ooc ☸ background: long version a.k.a. game walkthrough
DISC 1
[PRIMA VISTA/ALEXANDRIA]
After joining up with his friends Blank, Marcus, and Cinna, and having a little tussle with their band leader Baku, Zidane and the gang are briefed on the plan to capture the Princess Garnet Til Alexandros XVII. Under the guise of performing the play "I Want to be Your Canary", Zidane and Blank are in charge of infiltrating the castle and drugging the princess' tea before taking her aboard the Prima Vista.
They manage to use one of their dueling acts as a way to sneak into the castle and steal the armor of some knights. While heading up the stairs to her room, Zidane bumps into a girl in a white cloak (obligatory white mage reference :D) and after a bit of flirting, she pushes past both him and Blank and run off. Zidane chases her up one of the towers, but instead of catching her or having her surrender, the princess climbs up on the wall and falls back.
Fortunately she doesn’t plummet to her doom as Zidane initially thought. She had grabbed one of flag wires and uses it to swing down to the Prima Vista. Zidane follows suit (as does Steiner who watched all of this happen) and now he has to chase her through the ship. She eventually stops and tells him she wants to be taken. Well that made his job easy. Steiner is still chasing after them, however, so with help from Cinna and the gang, they continue to run through the ship and end up taking one of the trap door lifts onto the stage. Since Garnet still had her disguise, they improvised and continued with the play.
Unfortunately, their cover is blown when, after the play ends, the little black mage Vivi is chased onto the stage and in his defense he uses fire magic. The fire burns Garnet’s cloak and Baku sends the order for the ship to get out of Dodge. In her rage, Brahne tries to keep the ship via firing harpoons and eventually a giant bomb. This causes a lot of destruction and mayhem within Alexandria city, and though the bomb explodes and causes a lot of damage to the ship, they manage to come out and fly away.
[EVIL FOREST]
Because of the damage, the crew winds up crash landing into the Evil Forest. Once again Zidane has to search for Garnet, and when he does find her she's in a bit of a pinch. Trapped by a plant monster, Zidane joins Steiner in an attempt to save her. It's during this battle that Zidane discovers that he can use Trance (to be explained in the Abilities section). While they manage to save her, another one just swings back and captures her again.
Then VIVI gets caged. After saving him, the plant spews out some poison seeds so Zidane has to lug the two back to the ship where they could be treated. Here, Zidane talks with Baku, saying he plans on finding and saving Garnet. This means he would have to leave the band, but he's willing to do so. Baku has Zidane fight him to prove himself, and after winning the match he is free to go.
Once the two have rested and healed, they trek through the forest and save Garnet from the giant evil plant monster that pretty much controls the Evil Forest. Blank arrives on the scene to help out and they are able to defeat the creature. But it doesn't end well as a horde of plant monsters chase after them. While fleeing, Blank shoves Zidane out of the way of one of the monsters, only to get trapped himself. He then throws the map he had brought with him and Zidane picks it up. The group narrowly escapes but it was at a cost. Blank was not only left behind, but the forest petrified. At least he wasn't eaten.
It is after all of this that Zidane tells Garnet he'll help her out, and after a night's rest (and a visit from the Moogle), they trek out to the world and head to the Ice Cavern.
[ICE CAVERN]
Both Vivi and Garnet tell Zidane that if they reach the top of the cavern, they would be able to be above the Mist and could cross through the South Gate border crossing into Lindblum. It's just a matter of making it through. Near the top of the cavern, a strange blizzard is blowing that causes them all to sleep. Zidane, however, is awoken by the sound of a bell chime and rouses himself to investigate. He finds himself face to face with a strange looking black mage called Black Waltz No. 1 and learns that he is the cause of the blizzard.
After Zidane defeats the Black Waltz, he returns to the group and rouses them to continue on their journey. He doesn't tell him what he found at first since while he thought it strange, he didn't think it was necessary at the time. Outside the cave, they can see the small village of Dali. Zidane tells Garnet she'll have to act less of a princess and more of a casual common girl if she wants to continue on her journey. She complies and renames her self as "Dagger". For the rest of the application I'll refer to her as Dagger.
[DALI]
Upon arriving into Dali, they head to the inn to rest up (and Dagger learns another culture shock that everyone stays in the same room -- a notion that sends Steiner jumping and clanking). In the room, Zidane asks why Dagger wanted to leave Alexandria, and she reveals that she had wished to go to Lindblum. Though she does not tell them all of the details, Zidane vows to not only get her there, but also to protect her (again, another thing that Steiner is appalled at). They then fall asleep and during the middle of the night, Zidane hears someone singing.
After waking, he wanders around the village and finds Vivi looking at an empty corral. It's here we learn a little bit more about Zidane: he's from Lindblum and if you couldn't guess by now, a major flirt and player. But he offers the black mage any girl advice he may ever need before asking Vivi why he was there. Apparently he heard a "kweh" sound, and Zidane informs him that's the sound chocobos make. He then tells Vivi to head back to the inn when he's ready and leaves to find Dagger and Steiner.
Well, Dagger mainly. He finds her at the weapon shop, and after hearing her speak more like a casual girl, he compliments her and encourages her to keep it up. Together they return to the inn and discuss their plan.
After a few scenes, they soon notice that Vivi hasn't come back (they didn’t really worry about Steiner much) and while trying to find him, they learn that the little village was a lot more than it looked. Upon discovering an underground facility and the various highly advanced machinery, they learn that the village is actually producing black mage dolls under the orders of the Alexandria kingdom -- much to Dagger's dismay, surprise, and confusion. They find Vivi in a box and free him before continuing on and accidentally get themselves boxed up while trying to hide from some guards. They later manage to escape and reunite with Steiner outside of the air cargo ship.
The "happy" reunion is cut short when Black Waltz No. 2 arrives (I personally think it's a she. It's wearing a freaking ballroom dress but they refer it as a he >_>). After defeating it they rest up and then board the cargo ship. Steiner had told them it was going to Lindblum but he was really lying; its destination is Alexandria. However, Zidane saw through the rusty knight’s lie and after boarding (and copping a feel on Dagger's ass), they enter the engine room to discover that it's run by the black mage dolls they saw back in Dali. After seeing Vivi try to communicate with them with no luck, Zidane goes above deck to find Steiner. After some brief dialogue, Zidane continues on to take the wheel and turn the ship to Lindblum. Unfortunately this doesn't go quite as planned. Black Waltz No. 3 makes his appearance, and after blasting the dolls (and cue probably the saddest scene ever in the game), it's the party's turn to fight.
Once the Waltz is defeated, they continue onto South Gate -- the airship part of the border crossing to get to Lindblum -- but not everything goes to plan...again. Cue another cutscene for a highspeed airship chase as the Black Waltz No. 3 chases after the group and the two plow through the quickly closing gates. They make it through the first gate, but before they cross the second, No. 3 pretty much sets his own airship cruiser on fire and KABOOM it explodes. The gang manages to still exit the gate and come out of the ordeal relatively unscathed.
[LINDBLUM]
Once in Lindblum, they seek audience with the Regent Cid, only to learn he was turned into an oglop and his wife, Hilda, and the Hilde Garde -- the first airship to be built without having to use Mist -- was taken. But before they talk more, the group splits for lunch. Finding castle food a bit too high class for his tastes, Zidane goes down to the city and hits up on his one of his favorite local pubs.
At the pub, while trying to hit on one of the waitresses, he reunites with an old friend of his: Freya, a Dragon Knight from Burmecia. After some catching up, he is reminded of the Festival of the Hunt that is being held there. It then goes to Dagger and Cid, and the only thing of importance to note is more information about how Cid turned into an oglop: his wife caught him cheating and used a transformation potion before stealing the ship.
Zidane is left to wander Lindblum for a bit and goes to check out the Tantalus headquarters. The gang's not there, but two kids run in to welcome him back. They also tell him to go visit the princess since they think they have the hots for each other, so Zidane returns to the castle only to find that Dagger has gone missing again. As he joins in on the "SEARCH FOR THE PRINCESS" escapade, he hears her singing. Drawn in by her voice, he disguises himself as a guard to get past to use the lift and finds her hanging around one of the towers singing. It's pretty romantic. After a few scenes, Zidane has a blond player moment and refers to an offer he made with the waitress back at the pub. Dagger gets a bit miffed, but he quickly tries to rectify it by saying that if he wins the Festival of the Hunt, they would go on a date. She's hesitant, but agrees. It's also during this scene that she requests the sleeping weed the group had planned to use to kidnap her with.
[Here we run into a bit of a stickler. Vivi, Freya, OR Zidane can win this, but it wouldn't affect the storyline whatsoever; just changes who the title goes to. I'm picking Zidane :| Though if anyone were to apply for the other two, they are more than welcome to change it. Would make for some lulz xD]
After the Hunt, celebrations are cut short when an injured Burmecian soldier arrives and tells Cid that the Kingdom of Burmecia has been attacked by black mages. He dies shortly after giving his message, and Zidane offers to help Freya. Vivi also pipes in, but when Dagger speaks up wanting to join, Zidane immediately rejects. This leads to a bit of an argument before Cid breaks them up and suggests they eat and rest first before deciding what to do. However, during the meal, they all end up passing out asleep.
Except for Dagger and Steiner.
Yes, the princess drugged everyone's food and along with Steiner the two head off on their own to try and stop Brahne. When the remaining group revives, they realize what happened, with Zidane being the most concerned about Dagger. Hoping they’ll catch wind of her while traveling to Burmecia, The group must head out on their own on foot to Gizmaluke's Grotto.
[QU'S MARSH]
This part actually isn't NECESSARY at this point in the game, but hey, free fourth member! Makes it easier for battles. Zidane learns that Vivi's "grandfather" is also a Qu and Quina joins just for the chance of discovering food better than just frogs. I’m going to go ahead and have Zidane meet Quina here, though if anyone were to app the character, they could change it completely. There is a point in the game where Quina will join the party even if you never visit the marsh beforehand.
[GIZMALUKE'S GROTTO]
At the Grotto, they find the guards dead - an ill omen indeed. They hurry onward and meet the two jester henchmen, Zorn and Thorn, with an army of black mages. After defeating them, they continue through and find that the master of the Grotto, Gizmaluke, has gone insane and must fight him. Upon victory, Freya is urgent to reach Burmecia, fearing the life of her kingdom's king.
[BURMECIA]
The realm of eternal rain, the party finds the kingdom not only wet but in ruins. As they journey through the rubble, they once again encounter Zorn and Thorn and the black mages. When Zidane and Freya finally reach the palace where the king would be, they find not the king of Burmecia, but Queen Brahne herself and the Alexandrian general Beatrix. Listening in on their conversation, they learn that not only did he manage to escape, but that the kingdom had fled to the City of Illusions, Cleyra. Their discussion and presence confirm Freya's suspicions that Alexandria had been plotting to take over Burmecia.
Not too long after, a mysterious man -- later to be revealed as Kuja -- appears on the scene. When a Burmecian soldier appears to try and fight them, Zidane and Freya jump in (Quina and Vivi popping in soon after) and engage in the fight with Beatrix instead. However, the group is easily defeated as they are currently no match for the general. The final scene shows Kuja noting that Zidane "could be a problem" before mounting his silver dragon and ascending to the sky.
DISC 2
[CLEYRA]
Cleyra is a village up at the top of a giant tree that is hidden and protected by a large, magical sandstorm. The inhabitants are actually related to the Burmecian kingdom, but around a thousand years ago, a group split off from Burmecia to make their own settlement. In hopes of finding the king and the other survivors, the group makes their way up the trunk and climb to the top where the village rested.
