World of Final Fantasy story

The following is a list of the story Chapters in World of Final Fantasy. The synopses of each chapter can be found in the Adventure Log selection on the menu, in the sub-section "The Story So Far".
==List of story chapters==
===Prologue: Awake at Last===
A young boy awakens with a start. It's almost time for work! He throws off his covers and hurries out of the house toward the small café he part-times at.
The boy is shocked to find that he is the first one to arrive at work that morning. A customer is already seated, lounging absentmindedly at a table near the back. After serving her a cup of coffee, the boy kicks back and relaxes...
...only to have his peaceful morning shattered when his sister Reynn bursts through the door. She drags him outside, pointing out (quite forcefully!) that something is wrong. Why isn't there a single person walking the streets?!
The customer, one Enna Kros, steps out of the café and introduces a little fox named Tama. Together, they begin to explain to Reynn and Lann just what is going on.
Reynn and Lann possess a special power. They are Mirage Keepers, people endowed with the ability to control creatures known as Mirages. Their powers were once so great that they could have reigned supreme over the world. However, their Mirages, along with any memories connected to those Mirages, have been stripped away.
But there is light at the end of this tunnel. If Reynn and Lann can recover their Mirages, they may just regain their memories — and perhaps even meet their family.
Guided by Enna Kros, and with Tama in tow, the two set out on an adventure to a new world. Grymoire, the land of Mirages!
===Chapter 1: Land of the Lilikin===
Reynn and Lann arrive in Grymoire to discover they look very, very different. They have been transformed, and can now take the same form as the residents of this strange new world. They immediately set out to collect Mirages and recover their lost memories.
Things were going well and fine as the twins explored the bright green landscape of an otherworldly forest. That is, of course, until they set foot into a strange crack in reality known as a murkrift.
The twins, confronted by a powerful enemy they could not hope to defeat, are soon at death’s door...only to be rescued by the noble Tama, who sacrifices one of her many lives to rewind time and return them to Nine Wood Hills.
There, they run once again into Enna Kros, who informs them of a visitor to their empty world. Perhaps they should go meet her?
In the shopping district, the twins meet a cheerful young woman by the name of Chocolatte. Somewhat overwhelmed by her aggressive salesmanship, the two agree to stop by her establishment whenever they need to do some shopping.
As Reynn and Lann prepare to return to Grymoire and resume their quest to collect Mirages, Tama bumps into an old friend, the wind pixie Serafie.
Serafie has been tasked by Enna Kros with helping the twins manage their prismarium collection. After a brief chat, Reynn and Lann continue on to the Gate.
Enna Kros is waiting for Reynn and Lann back in Sylver Park. She tells them it is time for her to bid Nine Wood Hills farewell. The twins protest her sudden departure, but faced with their barrage of questions, Enna Kros merely smiles. As she disappears in a flash of light, she tells them who she is: god.
Reynn and Lann are certainly shaken by this strange turn of events, but for now, they have little choice but to resume their quest. They return to Grymoire, and begin looking for a way out of the woods.
===Chapter 2: Foretold by Prophecy===
On the other side of the forest is a vast plain dotted with lakes that sparkle in the sun. Reynn and Lann take a minute to drink in the beauty of the world that awaits them before once again setting forth into the unknown.
Further along, the twins hear the sound of a whistle slice through the air as an oddly shaped train pulls up to the nearby station.
Reynn and Lann hop aboard, where they are greeted by the gregarious Mirage who operates the train, the Cactuar Conductor. Once the matter of tickets is settled, the train sets off.
Ahead of them looms a wondrous sight: the city of Cornelia, a town that appears to have been built upwards by piling building upon building in a stack that reaches into the sky.
Reynn and Lann stroll through Cornelia, taking in the sights and the sounds of the city. But the peace is soon broken by panicked screams. A host of Mirages have attacked the city, soldiers in the employ of the "Bahamutian Army."
But who they are is neither here nor there; they’re Mirages, which means it's Reynn and Lann's time to shine! The twins quickly dispose of the invaders, but Lann forgets himself and returns to Jiant size. The townsfolk gasp in shock, and tension fills the air.
From the ranks of the onlookers steps a woman. Quickly discerning that Reynn and Lann are not from Grymoire, she invites them to Castle Cornelia to hear their tale.
Reynn and Lann enter the throne room of Castle Cornelia, only to find that the woman they met in the town is none other than Cornelia's ruler, Princess Sarah!
A good ruler is always gracious, and Princess Sarah thanks the twins for saving her city. Then she gets down to business.
She tells the twins that they are, without a doubt, the "Jiants from the Hills" spoken of in prophecy. They are destined to alter the course of Grymoirian history, bringing it either salvation...or ruin.
Reynn begins to ponder the implications of the prophecy, but there are more pressing concerns at hand. The Bahamutian Army will soon be at Cornelia's gates, and the twins have agreed to help them turn them back. But first, they head to the Nether Nebula to capture more Mirages. After all, they won't be much help to anyone until they get more firepower on their side.
===Chapter 3: Old Acquaintances===
Deep within the heart of the Nether Nebula, Reynn and Lann encounter Ifrit, Shiva and Ramuh. These powerful Mirages seem to have some sort of history with the twins...
To prove their strength, the twins agree to do battle with one of these three Mirages, and emerge victorious. But they still lack the power to command such powerful Mirages in battle. Instead, their chosen opponent leaves them a lesser prismarium belonging to its tribe and disappears to parts unknown.
