FFIX - Script - 3.5 - Black Mage Village & Desert Palace
Vivi
"...Looks like nobody's here."
Zidane
"Where did they go?"
Vivi
"I'm gonna go look around."
[Vivi runs off. Zidane follows him. At the cemetery, Vivi is speaking to Number 288]
Vivi
"Where is everyone!?"
Black Mage No. 288
"They went away with Kuja... Two other guys stayed behind. They're probably at the chocobo shack..."
Vivi
"Why!? Why did they go with him!?"
Black Mage No. 288
"They learned about our lifespan... We can live only for a given amount of time."
"Kuja said he knew how to extend our life spans, so everyone followed him..."
Vivi
"He's lying! I bet he's lying!"
"Look what he's done to us. He's been using us, treating us like puppets."
Black Mage No. 288
"...Maybe we are just puppets, created to serve humans."
Vivi
"!"
Zidane
"Come on. That's nonsense."
Vivi
"...Where did they go?"
Black Mage No. 288
"...I can't tell you that. I can't betray them."
Vivi
"Then why didn't you go with them?"
Black Mage No. 288
"......"
Vivi
"You said the two other guys are in chocobo shack, right?"
Black Mage No. 288
"......"
[Vivi runs off screen]
Zidane
"Vivi!"
[Zidane follows him to the shack. Vivi is in front of the door]
Vivi
"Hello. Is anyone there?"
Zidane
"Vivi..."
Vivi
"Please! Open the door!"
[A "kweh" sound is heard]
Zidane
"?"
[A black mage opens the door]
"It's born!!!"
Vivi
"!?"
"Oh..."
[The black mage walks back in]
Vivi
"Wait!"
[Vivi goes in. Zidane follows. Inside, two black mages are there with the newborn chocobo]
"Finally..."
"Finally..."
"Hurray!!!"
"Hurray!!!"
Black Mage No. 111
"I still can't believe it..."
Black Mage No. 33
"Yeah..."
Vivi
"I don't understand. Why are you here?"
Black Mage No. 33
"We're here to look after the chocobo."
Black Mage No. 111
"At first, we were gonna go with everyone, but someone had to stay behind to look after the chocobo egg, so we stayed."
Black Mage No. 33
"We kept the egg nice and warm by putting a lot of hay over it."
Black Mage No. 111
"I can't wait to show him to everyone."
Black Mage No. 33
"They're gonna be so happy."
Black Mage No. 111
"We have to come up with a name."
Black Mage No. 33
"Hey... What's happening to me? I feel strange..."
Black Mage No. 111
"M-Me, too..."
Vivi
"......"
[Vivi walks out of the shack. Zidane follows. Outside, No. 288 is standing. Vivi approaches him]
Vivi
"...You stayed behind because you were worried about the chocobo egg."
Black Mage No. 288
"...I don't know."
"I wanted to follow Kuja because I was so scared of dying."
"But I couldn't... I felt like I was leaving something important behind."
Vivi
"......"
"I wanna ask you something."
Black Mage No. 288
"What is it?"
Vivi
"A-Am I gonna stop pretty soon, too?"
Zidane
"!"
Black Mage No. 288
"I don't know..."
"Kuja said the prototype built before us would last longer."
Vivi
"But...I am gonna stop eventually."
Black Mage No. 288
"......"
Vivi
"...I was really confused when my grandpa died."
"He told me, 'Vivi, no need be sad.' So I told myself, I can't be sad."
"That's why I felt confused again when I heard that everyone was stopping around here."
"I didn't know what to do or what to feel..."
"But when I saw Dagger crying when her mom died, I wasn't confused anymore."
"I was sad..."
"If I were just a puppet, I never would've felt that way."
"Mr. 288... we aren't puppets. I know we aren't."
"...I hate him."
"I hate Kuja!!! He's turning everyone into puppets just to kill people!!!"
"If it weren't for him, I know everyone would understand someday."
"It's not fair..."
Zidane
"Vivi..."
Black Mage No. 288
"...Kuja's secret palace is on the eastern side of this continent."
Zidane
"!"
Black Mage No. 288
"It's buried under quicksand. You'll need a ship to get there."
Vivi
"Thanks..."