While Freya is consulting with the king, one of the Burmecian soldiers cry for help as an antlion has apparently attacked a kid. After the party rescues him, it's revealed to be Prince Puck, who had returned to the king's aide...but only for a brief moment. He runs off and the group informs the king that they had seen them. Freya is then asked to participate in the Harvest Festival -- a ceremony that is performed to help strengthen the sandstorm. All doesn't go as hoped, however, as the strings of the magical harp snaps and the sandstorm disappears.
Almost immediately, sightings of Alexandrian soldiers are made and the group goes down to help defend. Halfway through, however, they are alerted by Puck that this was more of a ruse and the village is actually being attacked by the black mages. Quickly they make their way back up -- helping those they find along the way -- only to find themselves surrounded by black mages in front of the cathedral. They are saved by none other than the man Freya had been searching for: Sir Fratley.
The reunion between Freya and Sir Fratley is bittersweet, as he has no recollection of his past. And any discussion of what to do is cut short as Beatrix appears and steals the red jewel that powered the harp. They chase after her and once more engage in battle. And of course they lose again.
[THE RED ROSE]
They do manage to follow her by catching a ride with the black mages who use a teleportation spell up to the airship, Red Rose (Quina does not follow them and instead returns to the marsh). In the process, however, they witness the destruction of Cleyra. By this time, Brahne had extracted the eidolons from Dagger and had summoned Odin, the god of death. With one mighty attack, Cleyra is completely obliterated.
On the ship, they learn that Dagger is in the castle and that Brahne plans to execute her upon returning back home. This sends Zidane in a bit of a frenzy since he's been worried about her the whole time. Vivi comes up with a plan to use the teleportation pots to send them to Alexandria so that they could arrive before Brahne and off they go.
[ALEXANDRIA]
When the trio reappears, they are reunited with Steiner whom had managed to escape his own imprisonment with Marcus. Marcus splits off to continue his own job (which is to use the Supersoft that was acquired on the Petrified Forest to free Blank) and the main party hurries to find Dagger. Finding the secret passageway in Brahne's room, they manage to find the room where Zorn and Thorn had kept Dagger. After the battle with the two clowns, Zidane carries her back up the tower and they take a break in the queen's chambers. It's here that Zidane shows his confusion on how he feels about Dagger. He is not carefree or even blaming Steiner. Instead he feels regret and anger at himself for not being there for her.
The evil clowns and Beatrix soon arrive and once more the group has to fight her. However, after their third defeat, Zidane tells Beatrix what happened to Dagger and the general sees that what Brahne had been saying earlier on the Red Rose was true. She then works to cure her and once the seal is broken, Freya and Beatrix stay behind to fight the monsters while the rest make their escape. At the bottom of the tower, Steiner leaves the party to join Freya and Beatrix, leaving Dagger in the hands of Zidane and Vivi.
They get trapped in the same cage that had imprisoned Dagger, Steiner, and Marcus earlier (not detailed) and the jesters appear. All is not lost as Marcus and the newly unpetrified Blank arrive to help bail them out. The trio heads down to the Gargan Roo tunnels and hop aboard one of the Gargants to head to Treno.
Things still don't go as planned as they not only have to pause to fight one giant worm monster, but another one starts chasing them. Because of this, they pass Treno and end up careening out of the tunnels and out the other side to the Pinnacle Rocks.
[PINNACLE ROCKS]
Zidane had been scouting the area, but when Dagger comes to, he rejoins and they discuss what they should do. But in the process, an old man spirit appears by the name of Ramuh, the Thunder God, one of the summoning spirits. He informs Dagger what Brahne had done, and Zidane is quick to comfort her. Dagger then requests that he once more serve under her as a summoning spirit, but he first gives her a task. Five manifestations are scattered around the area and they must not only find them all but also retell the story that each spirit holds. Only then would Ramuh find Dagger worthy to serve under.
Once they complete the task, Ramuh agrees to serve under her, though Zidane points out that the endings for the two stories are basically the same. Ramuh tells him that he had wanted Dagger to figure it out for herself and asks Zidane and Vivi to look after her. Upon exiting the area, they see Lindblum Castle, but all is not well. Brahne has already launched a fleet against them and the kingdom is under attack. But things only get worse as the queen once again uses an eidolon -- Atomos -- to cause even more death and destruction. Seeing Dagger collapse in tears, Zidane's resolve to help her and defeat Brahne hardens. They then quickly head to Lindblum to see the damage and find the Regent Cid.
[LINDBLUM CASTLE]
Everything is in ruins, and with Vivi being potentially in danger, they make him stay near the entrance while they go ahead. They find the Minister Artania who takes them to Cid. There, Vivi is brought up and after clearing his name, Cid tells the group all he knows about Brahne.
He mentions a weapons dealer named Kuja, who is apparently the one who supplied Brahne with the advanced magic weapons she has in her arsenal. It is also during this conversation that we learn there are other continents outside of the Mist Continent. Kuja is apparently from the Outer Continent. Now they decide that to defeat Brahne they need to go after Kuja. This means heading to the Outer continent.
Unfortunately, none of the usual standard modes of transportation is available to them, and the only option they have is an excavation site that is rumored to have sightings of monsters not native to their own continent. And to get there, they need to go to Qu's Marsh.
[QU'S MARSH]
After finish preparing, they head north. This is technically where you're supposed to pick up Quina if you don't get him/her/it before. In this case, s/he'll have managed to escape the Cleyra settlement and will officially join the party and help out.
Thanks to Quina's love of frogs, they manage to find the entrance to the site deep within the marsh.
[FOSSIL ROO]
They just barely step through the corridor when a crazy whacked up machine starts chasing after them. Even when they manage to escape, they're still not in the clear. Hired by Brahne, the bounty hunter Lani attacks the group. Upon defeat, she leaves, and the group continues their journey through the underground excavation site. Using the untamed Gargants, they make their way through the maze and eventually make it to the Outer Continent.
[CONDE PETIE]
In this strange village of dwarves (with Scottish accents/dialect), the group discovers that the people are actually not afraid of Vivi. In fact, they keep talking to him as if they see his kind every day. While there, one of the black mages actually appears, and the group gives chase. From the dwarves, they learn there is actually a village of black mages deep within a forest where even the owls do not go. Determined to figure out what exactly is going on, the group leaves and head over to find the Black Mage Village.
[BLACK MAGE VILLAGE]
Once there, they are surprised to learn that it's full of black mages that behave just like Vivi. Instead of soulless golems, they are "aware". They check out the place for a bit, each going their own way, until Vivi runs to the inn upset. He basically learned how the black mages "die", or "stop".
During the middle of the night, Vivi heads out to do some self-reflection. Dagger notices and tells Zidane. He tells her that Vivi is just trying to figure himself out and that they should let him be; that the village may be a place that he could call "home". This brings Zidane to tell Dagger his story, though in a roundabout sort of way. The "There was this man" kind of thing.
Zidane had always wondered and yearned to figure out where his birthplace had been. For years he had wondered. He had been adopted by Baku and one day he had decided to try and figure it out for himself; to try to find out his past: where he was born, who his parents were, etc. Things he could only see in his dreams. And apparently there was this blue light that was to serve as his only clue. Unfortunately, colored lights aren't exactly the best clues to go by. When he returned home -- or rather, the Tantalus base -- Baku pretty much walloped him. Despite that, when Baku smiled, Zidane had realized that he had a home. Even though it wasn't his birthplace, it was a place where he felt he belonged; where he had people he could consider family.
In the morning, the group is informed by the black mages they had seen Kuja's dragon flying past from the other side and would have to get through Conde Petie and through the "Sanctuary". So off they go again.
[CONDE PETIE]
Zidane learns that in order to get to the Sanctuary, they need to undergo the ceremony -- which is basically getting married and then the Sanctuary is the honeymoon. Dagger arrives just in time to hear about it. Zidane asks her if they should do it, while also saying that it's probably not likely she'd agree, but when she cuts him off and says "Let's do it", he's taken completely by surprise and is still in some shock/confusion while the ceremony is going on. The fact that they're technically getting married and Dagger went right along with it pretty much sent his head into a spin. He had expected her to just outright reject the idea. And after some thinking, he comes to the conclusion that Dagger must have fallen for him thanks to that story he told her. But after the ceremony is done, she pretty much brushes him off and avoids any attempts he makes on her. Like the failed kiss. She also reminds him that they're only married while they're there. As Zidane says, "Bliss is so fleeting."
Afterward, they are told to see the twins that block the path to the Sanctuary. After telling Vivi and Quina to get hitched (it's so beautiful.) they go to announce their marriage. Once they're cleared, something else happens. A strange looking, horned pantless girl and a moogle suddenly run past with the guards crying "Thief!" Quina and Vivi rejoin, and the group continues onward.
[MOUNTAIN PATH]
Pretty soon after they find the girl from before stuck on a branch with her moogle, Mog, flying around in a frenzy. When Mog sees the party, she flies away, leaving the girl alone. Seeing Quina on the ledge above her, she tells them she doesn't taste good. Zidane tells Quina to back off in joke, and Quina goes after the moogle instead. This makes the Qu jump over the small gap between ledges, the impact causing the girl to fall and land right into Zidane's arms.
After introducing herself as Eiko, it's pretty obvious that the girl is crushing hard on Zidane. And once again Zidane gets denied by Dagger when he continues the whole "We're newlyweds" bit and Dagger tells her they're just friends. So now they go after Quina. Along the way, they see a ginomorous tree (bigger than Cleyra) in the distance, and Zidane assumes that's their ultimate destination. But as they continue forward, the earth starts to shake and in comes a giant ogre, troll, giant dwarf on steroids idk boss. It is through this battle that they learn that Eiko can also use eidolons, and that the giant tree is called the Iifa Tree. They take a quick detour and head to Eiko's place.
[MADAIN SARI]
Upon arrival, all of the moogles that live with Eiko greet her, and Mog comes out of hiding. Further in, Eiko pretty much grabs Zidane and wants to learn aaaall about him. He wants to know more about her, too...in the sense of why she can summon. But she spews him with other random questions instead. If it wasn't obvious the girl was crushing on him, it is now. Once he tells her all she wants, Zidane notices Dagger sitting off in a bit of a daze. After checking that she doesn't have a fever, he teases her a bit by asking if she's jealous. When Eiko confronts him about it, he admits that they're more than just friends. They're a team.
While waiting for Eiko to fix dinner, Morrison shows Zidane the Eidolon Wall. Upon learning that Madain Sari used to be a summoner tribe, he runs off to find Dagger so she can see the wall as well. Here they find a large mural with all of the eidolons painted on them. Dagger once again goes into a bit of a daze and Zidane decides to leave her alone.
Dinner is served, and during it they learn that a disaster had struck the village ten years ago (which, incidentally was four years before Eiko was born. Meaning she's 6. ...Crushing on a 16 yr-old wat.). Zidane wants to learn more about what happened, so when he pretty much brushes off her own flirting advances to pursue his own questions, she gets peeved and storms off -- only to return and order him to bring in the pot. Once the task is done, he asks Eiko if she knows anything about the Iifa Tree. She tells him that they wouldn't be able to enter because a while back the summoners had sealed an eidolon there. It had required another eidolon's power, meaning that what is sealed there is quite powerful. Zidane asks if she would be able to undo the seal, but she tells him he's crazy and refuses.
