Part 52: Spirited Away

Welcome back. Last time on Exit Fate, we defeated Trevor and Sick once and for all. Following that, we received a message that an Almengan envoy had come to the border for negotiations, who turned out to be Gudrun. She displayed a willingness to listen to our story before deciding which side was in the right, but before we could tell her anything, an unknown voice threatened us and transported us to... a strange place. Where are we, and how are we going to get back? It's time to find out.

Music: Spiritual Plane - Final Fantasy IX, "Wall Of The Sacred Beasts"



That voice... It sounded familiar somehow.
This place... Could it really be...?
You have some idea what happened?



The library is off-limits even to me, but I had to know what the secret behind those demon soldiers was. You must already know by now that those soldiers were created by having their minds possessed by spirits.



The spiritual plane... Do you know what exactly these spirits are?
That... I do not know. They might be the souls of the deceased, or they could be an entirely different kind of existence. This plane may be their home, or it may only be a border between our worlds. The records weren't clear about this.
Does this really matter right now? We should be worrying about how to get back.



I'm afraid not. I had no idea that it was possible in the first place.
If there was a way to bring us here, there must be a way back as well. Something or someone was responsible for taking us here, right? Our first priority should be to find whoever it was. Lady Gudrun, it would be in our best interest to work together trying to find a way back.



There are two paths from here. I will go one way, and you can take the other.
At least let me come with you, Gudrun. We don't know what to expect from this place.
All right. If that's what you want, we'll split up and go separate ways. If you find anything, come back here. We'll do the same.
Good luck, General.





Hmm. That may present a problem.

It seems we don't have much of a choice... There's no point in staying here. Let's see if we can find any clues on getting out of here...



And with that, control is returned to us. In addition to a save point, there's also a green crystal here.



The green crystal allows us to change our party. This makes absolutely no sense from a story perspective, but I think it's one of those things we're just going to have to roll with for gameplay purposes, seeing as how we have no way to leave. Tarlia has run off with Gudrun, so Gilbert will be taking her place for the time being.



Just to the south of the starting platform is another crystal, this one purple. I wonder what it does?




oh god what



So now we're upside-down. In addition to fucking with your head, this section also reverses your controls, so it's kind of a pain to navigate. Thankfully we won't be like this for long.



And I suppose this wouldn't be much of a spiritual plane if there weren't horrible tentacle monsters to deal with. By the way, you see that background? It's not too much of an issue in still images, but in the game it's moving, making it very difficult to see. Sadly I don't have the GIF wizardry to animate it.




Anyway, these Eye Stalkers have no regular attack, and instead will spend all of their turns casting Eye Beam to hit a column for minimal damage. We were already overleveled for the Trevor and Sick fight, and that's still the case here. Nothing in this area is going to be a threat.



As proof, I offer this results screen. Remember how we ended the Trevor and Sick fight with Reod at level 77 with 998 exp? Yeah. Gilbert, on the other hand, is earning about 300 exp per battle.



There's a treasure chest in this upside-down area which contains a copy of Aquabeam, the third-tier water attack spell.



We also run into an evil squirrel, known as Mara.




Maras have a fairly powerful regular attack, but it's nothing we can't handle.




If they want to be more annoying, they can also use Kinetic Blast, which stuns the target. But we're fast enough that Maras can't usually get off more than one attack before they die.





In any case, the winding pathway in this area leads to another purple crystal.

Elsewhere...




It's just... how I am. Even after more than thirty years, he still gives me hope. Did he really love that woman that much? Is Siegfried really willing to live alone until his death and end his lineage for her sake?




No, that's not what I meant. Gudrun... you were a member of the imperial guard at the castle at the time, weren't you? I know that Lady Sigrid did not appear in public for a long time before her death, but did you ever see her during that period?
... I guess it's only fair that I tell you what I know if you're going to be doing the same. The true reason Lady Sigrid did not go out during that time was because she was expecting a child.
But why the secrecy? That should've been cause for celebration, shouldn't it?



There were some... complications.
Complications?
You understand what happened, don't you? Lady Sigrid died giving birth.
What do you know about the child?