Black Mage No. 288
"I hope we can become strong like you someday..."
[Black Mage No. 288 walks off screen. The screen fades to black, and resumes near the entrance of Black Mage Village, where Dagger is standing, alone]
Dagger
(Vivi has so much on his mind...)
(Unlike me, he's fighting so hard...)
(...I thought I would change after I met Zidane.)
(...Once I acceded to the throne, I knew I had to change.)
(But nothing has changed...! I'm so helpless...)
[Eiko walks on screen]
Eiko
"Wow..."
"Dagger, were you listening, too?"
"That crybaby sure has come a long way, don't you think?"
Dagger
[Standing perfectly still]
"......"
Eiko
"Dagger?"
"Are you alright?"
[Dagger nods]
"...Don't worry too much. Vivi has his own way of dealing with things, and you have yours."
"Come on, cheer up! We'll beat up Kuja, and you'll get your voice back in no time."
Dagger
"......"
[Zidane walks on screen, followed shortly after by Vivi]
Eiko
"Zidane."
Zidane
"Is something wrong?"
[Dagger shakes her head]
"Okay. Let's get going."
Vivi
"Mr. 288 said Kuja's palace is buried under quicksand, right?"
Zidane
"Yeah. We're taking the ship to the eastern side of the continent to get there."
[The group returns to the boat. They travel to the desert area on the easter side, and enter the necessary whirlpool of quicksand. The screen fades to black]
"Huhaha... I knew you'd come. Everything is going according to plan..."
[Screen fades back in on a small room with a metal floor. Zidane is passed out on the floor, while Regent Cid is beside him]
Regent Cid
"Zidane! <Ribbit>, wake up!"
Zidane
"U-Ungh..."
[He shakes his head, then stands up]
"Cid... Where the heck are we?"
Regent Cid
"Good question <ribbit>! I wish I knew!"
Zidane
"After I fell into the quicksand, everything went dark..."
"That's all I can remember."
Regent Cid
"Me, too <ribbit>! When I woke up, <ribbit> I was in this room."
Zidane
"Oh yeah! Where is everyone?"
Regent Cid
"I don't know <ribbit>. I hope they're alright."
"So you're finally awake..."
Zidane
"That voice... it's Kuja!"
"I'm so happy to see you again."
Zidane
"You rat bastard! Where're my friends?"
"My, my... Aren't we feisty today?"
"No need to worry about them. They're in rooms not unlike yours."
"Oh, yes... By the way, I should probably enlighten you as to your current situation."
[The floor begins to open up. Underneath it is red-hot lava]
Zidane
"Yikes!"
[It stops opening]
"I'm sure that even your feeble mind can grasp what would happen if you were to take that plunge."
"Ahahahahahahaha!"
Zidane
"Kuja! You're dead!!!"
"Oh, dear. Was it something I said?"
"Either way, now that you're aware of your predicament, I'd like you to do a tiny little favor for me."
"I'll let your friends live if you say yes."
"Dammit..."
[Choose between "I have no choice" or "Never!". Since you have no choice, pick the first one]
"......"
"Dammit, I don't have a choice!"
"Very good. You've chosen wisely. First, step outside."
[The door opens. Zidane and Regent Cid exit his room]
Zidane
"Hey, Cid. I need you to look after the others."
Regent Cid
"Fine <ribbit>! I won't let you down!"
"And you <ribbit>! You come back safe!"
Zidane
"Yeah, I will."
"See ya."
[Zidane walks away, leaving Regent Cid behind. Zidane runs to the end of a pathway; both of the possible directions to go are blocked by black mages]
Zidane
"Not these guys again..."
"......"
"......"
"Stand between the black mages."
[He stands between them. They raise their arms, and he's teleported away. He reappears in a room: walking foward, he comes face-to-face with Kuja!]
Kuja
"Welcome to my humble abode."
Zidane
"Just cut to the chase and tell me what the hell you want!"
Kuja
"My, we're upset, aren't we? Well, this is your errand..."
"I want you to go somewhere and bring something back for me."
Zidane
"So, tell me what it is already, you demon!"
Kuja
"I'd watch my mouth if I were you."
