READ WITH CAUTION: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
The third chapter starts out with the group docking in the water city, Furni. Though a beautiful city, there seems to be some trouble. Kamuy, the pet wolf belonging to the boy Teo, has become suddenly vicious, and attacked Fa, the mayor's daugther and Teo's best friend. Fa, completely shocked, hasn't spoken since she was attacked. Teo went into the forest after Kamuy. Resident Knight Harris has posted a reward for the healing of Kamuy, even if they have to kill him.
Before the group can get far, though, they need a boat liscense to travel the town. They'll find one at the inn. After they get the boat liscense, the group visits the Mayor of Furni and learn the story of Teo and Kamuy. Fa takes a liking to Shana, and Shana sings Fa her special lullabye that Dart taught her. Haschel is astounded...because his daughter, Claire, composed that lullabye! Hmm....
After Fa goes to sleep, Dart and Shana head outside and admire the moon...but Shana ruins this special moment by fainting, causing everyone to panic. The next morning, Shana is back to normal and the group goes to Evergreen Forest.
It turns out that Teo and Kamuy have been hiding in the Forest, and the group has the option to help heal Kamuy or to go onto Deningrad. On the way to Deningrad, Rose leaves because she has an "errand to run", and Meru leaves to visit her "parents". This leaves Dart, Albert, Shana, Kongol, and Haschel to go to Deningrad.
The rest of the group find themselves in the beautiful Crystal City Deningrad. Our heroes go to the temple and meet the High Priest Bishop Dille, who tells the story of Soa's Divine Tree. It appears the Tree of Life gave birth to the creatures of the world. In fact there was nothing in the world until Soa descended from the sky. He (she?) and his followers created the world. They planted a seed which became a great tree...the Divine Tree, which bore 108 fruits with various life forms, each filling the world. Although the Divine Tree completed its role, it is still protected by the Signets of Soa.
The legend of the Signets goes something like this: Winglies created the Signets to protect the Divne Tree and the last fruit. When the Signet is broken, the end of the world approaches. To prevent the "end of the world", people must eliminate evil in their hearts and live in honesty. It is the mission of the children of the Divine Tree.
To find out more, Bishop Dille suggests they visit Librarian Ute. Though a bit stuck up, the Librarian has vast knoweldge and encourages them to look through the books for more information.
Kongol finds out that the Winglies, who fly on "Wings of Light", had enough magical powers to create floating cities and fortresses that, after the Dragon Campaign, became extinct. Also, like the way Humans had Dragons, Winglies had Virages.
Shana finds out that Humans divided Endiness into four regions: To the east, Serdio; to the south, Tiberoa; to the north, Mille Seseau, and to the west, the untouched Death Frontier. There was made Divine Moon Objects that humans kept as symbols of peace between humans and Winglies; However, the humans did not know they contained magical powers.
Ute, Haschel and Albert make a comment about Dragons...Feyrbrand was the first Dragon seen since the end of the Dragon Campaign. The war started in Serdio with the Violet Dragoon Spirit which Lloyd brought. Their fate, as Dragoons, drags along with Lloyd's fate. Also noted is that after the Humans won the Dragon Campaign, the Dragoons disappeared...does this mean Dart and the others will disappear after their journey is over too?
Albert further says that Dragons are the second most powerful of the 108 species. However, to create balance, Soa lowered the Dragons' intelligence greatly, enabling humans to control them with their wisdom. During the Dragon Campaign, as Kongol noted earlier, the Winglies had Virages, but they couldn't avoid being defeated.
Ute adds some more things to this conversation. He says that Winglies dominated the gods and answered to Melbu Frahma, the Wingly dictator who abused his powers. The anger and sadness of the people fuled the power of the Dragoons and set free the gods from the Winglies. Without their gods, the Winglies were destroyed and the age of Humans had begun. The gods, symbolized by the Moon that Never Sets, now look down upon earth.
Ute also has some information regarding the Black Monster. The Black Monster devours the "Gods", that is, the Moon that Never Sets. He is a demon that appears in various legends and rejects peace, and abhors the idea of a purified world. The so-called "Moon Child" revives the gods on earth and purifies the world, but the Black Monster has always killed the Moon Child so that the world is in never ending chaos. Therefore, the Moon Child "stays forever in the sky".