During the middle of the night, Zidane finds Vivi still awake and feeling a bit on the depressed side. Though he gives Vivi advice, he also tells the black mage that he doesn't have to do everything the way he does it. He tells him that in the end it comes down to two choices: You either do, or you don't. And that he should do what he wants and feels right. This of course makes Eiko -- who happens to be eavesdropping -- confirm that Zidane is the guy for her.
And then Zidane tells Vivi of an age old ritual done between male friends: "Letting yourself go under the stars." At this point, Eiko flees.
When they're about to leave for the Iifa Tree, Eiko pops in and joins the team. Before walking off, Dagger asks Zidane why he's so nice to everyone and he's a bit confused by it. But he and Vivi both think that she's jealous mad.
[IIFA TREE]
When they reach the giant brain tree, they see the Mist and realize that it really is the source of the Mist that is in their home continent. After testing the seal and seeing that he can't just force himself through it, he asks Eiko to remove the seal. She complies, and with their path no longer hindered, they begin their climb up the roots.
But instead of climbing up, they're actually going down. They first find a lift that responds to Zidane's touch. Then there is another lift they find. However, while it doe snot respond when any of the other members stand on it, once Zidane steps onto it, it responds and works. No one really questions this, but it's a hint that Zidane isn't as normal as everyone might think -- including himself.
Below they find themselves standing on the top of a huge ass harp, but they don't really realize it. All around them the walls are bright green, and below is this really sparkly, pretty water. After some inspection, there's a large rumbling and Eiko points out that the walls are moving. Soon this tree humanoid thing -- Soulcage -- appears and tells them that the Iifa Tree does not necessarily produce Mist, but that it is more of a by-product that disperses from the roots and stimulates the fighting senses - making it the cause of war for civilizations. While the Mist is not on the Outer Continent, the roots, which are on the Mist Continent, release the Mist into the air. Soulcage tells them that Kuja is using the Mist to create weapons of war -- the black mages. It also tells them that if they wish to stop the Mist, they would have to defeat it.
Which of course they do (cheap trick, use a Phoenix Down and give it a poke and it's dead in like 5 seconds :|b). This clears the Mist everywhere -- the Iifa Tree and the Mist Continent. (I can see clearly now the Mist is gone~). They hope that Kuja will show up because of this and take him down when he arrives. However, Moco (one of the moogles) arrives to tell Eiko that something important was stolen from the village. Instead of letting Eiko go off on her own, the group decides to go back with her.
[MADAIN SARI]
When they arrive, they find that an important stone that had been passed down for generations was stolen. Zidane is quick to comfort Eiko and try to help her focus on finding clues. But if she wanted to cry, she could cry. She then goes to pray to her grandparents at the Eidolon Wall, but the bounty hunter from before, Lani, kidnaps her. The group hurries to save her.
It seems Lani had found that the stone that was in the village was exactly like the one that Dagger has, and wants to have both. They offer a trade of the pendant for Eiko, but during it a mysterious red haired man comes in. Once again Zidane finds himself catching the girl. But after the chit chat, Zidane finds himself being asked to fight -- from the very same guy who "helped" them. The battle goes smoothly enough, and instead of finishing the man off, Zidane lets him go.
They check in on Eiko who had returned to the room where the jewel had been kept and after some thought decides to come with them. They also learn that Mog is actually a girl (which really surprises Zidane. A lot.)
Zidane then goes off to find Dagger and as usual he hears her singing and finds her sitting in a boat. Cue the romance. After some talking, Zidane mentions that everyone is following his own path. When Dagger asks him why he chose to come with her, he notes that what she said was a line a play. After giving her a quick sum of it, he reaches the line that Dagger had unknowingly said. She then asks what the character said and Zidane responds, "'Only because I wanted to go with you.'"
And that's when the boat just mysteriously starts to move. During the small boat ride, Dagger looks to the summoner village and has a flashback of her past. The images are too much for her, causing her to faint into Zidane’s arms and forcing him to return and bring her back up.
After recovering, Dagger tells Eiko and Zidane a little bit about herself: how she has no memories of her past, she was raised in Alexandria from the age of 6 or so, and that she believes she was born in Madain Sari. She doesn't remember much, but she tells them that a huge hurricane hit the village ten years ago.
The only reason I'm including more detail about Dagger than probably necessary is due to the fact that Dagger is important to Zidane and he pretty much is involved with what happens with her. He cares a lot for her, especially when he realizes that she technically lost two mothers: her biological mother who had died, and then her adoptive mother who changed so much.
Before they leave for the Iifa Tree, Eiko decides to permanently join the party. The red-headed man who fought Zidane earlier - Amarant - also shows up to say a few words to Zidane. He wonders Zidane had spared his life, and Zidane tells him to just join the party if he wants to understand why. All that taken care of, they head back to the Iifa Tree.
[IIFA TREE]
They soon hear and see the silver dragon, signaling the arrival of the man they had been waiting for: Kuja.
After ascending the trunk, they confront him, asking why he was making weapons of war and instigating them. Their "talk" (it was more of Kuja talking without really answering) is cut short when Brahne's fleet arrives by sea. It seems Brahne has decided to try and take out Kuja herself.
As the two duke it out, Zidane tells the group they should split, but Dagger doesn't want to leave her mother behind. The two get into an argument, with Zidane saying that Brahne didn't care for her anymore and neither should she because of that. After confirming where the eidolon that was sealed in the tree is, Dagger runs off, leaving the group behind to chase after her. Unfortunately the eidoloin is Leviathan, the sea serpent, so it's of no use. Brahne then summons Bahamut, the king of dragons. Needless to say, he's pretty kickass and does a shit ton of damage. But it all backfires when Kuja makes the eidolon go berserk with the help of some giant eyeball (the identity of which will be revealed later) and turn against Brahne and her fleet. Everything is practically destroyed before the eidolon disappears.
They find Brahne's corpse on the beach outside of her escape pod and return to Alexandria using it, taking the queen with them so that she could be buried back in her kingdom.
DISC 3
[ALEXANDRIA]
Zidane is found moping around the local pub with the Tantalus gang. He's mainly down because Dagger will now be the new queen of Alexandria and that pretty much means he won't see much of her anymore, being a commoner plus a thief and all. But after a few words from the Tantalus gang and Baku himself, plus Vivi piping up just innocently asking if they could visit her, Zidane clears himself out and agrees to visiting Dagger before she ascends the throne.
On the way they meet up with Freya and Amarant who are about to have a brawl, but Freya instead chews Zidane out for not being there sooner. When they reach the castle, they find Steiner just tossing out Eiko, and Vivi requests the audience with Dagger. When they do see her, Zidane is pretty much rendered speechless. He later tells the group that he tried to say something but he found that it would have been a lie. The words he had prepared would not have conveyed how he really felt.
They later meet up with Dr. Tot, who had taken some interest in Eiko and wants to learn more about her past and Madain Sari. The group decides to go back with them to Treno, where a card tournament that Zidane wants to participate in is being held.
[TRENO]
During the tournament, Zidane discovers that the champion is none other than Erin, one of Lindblum's lead pilots. Though really it's Regent Cid, but he's still an oglop at this point so he can't really play. However, the reason why they were there was to test the Hilde Garde 2: an airship powered by steam rather than Mist.
Before they can talk any more, Eiko runs in crying out with bad news. She believes Dagger is in danger and so they take the Hilde Garde 2 to Alexandria. On their way over (with the Hilde Garde 2 rocking up a storm), Eiko hears Dagger’s voice and...well she jumps off the ship, much to Zidane's horror.
The young girl lands safely by Dagger, however, and together they summon the legendary eidolon, Alexander, who pretty much destroys Bahamut who was attacking the kingdom at the time. Though things were looking up, it doesn’t last for much longer. Kuja does the same thing that he did when Bahamut was summoned by Brahne: call on the giant eyeball (in actuality an airship called the Invincible) and try to take Alexander. While we get a lot more plot and insight about the game, the only thing I will note is that is relevant to Zidane himself is the old man on the ship -- Garland -- knows Zidane and will be further explained later. He is also the reason why things go from bad to "oh shit we're doomed".
Garland basically uses his power to make Alexander collapse and get speared by the giant crystal on tip of Alexandria castle. This causes everything to topple and fall.
And guess who saves Dagger? Our hero Zidane, of course, and he comes in near last minute to grab her and swing away on a flag. After apologizing to Dagger, they hightail it out of there. Just in time, too. Garland fires a giant laser beam that hits the kingdom dead on, causing a giant explosion that obliterates the whole area.
[LINDBLUM]
Fortunately they did escape and are taken to Lindblum. Zidane wakes up and finds himself in the castle guestroom and is greeted by Blank. He asks where Dagger is, and once Blank tells him she's up by the telescope, he goes off running to find her. When he gets there, however, he's given the silent treatment. But not in terms of the "cold shoulder" kind. She responds but doesn't actually say anything. Taking her silence as signs of annoyance, Zidane leaves her alone and heads back down the tower to find Blank waiting for him to tell him to go see Cid.
Zidane's a bit tense because of how Dagger treated him, so when Blank pries/teases a little he blows up just a bit. But he goes to see the regent to learn that they have found some information regarding the attack on Alexandria. Cid informs them he witnessed Kuja escaping on the Hilde Garde and for even more of a shocker, there were black mages on the ship -- black mages that could talk.
They were about to learn how they might be able to fix Cid's oglop form from Doctor Tot when Eiko runs in telling them she thinks Dagger may have lost her voice. Concerned, the group heads to the guest room only to find that Garnet truly has lost her voice. Doctor Tot tells them it's more of a psychological reaction from all the grief the girl has suffered, so all they can do is wait. At this point Zidane asks him how to change Cid back into a human so he can make the new airship, and they reconvene back with the regent. Unfortunately the only real cure is for Hilda to reverse the effect, but Doctor Tot recalls a possible solution. A potion could be made if they could find the three necessary ingredients and mix it at a certain ratio. He’s a bit doubtful, but everyone is willing to give it a try so long as it isn’t lethal.
Determined, Zidane goes into town to try to find them. After finding and mixing the potion, however, they find that it doesn't work. In fact it turns Cid into a frog. They hold a meeting and upon Vivi's suggestion, decide to use the ship they stole from Alexandria - the Blue Narciss -- and head to the Black Mage Village.
[BLACK MAGE VILLAGE]
There they discover that only 3 of the mages stayed behind: Mr. 288, the one who could be considered leader since he is the most knowledgeable, and the two who were looking after the chocobo egg. When Mr. 288 doesn't answer their questions, Zidane follows Vivi to where the others are, only to come just in time to see the egg hatch. After a scene where Vivi shows his own maturing, Mr. 288 tells them that Kuja's desert palace is on the other side of the continent under quicksand, and that's where they head to next.
[DESERT PALACE]
Zidane finds himself in a cell with Cid. Kuja soon speaks to them, informing them that the others are in similar cells and that these aren't ordinary ones. The floor opens slightly to reveal molten lava beneath them and Zidane has no choice but to comply with Kuja's demands. Outside, he tells Cid to stay behind and look after the others. Finally able to meet with the man face to face, Kuja tells Zidane that he must travel to Oeilvert, as magic is apparently rendered useless there. There he must retrieve the Gulug Stone.
On the ship, Zorn and Thorn show up to make fun of him and the mages, but Zidane just tells them they're pawns as well, which send the two clowns in a fit.
[OEILVERT]
Once there, they find a large hologram of a planet with writing appearing in front. Zidane is actually able to make out some of the words, though he says it's more like it's talking to him than him being able to read it. Further in, there are more holographic displays. Four show the development of various airships, the Invincible being the latest. Another shows of a civilization on a planet called Terra and how it both rose and fell to decline. A final large hologram depicts two identical planets merging with one another.