Is that... really true? Then where are they now? Why were they kept hidden?



Fade to black...



Oh good, no more upside-down shenanigans.




In this area we run into some Brain Leech recolors known as Poltergeists.




Their signature move is Brain Freeze, which deals minimal damage but inflicts Mindblow ( ). They also have a move called Suck Mind which inflicts Amnesia, but I literally never saw it hit here.



And much like their little brother Brain Leeches, their HP is pitifully low.





This area is made up of a maze-like set of pathways, but it's not too hard to navigate. There's a treasure chest hidden away containing a Sagely Robe, which grants +22 PDF and +18 MDF for 10 weight. This goes to Reod.



The path onwards is off in a corner.



Goddamn it.





Fortunately this area is much easier to traverse, as it's just a simple U.




There's a hidden path in the next area behind this... wall? arch? I don't know.





However, if we try to head forward in the area the crystal leads to, Daniel will warn us to turn back. And it's a good idea to do this, because the pathway here leads to one of the game's optional superbosses. We'll be coming back here when I get around to the post-game content.






If we head along the pathway we're supposed to be following, we come across a chest with Battle Plan #12, the plan for the war battle against Trevor and Sick.



And it's not too much further to the crystal that allows us to continue.

Elsewhere...




You know, I find it hilarious that Gudrun is saying this while standing on a structure that literally cannot exist in physical space. I mean, come on, look at those fucking pillars! Nothing in your life should be too surreal to be true after seeing this.

It is. I felt the same as you when I first heard it. But think about it, Gudrun. It explains so much, like why you were demoted in favor of Brunhild, even though she was just a stranger to us.
Brunhild... I could believe that she's one of his children... but him too? That means he is fighting against his own father.
And Siegfried is fighting against his own son.
But... how did things end up like this? How did Daniel end up in Kirgard?



They spent their entire childhood there, but after the last war, Brunhild came back to Vanaheim by herself. Why she returned and Daniel didn't is still a mystery to me. There's a lot of questions that I still have no answer to.
But that means... Siegfried has been planning something for the last thirty years.
And now Daniel is standing before him. That can't be a coincidence.



Fade to black...



Lovely.




In this area we come across the final enemy type of the Spiritual Plane and my favorite enemy name in the game: the Non-Euclidean Horror.




But like the other enemies here, their attacks are laughable and they go down quickly.



And after that, it's not long before we come across a save point.

Music: Darkness - Chrono Cross, "Dragon's Prayer"




Uh...







But you... You destroyed everything! Mere humans cannot defeat us. Here, in the world where I reign supreme, I will prove it!

BOSS FIGHT: Mephisto

Music: Boss Battle - Wild Arms 2, "Battle vs. Solid"



All right then. It's time for us to take on Trevor and Sick's former source of power.



That there is one damn fine coat you're wearin'. Reod steals it. The Checkered Robe is a powerful armor granting +25 PDF, +25 MDF, +10 STR, and +10 MAG for 20 weight.




Anyway, as the commandos' power source, Mephisto has access to all of the techniques they used against us. Annihilation Ray is still just as annoying as before.




And Proton Beam hits pretty damned hard, but we can take it.







The thing about Mephisto, though, is that he has very powerful attacks and an incredibly low stockpile of HP. It's actually significantly lower than what either of the commandos had individually, so even if you come here at the level you're "supposed" to, the battle will end before you're in any significant danger.

Music: Boss Battle Won - Chrono Cross, "Victory (A Cry In Summer)"



And that's that.

Music: Darkness - Chrono Cross, "Dragon's Prayer"



Fools! Did you really think you could defeat me on my own grounds? Even if you succeed, you will be trapped in this world forever! The other spirits will continue to assault you and wear you out until you become unable to resist. Every last drop of your lifeforce will be drained away!





I'm sorry... I've not read all that much about the spiritual plane. I don't know.
No way... I can't accept that. There has to be a way.
Perhaps we could find a friendly spirit willing to help us...
Hahaha, there are no such things as friendly spirits here! Or maybe you're willing to sell your souls like those two did in order to attain the power to leave? Even after seeing what it did to them? Yes, I can take you home again... but it will cost you! Ha ha ha!



