Demon Gate Prologue
Final Fantasy Tactics
By Icy Brian
"So, exactly why did you call us here?" Beowulf asked, leaning against the wall of Mustadio's workshop. Across the room, Meliadoul had picked up a small metal object and was eyeing it curiously.
"Yeah, I'd appreciate some sort of an explanation." She pressed a button on the side of the device and a flaming piece of metal shot out, smashing through the stone wall beside Beowulf, who quickly down out of the way. Startled by the crash, Mustadio jumped up from beneath the machine he was working on, his head banging on its underside. "Oops."
"Be careful with that." Mustadio grimaced, rubbing the bruise on his head. He took the object from Meliadoul's hands and placed it back on the shelf. "I haven't perfected it yet."
"No harm done." Beowulf said, brushing himself off.
"Speak for yourself." Mustadio groaned, his eyes on the hole in the wall. "Now I've got to patch this up. Hand me that sheet of plywood." Meliadoul picked up one of the large sheets which was stacked against the wall and tossed it to him. Mustadio set it over the hole and rolled a workbench in front of it. "That'll hold it for the time being."
"Now, what is that thing?" Meliadoul inquired with a nod towards the piece of equipment Mustadio had been working on.
"Remember the dimensional gate that washed up which Cloud fell out of? Well, I made a few modifications to it, and voila!" He yanked the piece of terry cloth off of the object, revealing a large machine with flashing lights and numerous pieces moving about.
"Voila?" Meliadoul asked tentatively. "It looks exactly the same. What's the difference?"
"Excuse me for not vanitizing it. All the changes I made were on the inside."
"Ah. So, what's it do now?"
"Well, theoretically it can instantly send us from one place to another by dematerializing our genetic structure and then reforming it at the destination point." Mustadio grinned. "Pretty cool, huh?"
"Theoretically?" Beowulf asked. "So you don't know whether or not it works."
"Um, well, sort of. I mean, I've gotten it to work with apples and chairs and stuff like that, but I've never tested it with actual humans."
"Why don't I like where this is going?" Meliadoul whispered to Beowulf.
"So you want us to try going through it to see what happens." Beowulf said, moreso as a fact than a question.
"Well, yes, but just think! Out of all the people in Ivalice, I chose you! If this works, you'll be famous!"
"You'd think the war would have taken care of that." Meliadoul mumbled.
"I don't care for fame... but the experience, the adventure..." Beowulf's voice trailed off and he looked intentedly at the machine. After a few moments he looked back at Mustadio. "What are the odds that this thing'll actually work?"
"I'd say about eighty percent, give or take."
"Those are my kind of odds." Meliadoul smirked.
"And if it fails?" Mustadio hesitated to answer Beowulf's question, but spoke after a few moments.
"You could end up on some uncharted island... or your body could be ripped to shreds." The room remained silent for a number of seconds.
"I preferred the first choice..." Beowulf muttered.
"That's the more likely of the two. It's more likely that I screw up the destination point than anything else. There's only a very slight possibility that it tears you apart."
"You couldn't have thought of a better way to phrase that?" Meliadoul asked, a slightly sickened look on her face.
"Normally I would jump at the chance, but if something were to happen to me, what would you tell Reis? I love her too much, and couldn't put her in that situation. I'm sorry, Mustadio." Beowulf said solemnly. "If there's any other way I can help, just say the word and I'll do it."
"I understand. Meliadoul, what do you say?"
"Count me in. Just try not to blow me up."
"Sure thing. Actually, Beowulf, there is something you can do."
"You have but to name it." He responded.
"I need you to pull the switch. I'm going through." Beowulf looked a bit shocked.
"Are you sure that's wise? If something were to go awry, I wouldn't know what to do. I don't know a thing about machines."
"Well, to be honest, if something were to go wrong I'm not real sure what I'd be able to do about it either. If a problem should occur, my father should be able to help remedy it." Mustadio stepped onto the platform, and Meliadoul followed him on. "Ready?"
"As much as I'll ever be." Beowulf sighed. He grabbed onto the lever and pulled it down. The machine began to whir, and lights started to flash in an odd pattern. A bright blue light started to move up from the ground. It reached Mustadio's knees, but then started to recede.
"What the-" Mustadio looked at the now dormant machine. He jumped off the platform and hurried over to the controls. "What happened?"
"It just shut down." Beowulf replied. "Maybe there are some screws loose or something."
"But I double-checked everything! It should have worked."
"You probably just got some calculations wrong." Meliadoul spoke up. "Better that you find out now than after we're halfway to Igros."
"I suppose." Mustadio sighed. "It's just that I-" His voice stopped suddenly as a low howling sound became audible. "What's that noise?"
"I... I'm not sure." Meliadoul stammered. "But it's getting louder." A cold wind started to blow through the room, despite the lack of any external windows. It began to pick up speed, particularly around the platform where Meliadoul was still seated. She jumped back and watched as the wind swirled quickly above the platform. After a matter of seconds a red portal had taken shape.
"It's working!" Mustadio smiled and began to approach, but stopped short as he looked at the control panel beside Beowulf. "Meliadoul, get back!" He shouted. "Something's wrong!"
"What?" She shouted back. "I can't hear you!" She started to move towards him when the wind picked up substantially, beginning to pull her closer. She dropped to the ground, latching her arms around the base of a pillar. "Holy-"
"It isn't on!" Mustadio screamed. "I didn't create this!" Meliadoul cried out as the pillar crumbled and she was pulled into the gate.
"Meliadoul!" Beowulf shouted. He looked back at Mustadio. "You have to do something!"
"This isn't my doing! I don't know what I can do! Unless..." He looked curiously at the void. "Wish me luck!"
"Huh? What are you-" Beowulf never finished, as Mustadio had jumped up directly into the portal, vanishing from sight. "Mustadio!" He looked down at the control panel, and then back at the gate. "I can't believe I'm doing this... Eeeaagh!" Beowulf ran towards the portal and launched himself into it. After he had disappeared the wind slowly dropped its intensity, slowing to a halt and closing the gate behind them.