[FF] The Temple of Heart

[SuperMIC]

HI GUYS! This is where my "Temple of Heart" story sections will be located. ...I reserve the right to double post... *shot by MoD* oh well, hopefully you enjoy!

[SuperMIC]

Have music This will fit better than The Big Black.

Note: If you are too lazy to read, a summary can be found near the bottom of this post.

As you touch down on the ground, you are in awe of what looms before you. A massive temple, seemingly not very old and still in use, seems to hover over you, not quite threatening to swallow you in, but a fearsome presence nonetheless. You can smell the slight must of old buildings and churches. What can you hear? Nothing. You then realize there is a holographic pendulum swinging through the entire building. You can barely make it out from this distance, but you can see it is there. The grassy, jungle-like ground feels soft underneath your worn brown shoes, and you waste no time in sprinting over to the short steps of the temple.

As you run, you begin to think. Didn't you just save the mayor's kid? Wasn't this way supposed to take you... I don't know, back up to the surface? Maybe you are at the surface... or... are you? And what about what that talking bush promised? You still have no idea about who you are. Nonetheless, you must have been brought here for a reason. You are a firm believer that things don't happen by chance. A silvery glow washes over you as you enter the temple. You are astonished.

"Welcome," echoes the voice of a female child. It was the voice that had been talking to you the entire time.

It's just way too much to take in at once. The beauty of the whole thing was just... impressive. Golden wires streaked the walls of the entrance, the impressive tiling around the floor... dear God, this was a work of art. As your gaze continues upward, the large pendulum you saw earlier was still there, its faint outline completely passing through two wooden rods. There looked to be some sort of "magical" screw fixated in the centres of the rods. These planks of wood were protruding from the ceiling.

Speaking about the ceiling, it was fully bricked up, allowing for very little light. In fact, the lighting in the room was only provided by the golden wires, which were located at the entrance and exits. But... that didn't provide enough light. What was enabling you to at least see with some quality this remarkable room? Your gaze is still fixated upwards.

As you once more ponder the light problem, your gaze levels, and you are provided with your answer. The Silver Star, which you captured from that... thing a few moments earlier glistened in the dank temple. It twirled, almost dancing, on the spot, shedding a graceful sheen that flickered and danced about the room. It hovered above a light, cobble-stoned brick that was on the same vertical axis you were on. There was another stone without a star on it slightly past the star. Then, there was the centerpiece of the temple. Two more bricks followed the axis, both vacant. You wondered why.

You could've stared forever into the rotating divinity, until you recalled it. The voice. Breaking contact with the star, you are hesitant about where to look next.

"Who... who are you?" you call out.

The echoes of your voice reverberate throughout the room.

"Isn't the more poignant question, 'Who am I?'" the voice teases.

"Alright then," you admit. "Who am I?"

You are taken aback as an apparition of a little girl no more than ten years old materializes before you, just about seven or eight feet away. You start to take a few steps backwards until the ghost raises her hands towards her head, palms facing you, gesturing that she means no harm. "Don't be frightened, I am not one of evil."

"How do I know that?" you shakily reply.

The girl walks over towards the twirling Silver Star, her ghostly dress' hem bouncing about her knee-level. It is only at this point that you realize she is translucent; about half of the light from the Silver Star manages to pass through her effortlessly. She stops in front of the star.

"My name is Rhenia, and I built this temple with my father. For centuries, my spirit has guarded this temple along with the treasures within it. Are you familiar with the Legend of the Four Gods?"

Instantly, pictures of two male and female gods flash through your mind. Are... are these memories?

"Yes," you reply hesitantly, not fully understanding everything that was happening. This was not the first time today that you felt like this, however.

Looking downwards, you think harder about this Legend of the Four Gods, and suddenly everything connects.

"Wait a second... is this the fabled Temple of Heart? The resting place of the Shine? I thought this place didn't exist."

The girl turns around, smiles, and replies, "Yes. Although not many people believe in the legend anymore. So much time has passed since the gods created Tassalia, and man has created such a deep and rich history. In my sleep, I am able to watch over the world, soaring through the skies like a bird."

She sighs as if she is in deep rumination, but abruptly turns around to face the Silver Star again.

"I was like you, once. An actual living person. I had the power of a free mind and body to live in happiness with my parents," she says.

She still appears to be lost in thought.

"But when I asked the gods to stay, unknowingly, I condemned myself to this fate. I cannot ever pass on to the afterlife; I will never be able to see my mother and father again. My children, and their children, and theirs after them are already dead, and I cannot join them."

Her tone rapidly changed from one of wistful happiness to that of bitter resentment during her monologue, but quickly she regained composure.

"However, as some avatar of destiny, I find that my predicament can sometimes be seen as a privilege. For example, I get to meet you."

She turns around, and says, "You probably wonder where on Tassalia we are... but the answer is that we are no longer on Tassalia."

You furrow your brow in confusion. It was probably better not to speak for a while, and just to listen. You are still slightly confused.

