Final Fantasy 19: Prelude: Leaving the Abbey

Location: White Abbey
Party members: Badger, Ultimecia
Opponents: None
Items: Elixir, Elixir, Megalixir
BGM: Final Fantasy I Town Theme

As most of you probably already know, Ultimecia is a powerful Sorceress from the distant future who is attempting to compress all of time and space so that she may recreate the world for the purpose of eliminating anti-Sorceress prejudice. Oddly enough, the goal of destroying assassins, the space/time continuum, and Final Fantasy X-2 appeals to Badger greatly, and he eagerly pledges his assistance to the Sorceress. Ultimecia is dubious at first, but impressed by his fighting skills and somewhat flattered by his persistence, she finally grants him a portion of her Sorceress Power and declares him her Sorceress Knight.

The fighting and magical pyrotechnics has drawn the attention of the other White Mages of the Abbey, of course, and - being much less violent than Badger - they have gone to fetch the Mother Superior: Abbess White Mage. (Yes, she's a White Mage named White Mage. Got a problem with that?) Abbess White Mage is quite distressed at the destruction wrought in the flower gardens, but when Ultimecia explains the state of the future to her, she is outright appalled. Badger's bend for violence is repugnant to White Mage, but Ultimecia's cause is just, which causes White Mage to suffer a long internal monologue that ends with her kicking Badger in the shin. (8-Bit Theater readers may enjoy this more than others.)

Inner conflict resolved through precision violence, White Mage endorses Badger's temporary departure from the White Abbey for the purpose of saving the world. Cool.

Preparation: Eh, nothing needs to be changed for now. To recap, Badger should be level 2 and possess only the Cure spell. Ultimecia should be level 5 and possess Curaja, Thundaja, and Slowga.

You now have free rein to explore the White Abbey before leaving to embark on your adventure of equality and salvation (read: lots of blowing crap up). Keep in mind that you may always return to the White Abbey and talk to any of the White Mage acolytes to receive free healing. Also be sure to check every clock in the Abbey, as each and every one contains an Elixir. For that matter, be sure to check every clock you encounter throughout the entire game, as every clock you ever see (for obscure reasons probably only clear to FFVI fans) will have an Elixir secreted inside. In fact, check the bell tower to cue a short scene involving precisely this phenomenon that results in you obtaining an extremely valuable Megalixir.

Leave the White Abbey and you will find yourself on the world map. Destination: Cornelia.