Rose, in the meantime, visits the unfortunate town of Neet. The town, which is where Dart was born, was destroyed by the Black Monster 18 years ago...but why is Rose there? She goes into the town and finds the Second Sacred Sister Luanna and the Fourth Sacred Sister Setie. It appears that Sister Luanna, like Dart, survived the tragedy of Neet because she is blind, and explains that only those who saw the Moon Child perished. From her flashback, Luanna remembers the Black Monster saying that the Moon Child has a power to turn everyone into an evangelist for the god, a servent to help the gods descend. The Black Monster is not satisfied until everyone who was present at the Moon Child's "birth" is dead. After this, Rose, Luanna, Setie, and the guards all head off to Deningrad.
Meanwhile, Meru visits the town of...Wingly Forest? What's she doing there? Oh my god....could Meru be....*gasp*...a Wingly!? Like Lloyd and Lenus, Meru is indeed a Wingly...and not a very popular one. Everyone in town hates her for leaving to see the "humans"...everyone except her fiance, Guaraha. Even her parents don't like her anymore. But the most furious are the Bardel Brothers, mainly the younger one. She is told by everyone, including Ancestor Blano, the chief of the Winglies, to leave and never return...(poor Meru...)
After this, the scene will come to a mountain, where the Divine Dragon, the King of Dragons with seven wings and seven eyes, breaks free from his imprisonment...but how? One thing is for sure though...he's headed for Deningrad! He attacks the Crystal Palace, but thank goodness no one is hurt.
Our group reunites in Deningrad and goes to see Queen Theresea and her witty daughter, the First Sacred Sister Miranda. Everyone there talks about the Divine Dragon and what it will do. It seems the Winglies sealed the Divine Dragon, but now the Winglies are tense that the Dragon is free, their seal dissolved. It seems only two weapons, the Dragon Buster (which Lloyd has) and the Dragon Block Staff can defeat the Divine Dragon, as both were created by ancient Winglies for this purpose. Luanna is concerned about the Dragoons because another power is influencing them, anticipating it's liberation. They add that the Winglies say their magic draws a line between them and humans. Meru, after some persuasion, decides to show everyone her secret.
Shana has disappeared into the room at the right. She appears to be in one of her "episodes" that no one, not even Dart, can get her out of. When she comes to, she learns about what drew her here. It seems that the Crystal Palace was once a fort for Winglies. The chamber that Shana was in, the Chamber of the Signet, was used for a ceremony for sealing. This is why the Divine Dragon attacked the Crystal Palace, because it was once a home to Winglies. Shana then faints and is brought to the guest room, where her White Silver Dragoon Spirit leaves her body and chooses Miranda as the White Silver Dragoon!
Back to the Evergreen Forest, Meru shows everyone her powers as a...WINGLY!? Everyone is shocked, but the townspeople of Wingly Forest are even more surprised when Meru comes back with humans. However, it appears that Ancestor Blano wishes to speak with the Humans, so the villagers have no other choice but to accept them. In the Tree which houses some Winglies, the group is confronted by the Elder Bardel Brother. He is furious at Meru because she was a role model for his younger sister. When Meru went into the human's world, so did his siter, but humans wound up killing his little sister because she was a Wingly. Though he tries to kill Dart, Dart calmly protects himself with his Dragoon Spirit.
Ancestor Blano, who knows the Dragoons are pure in heart, wants to help. He decides to show the group the Forbidden Land. Also known as Royal Capital Kadessa, it was a palace ground for Winglies during the Dragon Campaign and was also a "Promised Land" for Winglies. Deep within the Forbidden Land is the Dragon Block Staff.
During the journey, the group comes across a "Virage"...it's actually a Virage hybrid that is more powerful than a regular Virage. If you remember the flashback from Rose while she was in the cave, you'll recognize this Virage to be the same that defeated Kanzas. However, this one is still alive...
After a tiring journey through the Forbidden Land, the group comes across the Dragon Block Staff...which is guarded by the Grand Jewel, a mysterious, fierce enemy.
After the defeat of the Grand Jewel, the group heads back to Ancestor Blano, who tells them that they must return to Deningrad immediately...the Divine Dragon is attacking the city! Meru's parents and Guaraha come and help Blano teleport them to Deningrad, but...
It is too late. The Divine Dragon reduces the town to rubble, but Shana's mysterious power enabled her to save the Queen. The only way to stop the Divine Dragon from taking away more lives is to defeat it. Our heroes bravely enter the Mountain of Mortal Dragon, where the King of Dragons resides.
After the winding path to the top of the mountain, our heroes find....LLOYD!!? It appears that it was Lloyd who set free the Divine Dragon, but he could not control it, so he decided to try and kill it. However, even the Dragon Buster was useless against the Divine Dragon. Lloyd leaves and let's those with the Dragon Block Staff fight.