Reynn and Lann return to Cornelia to face the Bahamutian Army.
===Chapter 4: A Legendary Warrior===
Having returned to Cornelia, Reynn and Lann discover that the Bahamutian Army has set up a camp near the city.
Lann comes up with a courageous plan to cut the head off of the beast. The twins head into the Watchplains, behind enemy lines, where they hope to circle around the main force and strike at the Bahamutian commander from behind.
Lann and Reynn find Princess Sarah bravely leading her troops in the thick of battle.
The princess shoots them a wry smile, but it is quickly overshadowed by a giant goblin that has risen from the cliffs behind her. Just as it brings its fist down to crush her, the brigade captain gallantly leaps to her rescue, saving her just in the nick of time. But there is no time for celebration, for the goblin looms over them, readying its next strike...
Just as all hope seems lost, the brigade captain's body glows with a strange light. At that moment, he is awakened as one of Cornelia's legendary heroes: a Warrior of Light! Reynn and Lann hurry to his aid, and together they route the remaining Bahamutian troops.
Removing the enemy leader’s helmet, they are shocked to find that it is not a Jiant as they expected, but a Mirage. Unsure of what this could mean, the twins return to Cornelia.
Meanwhile, dark forces have begun to shift in the shadows. The time they have awaited has finally come...
===Chapter 5: The Champion Who Saved Grymoire===
With the Bahamutian Army defeated, peace has returned to the kingdom of Cornelia. However, they must remain vigilant. Another attack could come at any moment. To shore up Cornelia’s defenses, Princess Sarah proposes they make contact with the anti-Federation organization known as the League of S.
Seeing as they've already come this far, and could use some sort of direction as they round up new Mirages, Reynn and Lann offer to act as Princess Sarah’s emissaries.
With her letter in hand, they depart for the northern country of Saronia, whose thane is rumored to be in contact with the League.
Along the way, Reynn and Lann enter a mystical wood known as Pyreglow Forest.
By a lake in the heart of the wood, Reynn and Lann meet the summoner Yuna.
Yuna mistakes the twins for the Bahamutian Army's "Heralds" and attacks. Soon, however, she realizes the power they hold resembles that of the great Lusse Farna, and so she asks the twins who they are.
Reynn and Lann recall that their mother's name was also Lussa Farna, and beg Yuna to tell them everything she knows of her. Yuna agrees to share what little has survived in legend.
A hundred years ago, Grymoire was on the brink of destruction at the hands of the Demon Dyad. When all seemed lost, a hero stepped forth. Lady Lusse Farna. Summoning three Heralds from another world, she stopped the Demon Dyad. But soon after her victory, she disappeared, and none have seen her since. The Heralds she summoned, however, remained in Grymoire and founded the Bahamutian Federation. Soon, their influence spread across the world...
Lann grows impatient, failing to see how a story from a hundred years ago could have any connection to their mother. Reynn, ever the sensible one, reminds him that their memories are vague and unreliable.
Yuna reveals that Saronia has recently joined the Federation. Although this puts a damper on their plans, the twins decide to continue on with the slim hope Saronia and its thane can shed some light on the League of S.
===Chapter 6: Solace from the Ice===
A vast snowscape of silver and white awaits Reynn and Lann on the far side of Pyreglow Forest. Huddling against the cold, they hurry to a nearby inn.
Once inside, Reynn and Lann meet the proprietor: a young lady named Sherlotta who seems wise and experienced beyond her age.
The twins look for something to ward off the elements while treating themselves to a well-deserved rest.
Sherlotta gives the twins the warlock's warmer, a magical item that can protect them from the harsh cold. Accompanied by their new friend Refia, they set out for Saronia.
The party enters Icicle Ridge, the gaping valley that stands between them and Saronia. They search for an exit while keeping a watchful eye out for the dangerous Mirages said to haunt the ridge.
Harried by attacks from a pack of white nakks, the party decides to put an end to this game of nakk and mouse by taking down the pack's leader. They give chase, only to find themselves outwitted by the creature.
After barely managing to subdue the pack of angry beasts that surrounded them, the party eagerly bids the ridge farewell.
===Chapter 7: The Thane and the Knave===
With Icicle Ridge behind them, the party finally arrives in Saronia. The twins part ways with Refia, and prepare to meet with the thane. Along the way, they decide to gather some information from the locals.
Reynn and Lann learn from the townsfolk that a great social and economic divide has appeared between those who accept the Federation, and those who do not. Although Saronia's annexation to the Federation was recent, the difference between these two classes of people is already readily apparent.
Somewhat disturbed by what they have seen, Reynn and Lann nevertheless continue on to see the thane.
At the entrance to the thane's manor, the twins find Refia arguing heatedly with the guards. They have refused to allow her to visit the thane, her own uncle. The twins present Princess Sarah's letter and manage to escort Refia past the protesting guards.
Their audience with the thane takes a sour turn when they realize Refia’s uncle has been replaced by some sort of Bahamutian soldier in disguise. Although the three manage to defeat this false thane, he quickly rises as if immortal. What happens next shocks them all the more, a sinister, masked figure emerges from the shadows and fells the thane with a single bolt of piercing light.
The figure, Segwarides, is incredibly powerful, and most certainly not a friend. As he advances inexorably on Reynn, Lann, and Refia, salvation comes in the most unexpected of places—a cat! With a flash of powerful magic, the cat buys the beleaguered party the moment they need to escape.