Music: None



What did you say!?
Just... shut up. You're pathetic. You think you're so powerful? You're like a little child, running around without a clue what's going on around him.

Music: ??? - Xenogears, "The One Who Is Torn Apart"





W-What!? You... You're...
He's mine. You've had your chance, and you wasted it.






What... What is going on? There are two Daniels?
...



You're... the same as him?
The same? Don't compare me to that fool. I'm nothing like him.
Then who are you?



And we finally have a name to the face, so to speak, though most of you had probably figured this out by now. It's also at this point that I can finally call the currently playing music track by its actual name, which is "Hand".

You are one of the spirits as well...? Does that mean Daniel was also the result of the Summoning?
The Summoning? A primitive procedure that usually just calls lesser spirits that seek nothing but destruction. I have a greater purpose. That's why I responded to his call.
His call? You mean Daniel's?
I see you still don't understand... but it doesn't matter.




You think I might be lying, don't you? You think there must be some way to return without me. But are you really willing to take that risk?
... Then at least answer my questions. How come I never ended up insane like those two commandos?




Are you saying you've been a part of me since I was born?
He will explain it to you himself. He's been waiting a long time to tell you.
You mean the emperor?




Now, I've had enough of this. We're going back.

Music: None










I'm glad you're all right, sir! We were getting worried you'd fallen into a trap!
... Yeah, it looks like we've all made it back safely.




Tarlia already told me everything. That's all I came here for.
That's all? You mean, you're just going back as if nothing happened?
You know why.
You don't have to do this, Gudrun... It's useless.
I'm sorry, Tarlia. I'm not like you.



Is she really going to continue fighting a battle she knows she can't win?
She's not the kind of person she seems. There's someone back there that she wants to protect above all else...
I see... Hopefully she'll change her mind at a later point...



There's been no activity in the north at all, sir. Everything's been quiet. Oh, we did receive a letter for you. We didn't know where you were, so I have it with me.
A letter? Let me see.




An old friend? Who could that be?
Do you know anyone in Muspelheim?
I don't think so... Well, there's only one way to find out. Let's take a short break and head for Muspelheim first.



And control is returned to us. You'll notice there's now a purple crystal in the corner. In the future, we can use this to revisit the Spiritual Plane if we so desire.



One quick jaunt over to Muspelheim later...





Music: Banisher - Final Fantasy VII, "Turks' Theme"




Why're you staring at me like that, kid? You think I'm gonna get up and bite you?
So, you survived...
Of course I did! You thought I'd lose to a woman like that?



What about Brunhild?
That girl's really something else. If you really want to take her on, you'd better not take her lightly.
You're acting completely different from before. Why are you suddenly being so friendly to me?




I started to realize that my journey was useless. You two were going to keep doing your own thing, and there was nothing I could do to stop you. But... maybe I knew that all along.
You knew it all along?
Listen kid, when you've dedicated your whole life to a single purpose and one day you just wake up... You wake up and you realize that it was all for nothing... That one moment when everything crashes down on you... Well, sometimes it's easier to die than to change. I was like that too. Maybe the reason I kept going on was that turning back meant acknowledging that I'd been wasting my entire life. But damn it, I'm not going to let it kill me. I'll keep doing the one thing I've been doing for over forty years: I'm going to survive. I'll find something else, something new to live for.



Thank you, Clint.
No, thank you. You gave me hope... hope that even though I can't make a difference, maybe things'll turn out fine regardless.



Don't worry. I will.





Fade to black...



All right. We're almost ready. There's nothing holding us back from assaulting Vanaheim, and no reason for us to delay any longer... or is there? There's actually one other thing we can take care of first.



Music: Cento - Suikoden II, "Due Fiumi"



And it requires us to take Deus back to Cento Temple.



If you speak to Galius with Deus in the party at any point after the Hall of Memories, a scene will start. Though for some reason Galius seems to be stuck looking to the side. I'm not sure what's up with that.