"Surely, you haven't forgotten that I hold your friends' lives in my hands."
Zidane
"Grr!"
Kuja
"I'm going to send you to a place called Oeilvert."
Zidane
"Where's that?"
Kuja
"Oeilvert is south of the Seaways Canyon on the Forgotten Continent."
"It really isn't my kind of place."
Zidane
"What do you mean by that?"
Kuja
"You see, there's an anti-magic barrier around that place."
"And I want to send you because you're too stupid to use magic."
"Once there, I want you to retrieve the Gulug Stone for me."
"What do you say? Isn't it a simple task?"
"I'll even send you on my luxury cruise ship, so you won't have to worry about transportation."
"Perhaps it's too much for you. I'd better send you with three of your friends just to be safe."
"Besides, nobody likes to fight against himself."
Zidane
"???"
Kuja
"Heheh, nevermind. Speak their names when you've chosen your partners."
[At this point, you choose your three characters. Since no magic can be cast in there, it's only logical to take your best physical characters. So, I chose Steiner, Freya, and Amarant. This will have very little impact on the script, for the record]
Zidane
"I want Steiner, Freya, and Amarant."
Kuja
"Fine. I shall summon them."
[Screen fades to black; the screen focuses on each character, as Kuja says his/her name. "Steiner...", "Freya...", "and Amarant...".]
"Step through the door."
[Screen changes to outside their rooms]
"Proceed to the center of the platform."
[They walk to the center of the platform. The black mages go "......", then teleport them up. They teleport into Kuja's room, the same way Zidane did]
Kuja
"Spare me the emotional reunion scene, please."
"Now, go stand with your friends."
[Zidane walks over to them]
Zidane
"You better keep your promise, Kuja!"
Kuja
"Of course. You needn't worry one bit."
[They teleport away]
Kuja
"Khehehe... What a bunch of idiots."
[Screen fades to black; resumes at a teleportation circle outside his castle. Zidane runs up a set of stairs, then suddenly stops]
Zidane
"Whoa!"
[Screen pans to the left, revealing an airship, then goes back to Zidane]
"That must be the Hilda Garde 1!"
[Zidane runs to the Hilda Garde 1, and goes on board. Screen changes to the World Map: the Hilda Garde 1 moves across the Outer Continent. The screen fades to black, and resumes in the bridge of the Hilda Garde 1; Zidane walks in and sees two black mages controlling the ship]
Zidane
"Hey, can we really trust Kuja?"
"......"
[Zidane walks to the other black mage]
Zidane
"Hey, can we really trust Kuja?"
"......"
Zidane
"Hey! Say something!"
"......"
[Zorn walks onto the screen]
Zorn
"They will not answer to you."
[Thorn walks onto the screen]
Thorn
"Respond to our orders only, they do."
Zidane
"Why, y-you backstabbing bozos!"
Zorn
"Those are slanderous words!"
Thorn
"Worse lies, I have never heard."
Zorn
"You needn't concern yourself with such things."
Thorn
"Or an end to your friends' lives, we shall bring."
Zidane
"Dammit!"
[They look at each other and laugh]
Zorn
"The black mages were originally designed just to oppress."
Thorn
"But a strong sense of self, the Black Waltzes came to possess."
"Always obey us, these mages do, because a strong ego, they have not."
Zorn
"These mass-produced ones are to break once we're through with their lot."
Thorn
"Other purpose than war they have not!"
Zorn
"They have grown attached to life, yet they'll soon disappear!"
Thorn
"Hilarious! Nothing but toys are they here!"
Zidane
"I don't think you guys are any different."
Thorn
"What!?"
Zorn
"Rubbish!"
Zidane
"You say that the black mages have no souls, but you guys are pawns, just like them!"
"Am I right, or what?"
Zorn
"You won't be talking so big once we're done with you!"
Thorn
"Regret those words, you will!"
Zidane
"Well, let's just take it easy until we arrive."
"Drive safe, alright?"
[Zidane walks off screen]
[The screen fades to black, and resumes on the World Map. The Hilda Garde 1 eventually makes its way to the Forgotten Continent. The words "Forgotten Continent" appear on the screen. The ship lands. Zidane makes his way south, eventually arriving at Oeilvert]