It turns out their knight in furry armor was Sherlotta, who had been shadowing them in cat form to make sure they didn’t get into any trouble. After fleeing to the outskirts of Saronia and safety, Sherlotta hands Reynn and Lann some magical monocles and insists they use them to reexamine the town.
The lenses reveal a colossal anchor driven straight into the heart of Saronia. Attached to the anchor is a vast chain that rises into the distant heavens. Sherlotta explains that every town and city the Federation has annexed is bound by these invisible chains.
In all the confusion, Reynn and Lann have forgotten to gather any information on the League of S. But they cheer up when Sherlotta tells them that she has a friend who can get in touch with the League. Having left the rest of the diplomacy in Sherlotta’s capable hands, Reynn and Lann resume their Mirage-collecting journey. Their next destination: the Low Seas!
===Chapter 8: Buccaneer Blues===
Reynn and Lann decide to ask around town for someone willing to lend them a boat and help them reach the Low Seas.
Alas, no one is able to help. Realizing they cannot get a boat through legal channels, the twins consider skirting the law a bit. Rumor has it there is a pirate ship at the docks. It's not stealing if it's from a pirate, right?
After making their way through the perilous docks, Reynn and Lann manage to find the pirate ship they're after. They sneak on board to "borrow" it, but run afoul of its moogle crew and the fiery-eyed Captain Faris.
The twins have failed to gain the upper hand, and to make matters worse, Saronia's thane has caught up with them. Things are looking grim, but the twins' bacon is saved when Faris and Syldra send the thane packing with a powerful strike.
Reynn and Lann explain to Faris the events that led them here, and in return Faris and her kupirate crew offer up some juicy info. According to the prophecy, the Jiants from the Hills are destined to find four keys and ascend the Crystal Tower. One of these keys lies at the bottom of a valley of fire, on a continent bordering the Low Seas.
Now that Reynn and Lann know for sure they must go there, they ask Faris for any help she can provide.
===Chapter 9: The Low Seas===
Faris introduces the twins to Quistis, who has traveled to Saronia to "donate" a ship to the thane. The thane's monstrous turn is enough to convince Quistis to donate the ship to Reynn and Lann instead.
Reynn and Lann hop aboard their new fastcraft and set off downriver toward the Low Seas. At first, the miles meander by pleasantly, but as the current picks up and the far-off roar of water draws closer, they realize they are in trouble.
Over the towering waterfall they go, as their boat plummets for what feels like a terrifying eternity.
Reynn, Lann, and Tama find themselves washed up on a rocky shore, their boat beyond hope of repair. They soggily set out in search of some other mode of transportation.
The twins find a small turtle being picked on by some mean Mirages, and rush to the rescue.
After driving off its tormentors, they release the turtle back into the sea. Moments later, a gargantuan adamantoise rises from the briny depths. It seems the little turtle had a big friend...
To thank Reynn and Lann for rescuing his kin, the adamantoise offers to ferry them across the Low Seas. The twins graciously accept his offer, climb onto his shell, and begin their search for Babil.
The twins were minding their own business when all of a sudden a young woman burst out of the ocean and clambered aboard the adamantoise. She tells them that her name is Rikku, and she's a treasure hunter.
Rikku takes a breather from what has been a long swim, and joins the group on their journey to Babil.
===Chapter 10: Too Warm a Welcome===
The adamantoise safely deposits Reynn and Lann on Babil's Rainbow Shore, and he and Rikku bid the duo farewell.
Reynn and Lann need information on this valley of fire they're looking for, and so they head off in search of a town.
Beyond the Rainbow Shore lies a rocky, precipitous, and altogether hostile ravine. Keeping an eye out for dangerous Mirages, the twins travel through this stony scar, hoping to find a town on the other side.
Waiting for them in the ravine is not one, but two great big hungry dragons. Taken by surprise, it looks like they are about to become lunch.
Just in the nick of time, a young woman wielding the power of a Champion leaps to their rescue. Her name is Tifa.
After she leaves, Reynn and Lann travel north to the town of Nibelheim.
===Chapter 11: Crimson and Azure===
Reynn and Lann reunite with Tifa in Nibelheim. When she learns that the twins are the Jiants from the Hills spoken of in prophecy, and that they are looking for the keys, she offers to introduce them to a summoner who is researching the valleys where one of the keys may be hidden.
Tifa introduces Reynn and Lann to the summoner Rydia. The twins are startled to learn that there are, in fact, two prophecies: the original Azure Prophecy written by the First Summoner, and a newer, Crimson Prophecy that she believes is poisoning the minds of Grymoire's people.
Rydia has been researching these prophecies, and Reynn and Lann couldn't have come at a better time. She agrees to guide the twins to the valley of fire where they can find this key, Valley Seven.
The party arrives at Valley Seven, a violent maelstrom of orange flame. The air is choking, dense with the sweltering heat, but Lann and Reynn remain undeterred. They continue deeper into the valley, searching for the key of prophecy.
A wall of fire blocks the party’s path. Rydia lets out a shriek of terror and dashes off. Surprised by this strange and sudden outburst, Reynn and Lann set off in pursuit.
The twins catch up to Rydia just in time to save her from some Mirages. Rydia confesses that she has a paralyzing fear of flame, but Reynn and Lann, ever their silly selves, manage to cheer her up and calm her down.
