Long ago, the War of the Magi reduced the world to a scorched wasteland,
and magic simply ceased to exist.
1000 years have passed...
Iron, gunpowder, and steam engines have been rediscovered,
and high technology reigns.
But there are some who would enslave the world
by reviving the dread destructive force known as "magic."
Could it be that those in power are on the verge
of repeating a senseless and deadly mistake?

A long time ago, a war broke out between the Espers ( creatures with magical power ) and humans. The war ended when the Espers shut themselves away from the human world. Due to this seperation, magic ceased to exist. Only the Mage Warriors retained their magic power, but chose to hide it from others.

1000 years passed. A man named Gestahl decided to revive the ultimate force of magic. Using technology, he captured a number of Espers and drained their magic, creating a new technology called Magitek. Magitek armors give normal soldiers magical power. Using this Magitek, Gestahl was able to start a powerful empire. His empire soon conquered all other towns on its continent and is on the verge of taking over the world.

A group of people decided to rebel against the empire. Naming themselves the Returners, they aimed to bring together the remaining military forces to fight the empire, namely Figaro kingdom's and Narshe's. To convince the neutral town Narshe, one of their members Arvis is stationed there to speak with the town. Shortly after, the empire launched an attack on Narshe, sending Terra Branford to bring back an Esper found in Narshe mines. An accident occured and Arvis found Terra lying unconscious in the mines with a slave crown on her head, which the Emperor used to control her. It turns out that Terra has a natural ability to use magic, and therefore the Emperor had to keep her under control.

Arvis freed Terra from the control of the slave crown, and told Locke Cole, a Returner, to bring Terra back to the Returner's hideout. If Terra is willing to help them, her magic will be their sole retaliation against Magitek. Terra became their 'ray of hope' in defeating the evil empire.

As the Returners battled against the empire, the situation got worse. Kefka, who served Emperor Gestahl, decided to take matters to his own hands. Disobeying the Emperor, he carried out his plan to destroy the world. Terra, along with Locke, Edgar Roni Figaro, Sabin Rene Figaro, Celes Chere, Setzer Gabbianni, Cyan Garamonde, Gau, Mog, Relm Arrowny, Strago Magus, Shadow, Gogo and Umaro, must defeat this ultimate evil in order to save the world.....