It's a long, grueling battle, but the Dragoons overcome the Dragon...but Lloyd enters the scene again and takes what he wanted the Divine Dragon for...the flame of a soul that sparkles only at the last moment of a dragon's life...the Divine Dragoon Spirit!! It's a good thing the Spirit doesn't recognize him though, or else the world would be nearly doomed. Lloyd tries to escape, but while Rose and Dart attempt to stop him, he knocks them off a cliff. Rose bangs her head, and mutters something about the Black Monster, Moon Child, and Virage Embryo. Once again, the game will flashback to the night Neet was destroyed. Dart feels that Rose knows...something...about these...
When the group gets back together, the group wonders what Lloyd's next objective will be. Miranda then speaks about the Moon Mirror that is in the possession of Queen Miranda. The Divine Moon objects were brought by Winglies as a sign of peace, but they held an evil power and that is why they are only passed down by members of the Royal Families of Endiness. This Moon Mirror is also a Divine Moon Object, and surely Lloyd will be after it! It's back to Deningrad!
While on their way back to Deningrad, Wink, the Third Sacred Sister, will encounter the angry Younger Bardel. He attempts to kill Wink, but Wink is once again saved by....that's right, Lloyd. Lloyd crushes the Younger Bardel, but injures himself in the process. Wink, kind-hearted, takes Lloyd to the Crystal Palace for healing...exactly as Lloyd planned.
However, by the time the Dragoons get to the Crystal Palace, it's too late...Lloyd has already kidnapped the Queen. The group once again pursudes Lloyd in the Kashua Glacier.
The Kashua Glacier has many water-based enemies, so Dart's Heat Blade will be your savior here. Before the group fights Lloyd, they must battle Windigo the viscious ice monster.
After his defeat, our group comes across a weird place called Fort Flanvel, which was once a Wingly Fortress controlled by a man named Faust (more on him later). Flanvel Tower was a fortress during the Dragon Campaign that used to be able to fly as well as float. Of course, this consumed a large amount of magic. This is also where Lloyd is holding Queen Theresea and the Moon Mirror. Lloyd challenges you to a fight.
As Dart goes for the final blow, Wink appears and steps in at the last minute. Trying to control his momentum, Dart accidently slashes her in the back. Wink asks Dart to forgive Lloyd, even though he used her to get to Queen Theresea. It seems someone has a little crush.... ^_~ Anyway, it also appears that Shana has been kidnapped...by Emperor Diaz, Lloyd's boss! He is holding her in Vellweb and demands the Divine Moon Objects. At this time, Lloyd joins your party, but is not a playable character. Lloyd informs them that they must go to Vellweb, beyond Fort Magrad.
While taking a rest in a cave at Fort Magrad, Lloyd has some flashbacks and interesting information. The Three Divine Moon Objects he was after allow the world to be reborn into the utopia that he and Diaz desire. This is Soa's "plan"...to allow the 108th species to be born and create the utopia.
Three years before modern time, Lloyd explains, Diaz believed the world was "rotten" and needed regeneration, an "overture to destruction". The great will of the creator Soa prepared the 108th species, the last species (the last god) to regenerate the world and create the utopia. Notice how it is the 108th species, and how it was said by Fester in Chapter 2 that the Moon that Never Sets wanes every 108 years. There is a connection...the 108th species is the Moon Child! However, as said by Ute, the Black Monster always kills the Moon Child. If this would happen, Lloyd goes on explaining, then the Winglies feared their supreme status reign would end and sealed up the 108th species with Signets. The key to dissolving these Signets are the Divine Moon Objects. Lloyd adds that if he didn't go and do this, someone else would, for no one, not even gods, can escape Soa's will.
Along the way to visiting Emperor Diaz, the group stumbles upon Fort Magrad. Rose explains that Fort Magrad once belonged to humans, and this is where Emperor Diaz declared war on the Winglies. Rose also remembers that her and her lover, Zieg, were supposed to be married after the Dragon Campaign. However, because the Dragoons had descended on Fort Magrad, the Polter Armor, representing the spirits of the soldiers, awakens and challenges the Dragoons.
The group soon arrives in the historic ruin of the human's capital city, Vellweb. In Vellweb there are seven towers representing seven Dragoons and the Holy Throne room where Diaz awaits. Rose explains that, do destroy floating cities like Flanvel, humans shot "battery-powered" arrows. To quote, "That the arrow would not only shear the dakness that covers the earth, but also shear their corrupted hearts which were accustomed to being ruled."