The twins insist she not push herself, and so she agrees to return to Nibelheim once her work here is done.
Cloaked in the light of a Champion, Rydia extinguishes the blazing wall that has been blocking their path. Her strength spent, Rydia retreats to Nibelheim.
Meanwhile, the twins head deeper into the valley, searching for the key.
In the heart of Valley Seven, the twins find the glowing key. But as they reach out to claim it, a king bomb bursts onto the scene, swallowing their prize whole!
The twins battle with the king bomb and emerge victorious. But there is no time to celebrate their victory; a massive Mirage appears out of nowhere, bringing with it a massive tidal wave. Unable to fight the relentless pull of the water, the twins find themselves washed away to parts unknown...
Above them, a lone figure quietly watches all of this unfold. In the figure's hands lies the unconscious form of Rydia.
===Chapter 12: Ribbit Jiggle Panic===
Reynn and Lann again find themselves all washed up—this time, on the shores of a vast swamp. First things first, they decide to take a look around and try to get their bearings.
The twins don't have to travel far before they encounter a strange toad.
But the toad is no toad at all. It's a person: the victim of a toad-curse, it seems. In order to thwart this wartification, they must find and capture a golden toad, and force it to undo the curse.
Reynn and Lann have never turned down an amphibian in need before, and they don't plan on starting now.
Lann captures the lucky toad, and with it the twins revert Snow back to his human form.
Snow was originally on his way to lay down the hurt on a Mirage living here in the swamp. The twins agree to help "butt-kick the Big Jiggle," and off they go into the muck.
The party manages to find its target. A giant, gelatinous, quivering ball of golden flan rises out of the swamp, and the battle is met in earnest. After a good number of thumps and thwacks, the flan decides it's had enough. The party has won...for today, anyway.
Snow guides the twins through the swamp, freezing them a path over the wetter places. Once they reach relatively drier ground, Snow says his good-byes and races off.
===Chapter 13: Castle in the Desert===
Soon the wetlands give way to desert: a vast, vast expanse of it that stretches far out over the horizon. Taking Tama's sage advice, Reynn and Lann stop by a nearby caravan to "take the-five."
The twins meet a kind merchant who gives them some sunblock to help them beat the heat.
Reynn and Lann plan their next move, and decide to continue in search for keys or any Mirages that might be around for the taking. They learn, in fact, that there are Mirages making their home close by, in the gritty recesses of the Phantom Sands.
Reynn and Lann are attacked by monstrous sand worms. After somehow managing to fend them off, they think that they're safe...just as another sand worm bursts out of the ground.
The hapless pair are frozen in surprise as the deadly adversary hurtles toward them. Luckily, Lightning leaps to their aid; aglow with the noble light of a Champion, she strikes the sand worm down.
Grateful to be rescued, Reynn and Lann accompany Lightning to a refuge deeper in the Phantom Sands.
As they rest, Reynn and Lann regale Lightning with the story of their journey thus far. A passing merchant overhears them and joins the conversation. She knows a lost passage of the prophecy, which holds clues to the location of the keys...
"The Key of Earth: in the cradle of mako's light still lies; the Key of Tides: to the temple in the deep it fell; the Key of Shadows: in the land of naught but night it dwells."
Where the four keys gather, the way to the Crystal Tower will open. Atop the tower live the Heralds in a mighty castle...or so the prophecy says.
With a promising lead to their mother's location in hand, the twins nod off to a peaceful slumber.
The next morning, they are roused by a thunderous roar as a gigantic castle, bound by a great chain and anchor, rises from the sands.
The drinks they had last night were spiced with more than cinnamon, and the twins find themselves barely able to stand. A woman appears in plumed armor and casts some sort of spell on the two.
When the twins try to fight back, an unbearable pain lances through their arms, and they lose consciousness.
===Chapter 14: Lost Powers===
Reynn and Lann wake to a quiet, grey darkness. They are in some sort of ruins. Although both of them appear to be unharmed, the pain in their arms has not abated. Grimacing, they take a look around.
A ragged man crouches dejectedly in the corner of the room. He tells them that they have been taken to a prison, and that all who try to escape are hunted down by deadly, sentient machines.
Unable to summon Mirages, and cut off from Tama, Reynn and Lann are in deep trouble. Their only hope of escape is to somehow avoid the mechanical guardians while searching for a way out.
However, they are soon caught red-handed by patrolling Magitek armor. Without Mirages, their chances of fighting it off are paper thin...
Suddenly, a figure leaps out of the darkness, finishing off the Magitek armor in the twinkling of an eye. The young man turns and introduces himself to the twins. His name is Squall.
Squall gives the twins an eldbox, an item that allows them to capture machines the same way as Mirages. Adding the Magitek armor to their collection, Reynn and Lann follow Squall deeper into the underground prison.
Squall explains he is on a mission to dislodge the anchor chaining Figaro Castle to the Federation. If they can activate Mako Reactor 0, which lies somewhere in this underground facility, it might provide just enough horsepower to yank them free of the chain.
There is one little hiccup, though: the surrounding area is crawling with Mirages. Figaro's king, Edgar, feigned allegiance to the Federation to sneak Reynn and Lann into the prison to deal with exactly this problem.
The party finds itself cornered by another Magitek armor patrol. Squall shouts at Reynn and Lann to go on without him while he keeps the enemy at bay; up ahead they will find another agent who can remove the suppressors that have been keeping the twins' powers bottled up.