They then come into a room that is covered with broken talking faces. Creepy. Talking. Faces. At any rate, they are given a brief lesson about the attempt to revive the world of Terra and are told that they were constructed so that the history isn't lost. While they're confused on what it all means, Zidane pushes it to the back and focuses on completing Kuja's task so that they could save their friends.
Though the initial attempt to take the Gulug Stone initiates a battle with Ark, upon victory Zidane takes the item and the group makes their way back to Kuja.
[At this point it splits to the remaining group left at Kuja's place]
When Zidane's group returns, they are teleported to Kuja's room. Told to come in alone, Zidane goes to Kuja with the stone in hand. There he finds a caged pit and inside are his friends who stayed behind. A dirty trick, but one that almost makes Zidane gives the stone over to save his friends. However, everyone had actually escaped and arrive just in time to burst in and stop Zidane. Kuja still manages to take the stone with his magic and that's not all. Zorn and Thorn managed to kidnap Eiko and they escape via a teleportation pad. Unable to use the pad, the group hurries back down to the Blue Narciss and give chase. They arrive on an ice covered continent.
[ESTO GAZA]
After entering, they learn that Kuja and his black mage army had passed through here and were headed straight to Mt. Gulug. They also learn a little about the Shimmering Island, but with Eiko’s safety their primary concern, they push forward and head into the now dead volcano.
[MT. GULUG]
They find Zorn and Thorn performing the same eidolon extraction ritual they had done on Dagger and the group quickly run down there to save her. Before they get to her, however, Mog pops out and proves to be the reason why the ritual had failed. The moogle then starts to glow and reveals her true form: the eidolon Madeen. When the group finally arrives, Kuja is rambling about how Trance works and leaves them to the real form of Zoran and Thorn: a grotesque, large monster.
After its defeat, they are about to leave when they hear a voice behind a door. They find none other than the woman they had been looking for: Hilda. She tells them that Kuja pretty much told everything about his plan to her and she is more than willing to share it with them.
[LINDBLUM]
They return to Lindblum and after Cid returns to human, they hold a conference and learn about Kuja’s plans. First they learn that Kuja plans to use the world for an even greater power and that he wasn’t even of this world - that he is from another world called Terra. They learn that the Shimmering Island connects Gaia to Terra, but that path is sealed. However, Kuja had told Hilda that there was a place where the seal could be broken and that was at Ipsen Castle. Cid then informs the group that they would be able to use the Hilda Garde 3 as soon as it was finished, and Steiner comes running in that Dagger is missing. After a few moments, Zidane offers that he might know where she is and tells the gang to hang tight.
[ALEXANDRIA]
Zidane believed she would be in Alexandria, but he is unable to find her. He does encounter Beatrix and after telling her the situation, she bids him luck and gives him a Garnet to give to Dagger. She also suggests he try looking at Brahne’s grave. There Zidane finds her and gives her the garnet (while telling a story behind it in the process). After a moment, she walks up to him and basically steals his dagger, telling him to remember who she used to be before running off.
Having no idea on what she planned to do, Zidane chases after her and stops short when he sees her at the end of a small pier. He then witnesses her cut off her long hair and she turns and looks at him, he smiles and gives her a nod of approval. Together they return to Lindblum to get the gang and retrieve the Hilda Garde 3 which had been completed just then.
[IPSEN’S CASTLE]
When they arrive, Amarant tells Zidane that going in a group is pointless and makes a bet with him that he would be able to get to the key first. Zidane lets him go and while some stay behind, he and the rest go in. After managing to get through the upside down castle, they reach a room that has four mirrors on the wall. Amarant is also there waiting and heads back ahead of them.
Zidane takes all four mirrors, finding that he was the only one able to read the words that were on the back. This causes a guardian monster to come forth, but after defeating it they return back to the entrance. When they see Amarant hadn’t returned, Zidane sighs and goes back in for him. When he finds the guy, Amarant is confused as to why Zidane helped him to begin with, but Zidane just tells him it doesn’t matter. Together they had back to the entrance and discuss the information on the mirrors on the Hilda Garde 3.
The monster they fought had hinted they would have to do everything at once, so the group splits up into four parties of two to take care of each shrine. Zidane gets stuck with the “leftovers”, Quina, and together they head into the Earth shrine. Each shrine has a guardian monster but everyone is able to get past it and join back together.
[SHIMMERING ISLAND//TERRA]
The portal now unsealed, they fly the Hilda Garde 3 into the strange vortex of souls and they are sucked into it and ascend into Terra. There, Zidane is greeted by an old man who tells him that if Zidane wants to understand he must venture further into Terra himself. They then encounter a mysterious girl who looks eerily like Zidane. She leads them through the strange world and arrives in front of a gateway of light. She then tells Zidane, “Welcome home.”
[BRAN BAL]
Though the girl tells Zidane that this is his home, he’s confused. He has no immediate recollection of the place and he is unable to dwell on it much longer as the Invincible suddenly rises and appears before him and Dagger. After she has another flashback, she faints and Zidane enters the settlement to find a place for her to rest.
What strikes him the most is the blue light that emits from what looks like water. It reminds him of the blue light that had always been in his dreams and wonders if it is the same. The second thing that throws him into a loop is the amount of “clones”. There are many individuals that share the same blond hair and tail. Still wondering what this all meant, he finds the “inn” and brings everyone there. There they learn that the Invincible is what caused the destruction of Madain Sari. After hearing this, Zidane leaves the group, though it’s obvious that his demeanor by now had changed. He’s more mellowed out and not as energetic as usual.
Eiko tells him that the girl from before wants him to see the underground laboratory and he goes there only to learn that the people there - and himself - were created by Garland (the old man who had greeted him earlier upon arriving into Terra) and are called Genomes. He learns that the role of the Genome is to become a vessel for the souls of Terra, and when he questions why he isn’t like them at all, she notes that he is special. Just like them, he has a special role in Garland’s plan.
[SPOILERS - The truth about Zidane is revealed at this time]
The planet Terra survives by assimilating with other planets, and this is what was being attempted now. When the blue light becomes red, that would mean that Terra had consumed Gaia and the souls would take over the Genomes. Garland had apparently tried to use force before in attempting to assimilate the planet before, but it failed. He had to wait until the people of Gaia learned how to use the powers of the eidolons. He also needed to disrupt the cycle of souls, and Zidane was supposed to help him do that. The girl then tells that Garland is waiting for him, and there Zidane learns even more about his past.
[PANDEMONIUM]
Through Garland, Zidane learns he had been created to disrupt the souls of Gaia, but things did not go as planned. He learns about Kuja’s history and that Kuja is actually something like his brother. Garland believes that Kuja had actually be jealous and even felt somewhat threatened when Zidane was born. Zidane was actually created to be a more powerful genome to replace Kuja when he came of age. So Kuja discarded Zidane by dropping him onto Gaia, the world he would destroy. This was an act that Garland had not expected. He then continues to blather on about the whole cycle of souls and how Terra would assimilate into Gaia as mentioned before. Zidane also learns that the Iifa tree is the soul divider between Gaia and Terra.
Zidane continues to follow Garland into an observatory and sees the planet. Garland calls him his angel of death, something that Zidane doesn’t want and instead wants to live on Gaia with his friends. He then tells Garland that his only motive as an “angel of death” would be to punish the ones who brought pain to his friends - meaning instead of destroying Gaia, he would destroy Terra. Garland is basically disappointed and messes with Zidane’s brain so that he becomes more like the soulless Genomes found in Bran Bal.
He then goes into a bit of an emo period. Though his friends try to help him, he continually pushes them aside, not understanding why they would want to help him and that they just didn’t understand anything that was going on. He goes through a bit of an identity crisis and starts becoming one of the angsty Final Fantasy main characters. It is Dagger who is able to snap Zidane out of his stupid stage, Steiner and Quina arriving soon after. Seeing the others still left behind, they return to help them out and it’s then that Zidane realizes he needs everyone’s help.
They then confront Garland, and after the fight Kuja appears. They then fight him, but during the battle Kuja goes into Trance and defeats them. Though Kuja says Zidane is deserving of his love, Zidane pretty much denies him as even being related. He kicks Garland off the platform and gloats about his powers. However, Garland isn’t quite dead. He can still “talk” and his voice is heard saying that Kuja will die regardless due to his limited lifespan. At this point, Kuja goes a little crazy and Zidane actually pities the guy a bit.
But his focus changes when Kuja goes berserk and starts to destroy Terra, forcing them to hurry to escape. He does have another cute moment with Dagger, thanking her for everything she’s done for him, before they had into Bran Bal to rescue the Genomes. In the process, he finds the girl from before and learns her name to be Mikoto. After finding her and convincing her to come with them, they board the Invincible. They are able to make it out and burst out of the ocean of Gaia.
However, they notice something disturbing. The whole world is covered in Mist and they wonder what Kuja is planning.
DISC 4
[BLACK MAGE VILLAGE]
They bring the Genomes to the Black Mage Village and are now living with the black mages. When discussing about plans to fight Kuja, Mikoto interjects saying that there is no hope and that Kuja is too powerful. Zidane however tells her that they would be able to take him down easy and starts to call her his little sister.
They then head toward the Iifa Tree where a large portal could be seen above it. As they try to enter it, an army of silver dragons appear and start attacking the airship. However, the cavalry arrives by the aid of both the Lindblum and Alexandria forces. Thanks to their help, the group is able to get through and enter into Memoria. There they once again hear Garland’s voice, who tells them they would be able to witness the entire truth.
[MEMORIA]
They enter and witness several memories, such as Alexandria’s destruction. At one point, Zidane actually witnesses one of Dagger’s memories: the one with her and her mother escaping Madain Sari. Confused as to why he is able to see her memory when he doesn’t recall it all. Everyone experiences this sense of déjà vu when they come to a memory of when Gaia was just an ocean, and Garland tells them that everyone has a shared memory as the souls are born from the planet and return to it.
They then enter a completely new realm: the realm of eternity and the crystal, the source of everything. Garland tells Zidane that he must defeat Kuja and protect the crystal. When they do reach the crystal, Kuja is waiting for them and quite intent on destroying it. By destroying the crystal, he would then destroy everything. Zidane pretty much tells him to shut up and that they would defeat him.
Zidane and the others eventually beat them, but it doesn’t end there. They are teleported to the final dimension: the darkness of eternity. There they meet Necron, an ultimate being that exists to return everything back to the zero world, where there is no life and no crystal to give life. It’s pretty confusing, but he disagrees with Necron, saying that he does not want to give up now and he is not afraid to die.
When they defeat him, Necron notes that the will to live is powerful…but he will always still exist as there will always be fear and death. They then appear in front of the Iifa Tree whose roots have come to life - a violent reaction that Zidane remembers Kuja saying. Though it doesn’t look good, the Hilda Garde 3 arrives to pick them up. However, Zidane is able to hear Kuja’s voice and unwilling to just leave him behind, he tells the rest to go on without him. He feels that he might have done the same things Kuja did and because of this he feels he has to save Kuja, or at least try to. Though his friends offer to go with him, Zidane decides to do this alone.
To Dagger, he says the abduction is over and he can't take her any further. She thanks him for what he's done and asks him to promise to come back.
After everyone boards and he watches the airship depart, he runs through the tree. He finally finds Kuja, and they have a bit of a brotherly bonding time. Kuja then finally says the finally realized what it meant to live, but it was too late. When Zidane notices him not moving, he yells at him to not die on him. At this point, the roots are heading right toward them and Zidane shields Kuja’s body with his own.
