Part 4: Magic is weird, man!

Chapter 4: Magic is weird, man!



Music: The Empire

Later that day (or maybe tomorrow morning), Edgar is rudely awakened by...



Actually, I don't know what clues him in that something's wrong. The interior of his room is perfectly fine, and there aren't any unusual background noises.



I suppose he could have smelled smoke or something of that sort, because Figaro Castle is on fire. I didn't know that you could set stone on fire. I always kinda figured that stone would melt instead. Maybe it's magical fire.



Soldier: It's the Empire! It's Kefka!

As we can see, Kefka doesn't make idle threats. Good thing that Edgar didn't have a beloved horse, or else he'd have a very good reason to wake up suddenly.



On an unrelated note, Beavis and Butt-Head's first season ran in 1993, just a year before this game was made. Coincidence? Perhaps, but you can't deny the similarity.



: Then welcome to my barbecue! Uwa ha ha ha!

Well, seems like we're not getting anywhere by talking to him, so I guess it's time for Plan B: chatting with random NPC's.



Since things look like they're going to be a little hairy, I equip Edgar with Mog's Mithril Spear. Aside from Mog, Edgar's the only character who can equip spears for some reason. I'll be handing his Mithril Blade over to Locke at my next opportunity.



: Changed your mind?
: I guess I have no choice.



Music: Locke's Theme



: Ackk! Shameful that a king should flee, leaving his people behind! How utterly delightful!



Apparently, Edgar and Co. devised a daring escape plan while the player wasn't looking. I'm not entirely opposed to the idea of characters doing things that the player doesn't know about, but I have to wonder when exactly they filled Terra in on the details of their plan.





I like the fact that they actually made the towers leave tracks in the sand as they retracted. That's a nice little detail.



Figaro's chancellor has a very good reason for such a boast, because as it turns out, the castle's a giant burrowing machine.



I don't care about how it's done, I don't even care if it's realistic. I want my own boring castle.



Since everyone else ducked inside the castle before it dove beneath the sand, Kefka's looking a little silly right now.

: Go! GET THEM!



Unfortunately, his boot cleaners had their Magitek Armor parked outside or something, and so it's time for another easy boss battle.

Music: The Decisive Battle



Magitek Armor is a whole lot less effective when we're not riding it. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Marshal was harder than these two idiots.



That thin blue thingie is Tek Laser, their only special attack. It does around 50-60 damage, which may have been intimidating a level or two ago. Aside from that, since this battle forces the party into the back row, their only other attack does really pathetic amounts of damage.



The only way I could see this battle having even a smidgen of difficulty is if they decide to gang up on Terra, which is exactly what they did the first time that I fought them. Jerks.



Fortunately, my paranoid self purchased a couple Fenix Down when I arrived in Figaro, though after some rigorous "treasure hunting," I also found one for free.



Cure's animation. Now, while bringing someone back to life by waving a phoenix feather over them is perfectly natural, being healed by green swirly lights sends Edgar into a fit of hysterics.



: D-d-d-d-did you just see what I saw?
: Yeah, this kid seems loaded for bear.
: She's amazing! That was magic! M-A-G-I-C!
: M-M-M-M-M-





Soldier 1: So, uh...should we shoot them or something?
Soldier 2: Goodness man! Have you no tact? Can't you see they're having a character-building moment?



Soldier 1: I'm just saying, it's kinda awkward just standing here.
Soldier 2: Patience.



: Thank you, Locke!
: Thank you, Edgar!



Soldier 1: I think I'm gonna be sick...

Seriously though, this here is an issue with playing the game on an emulator. As scripted, Locke and Edgar are supposed to sink down behind the text box, but for some reason, they go in front of it instead. As for why it's only their head that slides down after a certain point, I guess that Squaresoft just figured that people wouldn't notice.



Noiseblaster's animation. Unlike most boss encounters, these Magitek Armor guys have no resistance to Confusion. When Confused, allies and enemies alike will fight uncontrollably, attacking their own side and themselves. However, any physical attack will get them out of their Confused condition.

You know what isn't a physical attack?



Bio Blaster! As the name and animation implies, the weapon poisons all targets affected by it, and is most effective against living targets. Any resemblance to the Magitek technique "Bio Blast" is purely coincidental.



The one up top kicks his comrade before dying, so I use AutoCrossbow to finish him off. Unlike the previous two, this one's a freebie, and thanks to its damage and ability to hit all enemies at once, it's going to be Edgar's bread and butter for a very long time.



After their easy win, the group does a victory lap around Kefka before riding off.



Kefka is the gift that keeps on giving.



: Terra, there's someone I'd like you to meet. Our mentor, Banon, would be very interested to meet you. Magic is going to be the key to winning this war.
: Magic...
: Terra has magical powers, and that esper seemed to react to her...Can there be some connection?
: I haven't the foggiest! It just seems natural to me that I can use this power.



Oh, you didn't just say that...



Music: Awakening (this game sure loves reusing its themes)

As expected, this statement stops Terra right in her tracks.

: I apologize.
: What should I do...?
: Terra, you want to understand your own powers, right? Then I think we need to consult with Banon.
: Please...



Sounds like a good idea. Anything that gets us away from this rather awkward conversation is fine by me.

Next Time: Ninjas and martial arts masters? It's like we stepped into a Kung Fu movie or something.