Although they don't want to leave Squall alone to face so many foes, they realize that without Mirages they will only get in his way. The two flee the scene, hoping that Squall makes it through safely.
===Chapter 15: The Mako Reactor and the Black Mages===
At the entrance to Mako Reactor 0, Reynn and Lann meet a woman they think is the other agent. But the moment she catches sight of them, she lunges at them, weapon in hand. Unable to match her skill in battle, the twins have no choice but to try to summon their Mirages. The pain is paralyzing, and yet the suppressors hold... Their attacker, Shelke, uses some kind of strange power just as the two pass out.
When Reynn and Lann open their eyes, the first thing they see is a joyous little ball of fur. It's Tama! The twins' Mirage Keeper powers have returned.
Tama explains that Shelke used her Countertek ability to remove the suppressors. The twins are ready to return the favor, so they and Shelke head deeper into the ruins in search of the reactor. Once they get it up and running, Figaro will finally have its freedom.
The party locates Mako Reactor 0, but ranks upon ranks of strange Mirages stand guard around it.
Reynn and Lann fight their way past the legion of foes. To their surprise, one of the Mirages they fight speaks to them and introduces himself as Vivi.
It turns out Vivi is quite the friendly sort, and he convinces the other Mirages to stop fighting and start fixing. With their help, Mako Reactor 0 is back up and running in no time.
As the mako energies begin to stir beneath the sands, Edgar stands ready. He gives the order and his desert fortress charges forward. It strains, it shudders, it pulls against the chain. It trembles, it creaks, and then with a deafening crack, it snaps!
With Figaro free at last, Reynn and Lann are ready to move on. As a surprise bonus, Vivi produces the Key of Earth from beneath his robes. Better yet, Edgar tells the twins where to look for the next key. On the other side of Big Bridge is a continent perpetually covered in darkness. Could this be the "land of naught but night" where the Key of Shadows lies?
Reynn and Lann bid the desert adieu, and journey west toward Big Bridge.
===Chapter 16: Clash on Big Bridge===
Reynn and Lann arrive at the foot of Big Bridge and meet its caretaker, the summoner Eiko.
Eiko explains that the bridge is actually an enormous Mirage, and if they want to cross, she's going to have to wake it up. Reynn and Lann get into position. The moment Eiko rouses the sleepy titan, the twins' platform rockets upwards at breakneck speed.
After the terrified Reynn, Lann, and Tama zoom out of sight, Eiko turns to face another guest: the Plumed Knight...
Completely unaware of the peril Eiko faces below, Reynn and Lann come to a halt short of their destination. They will have to trudge the rest of the way on foot.
While climbing up Big Bridge, Reynn and Lann meet Bartz and his chocobo pal, Boko.
Some kind of bizzaro highwayman has been waylaying travelers on Big Bridge, howling Bartz's name as he attacks travelers. Bartz is here to find and put a stop to this troublemaker.
"The more the merrier," says Bartz, and decides to continue the climb with Reynn and Lann.
The end of Big Bridge is in sight, but a man descends from the sky to block the party's path.
This strange man is named Gilgamesh, and he’s the nuisance who has been blurting out Bartz’s name. A hundred years he has (allegedly) awaited this day, and charges our heroes intent to do battle.
However, the party manages to send the sore loser packing. In the end, they have no idea who he was or what he wanted, but there's not much else to do but shrug and move on.
Reynn and Lann part ways with Bartz at the end of Big Bridge, and head off into the land of naught but night in search of a town.
===Chapter 17: Naught but Nightmares===
Reynn and Lann stroll across the moonlit land, eventually spotting the train. They make their way toward it.
But this locomotive seems...different...from their usual ride. Reynn approaches gingerly, but despite a heart-stopping scare from the ever-energetic Cactuar Conductor, they realize they are on the right train after all.
The train chugs its way across the darkened land and drops Reynn and Lann off within sight of some kind of dimly lit town. Hopefully, its residents can provide some clues as to where the next key might be.
Reynn and Lann are alarmed to find the town deathly quiet, and hooked by another one of the Federation's anchors. They keep their eyes out for danger as they creep their way through the strangely empty streets.
After a short walk, they find someone: a woman, crouched and sobbing by the side of the road.
When Lann calls out to see what's wrong, she springs to her feet and wheels toward him, fangs bared. Soon, another fanged man leaps from the alley. Too surprised to react, Reynn and Lann are sitting ducks, but a young man wielding a buster sword and spiky hair nearly as sharp leaps to the rescue.
The twins follow their rescuer, Cloud, deeper into town.
Cloud recognizes Reynn and Lann as the Jiants from the Hills when they easily dispose of a group of Mirages. He leads them to an ancient building further into town.
Books upon books line what seem like endless ranks of shelves. As they take in the spectacle, the twins meet a woman, Celes, and a robot-like man (or is it manlike robot?) named Cid.
Cloud, Celes, and Cid recount the troubles that have befallen Tometown. First, the anchor appeared without warning; before long, vampires were running amok, and soon almost the entire town had turned.
There's only one way to save Tometown; they need to find and kill the vampire that started this whole mess. Reynn and Lann agree to head to the Train Graveyard to slay this “Prime,” while Cloud and the others do what they can to help the remaining townsfolk.
Cloud takes Reynn and Lann to the Train Graveyard. They head in alone, keeping their eyes out for the Prime.
Reynn and Lann find their path blocked by a phantom train, but they luck out and avoid an encounter this time.
