FF3 Storyline Summary
As the Empire grows, a resistance group forms, calling itself the Returners.
Their members slowly grow in numbers, and a group of them eventually sets
out to confront Gestahl and the Empire. Along the way, they find more
companions, and discover that Espers are still around - and can give their
magical powers to humans. Finally, the group reaches Vector, capital of
the Empire, and finds that Espers are being experimented on in a laboratory
there. Then Kefka, one of Gestahl's generals, arrives and sees the
transformation of Espers into Magicite as they sacrifice themselves and
give their powers to the group. The group is forced to run from Vector;
they decide to look for the Sealed Gate to the Esper world and seek help
from the Espers that remain there. However, when they get there and
manage to open the gate, the Espers that fly out head straight for Vector,
and the gate closes again and is blocked off by a rockslide. The group
returns to Vector to find it demolished by the Espers; Gestahl admits that
he was in the wrong to seek power and says he will stop his war. Kefka,
meanwhile, is (supposedly) sitting and stewing in a cell for his crimes,
including poisoning the people of Doma Castle. The group then heads again
for the Sealed Gate along with Gestahl, so he can convince the Espers that
he wants peace. However, it turns out that Gestahl had no intention of
asking for peace; instead, he and Kefka find their way onto the Floating
Continent, where the three "Statues" - three powerful mages from the War of
the Magi who ended that war by drawing all magic into themselves and
turning themselves into stone - are located. Realizing Gestahl's plan, the
group goes after him in an airship. They find Gestahl and Kefka at the
Statues; as Kefka gloats over their newfound power, Gestahl realizes that
Kefka may have more on his mind than just being a part of Gestahl's Empire.
Gestahl tries to talk Kefka out of whatever he's about to do, and then tries
to kill him, but Kefka is already too powerful; he kills Gestahl instead.
Then he moves the Statues out of their precise alignment, an action
guaranteed to cause serious damage to the world. The group runs for their
airship, making it out just in time. But then the magical imbalance begins
to take its toll, and the face of the world is changed forever...
For the next year, people slowly begin recovering from the destruction,
although nature does not. Then the group slowly reassembles itself and
goes after Kefka, who, for all practical purposes, is now the source of
magic. They finally defeat him... but with the fall of Kefka, magic ceases
to exist.