"The divine power of the Shine was so great that it distorted the land which my father and I built it upon. The Temple of Heart literally did indeed vanish from time itself. We are on a plane of existence halfway in between the mortal world and the realm of the gods themselves. The Shine desperately wishes to reunite with its creators; it is my job to make sure it remains here. It is close enough to the heavens to be appeased, yet also close enough to Tassalia to act as its guardian."

"But," you start to ask, "where is the Shine? I don't see it."

"That's because it was destroyed."

"What?"

The ghost of Rhenia begins to levitate and float around the room. No longer facing you, she gazes upward at the holographic pendulum swinging from side to side.

"I failed the people of Tassalia, and I failed my gods."

Rhenia's shoulders droop and her head hangs as she hovers in mid-air.

"A few days ago, an evil entity who identified itself as Janus entered the Temple realm looking for the Shine. The Shine is still a physical object; it can be harnessed to grant massive amounts of divine power. With it, one can ascend to a level of godhood equivalent to that of the Four Creators. Janus and I fought. Sensing danger, the Shine granted me a portion of its power to fight back. But it was not enough."

Rhenia lands on the floor of the temple once more. Your attention is completely hers.

"Janus was getting away with the Shine. In my desperation, I shot a beam of energy at him as he ran away. It did not connect with him, however, but the Shine. Do you recall the legend?"

You nod.

"The Shine was created from four blessed stars handpicked by the gods from the cosmos, and once again, the Shine became four pieces once again. Janus escaped with all four stars in his possession, however, individually they have a fraction of the divine power that the Shine possesses. The only way to repair the Shine is to bring it here, and he dared not return. A creature of chaos, however, Janus imparted the stars to evil forces lurking in our universe. Without the Shine to protect it, Tassalia fell prey to these beasts. And here we both are."

Rhenia walks over to you.

"You are here for a reason. Although it is not time for you to know, you have the power to intervene with divine fate itself. You are the only one capable of defeating the evil that plagues this land and reforging the Shine, and your presence here confirms that you are here for reasons bigger than both of our lives combined. The life of this planet depends on you to save it. Will you accept this task?"

Not knowing what to say, you stare blankly at Rhenia.

"Good," she concludes, and vanishes without a trace.

---

Summary

The Shine, the guardian object of Tassaria created by the gods, has been shattered into four silver stars by the evil being Janus. Rhenia, the builder and protector of the Temple of Heart where the Shine was kept failed to keep the Shine safe. Now, Janus has given the four silver stars to four different monsters. You have already destroyed one; now only three remain.

---

Progress Saved.

You will now begin future missions directly at the Temple of Heart. The next stop: Ninnyapolis.

[SuperMIC]

"Are you ready to leave?" asks Rhenia.

"Yes, Ninnyapolis is my next stop, right?"

"Correct."

"Then I shall be on my way."

"Hang on one second."

You turn around and Rhenia is there once more.

"The town of Ninnyapolis, usually a summer paradise, has been completely buried in snow. I fear this is the work of the master of the cold dark, Neitiri. You must remember the symbol of Faith as you tread through this next area. Be observant: look for the sign anywhere. It may be pivotal to your success. I shall not keep you any longer. The Silver Star of Wisdom resides in the town of Ninnyapolis, bring it here. Tread lightly, and have the faith to walk on clouds."

And with that, you are on your way.

[SuperMIC]

Have music

The Legend of the Four Gods

A long, long time ago, the universe that we live in today was nothing but a bleak desert, devoid of matter, life, sound, and even light.

It is unknown how long it rested in this state; decades, centuries, perhaps even eons would pass before the occurrence of the fateful events that created the universe that we know today.

Four gods descended upon the purgatory that was Tassaria, and with great craftsmanship they forged our galaxy from their own life essences.

Gudrun the Faithful swung his mighty staff and created the earth and land, so that all may be surefooted.

Enakhra the Wise poured her knowledge into her work and created the sky, along with the cosmos and the gleaming stars that shone at night.

Dante the Truthful swung his sword to create the valleys and mountains and dug vast holes for the oceans to fill, for truth can be found in the beauty of nature.

Minora the Loving took sacred clay, and with her grace and skill created all life that exists today.

The four gods, their work complete, were about to depart for the heavens, when one young girl tugged on Minora's arm.

"Please," she begged, "won't you stay for longer? Our world shall surely crumble to nothing if you leave us."

The gods could not stay, for they could not survive indefinitely on the mortal plane, however they created one more thing.

Each god plucked a silver shining star out of the sky, which they used to forge a divine object, the Shine, and gave it to the little girl. It would protect the realm of Tassaria from the evils that threatened to consume it.

With that, the gods shot into the sky, never to be seen again. The girl took the Shine to her father, and together they built a temple which housed it.

Since then, the Shine has become the guardian of the planet and the source of Tassaria's flourishment.

And, The Temple of Heart, where the Shine resides, has long since vanished from time.