However, the Prime swoops in while their guard is down and kidnaps Reynn.
Lann heads deeper into the Train Graveyard to rescue his sister and put an end to the Prime. He finds Reynn lying still on the cold ground. Lann rushes to her side, and is relieved to find her seemingly unharmed. But before they have time to relax, the Prime once again descends from the darkness and attacks.
No sooner have Reynn and Lann defeated the creature than it springs back to life with nary a scratch. To make matters worse, Reynn has been turned into a vampire!
Things are looking mighty bad for Lann when Cloud arrives in the nick of time and tosses Lann a wooden stake. Lann catches it in midair before plunging it into the heart of the charging Prime.
The vampire menace is over and Reynn returns to her usual, non-bloodsucking self. And what luck! They find the third key among the Prime's remains.
Although their work here is done, Reynn and Lann decide to head back to Tometown one last time to check in with Celes and Cid.
Cid tells the duo that the final key is likely on Besaid, the continent directly above them. Reynn and Lann head out, bidding their Tometown friends good-bye.
===Chapter 18: The Fell Spell and the Quacho Queen===
The sound of a distant train whistle greets the twins outside of town. It's coming from the north, so they decide to hup two and investigate.
Reynn and Lann discover a moonlit train station, but the tracks are cut, leading nowhere. The Cactuar Conductor pops out, and tells the twins that this train does indeed go to the continent above them. Confused as to how a trackless train goes anywhere, they nevertheless hop on board.
The train is cleared for liftoff, and lift off it does; straight up into the air, like a rocket! It plunges into the bottom of the ocean above them, and keeps on swim-chugging its way up.
Reynn and Lann splash out of the warm coastal waters of Besaid. Spotting a town nearby, they head on in to see what information they can gather about this underwater temple they're looking for.
Sadly, no one seems to know how to get to the temple in the deep. Reynn and Lann are just about ready to throw in the beach towel when they notice an odd little sign. "Pantologist Always Here to Assist," it reads. Well, it's a long shot, but they might as well check it out.
Stepping into this pantologist's shop, they are confronted with a rather unique sort of individual: the dazzling master of magic, Shantotto!
Shantotto casts one of her specialty curses over the unsuspecting duo. They're now able to breathe underwater, but the catch is that they can no longer breathe out of it!
Shantotto unceremoniously stuffs the gasping twins into barrels of water before handing them off to Tidus, with instructions to take them to the Sunken Temple.
Tidus guides the twins to the Sunken Temple without further incident. Somewhere within its watery halls waits the Quacho Queen; they'll need to find her and make her cough up a quacho ruby if they ever want to undo this curse. Searching for ruby and key, the twins head into the temple.
Reynn and Lann track down the Quacho Queen inside the temple. She seems friendly enough at first, but the second she catches sight of Lann she goes into a tizzy and attacks. The twins manage to deliver a suitable trouncing, and she flees, sobbing.
In her wake, she leaves a shining red jewel; the quacho ruby! Now, all they need to find is the key, and this tonberry seems to have it.
Further into the Sunken Temple the twins go, and they are treated to the sight of all-out quacho warfare. The quachos' opponent, a massive tonberry, sends the Quacho Queen flying before turning its deadly sights on Reynn and Lann.
The tonberry falls at last, and the twins get their hands on the final key. Trading the quacho ruby for the antidote, Reynn and Lann can finally breathe on land again. But as they walk out of the surf and onto the turf, they find a huffing and puffing Yuna.
Yuna’s been looking for them. According to her, both Rydia and Eiko disappeared shortly after meeting Reynn and Lann. She fears that someone is after the summoners...
And speak of the plumed devil, the Plumed Knight appears in a flurry of feathers and carries Yuna away! Tidus jets after her, as do the twins; but they are no match for Yuna’s feathered tormenter or Tidus’s speed, and they soon lose sight of both of them.
Suddenly, the four keys emit a bright, blinding flash, and stairs made of light appear leading into the heavens.
===Chapter 19: The Other Nine Wood Hills===
Reynn and Lann stare in wonder at the shining stairs, when a hooded woman appears from out of nowhere. The woman tells them that if they climb these stairs, they will find the Crystal Tower...and their mother, Lusse Farna. Then, without another word, she disappears.
Lann is gung ho and ready to get climbing, but Reynn is worried about this strange woman's motives. Still, they don't really have any better options, so it's up they go.
At the top of the stairs, Reynn and Lann find a town that looks almost exactly like Nine Wood Hills...
Reynn and Lann glance about at the strange, ruined buildings as they walk to the foot of the Crystal Tower. When they arrive, they find a young woman riding a suit of Magitek armor—Terra—blocking their path.
Something seems wrong with Terra, but the twins don't have time to puzzle it out, for she attacks! They manage to knock the wild-eyed Terra out, and Reynn wonders who she is and why she attacked them. Chances are that if she wakes up, she'll just attack them again, so the twins leave her and enter the tower.
After Reynn and Lann have left, the Knight in the Golden Mask appears out of thin air. He stares in the direction the twins vanished, a slow smirk spreading across his face...
The stairs inside the Crystal Tower seem to go on forever. Reynn and Lann look up, sigh, and start trudging their way upward.
On their way up the tower, Reynn and Lann find a sealed door. Successfully unlocked it, they continue onwards and upwards.