[PRIMA VISTA/ALEXANDRIA]
After joining up with his friends Blank, Marcus, and Cinna, and having a little tussle with their band leader Baku, Zidane and the gang are briefed on the plan to capture the Princess Garnet Til Alexandros XVII. Under the guise of performing the play "I Want to be Your Canary", Zidane and Blank are in charge of infiltrating the castle and drugging the princess' tea before taking her aboard the Prima Vista.
They manage to use one of their dueling acts as a way to sneak into the castle and steal the armor of some knights. While heading up the stairs to her room, Zidane bumps into a girl in a white cloak (obligatory white mage reference :D) and after a bit of flirting, she pushes past both him and Blank and run off. Zidane chases her up one of the towers, but instead of catching her or having her surrender, the princess climbs up on the wall and falls back.
Fortunately she doesn’t plummet to her doom as Zidane initially thought. She had grabbed one of flag wires and uses it to swing down to the Prima Vista. Zidane follows suit (as does Steiner who watched all of this happen) and now he has to chase her through the ship. She eventually stops and tells him she wants to be taken. Well that made his job easy. Steiner is still chasing after them, however, so with help from Cinna and the gang, they continue to run through the ship and end up taking one of the trap door lifts onto the stage. Since Garnet still had her disguise, they improvised and continued with the play.
Unfortunately, their cover is blown when, after the play ends, the little black mage Vivi is chased onto the stage and in his defense he uses fire magic. The fire burns Garnet’s cloak and Baku sends the order for the ship to get out of Dodge. In her rage, Brahne tries to keep the ship via firing harpoons and eventually a giant bomb. This causes a lot of destruction and mayhem within Alexandria city, and though the bomb explodes and causes a lot of damage to the ship, they manage to come out and fly away.
[EVIL FOREST]
Because of the damage, the crew winds up crash landing into the Evil Forest. Once again Zidane has to search for Garnet, and when he does find her she's in a bit of a pinch. Trapped by a plant monster, Zidane joins Steiner in an attempt to save her. It's during this battle that Zidane discovers that he can use Trance (to be explained in the Abilities section). While they manage to save her, another one just swings back and captures her again.
Then VIVI gets caged. After saving him, the plant spews out some poison seeds so Zidane has to lug the two back to the ship where they could be treated. Here, Zidane talks with Baku, saying he plans on finding and saving Garnet. This means he would have to leave the band, but he's willing to do so. Baku has Zidane fight him to prove himself, and after winning the match he is free to go.
Once the two have rested and healed, they trek through the forest and save Garnet from the giant evil plant monster that pretty much controls the Evil Forest. Blank arrives on the scene to help out and they are able to defeat the creature. But it doesn't end well as a horde of plant monsters chase after them. While fleeing, Blank shoves Zidane out of the way of one of the monsters, only to get trapped himself. He then throws the map he had brought with him and Zidane picks it up. The group narrowly escapes but it was at a cost. Blank was not only left behind, but the forest petrified. At least he wasn't eaten.
It is after all of this that Zidane tells Garnet he'll help her out, and after a night's rest (and a visit from the Moogle), they trek out to the world and head to the Ice Cavern.
[ICE CAVERN]
Both Vivi and Garnet tell Zidane that if they reach the top of the cavern, they would be able to be above the Mist and could cross through the South Gate border crossing into Lindblum. It's just a matter of making it through. Near the top of the cavern, a strange blizzard is blowing that causes them all to sleep. Zidane, however, is awoken by the sound of a bell chime and rouses himself to investigate. He finds himself face to face with a strange looking black mage called Black Waltz No. 1 and learns that he is the cause of the blizzard.
After Zidane defeats the Black Waltz, he returns to the group and rouses them to continue on their journey. He doesn't tell him what he found at first since while he thought it strange, he didn't think it was necessary at the time. Outside the cave, they can see the small village of Dali. Zidane tells Garnet she'll have to act less of a princess and more of a casual common girl if she wants to continue on her journey. She complies and renames her self as "Dagger". For the rest of the application I'll refer to her as Dagger.
[DALI]
Upon arriving into Dali, they head to the inn to rest up (and Dagger learns another culture shock that everyone stays in the same room -- a notion that sends Steiner jumping and clanking). In the room, Zidane asks why Dagger wanted to leave Alexandria, and she reveals that she had wished to go to Lindblum. Though she does not tell them all of the details, Zidane vows to not only get her there, but also to protect her (again, another thing that Steiner is appalled at). They then fall asleep and during the middle of the night, Zidane hears someone singing.
After waking, he wanders around the village and finds Vivi looking at an empty corral. It's here we learn a little bit more about Zidane: he's from Lindblum and if you couldn't guess by now, a major flirt and player. But he offers the black mage any girl advice he may ever need before asking Vivi why he was there. Apparently he heard a "kweh" sound, and Zidane informs him that's the sound chocobos make. He then tells Vivi to head back to the inn when he's ready and leaves to find Dagger and Steiner.
Well, Dagger mainly. He finds her at the weapon shop, and after hearing her speak more like a casual girl, he compliments her and encourages her to keep it up. Together they return to the inn and discuss their plan.
After a few scenes, they soon notice that Vivi hasn't come back (they didn’t really worry about Steiner much) and while trying to find him, they learn that the little village was a lot more than it looked. Upon discovering an underground facility and the various highly advanced machinery, they learn that the village is actually producing black mage dolls under the orders of the Alexandria kingdom -- much to Dagger's dismay, surprise, and confusion. They find Vivi in a box and free him before continuing on and accidentally get themselves boxed up while trying to hide from some guards. They later manage to escape and reunite with Steiner outside of the air cargo ship.
The "happy" reunion is cut short when Black Waltz No. 2 arrives (I personally think it's a she. It's wearing a freaking ballroom dress but they refer it as a he >_>). After defeating it they rest up and then board the cargo ship. Steiner had told them it was going to Lindblum but he was really lying; its destination is Alexandria. However, Zidane saw through the rusty knight’s lie and after boarding (and copping a feel on Dagger's ass), they enter the engine room to discover that it's run by the black mage dolls they saw back in Dali. After seeing Vivi try to communicate with them with no luck, Zidane goes above deck to find Steiner. After some brief dialogue, Zidane continues on to take the wheel and turn the ship to Lindblum. Unfortunately this doesn't go quite as planned. Black Waltz No. 3 makes his appearance, and after blasting the dolls (and cue probably the saddest scene ever in the game), it's the party's turn to fight.
Once the Waltz is defeated, they continue onto South Gate -- the airship part of the border crossing to get to Lindblum -- but not everything goes to plan...again. Cue another cutscene for a highspeed airship chase as the Black Waltz No. 3 chases after the group and the two plow through the quickly closing gates. They make it through the first gate, but before they cross the second, No. 3 pretty much sets his own airship cruiser on fire and KABOOM it explodes. The gang manages to still exit the gate and come out of the ordeal relatively unscathed.
[LINDBLUM]
Once in Lindblum, they seek audience with the Regent Cid, only to learn he was turned into an oglop and his wife, Hilda, and the Hilde Garde -- the first airship to be built without having to use Mist -- was taken. But before they talk more, the group splits for lunch. Finding castle food a bit too high class for his tastes, Zidane goes down to the city and hits up on his one of his favorite local pubs.
At the pub, while trying to hit on one of the waitresses, he reunites with an old friend of his: Freya, a Dragon Knight from Burmecia. After some catching up, he is reminded of the Festival of the Hunt that is being held there. It then goes to Dagger and Cid, and the only thing of importance to note is more information about how Cid turned into an oglop: his wife caught him cheating and used a transformation potion before stealing the ship.
Zidane is left to wander Lindblum for a bit and goes to check out the Tantalus headquarters. The gang's not there, but two kids run in to welcome him back. They also tell him to go visit the princess since they think they have the hots for each other, so Zidane returns to the castle only to find that Dagger has gone missing again. As he joins in on the "SEARCH FOR THE PRINCESS" escapade, he hears her singing. Drawn in by her voice, he disguises himself as a guard to get past to use the lift and finds her hanging around one of the towers singing. It's pretty romantic. After a few scenes, Zidane has a blond player moment and refers to an offer he made with the waitress back at the pub. Dagger gets a bit miffed, but he quickly tries to rectify it by saying that if he wins the Festival of the Hunt, they would go on a date. She's hesitant, but agrees. It's also during this scene that she requests the sleeping weed the group had planned to use to kidnap her with.
[Here we run into a bit of a stickler. Vivi, Freya, OR Zidane can win this, but it wouldn't affect the storyline whatsoever; just changes who the title goes to. I'm picking Zidane :| Though if anyone were to apply for the other two, they are more than welcome to change it. Would make for some lulz xD]
After the Hunt, celebrations are cut short when an injured Burmecian soldier arrives and tells Cid that the Kingdom of Burmecia has been attacked by black mages. He dies shortly after giving his message, and Zidane offers to help Freya. Vivi also pipes in, but when Dagger speaks up wanting to join, Zidane immediately rejects. This leads to a bit of an argument before Cid breaks them up and suggests they eat and rest first before deciding what to do. However, during the meal, they all end up passing out asleep.
Except for Dagger and Steiner.
Yes, the princess drugged everyone's food and along with Steiner the two head off on their own to try and stop Brahne. When the remaining group revives, they realize what happened, with Zidane being the most concerned about Dagger. Hoping they’ll catch wind of her while traveling to Burmecia, The group must head out on their own on foot to Gizmaluke's Grotto.
[QU'S MARSH]
This part actually isn't NECESSARY at this point in the game, but hey, free fourth member! Makes it easier for battles. Zidane learns that Vivi's "grandfather" is also a Qu and Quina joins just for the chance of discovering food better than just frogs. I’m going to go ahead and have Zidane meet Quina here, though if anyone were to app the character, they could change it completely. There is a point in the game where Quina will join the party even if you never visit the marsh beforehand.
[GIZMALUKE'S GROTTO]
At the Grotto, they find the guards dead - an ill omen indeed. They hurry onward and meet the two jester henchmen, Zorn and Thorn, with an army of black mages. After defeating them, they continue through and find that the master of the Grotto, Gizmaluke, has gone insane and must fight him. Upon victory, Freya is urgent to reach Burmecia, fearing the life of her kingdom's king.
[BURMECIA]
The realm of eternal rain, the party finds the kingdom not only wet but in ruins. As they journey through the rubble, they once again encounter Zorn and Thorn and the black mages. When Zidane and Freya finally reach the palace where the king would be, they find not the king of Burmecia, but Queen Brahne herself and the Alexandrian general Beatrix. Listening in on their conversation, they learn that not only did he manage to escape, but that the kingdom had fled to the City of Illusions, Cleyra. Their discussion and presence confirm Freya's suspicions that Alexandria had been plotting to take over Burmecia.
Not too long after, a mysterious man -- later to be revealed as Kuja -- appears on the scene. When a Burmecian soldier appears to try and fight them, Zidane and Freya jump in (Quina and Vivi popping in soon after) and engage in the fight with Beatrix instead. However, the group is easily defeated as they are currently no match for the general. The final scene shows Kuja noting that Zidane "could be a problem" before mounting his silver dragon and ascending to the sky.
DISC 2
[CLEYRA]
Cleyra is a village up at the top of a giant tree that is hidden and protected by a large, magical sandstorm. The inhabitants are actually related to the Burmecian kingdom, but around a thousand years ago, a group split off from Burmecia to make their own settlement. In hopes of finding the king and the other survivors, the group makes their way up the trunk and climb to the top where the village rested.