Also awaiting in Vellweb is Shirley. She explains to Rose and the others that the souls of the Dragoons from old are still wandering in the towers. She has come to take the souls of the Dragoons instead of letting them go to Mayfil (more on Mayfil later). Mayfil wants the souls, but Shirely won't let them go there, however she does not have enough power to free them so she anchored the spirits in Vellweb. She asks Rose and the others if, after their meeting with Diaz, they will come back to free the spirits.
At last the group comes to Diaz, who is holding Shana hostage. Diaz explains his only desire is the advent of the last species, which equals total destruction (in other words, "purification") to the whole world. This completely shocks Lloyd and angers him. Diaz was, the whole time, using Lloyd as a pawn to get the Divine Moon Objects, promising Lloyd that he'd build the "utopia" that Lloyd desired for the future of the world, not the destruction of it. Lloyd goes to strike at Diaz, but Diaz attacks Lloyd first, causing poor Lloyd to fall into oblivian.
Diaz explains that the beginning of the world was darkness, and that creator Soa sowed a seed to the earth. This "plan" of Soa, which created all beings, was the Divine Tree. The fruit of the seed ripened and fell to the ground and filled it with life: Gigantos the 97th fruit, Minitos the 99th fruit, Dragons the 105th fruit, humans the 106th fruit, and Winglies the 107th fruit. However, Soa also wanted the destruction/regeneration of the world from the 108th fruit, the Virage Embryo.
However, 11,000 years ago, Winglies found out the tragedy waiting for them and the world, and sealed the 108th fruit by seperating its flesh from its soul. The flesh of the god, the Virage Embryo, was taken away from the Winglies as "The Moon That Never Sets" that glows in the sky and is not affected by time. The soul of the Virage Embryo was kept in a crystal sphere which was in Melbu Frahma's possession. He used the crystal sphere to draw unlimited magical power and used it to conquer the other species. But even with unlimited magic power, domination was not eternal. Humans arose with Dragoons in front. Dragoons were unbeatable because of their powers from the awesome Dragons. Finally, they drove Melbu Frahma into a corner. Zieg closed in on him, preparing for the final blow, but just as he was struck with Zieg's sword, Melbu Frahma petrified Zieg. After 11,000 years the spell wore off. He forgot about his love for Rose, married a girl named Claire, and had a son....named...DART!!? Yep, Zieg is Dart's father. Zieg lived happily with his family until that tragic day in Neet 18 years ago.
Zieg and Rose were considered heroes of the Dragon Campaign. However, humans had made a mistake. The humans destroyed the crystal sphere, which contained the soul of the Virage Embryo. This allowed the Virage Embryo to be born. The soul began to wander, in order to go back to the flesh left in the Moon that Never Sets, to be born the last god, and to destroy/regenerate the world.
The soul, without a body, will possess a human body and go to the Moon that Never Sets, and repeats the transmigration every 108 years. The soul of the god of destruction, the Virage Embryo, goes into a human body, and this human body is known as the Moon Child.
"Count 108 years and when the Moon that Never Sets glares red the Moon Child descends to the earth and shall give a holy blessing to the world."
The "Holy Blessing" is destruction. The destruction is Soa's will. This is the fate that rules the future of the world, so explains Diaz. He also adds that there was one Dragoon who found out about "Soa's Will". In order to deter the birth of the God of Destruction, she has had to kill the Moon Children by stopping her own time. She was known as the Black Monster.
The Black Monster, Diaz reveals, is none other then....ROSE!!? Dart doesn't want to believe it, but Rose admits to it.
The Moon Child has to be killed, and the people who saw the Moon Child also have to be killed because the Moon Child turns everyone that sees him/her into a servant for the gods. Rose explains that for 10,000 years there have been no exceptions.
Rose, 18 years ago, killed Princess Louvia (remember the Ghost Ship?), who was the Moon Child, or so Rose thought. But Princess Louvia was not the Moon Child...Louvia had a twin who was the real Moon Child. Louvia's twin is...SHANA!!? This makes Shana the soul of the Virage Embryo, the soul of the God of Destruction.
Yet there is one more surprise...Diaz reveals himself to be....ZIEG!! Zieg takes Shana away and promises to dissolve the Signets of the Moon That Never Sets and cross it with the Moon Child, Shana. Zieg says, as his final words, that this is the will of Soa, and Zieg's hands will start and end the world!!
What will the Dragoons do now? Find out in Chapter Four: Moon and Fate.
To Chapter Four: Moon and Fate
Script for Chapter Three (Donated by Brandon)