===Chapter 20: The Crimson Prophecy's End===
At the top of the Crystal Tower sits a man on a throne. Next to him lies a cage, a woman trapped inside. Reynn and Lann move to save her, but the man on the throne, Brandelis, will not let them have her without a fight.
As they triumph in their victory over Brandelis, the hooded woman once again appears before them. If they activate the Ultima Gate, she says, they should be able to destroy the cage.
Reynn remembers that the hooded woman is Hauyn, who they once knew and thought of almost as kin. Reynn places her trust in Hauyn, and with Lann they activate the Ultima Gate. The cage cracks and shatters, freeing the woman inside...
But what is this? The woman in the cage was Hauyn...? But how can there be two of them? Wheeling around, the twins see the hooded woman—the woman they thought was Hauyn—collapse into an empty heap of clothing. The beautiful room melts away, shifting to reveal an ugly, dirty place. The missing summoners, along with Terra, are bound around a warped hole carved out of the very stuff of reality. The Knight in the Golden Mask and the Plumed Knight are there as well, looking pleased.
From the darkness of that angry hole an evil-looking gate appears. Out of this gate pours Mirage after monstrous Mirage. They smash a hole in the tower, and fly out into Grymoire beyond.
Reynn and Lann are frozen in surprise and confusion by this series of inexplicable events, but they are soon galvanized into action by the timely entrance of Tidus, Squall, Lightning, and Cloud. The reinforcements free the bound summoners, snapping the twins out of their stunned reverie. Together, they flee the Crystal Tower on the getaway airship waiting outside.
Safe for now, Reynn, Lann, the Champions, and the unconscious Hauyn all head to the floating island, Balamb Garden.
Everyone gathers on Balamb Garden's deck to discuss what's happened, and what they're going to do about it.
Shelke arrives with a report that these Cogna that escaped from the Crystal Tower have invaded every town, city and village of the Federation. Non-Federation towns are still fighting these mysterious invaders off, so the League of S's course is clear; they will do everything in their power to aid any beleaguered bastions that remain.
While waiting for Hauyn to regain consciousness, Reynn and Lann decide to head to Nine Wood Hills to see if they can locate the absent Tama.
Back in Nine Wood Hills, the twins and Serafie rouse Tama from her zonked-out state and get her to explain just what in the world is going on.
According to Tama, the Mirages that burst forth from that extradimensional gate and are even now spreading ruin across the face of Grymoire are creatures called the Cogna. They have but one purpose: to destroy not just Grymoire, but every world there is.
If this news wasn't bad enough, all of this is, in a way, all their fault. Deceived by Brandelis and the other Exnine Knights into following the Crimson Prophecy, the twins were the ones that opened the Ultima Gate and brought the Cogna to Grymoire...
There's a big question plaguing the twins; how were they even able to open that gate and summon the Cogna in the first place? They need answers, and the only one likely to have them is Hauyn, the only link to their forgotten past...
Reynn and Lann find Hauyn on the deck of Balamb Garden, recovered from her wounds. They approach, hoping to find answers, but are met with nothing but a furious scowl. Hauyn is unable to forgive them for something they've done, whether they remember it or not. She tells them that the only things they are capable of bringing to this world are pain and chaos, then disappears into the sky on her familiar.
Quistis arrives on the deck, and asks the twins to lend their strength to the League of S in their fight against the Cogna threat.
===Chapter 21: Chaos in Grymoire===
With Serafie's help, Reynn and Lann are able to gather information on the Cogna threat to Grymoire. The short of it is that things on Grymoire look very grim indeed. The twins will need to be in multiple places at the same time if they want to have any hope of stopping the Cogna...
There’s no way that the twins can be everywhere at once, that's—wait a second, that IS possible! If they go to that girl's room they can access from Nine Wood Hills, they'll be able to help their allies all across the globe practically simultaneously! Reynn and Lann hurry to the Girl's chambers, hoping that they'll be able to do some good...
Using every advantage they can muster, Reynn and Lann manage to help fend off Cogna attacks on every corner of Grymoire.
When they return to their airship, they find a message waiting for them from Quistis; she's found where Brandelis and his lieutenants are hiding. She tells the twins to find their way to a nearby Federation town, and the cathedral at its center.
Inside the Federation cathedral, Reynn and Lann come face-to-face with a horrendous sight. Rows upon rows of people, their souls being ripped out of them...
Shelke tells the twins the truth behind the Federation's inhuman system. The souls of Architects who enter the cathedral are transformed into crystallized energy and transported to Brandelis's castle via the chains. The soulless bodies that remain are transformed into the Federation’s Mirages.
Learning that only a Jiant is able to pass through the chains leading to Bahamut's castle, Reynn and Lann pluck up their courage and declare that they will find Brandelis, and put an end to this once and for all.
Reynn and Lann successfully navigate the Chainroad. At its top they find the enemy stronghold—Castle Exnine—rising ominously above them.
High atop Castle Exnine, Reynn and Lann find Hauyn and Siren engaged in a stalemated deathmatch with the Plumed Knight. With the arrival of the Knight in the Golden Mask, however, Hauyn and Siren are overwhelmed. Wounded and beaten, they fall under the assault of the fearsome pair. Reynn and Lann leap to Hauyn’s aid...
The battle is long and arduous, but eventually the twins stand victorious. At the very moment of their triumph, the twins remember the crimes that they committed, and the true identity of the knights...