While Freya is consulting with the king, one of the Burmecian soldiers cry for help as an antlion has apparently attacked a kid. After the party rescues him, it's revealed to be Prince Puck, who had returned to the king's aide...but only for a brief moment. He runs off and the group informs the king that they had seen them. Freya is then asked to participate in the Harvest Festival -- a ceremony that is performed to help strengthen the sandstorm. All doesn't go as hoped, however, as the strings of the magical harp snaps and the sandstorm disappears.
Almost immediately, sightings of Alexandrian soldiers are made and the group goes down to help defend. Halfway through, however, they are alerted by Puck that this was more of a ruse and the village is actually being attacked by the black mages. Quickly they make their way back up -- helping those they find along the way -- only to find themselves surrounded by black mages in front of the cathedral. They are saved by none other than the man Freya had been searching for: Sir Fratley.
The reunion between Freya and Sir Fratley is bittersweet, as he has no recollection of his past. And any discussion of what to do is cut short as Beatrix appears and steals the red jewel that powered the harp. They chase after her and once more engage in battle. And of course they lose again.
[THE RED ROSE]
They do manage to follow her by catching a ride with the black mages who use a teleportation spell up to the airship, Red Rose (Quina does not follow them and instead returns to the marsh). In the process, however, they witness the destruction of Cleyra. By this time, Brahne had extracted the eidolons from Dagger and had summoned Odin, the god of death. With one mighty attack, Cleyra is completely obliterated.
On the ship, they learn that Dagger is in the castle and that Brahne plans to execute her upon returning back home. This sends Zidane in a bit of a frenzy since he's been worried about her the whole time. Vivi comes up with a plan to use the teleportation pots to send them to Alexandria so that they could arrive before Brahne and off they go.
[ALEXANDRIA]
When the trio reappears, they are reunited with Steiner whom had managed to escape his own imprisonment with Marcus. Marcus splits off to continue his own job (which is to use the Supersoft that was acquired on the Petrified Forest to free Blank) and the main party hurries to find Dagger. Finding the secret passageway in Brahne's room, they manage to find the room where Zorn and Thorn had kept Dagger. After the battle with the two clowns, Zidane carries her back up the tower and they take a break in the queen's chambers. It's here that Zidane shows his confusion on how he feels about Dagger. He is not carefree or even blaming Steiner. Instead he feels regret and anger at himself for not being there for her.
The evil clowns and Beatrix soon arrive and once more the group has to fight her. However, after their third defeat, Zidane tells Beatrix what happened to Dagger and the general sees that what Brahne had been saying earlier on the Red Rose was true. She then works to cure her and once the seal is broken, Freya and Beatrix stay behind to fight the monsters while the rest make their escape. At the bottom of the tower, Steiner leaves the party to join Freya and Beatrix, leaving Dagger in the hands of Zidane and Vivi.
They get trapped in the same cage that had imprisoned Dagger, Steiner, and Marcus earlier (not detailed) and the jesters appear. All is not lost as Marcus and the newly unpetrified Blank arrive to help bail them out. The trio heads down to the Gargan Roo tunnels and hop aboard one of the Gargants to head to Treno.
Things still don't go as planned as they not only have to pause to fight one giant worm monster, but another one starts chasing them. Because of this, they pass Treno and end up careening out of the tunnels and out the other side to the Pinnacle Rocks.
[PINNACLE ROCKS]
Zidane had been scouting the area, but when Dagger comes to, he rejoins and they discuss what they should do. But in the process, an old man spirit appears by the name of Ramuh, the Thunder God, one of the summoning spirits. He informs Dagger what Brahne had done, and Zidane is quick to comfort her. Dagger then requests that he once more serve under her as a summoning spirit, but he first gives her a task. Five manifestations are scattered around the area and they must not only find them all but also retell the story that each spirit holds. Only then would Ramuh find Dagger worthy to serve under.
Once they complete the task, Ramuh agrees to serve under her, though Zidane points out that the endings for the two stories are basically the same. Ramuh tells him that he had wanted Dagger to figure it out for herself and asks Zidane and Vivi to look after her. Upon exiting the area, they see Lindblum Castle, but all is not well. Brahne has already launched a fleet against them and the kingdom is under attack. But things only get worse as the queen once again uses an eidolon -- Atomos -- to cause even more death and destruction. Seeing Dagger collapse in tears, Zidane's resolve to help her and defeat Brahne hardens. They then quickly head to Lindblum to see the damage and find the Regent Cid.
[LINDBLUM CASTLE]
Everything is in ruins, and with Vivi being potentially in danger, they make him stay near the entrance while they go ahead. They find the Minister Artania who takes them to Cid. There, Vivi is brought up and after clearing his name, Cid tells the group all he knows about Brahne.
He mentions a weapons dealer named Kuja, who is apparently the one who supplied Brahne with the advanced magic weapons she has in her arsenal. It is also during this conversation that we learn there are other continents outside of the Mist Continent. Kuja is apparently from the Outer Continent. Now they decide that to defeat Brahne they need to go after Kuja. This means heading to the Outer continent.
Unfortunately, none of the usual standard modes of transportation is available to them, and the only option they have is an excavation site that is rumored to have sightings of monsters not native to their own continent. And to get there, they need to go to Qu's Marsh.
[QU'S MARSH]
After finish preparing, they head north. This is technically where you're supposed to pick up Quina if you don't get him/her/it before. In this case, s/he'll have managed to escape the Cleyra settlement and will officially join the party and help out.
Thanks to Quina's love of frogs, they manage to find the entrance to the site deep within the marsh.
[FOSSIL ROO]
They just barely step through the corridor when a crazy whacked up machine starts chasing after them. Even when they manage to escape, they're still not in the clear. Hired by Brahne, the bounty hunter Lani attacks the group. Upon defeat, she leaves, and the group continues their journey through the underground excavation site. Using the untamed Gargants, they make their way through the maze and eventually make it to the Outer Continent.
[CONDE PETIE]
In this strange village of dwarves (with Scottish accents/dialect), the group discovers that the people are actually not afraid of Vivi. In fact, they keep talking to him as if they see his kind every day. While there, one of the black mages actually appears, and the group gives chase. From the dwarves, they learn there is actually a village of black mages deep within a forest where even the owls do not go. Determined to figure out what exactly is going on, the group leaves and head over to find the Black Mage Village.
[BLACK MAGE VILLAGE]
Once there, they are surprised to learn that it's full of black mages that behave just like Vivi. Instead of soulless golems, they are "aware". They check out the place for a bit, each going their own way, until Vivi runs to the inn upset. He basically learned how the black mages "die", or "stop".
During the middle of the night, Vivi heads out to do some self-reflection. Dagger notices and tells Zidane. He tells her that Vivi is just trying to figure himself out and that they should let him be; that the village may be a place that he could call "home". This brings Zidane to tell Dagger his story, though in a roundabout sort of way. The "There was this man" kind of thing.
Zidane had always wondered and yearned to figure out where his birthplace had been. For years he had wondered. He had been adopted by Baku and one day he had decided to try and figure it out for himself; to try to find out his past: where he was born, who his parents were, etc. Things he could only see in his dreams. And apparently there was this blue light that was to serve as his only clue. Unfortunately, colored lights aren't exactly the best clues to go by. When he returned home -- or rather, the Tantalus base -- Baku pretty much walloped him. Despite that, when Baku smiled, Zidane had realized that he had a home. Even though it wasn't his birthplace, it was a place where he felt he belonged; where he had people he could consider family.
In the morning, the group is informed by the black mages they had seen Kuja's dragon flying past from the other side and would have to get through Conde Petie and through the "Sanctuary". So off they go again.
[CONDE PETIE]
Zidane learns that in order to get to the Sanctuary, they need to undergo the ceremony -- which is basically getting married and then the Sanctuary is the honeymoon. Dagger arrives just in time to hear about it. Zidane asks her if they should do it, while also saying that it's probably not likely she'd agree, but when she cuts him off and says "Let's do it", he's taken completely by surprise and is still in some shock/confusion while the ceremony is going on. The fact that they're technically getting married and Dagger went right along with it pretty much sent his head into a spin. He had expected her to just outright reject the idea. And after some thinking, he comes to the conclusion that Dagger must have fallen for him thanks to that story he told her. But after the ceremony is done, she pretty much brushes him off and avoids any attempts he makes on her. Like the failed kiss. She also reminds him that they're only married while they're there. As Zidane says, "Bliss is so fleeting."
Afterward, they are told to see the twins that block the path to the Sanctuary. After telling Vivi and Quina to get hitched (it's so beautiful.) they go to announce their marriage. Once they're cleared, something else happens. A strange looking, horned pantless girl and a moogle suddenly run past with the guards crying "Thief!" Quina and Vivi rejoin, and the group continues onward.
[MOUNTAIN PATH]
Pretty soon after they find the girl from before stuck on a branch with her moogle, Mog, flying around in a frenzy. When Mog sees the party, she flies away, leaving the girl alone. Seeing Quina on the ledge above her, she tells them she doesn't taste good. Zidane tells Quina to back off in joke, and Quina goes after the moogle instead. This makes the Qu jump over the small gap between ledges, the impact causing the girl to fall and land right into Zidane's arms.
After introducing herself as Eiko, it's pretty obvious that the girl is crushing hard on Zidane. And once again Zidane gets denied by Dagger when he continues the whole "We're newlyweds" bit and Dagger tells her they're just friends. So now they go after Quina. Along the way, they see a ginomorous tree (bigger than Cleyra) in the distance, and Zidane assumes that's their ultimate destination. But as they continue forward, the earth starts to shake and in comes a giant ogre, troll, giant dwarf on steroids idk boss. It is through this battle that they learn that Eiko can also use eidolons, and that the giant tree is called the Iifa Tree. They take a quick detour and head to Eiko's place.
[MADAIN SARI]
Upon arrival, all of the moogles that live with Eiko greet her, and Mog comes out of hiding. Further in, Eiko pretty much grabs Zidane and wants to learn aaaall about him. He wants to know more about her, too...in the sense of why she can summon. But she spews him with other random questions instead. If it wasn't obvious the girl was crushing on him, it is now. Once he tells her all she wants, Zidane notices Dagger sitting off in a bit of a daze. After checking that she doesn't have a fever, he teases her a bit by asking if she's jealous. When Eiko confronts him about it, he admits that they're more than just friends. They're a team.
While waiting for Eiko to fix dinner, Morrison shows Zidane the Eidolon Wall. Upon learning that Madain Sari used to be a summoner tribe, he runs off to find Dagger so she can see the wall as well. Here they find a large mural with all of the eidolons painted on them. Dagger once again goes into a bit of a daze and Zidane decides to leave her alone.
Dinner is served, and during it they learn that a disaster had struck the village ten years ago (which, incidentally was four years before Eiko was born. Meaning she's 6. ...Crushing on a 16 yr-old wat.). Zidane wants to learn more about what happened, so when he pretty much brushes off her own flirting advances to pursue his own questions, she gets peeved and storms off -- only to return and order him to bring in the pot. Once the task is done, he asks Eiko if she knows anything about the Iifa Tree. She tells him that they wouldn't be able to enter because a while back the summoners had sealed an eidolon there. It had required another eidolon's power, meaning that what is sealed there is quite powerful. Zidane asks if she would be able to undo the seal, but she tells him he's crazy and refuses.
