Final Fantasy: Memory of Heroes

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Final Fantasy: Memory of Heroes is a book consisting of three short stories written by Umemura Takashi, each a retelling of one of the three first Final Fantasy games. It was released in Japan on October 31, 2012.^[1]. It will be released in English on March 24, 2020.^[2]

The four Warriors of Light from the original Final Fantasy game are named in the novelization:

Zest, the Warrior
Sauber, the Thief
Floe, the White Mage
Daewoo, the Black Mage

Story

Final Fantasy

The four Warriors of Light awaken in a field not knowing who they are, where they're from and what they're doing there. Each bears a crystal shard, and they know they can rely on each other. The group decides to head for the nearest human habitation, which turns out to be the city of Cornelia, where they are identified as the Warriors of Light and take on the task to defeat the rogue knight Garland and save Princess Sarah.

After doing so the four are advised to head where the earth is dying. They eventually take control of a ship and reach Melmond. They defeat the Vampire, and discover that more must be done to heal the land. They find Lich by the Earth Crystal who is defeated and the Earth Crystal regains its light. It tells the Warriors that they must bring back the light of the three other crystals as well.

The next destination is Crescent Lake, where the Warriors of Light receive advice from the Circle of Sages. They head to Mount Gulg, take down Marilith, and return the light of the Fire Crystal. Discouraged by the task ahead, they nevertheless unearth an ancient airship with a stone found by the Fire Crystal, and on their way north encounter a huge dragon in the skies.

The dragon presents them a task: to bring proof of their courage from the Citadel of Trials in exchange for more strength to complete their journey. The Warriors succeed, and emboldened by their success, reach Onrac. The city at first offers them nothing, but a strange girl asks if they are going to save the mermaids. After some hesitation, the Warriors agree to follow her, and the girl guides them to a huge barrel they can use to travel to the temple where the Water Crystal lies, the oxyale needed to breathe underwater, and instructions to save the crystal so that the mermaids may live.

Despite their doubts the Warriors soon discover that mermaids do in fact live in the temple, and that in its deepest parts lives Kraken, guarding the crystal. The Warriors head on, chop Kraken to pieces and return the light of the Water Crystal.

Onwards on their journey, the Warriors end up in the town of Lufenia whose people used to rule the skies where the Wind Crystal lies. The Lufenians guide them to the Mirage Tower that was used in ancient times to reach the Flying Fortress they used to live in. The Warriors climb the tower and encounter its guardian robots who have been waiting for a challenger for Tiamat ever since the Lufenians left the fortress.

The robots show the Warriors recorded events of the day the fortress was evacuated by Cid, and activate the teleporter so they can head for the fortress themselves. The Warriors use it, and soon encounter Tiamat. The many-headed dragon is not an easy opponent but it eventually goes down, and the Wind Crystal regains its light. Instead of telling them that their job is done, the crystal urges the Warriors of Light to vanquish darkness from the world.

Stumped, the Warriors exit the fortress and end up at Crescent Lake whose sages guide them to the Chaos Shrine where they find a portal that takes them through time to the shrine 2,000 years in the past. The past world is bright and almost hurts their eyes. At the entrance, the Warriors find the four Chaoses they defeated. Both sides are confused, with the Chaoses accusing the Warriors of Light of having come to destroy the era of light, while the Warriors accuse the Chaoses of plotting to destroy the world.

Garland enters and reveals himself to be the mastermind behind everything, and absorbs the four Chaoses, becoming monster-shaped himself. His powers are unimaginable, and the Warriors are soon defeated. Zest, the warrior, refuses to lose. He rises up and calls for power. The crystal shards respond to his call and form a multi-elemental sword of light, and he defeats Chaos with it.

The Warriors slumber in the light. Before losing consciousness, Zest wishes the four of them the best in their new adventures together.