FINAL FANTASY By Kawa Thanks to KP9000 1 EXTERIOR SMALL CITY We start with a slow fade from black as the camera pans over a small city, then dips down to show LEO THE THIEF crouching on a flat rooftop somewhere. He's dressed in noticeably lower quality clothes than the people below, with a blue bandana on his head. After a beat, he jumps down and enters a store from behind, emerging from a connected alley shortly after. An ALARM sounds as LEO runs through the streets of the city, his backpack overflowing with goods, while being chased by a trio of CHOCO-COPS, law enforcers riding the recognizable yellow birds, both rider and mount wearing light armor. LEO (smirks) They've no hope. Those chocobos can't follow me when I reach the narrows. LEO runs into an alley leading into a series of relatively narrow streets that don't look like a chocobo could fit in. The CHOCO-COPS stop near the alley and curse at their quarry as LEO reaches the edge of town, where a lone chocobo stands waiting. 2 EXTERIOR DESERT OPENING CREDITS roll as we see LEO riding through a rocky landscape towards a lone, hidden cave. 3 EXTERIOR CAVE ENTRANCE He dismounts in front of it and walks over... 4 INTERIOR OUTCAST CAVE ...to reveal a GROUP OF OUTCASTS huddled in the cave, a single WHITE MAGE, ELAYNE, providing basic medical care. She looks like she could use a good rest but can't get it, and is dressed in functional but somewhat dirtied white. One of the outcasts is OLD MAN DUNCAN, who is apparently the man in charge. LEO walks over to a CHEST in the back of the room and empties his backpack in it. LEO Okay people, here's some more food. I just hope it's enough. DUNCAN So do I, Leo. Did you get any trouble? 5 EXTERIOR DESERT Cut to the CHOCO-COPS trying to follow the tracks left by LEO's chocobo. LEO (voice over) No sir. They couldn't even get close. DUNCAN (voice over) I still don't like the idea that we're forced to get by... 6 INTERIOR OUTCAST CAVE Cut back to the cave. DUNCAN is bent over the chest and inspecting the food. DUNCAN ...on stolen goods. I never did quite understand why we've been cast away like this. ELAYNE It's because we couldn't find proper jobs, isn't it? They hardly gave us a chance! I mean, look at me! I could be a professional healer, but no one would accept me, just because I'm not "properly certified" or something stupid like that! OLD WOMAN I accept you. ELAYNE No offense ma'am, but that's hardly any help to me now. 7 EXTERIOR DESERT We cut back to the COPS once more. They have a definite trail to follow now, and the SUITABLY DRAMATIC MUSIC supports this. One of them whips out a pair of binoculars, looks roughly in the right direction and find the cave. He gestures towards his partner, who in turn takes an OLD WALKIE-TALKIE from the bag around his chocobo's neck. He tries to use it, but apparently the batteries are dead. The DRAMATIC MUSIC dips into a short COMICAL INTERLUDE as we close on the walkie-talkie and the cop removes the battery cover. A small, COLORLESS CRYSTAL drops out and onto the dusty floor with a dull PING. The cop then reaches into the bag again and takes out a GLOWY GREEN CRYSTAL, places this in the battery compartment of his walkie-talkie and replaces the cover. He tries again, but we cannot hear his words over the music. COP (inaudible) Target has been located. They're in a cave a few kilometers away from town, due east. COP (suddenly audible, music cuts out) Send the troops. 8 EXTERIOR CAVE ENTRANCE As he puts back the walkie-talkie, we cut back to the cave entrance, where LEO is standing guard, one hand at his forehead. Hold on his worried expression as he spots the CHOCO-COP and notices the earlier one with the walkie-talkie. LEO Oh boy. This can't be good. 9 INTERIOR OUTCAST CAVE We track along with LEO as he rushes to warn DUNCAN and the others. LEO (adlibbing as others react) Prepare yourself! They're coming! Several OUTCASTS pull guns and knives as LEO passes. One of them, the somewhat older than average DOMA reaches for his quarterstaff and, hitting one end on the floor, presses a hidden button on the shaft to reveal a set of sharp blades on the other end. DOMA Let's get 'em, men! 10 INTERCUTTING BETWEEN CAVE, ENTRANCE AND DESERT They all pour out to the ENTRANCE as the remaining outcasts move deeper into the caves, and defiantly stand ready as a small squadron of OFFICERS moves in. 11 EXTERIOR A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE CAVE Among them walks a single BLACK MAGE, ZACK, wearing a buttoned-up dark blue longcoat. For the viewers' benefit, he conjures up a small FIREBALL in one hand and tosses it to the other, where it dissipates. OFFICER There's the sorry bunch. Are you ready, men? ALL BUT ZACK YES SIR! OFFICER (raising his rifle) Then let's do this! 12 EXTERIOR TRACKING ZACK lobs a single FIREBALL right over the attacking OFFICERS and in front of the defending OUTCASTS, both as a warning shot and to entice them to disperse. The OUTCASTS stand their ground, however, and push back against the OFFICERS. Having much better equipment, the OFFICERS seem to win at first glance. ZACK breaks the ranks and sneaks around, weaving his