cara and Gabriel, gone.
"Cara!? Gabriel!?" Morgan looked one way, then another, then to the center mirror, "Constance?"
Constance stood on the other side of the mirror, lined in light.
"Morgan, the light of Mt. Ordeals has been restored..."
"What!?"
"The people of Mysidia need not fear the excess darkness."
"But... But how!?"
"I can't say I know. All I can say is I am proud to be able to bring about a balance to the land of Mysidia..."
"But at what cost!?"
"I'm still here. It was no cost, but my physical form."
"... And Cara and Gabriel?"
"They're still alive... Somewhere. I can feel it... The shadow energy wasn't destroyed, merely controlled."
"Then why did they vanish?"
"I cannot explain it... I don't understand Darkness' power, myself..."
Morgan stood speechless.
"Do not worry, Morgan. They are living. I swear it. You have other things to worry about. Take this... And the blessing of light..."
The light grew strong again, but not as harsh, this time. Morgan felt his mind, body, and soul fill with a new power. The light faded, and a small bauble appeared on the ground. Morgan picked it up.
Morgan recieved the Light Talisman and the Blessing of Light."Now... You must go, Morgan. There are other events occuring, and you must see to them."
"Other... events?" Morgan got no response. He had been teleported outside the building, "Constance!? Constance!?" He tried the door. It was sealed. He slammed his fists into it repeatedly, losing strenght with each blow. He cried. All his friends, now lost to him...
Heh... And now I'm alone to descend this mountain... With a broken bridge in my way...[glow=teal,2,300]Ah... Finally... I never thought we'd find you... You did too well hampering your emotions. I knew you'd break though...[/glow]A startled Morgan looked around.
That's... He then looked up. An Estharian airship hovered high above him.
[glow=teal,2,300]I suppose you need a hand... Well, let's get you on board.[/glow](Continued in Dusk - Coral's Borrowed Airship
fftalesrebirth.proboards79.com/index.cgi?board=air&action=display&thread=938&page=1)