During the middle of the night, Zidane finds Vivi still awake and feeling a bit on the depressed side. Though he gives Vivi advice, he also tells the black mage that he doesn't have to do everything the way he does it. He tells him that in the end it comes down to two choices: You either do, or you don't. And that he should do what he wants and feels right. This of course makes Eiko -- who happens to be eavesdropping -- confirm that Zidane is the guy for her.
And then Zidane tells Vivi of an age old ritual done between male friends: "Letting yourself go under the stars." At this point, Eiko flees.
When they're about to leave for the Iifa Tree, Eiko pops in and joins the team. Before walking off, Dagger asks Zidane why he's so nice to everyone and he's a bit confused by it. But he and Vivi both think that she's jealous mad.
[IIFA TREE]
When they reach the giant brain tree, they see the Mist and realize that it really is the source of the Mist that is in their home continent. After testing the seal and seeing that he can't just force himself through it, he asks Eiko to remove the seal. She complies, and with their path no longer hindered, they begin their climb up the roots.
But instead of climbing up, they're actually going down. They first find a lift that responds to Zidane's touch. Then there is another lift they find. However, while it doe snot respond when any of the other members stand on it, once Zidane steps onto it, it responds and works. No one really questions this, but it's a hint that Zidane isn't as normal as everyone might think -- including himself.
Below they find themselves standing on the top of a huge ass harp, but they don't really realize it. All around them the walls are bright green, and below is this really sparkly, pretty water. After some inspection, there's a large rumbling and Eiko points out that the walls are moving. Soon this tree humanoid thing -- Soulcage -- appears and tells them that the Iifa Tree does not necessarily produce Mist, but that it is more of a by-product that disperses from the roots and stimulates the fighting senses - making it the cause of war for civilizations. While the Mist is not on the Outer Continent, the roots, which are on the Mist Continent, release the Mist into the air. Soulcage tells them that Kuja is using the Mist to create weapons of war -- the black mages. It also tells them that if they wish to stop the Mist, they would have to defeat it.
Which of course they do (cheap trick, use a Phoenix Down and give it a poke and it's dead in like 5 seconds :|b). This clears the Mist everywhere -- the Iifa Tree and the Mist Continent. (I can see clearly now the Mist is gone~). They hope that Kuja will show up because of this and take him down when he arrives. However, Moco (one of the moogles) arrives to tell Eiko that something important was stolen from the village. Instead of letting Eiko go off on her own, the group decides to go back with her.
[MADAIN SARI]
When they arrive, they find that an important stone that had been passed down for generations was stolen. Zidane is quick to comfort Eiko and try to help her focus on finding clues. But if she wanted to cry, she could cry. She then goes to pray to her grandparents at the Eidolon Wall, but the bounty hunter from before, Lani, kidnaps her. The group hurries to save her.
It seems Lani had found that the stone that was in the village was exactly like the one that Dagger has, and wants to have both. They offer a trade of the pendant for Eiko, but during it a mysterious red haired man comes in. Once again Zidane finds himself catching the girl. But after the chit chat, Zidane finds himself being asked to fight -- from the very same guy who "helped" them. The battle goes smoothly enough, and instead of finishing the man off, Zidane lets him go.
They check in on Eiko who had returned to the room where the jewel had been kept and after some thought decides to come with them. They also learn that Mog is actually a girl (which really surprises Zidane. A lot.)
Zidane then goes off to find Dagger and as usual he hears her singing and finds her sitting in a boat. Cue the romance. After some talking, Zidane mentions that everyone is following his own path. When Dagger asks him why he chose to come with her, he notes that what she said was a line a play. After giving her a quick sum of it, he reaches the line that Dagger had unknowingly said. She then asks what the character said and Zidane responds, "'Only because I wanted to go with you.'"
And that's when the boat just mysteriously starts to move. During the small boat ride, Dagger looks to the summoner village and has a flashback of her past. The images are too much for her, causing her to faint into Zidane’s arms and forcing him to return and bring her back up.
After recovering, Dagger tells Eiko and Zidane a little bit about herself: how she has no memories of her past, she was raised in Alexandria from the age of 6 or so, and that she believes she was born in Madain Sari. She doesn't remember much, but she tells them that a huge hurricane hit the village ten years ago.
The only reason I'm including more detail about Dagger than probably necessary is due to the fact that Dagger is important to Zidane and he pretty much is involved with what happens with her. He cares a lot for her, especially when he realizes that she technically lost two mothers: her biological mother who had died, and then her adoptive mother who changed so much.
Before they leave for the Iifa Tree, Eiko decides to permanently join the party. The red-headed man who fought Zidane earlier - Amarant - also shows up to say a few words to Zidane. He wonders Zidane had spared his life, and Zidane tells him to just join the party if he wants to understand why. All that taken care of, they head back to the Iifa Tree.
[IIFA TREE]
They soon hear and see the silver dragon, signaling the arrival of the man they had been waiting for: Kuja.
After ascending the trunk, they confront him, asking why he was making weapons of war and instigating them. Their "talk" (it was more of Kuja talking without really answering) is cut short when Brahne's fleet arrives by sea. It seems Brahne has decided to try and take out Kuja herself.
As the two duke it out, Zidane tells the group they should split, but Dagger doesn't want to leave her mother behind. The two get into an argument, with Zidane saying that Brahne didn't care for her anymore and neither should she because of that. After confirming where the eidolon that was sealed in the tree is, Dagger runs off, leaving the group behind to chase after her. Unfortunately the eidoloin is Leviathan, the sea serpent, so it's of no use. Brahne then summons Bahamut, the king of dragons. Needless to say, he's pretty kickass and does a shit ton of damage. But it all backfires when Kuja makes the eidolon go berserk with the help of some giant eyeball (the identity of which will be revealed later) and turn against Brahne and her fleet. Everything is practically destroyed before the eidolon disappears.
They find Brahne's corpse on the beach outside of her escape pod and return to Alexandria using it, taking the queen with them so that she could be buried back in her kingdom.
DISC 3
[ALEXANDRIA]
Zidane is found moping around the local pub with the Tantalus gang. He's mainly down because Dagger will now be the new queen of Alexandria and that pretty much means he won't see much of her anymore, being a commoner plus a thief and all. But after a few words from the Tantalus gang and Baku himself, plus Vivi piping up just innocently asking if they could visit her, Zidane clears himself out and agrees to visiting Dagger before she ascends the throne.
On the way they meet up with Freya and Amarant who are about to have a brawl, but Freya instead chews Zidane out for not being there sooner. When they reach the castle, they find Steiner just tossing out Eiko, and Vivi requests the audience with Dagger. When they do see her, Zidane is pretty much rendered speechless. He later tells the group that he tried to say something but he found that it would have been a lie. The words he had prepared would not have conveyed how he really felt.
They later meet up with Dr. Tot, who had taken some interest in Eiko and wants to learn more about her past and Madain Sari. The group decides to go back with them to Treno, where a card tournament that Zidane wants to participate in is being held.
[TRENO]
During the tournament, Zidane discovers that the champion is none other than Erin, one of Lindblum's lead pilots. Though really it's Regent Cid, but he's still an oglop at this point so he can't really play. However, the reason why they were there was to test the Hilde Garde 2: an airship powered by steam rather than Mist.
Before they can talk any more, Eiko runs in crying out with bad news. She believes Dagger is in danger and so they take the Hilde Garde 2 to Alexandria. On their way over (with the Hilde Garde 2 rocking up a storm), Eiko hears Dagger’s voice and...well she jumps off the ship, much to Zidane's horror.
The young girl lands safely by Dagger, however, and together they summon the legendary eidolon, Alexander, who pretty much destroys Bahamut who was attacking the kingdom at the time. Though things were looking up, it doesn’t last for much longer. Kuja does the same thing that he did when Bahamut was summoned by Brahne: call on the giant eyeball (in actuality an airship called the Invincible) and try to take Alexander. While we get a lot more plot and insight about the game, the only thing I will note is that is relevant to Zidane himself is the old man on the ship -- Garland -- knows Zidane and will be further explained later. He is also the reason why things go from bad to "oh shit we're doomed".
Garland basically uses his power to make Alexander collapse and get speared by the giant crystal on tip of Alexandria castle. This causes everything to topple and fall.
And guess who saves Dagger? Our hero Zidane, of course, and he comes in near last minute to grab her and swing away on a flag. After apologizing to Dagger, they hightail it out of there. Just in time, too. Garland fires a giant laser beam that hits the kingdom dead on, causing a giant explosion that obliterates the whole area.
[LINDBLUM]
Fortunately they did escape and are taken to Lindblum. Zidane wakes up and finds himself in the castle guestroom and is greeted by Blank. He asks where Dagger is, and once Blank tells him she's up by the telescope, he goes off running to find her. When he gets there, however, he's given the silent treatment. But not in terms of the "cold shoulder" kind. She responds but doesn't actually say anything. Taking her silence as signs of annoyance, Zidane leaves her alone and heads back down the tower to find Blank waiting for him to tell him to go see Cid.
Zidane's a bit tense because of how Dagger treated him, so when Blank pries/teases a little he blows up just a bit. But he goes to see the regent to learn that they have found some information regarding the attack on Alexandria. Cid informs them he witnessed Kuja escaping on the Hilde Garde and for even more of a shocker, there were black mages on the ship -- black mages that could talk.
They were about to learn how they might be able to fix Cid's oglop form from Doctor Tot when Eiko runs in telling them she thinks Dagger may have lost her voice. Concerned, the group heads to the guest room only to find that Garnet truly has lost her voice. Doctor Tot tells them it's more of a psychological reaction from all the grief the girl has suffered, so all they can do is wait. At this point Zidane asks him how to change Cid back into a human so he can make the new airship, and they reconvene back with the regent. Unfortunately the only real cure is for Hilda to reverse the effect, but Doctor Tot recalls a possible solution. A potion could be made if they could find the three necessary ingredients and mix it at a certain ratio. He’s a bit doubtful, but everyone is willing to give it a try so long as it isn’t lethal.
Determined, Zidane goes into town to try to find them. After finding and mixing the potion, however, they find that it doesn't work. In fact it turns Cid into a frog. They hold a meeting and upon Vivi's suggestion, decide to use the ship they stole from Alexandria - the Blue Narciss -- and head to the Black Mage Village.
[BLACK MAGE VILLAGE]
There they discover that only 3 of the mages stayed behind: Mr. 288, the one who could be considered leader since he is the most knowledgeable, and the two who were looking after the chocobo egg. When Mr. 288 doesn't answer their questions, Zidane follows Vivi to where the others are, only to come just in time to see the egg hatch. After a scene where Vivi shows his own maturing, Mr. 288 tells them that Kuja's desert palace is on the other side of the continent under quicksand, and that's where they head to next.
[DESERT PALACE]
Zidane finds himself in a cell with Cid. Kuja soon speaks to them, informing them that the others are in similar cells and that these aren't ordinary ones. The floor opens slightly to reveal molten lava beneath them and Zidane has no choice but to comply with Kuja's demands. Outside, he tells Cid to stay behind and look after the others. Finally able to meet with the man face to face, Kuja tells Zidane that he must travel to Oeilvert, as magic is apparently rendered useless there. There he must retrieve the Gulug Stone.
On the ship, Zorn and Thorn show up to make fun of him and the mages, but Zidane just tells them they're pawns as well, which send the two clowns in a fit.
[OEILVERT]
Once there, they find a large hologram of a planet with writing appearing in front. Zidane is actually able to make out some of the words, though he says it's more like it's talking to him than him being able to read it. Further in, there are more holographic displays. Four show the development of various airships, the Invincible being the latest. Another shows of a civilization on a planet called Terra and how it both rose and fell to decline. A final large hologram depicts two identical planets merging with one another.