way to the CAVE ENTRANCE. LEO (spotting ZACK) Hey! Get back here, Longcoat! LEO kicks away the officer he was fighting and chases after ZACK, who quickly reaches the hiding women, children and older men. 13 INTERIOR OUTCAST CAVE Hold on ZACK for a beat as he looks over the huddled masses. He then reaches out with an open hand, around which an ELECTRIC CURRENT starts to play in a threatening manner. OLD WOMAN Please... don't... Before ZACK can BOLT the masses, LEO catches up with him and throws him to the floor, the BOLT harmlessly dissipating into the floor. ZACK Get off me, you reject! LEO (defiantly) No way, Longcoat. I'm gonna make sure you get a nice good look at these people. So LOOK AT THEM! ZACK (beat) What am I supposed to see? Cos all I see are social rejects. LEO What tells you they are? ZACK What do you mean? LEO (forcefully, pushing down on ZACK's arm) What about them tells you they are rejects? ZACK (pained) LOOK AT THEM! They look like crap! LEO Oh? Looks? Is that it, Longcoat? Just because they look a little scruffy makes you think they're rejects? ZACK No socially accepted person would dress like that, fella. Same goes to you! LEO Riiiiight... And why do you suppose we dress like this in the first place? ZACK Because you're out- LEO (cutting off ZACK with an arm twist) No circular reasoning, Longcoat! ZACK My NAME is ZACK, jackass! LEO Leo, pleasure to meet ya. Now listen up, Zacky-boy. We're here because none of us could get employed. We're here because we couldn't pay the rent. We're here because hobos are taken care of in ways I'd rather not think about! ZACK So, you're a hobo? Cos I can totally imagine that being the case. LEO (pointing at ELAYNE) Shut up. See that lady over there? That's Elayne. She hasn't been here that long, but since she didn't have... Elayne, how'd you say it happen? ELAYNE (crouching in front of ZACK) I'm a healer. I studied the White Arts like a good girl, got my diploma 'n all, but when push came to shove no clinic would have me because apparently a diploma alone doesn't cut it. So I was out of a job and soon enough out of money. ELAYNE gestures to LEO, who loosens his hold on ZACK in response. ELAYNE (through her teeth) That's how I got here, Zzzzack. Through no fault of my own. And that's exactly how most of these people got here. The old ones too. They couldn't get a room in one of the old people's homes for whatever reason and the children wouldn't take care of them. LEO This is what you're fighting against, Zacky-boy. Innocent people who have done nothing wrong, who didn't deserve this fate. These are the people you were prepared to fry to a crisp if I hadn't noticed you sneaking in. So tell me. Are you proud? ZACK (after a long beat) Not as much anymore. Now that I hear all this, assuming it's true, I'm having some serious doubts about my... employers. ELAYNE How many, Zack? ZACK What? ELAYNE How many did you kill, Zack? How many innocent people have died by your black hand? ZACK (staring at his very much Caucasian hand) I guess whatever I answer, you're gonna say that's so many "too much", so if Scruffy would be so kind as to find another seat, I'll go see if I can make up for my past acts. How's that? LEO (standing up) Sounds good enough to me. As soon as LEO releases him, ZACK gets up and runs back to the ENTRANCE, unbuttoning his coat. 14 EXTERIOR CAVE ENTRANCE All this time, the fight has been continuing, with the OUTCASTS valiantly holding their ground. Just as ZACK gets outside, he sees how DOMA gets stabbed in the back by the LEAD OFFICER and falls to the ground. In seconds, ZACK's sense of honor dislodges and he FIREBALLS the OFFICER in the face. As the OFFICER runs away with his head on fire, ZACK kneels besides the dying DOMA. DOMA (straining) You... aren't you with them? Finish it. ZACK (solemn) I just defected, sir. But I'll honor your request. 15 CLOSE ON ZACK'S HANDS ZACK clasps his hands and closes his eyes as SUITABLY DRAMATIC MUSIC starts to play, and he RECITES the words to cast DEATH, to end DOMA's suffering. As he chants, a strange sort of BLACK LIGHT builds up around his hands, shining through the cracks between his fingers. ZACK (reciting) By Lakshmi's light and Odin's strife Let me be the one to put An end to this man's life. As he finishes the spell, he puts one hand on DOMA's forehead. The BLACK LIGHT engulfs DOMA for a moment as DOMA'S EYES open wide and with a single, soft gasp, he dies right there. After a solemn beat, he picks up DOMA's STAFF, hands it to LEO. He then BOLTS a random OFFICER, who survives, but it does get people's attention. The OFFICERS notice that their mage has defected and their leader is dead, and run away. ZACK So... what now? LEO Now? Now we honor the fallen, help the wounded, and celebrate the rest. DUNCAN That's right. What more can we do, eh? LEO (handing the STAFF over to DUNCAN) Find this thing a worthy new owner? ZACK Find another place to live? I mean, they know you're here now and even with me around, you can't stand up against the city's forces forever! DUNCAN (handwaving) That's something we'll discuss -after- the celebration. Now come, we have much to discuss.