Everything is their fault. Reynn and Lann—they were the ones that summoned Brandelis to Grymoire. Their parents, Lusse and Rorrik, gave their lives trying to protect them. By the time Brandelis was finished with them, Lusse and Rorrik were gone—their bodies possessed by the spirits of otherworldly knights...
The Plumed Knight defeated, Lusse—Reynn and Lann's mother—regains control of her body. But the reunion does not last long. Brandelis arrives with a blast, and when the dust clears, Lusse and Hauyn are gone...
Blinded by rage, Reynn and Lann charge Brandelis, hitting him with everything they have. He shrugs off all of their attacks, unharmed despite their valiant efforts to fell him.
Left with no other options, Lann sacrifices himself to create a massive crystal cage. Inside, both he and Brandelis will remain trapped for all time...
With her parents dead and Lann gone, Reynn loses her very will to live. Hugging Tama close to her chest, she returns to Nine Wood Hills.
===Postscript: Turn Those Corners Up===
Reynn refuses to accept the cruel fate that has been visited upon her.
Just as everything seems to be at its darkest, a large, white fox Mirage appears before Reynn. "You will not accept this?" it asks. Reynn shouts back that no, she will not, for who could? The white Mirage nods solemnly...
In the blink of an eye, Reynn is back in the cathedral, an excited-looking Lann and Serafie-looking Serafie at her side.
When Reynn asks the two what happened to Tama, she is met with nothing but puzzlement. Reynn comes to the realization that Tama spent all of her many lives to rewind time, sacrificing herself to give them a second chance.
Lann insists on climbing the Chainroad, but Reynn refuses to budge. She has seen their fate; even if they defeat Brandelis, it will change nothing. Reynn asks Serafie to find Hauyn, and the twins set off for Balamb Garden.
Reynn will not let the chance Tama paid her lives for go to waste.
Reynn and Lann reunite with Hauyn. They tell her everything that they've remembered, and what they plan on doing about it.
Brandelis and his knights created the Crimson Prophecy to deceive the twins into restoring the Ultima Gate’s connection with another world. Manipulating the power of the captured summoners, Brandelis summoned the Cogna through the reopened gate and into Grymoire.
Now that the Cogna are here, simply destroying the gate or defeating Brandelis won't stop them. But Reynn has an idea; if they all work together, they can yet save Grymoire.
First, Reynn and Lann will use their power to once again open the Ultima Gate. But this time, it won't go from there to here, but from here to there. Once the gate is opened and reversed, the summoners will use their combined power to pull all of the Cogna out of Grymoire and send them back through the gate whence they came.
If this plan is to work, Reynn and Lann will need all the summoners' help—including Hauyn. Hauyn looks them squarely in the eye, weighing the strength of their resolve and the trueness of their repentance. After a long, long moment, she nods.
Reynn and Lann know that for their plan to stand any chance of success, they need to become not just strong enough to open and reverse the gate, but to fight Brandelis on an equal footing as well. They set out, intent on finding powerful Mirages and claiming their power for their own.
The time has finally come to set the plan into motion. Reynn and Lann reconfigure the Ultima Gate, while the summoners prepare the reverse summoning.
Meanwhile, Brandelis has noticed that something strange is happening. He moves to investigate, but is stopped by the combined strength of Cloud, Lightning, Squall, and Tidus. While he faces off against the four heroes, he orders his lieutenants to hurry to the Ultima Gate.
The two knights arrive, quickly grasping the gravity of the situation. They leap toward the helpless summoners, intent on stopping them, but Reynn and Lann stand in their path...
Reynn and Lann defeat the Knight in the Golden Armor, the Plumed Knight, and the Plumed Knight's final form. Although dying, Lusse and Rorrik ever so briefly return to their former selves. Watching their parents fade away before their very eyes, Reynn and Lann burst into tears. Lusse gazes happily at her children. "Smile," she tells them. Reynn and Lann do their best to wipe away their tears, and give their dying mother one last smile.
The summoners' ritual is still incomplete when a new threat steps leisurely into the room. Brandelis, the Bahumut King, has come. Knowing that this will truly be their last battle, Reynn and Lann step forward to face him.
Brandelis seems invincible. No matter how much damage they inflict, he merely shakes it off as if it were nothing. Desperate, Lann creates a crystal cage around their fearsome foe, but his power starts running wild. Reynn adds her strength to her brother's, stabilizing him, and together they manage to imprison the still struggling Brandelis. Moments later, the ritual is finally complete...
An enormous swirling mass of energy appears, creating an irresistible pull that sucks Cogna from every corner of Grymoire back into the Ultima Gate.
Brandelis's cage edges closer to the portal, until suddenly, with a great crash, he bursts from his crystalline prison. Reynn and Lann do not hesitate. They leap atop him, fighting booth tooth and nail to push him out of their world. He resists to the last, but the twins' valiant efforts finally prove his undoing.
Their victory does not come without a cost. Reynn and Lann are too close to the portal. There is no coming back. They fling their prismariums to Hauyn, entrusting the future of Grymoire to her. Smiling, they disappear into the swirling depths of the Ultima Gate.
The battle has been won, but Grymoire is still in turmoil. The Champions scatter, each heading to a different corner of the globe. They still have their work cut out for them.
Soon only Hauyn remains, gazing quietly at the spot where Reynn and Lann vanished...
As she turns to leave, she hears a small sound from behind her. Glancing back, she sees two small prismariums, gleaming in the warm light of the sun.
And so the story continues...
Story