They then come into a room that is covered with broken talking faces. Creepy. Talking. Faces. At any rate, they are given a brief lesson about the attempt to revive the world of Terra and are told that they were constructed so that the history isn't lost. While they're confused on what it all means, Zidane pushes it to the back and focuses on completing Kuja's task so that they could save their friends.
Though the initial attempt to take the Gulug Stone initiates a battle with Ark, upon victory Zidane takes the item and the group makes their way back to Kuja.
[At this point it splits to the remaining group left at Kuja's place]
When Zidane's group returns, they are teleported to Kuja's room. Told to come in alone, Zidane goes to Kuja with the stone in hand. There he finds a caged pit and inside are his friends who stayed behind. A dirty trick, but one that almost makes Zidane gives the stone over to save his friends. However, everyone had actually escaped and arrive just in time to burst in and stop Zidane. Kuja still manages to take the stone with his magic and that's not all. Zorn and Thorn managed to kidnap Eiko and they escape via a teleportation pad. Unable to use the pad, the group hurries back down to the Blue Narciss and give chase. They arrive on an ice covered continent.
[ESTO GAZA]
After entering, they learn that Kuja and his black mage army had passed through here and were headed straight to Mt. Gulug. They also learn a little about the Shimmering Island, but with Eiko’s safety their primary concern, they push forward and head into the now dead volcano.
[MT. GULUG]
They find Zorn and Thorn performing the same eidolon extraction ritual they had done on Dagger and the group quickly run down there to save her. Before they get to her, however, Mog pops out and proves to be the reason why the ritual had failed. The moogle then starts to glow and reveals her true form: the eidolon Madeen. When the group finally arrives, Kuja is rambling about how Trance works and leaves them to the real form of Zoran and Thorn: a grotesque, large monster.
After its defeat, they are about to leave when they hear a voice behind a door. They find none other than the woman they had been looking for: Hilda. She tells them that Kuja pretty much told everything about his plan to her and she is more than willing to share it with them.
[LINDBLUM]
They return to Lindblum and after Cid returns to human, they hold a conference and learn about Kuja’s plans. First they learn that Kuja plans to use the world for an even greater power and that he wasn’t even of this world - that he is from another world called Terra. They learn that the Shimmering Island connects Gaia to Terra, but that path is sealed. However, Kuja had told Hilda that there was a place where the seal could be broken and that was at Ipsen Castle. Cid then informs the group that they would be able to use the Hilda Garde 3 as soon as it was finished, and Steiner comes running in that Dagger is missing. After a few moments, Zidane offers that he might know where she is and tells the gang to hang tight.
[ALEXANDRIA]
Zidane believed she would be in Alexandria, but he is unable to find her. He does encounter Beatrix and after telling her the situation, she bids him luck and gives him a Garnet to give to Dagger. She also suggests he try looking at Brahne’s grave. There Zidane finds her and gives her the garnet (while telling a story behind it in the process). After a moment, she walks up to him and basically steals his dagger, telling him to remember who she used to be before running off.
Having no idea on what she planned to do, Zidane chases after her and stops short when he sees her at the end of a small pier. He then witnesses her cut off her long hair and she turns and looks at him, he smiles and gives her a nod of approval. Together they return to Lindblum to get the gang and retrieve the Hilda Garde 3 which had been completed just then.
[IPSEN’S CASTLE]
When they arrive, Amarant tells Zidane that going in a group is pointless and makes a bet with him that he would be able to get to the key first. Zidane lets him go and while some stay behind, he and the rest go in. After managing to get through the upside down castle, they reach a room that has four mirrors on the wall. Amarant is also there waiting and heads back ahead of them.
Zidane takes all four mirrors, finding that he was the only one able to read the words that were on the back. This causes a guardian monster to come forth, but after defeating it they return back to the entrance. When they see Amarant hadn’t returned, Zidane sighs and goes back in for him. When he finds the guy, Amarant is confused as to why Zidane helped him to begin with, but Zidane just tells him it doesn’t matter. Together they had back to the entrance and discuss the information on the mirrors on the Hilda Garde 3.
The monster they fought had hinted they would have to do everything at once, so the group splits up into four parties of two to take care of each shrine. Zidane gets stuck with the “leftovers”, Quina, and together they head into the Earth shrine. Each shrine has a guardian monster but everyone is able to get past it and join back together.
[SHIMMERING ISLAND//TERRA]
The portal now unsealed, they fly the Hilda Garde 3 into the strange vortex of souls and they are sucked into it and ascend into Terra. There, Zidane is greeted by an old man who tells him that if Zidane wants to understand he must venture further into Terra himself. They then encounter a mysterious girl who looks eerily like Zidane. She leads them through the strange world and arrives in front of a gateway of light. She then tells Zidane, “Welcome home.”
[BRAN BAL]
Though the girl tells Zidane that this is his home, he’s confused. He has no immediate recollection of the place and he is unable to dwell on it much longer as the Invincible suddenly rises and appears before him and Dagger. After she has another flashback, she faints and Zidane enters the settlement to find a place for her to rest.
What strikes him the most is the blue light that emits from what looks like water. It reminds him of the blue light that had always been in his dreams and wonders if it is the same. The second thing that throws him into a loop is the amount of “clones”. There are many individuals that share the same blond hair and tail. Still wondering what this all meant, he finds the “inn” and brings everyone there. There they learn that the Invincible is what caused the destruction of Madain Sari. After hearing this, Zidane leaves the group, though it’s obvious that his demeanor by now had changed. He’s more mellowed out and not as energetic as usual.
Eiko tells him that the girl from before wants him to see the underground laboratory and he goes there only to learn that the people there - and himself - were created by Garland (the old man who had greeted him earlier upon arriving into Terra) and are called Genomes. He learns that the role of the Genome is to become a vessel for the souls of Terra, and when he questions why he isn’t like them at all, she notes that he is special. Just like them, he has a special role in Garland’s plan.
[SPOILERS - The truth about Zidane is revealed at this time]
The planet Terra survives by assimilating with other planets, and this is what was being attempted now. When the blue light becomes red, that would mean that Terra had consumed Gaia and the souls would take over the Genomes. Garland had apparently tried to use force before in attempting to assimilate the planet before, but it failed. He had to wait until the people of Gaia learned how to use the powers of the eidolons. He also needed to disrupt the cycle of souls, and Zidane was supposed to help him do that. The girl then tells that Garland is waiting for him, and there Zidane learns even more about his past.
[PANDEMONIUM]
Through Garland, Zidane learns he had been created to disrupt the souls of Gaia, but things did not go as planned. He learns about Kuja’s history and that Kuja is actually something like his brother. Garland believes that Kuja had actually be jealous and even felt somewhat threatened when Zidane was born. Zidane was actually created to be a more powerful genome to replace Kuja when he came of age. So Kuja discarded Zidane by dropping him onto Gaia, the world he would destroy. This was an act that Garland had not expected. He then continues to blather on about the whole cycle of souls and how Terra would assimilate into Gaia as mentioned before. Zidane also learns that the Iifa tree is the soul divider between Gaia and Terra.
Zidane continues to follow Garland into an observatory and sees the planet. Garland calls him his angel of death, something that Zidane doesn’t want and instead wants to live on Gaia with his friends. He then tells Garland that his only motive as an “angel of death” would be to punish the ones who brought pain to his friends - meaning instead of destroying Gaia, he would destroy Terra. Garland is basically disappointed and messes with Zidane’s brain so that he becomes more like the soulless Genomes found in Bran Bal.
He then goes into a bit of an emo period. Though his friends try to help him, he continually pushes them aside, not understanding why they would want to help him and that they just didn’t understand anything that was going on. He goes through a bit of an identity crisis and starts becoming one of the angsty Final Fantasy main characters. It is Dagger who is able to snap Zidane out of his stupid stage, Steiner and Quina arriving soon after. Seeing the others still left behind, they return to help them out and it’s then that Zidane realizes he needs everyone’s help.
They then confront Garland, and after the fight Kuja appears. They then fight him, but during the battle Kuja goes into Trance and defeats them. Though Kuja says Zidane is deserving of his love, Zidane pretty much denies him as even being related. He kicks Garland off the platform and gloats about his powers. However, Garland isn’t quite dead. He can still “talk” and his voice is heard saying that Kuja will die regardless due to his limited lifespan. At this point, Kuja goes a little crazy and Zidane actually pities the guy a bit.
But his focus changes when Kuja goes berserk and starts to destroy Terra, forcing them to hurry to escape. He does have another cute moment with Dagger, thanking her for everything she’s done for him, before they had into Bran Bal to rescue the Genomes. In the process, he finds the girl from before and learns her name to be Mikoto. After finding her and convincing her to come with them, they board the Invincible. They are able to make it out and burst out of the ocean of Gaia.
However, they notice something disturbing. The whole world is covered in Mist and they wonder what Kuja is planning.
DISC 4
[BLACK MAGE VILLAGE]
They bring the Genomes to the Black Mage Village and are now living with the black mages. When discussing about plans to fight Kuja, Mikoto interjects saying that there is no hope and that Kuja is too powerful. Zidane however tells her that they would be able to take him down easy and starts to call her his little sister.
They then head toward the Iifa Tree where a large portal could be seen above it. As they try to enter it, an army of silver dragons appear and start attacking the airship. However, the cavalry arrives by the aid of both the Lindblum and Alexandria forces. Thanks to their help, the group is able to get through and enter into Memoria. There they once again hear Garland’s voice, who tells them they would be able to witness the entire truth.
[MEMORIA]
They enter and witness several memories, such as Alexandria’s destruction. At one point, Zidane actually witnesses one of Dagger’s memories: the one with her and her mother escaping Madain Sari. Confused as to why he is able to see her memory when he doesn’t recall it all. Everyone experiences this sense of déjà vu when they come to a memory of when Gaia was just an ocean, and Garland tells them that everyone has a shared memory as the souls are born from the planet and return to it.
They then enter a completely new realm: the realm of eternity and the crystal, the source of everything. Garland tells Zidane that he must defeat Kuja and protect the crystal. When they do reach the crystal, Kuja is waiting for them and quite intent on destroying it. By destroying the crystal, he would then destroy everything. Zidane pretty much tells him to shut up and that they would defeat him.
Zidane and the others eventually beat them, but it doesn’t end there. They are teleported to the final dimension: the darkness of eternity. There they meet Necron, an ultimate being that exists to return everything back to the zero world, where there is no life and no crystal to give life. It’s pretty confusing, but he disagrees with Necron, saying that he does not want to give up now and he is not afraid to die.
When they defeat him, Necron notes that the will to live is powerful…but he will always still exist as there will always be fear and death. They then appear in front of the Iifa Tree whose roots have come to life - a violent reaction that Zidane remembers Kuja saying. Though it doesn’t look good, the Hilda Garde 3 arrives to pick them up. However, Zidane is able to hear Kuja’s voice and unwilling to just leave him behind, he tells the rest to go on without him. He feels that he might have done the same things Kuja did and because of this he feels he has to save Kuja, or at least try to. Though his friends offer to go with him, Zidane decides to do this alone.
To Dagger, he says the abduction is over and he can't take her any further. She thanks him for what he's done and asks him to promise to come back.
After everyone boards and he watches the airship depart, he runs through the tree. He finally finds Kuja, and they have a bit of a brotherly bonding time. Kuja then finally says the finally realized what it meant to live, but it was too late. When Zidane notices him not moving, he yells at him to not die on him. At this point, the roots are heading right toward them and Zidane shields Kuja’s body with his own.