Yes I have, thank you, but... There's something I would like to speak to you about.
Is there something you need to tell me?



In all my years here, no one ever asked me about my past, and I was very happy with that, but... the time has come to tell you.
Hmm, I see... In that case, please come with me. We'll find a quiet place to talk about it.



Fade to black...

Music: Sadness 2 - Suikoden V, "Despair and Hope"




You're suffering from your past decisions... and rightfully so. But the fact that you are suffering from it means that you've come to regret it. And that means you understand what you've done. People do not need to say the exact words to forgive someone. Sometimes they do not need words at all. Your old friend has stopped his quest for revenge, and he has even joined the same side as you.



Maybe so... But what about you? I've committed many sins, even after I joined the temple. Will you forgive me?
You are a good man, Deus. You let your insecurities get the better of you once, but you've proven that you've changed. It's you who must live with the choices you've made. I have no reason to make your life any more difficult than it already is.



I understand.
Then, I will not hold you up any longer. You should focus on your current duties.
Thank you for your time, Galius. I will not forget how much you've done for me.
Good luck on the rest of your journey.




This is the real reason we came here. The Topaz Amulet is the best class of amulet in the game, granting +8 to MP+, and unlike the other top-tier accessories, there's only a limited number of these available. We will definitely be making good use of this.

I... cannot express my gratitude with words.
Then show it by putting this to good use.
Y-Yes.



Fade to black...



Right then, there's no reason to wait any longer. It's time for our final trip to the meeting hall.

Music: Mission - Xenogears, "Leftovers from the Dreams of the Strong"



Remember, they've only been retreating up till now. We've yet to fight a decisive battle here in Almenga, so they're far from defeated yet. But don't let that discourage you. With our combined forces, we are more than a match for them. The final battle is almost at hand.
Yes, well...
What's wrong, Jovian?



All right, all right. We received this yesterday. It's for you, Daniel. It's an... invitation.




Music: None

...
The letter has the imperial seal on it. It must've come from the emperor himself.
He's inviting me to come to Vanaheim... alone?



That's ridiculous. Asking the enemy commander to come to the capital by himself? They can't be serious.
I don't know what they're thinking. Is it some kind of desperate plan? Are they really expecting you to accept this?
...
Daniel! You're not thinking of going, are you? We've almost won this war. If they want to answer your questions, let them do it after we've taken the capital.



But, I still want to think about the meaning of this invitation for a while. There might be a deeper motive behind it. We'll postpone this meeting until tomorrow. A single day isn't going to make a difference.
We shouldn't wait too long, Daniel. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can concentrate on rebuilding our country. But you're right. One day doesn't matter.
Then, please excuse me.

That night...

Music: Destiny - Xenogears, "Bonds of Sea and Fire"





I wanted to see how you were doing. I heard about the emperor's invitation.
Yes... I've been thinking about it.
And what is your conclusion?



That may be true at this stage... but why do you ask?
I feel like... I shouldn't be leading the Elysium army anymore. I should just resign and go my own way.
That's a rather extreme decision. What makes you think that way?




So if you had no responsibility towards the Elysium army, you would go?
Yes, I would.
I'm not saying you should or shouldn't go, I'm just interested in your motivations. Why not wait until after the war is over?



Do you think these fears are rational?
I don't know, Ljusalf. I just don't know.



Yes... you may be right. Thank you, Ljusalf.
Well, whatever you do, please think it through. I'm sure you'll make the right decision.



Some time later...

Music: None





And it's once again time for one of our nighttime strolls. Like the last time this happened, we need to find a character to speak to, but unlike last time we don't actually know who that character is. This segment can actually be a bit annoying, as the first guess for who we should "entrust" with our idea would probably be someone like Angel or Jovian, but in fact...



... the correct person is Eander.



Go ahead. What's on your mind?
I have a plan. It will require me to accept the invitation, but if it works, it'll all work out in our favor.
Why do you want to discuss this with me in private? Is this something you don't want everyone to know?
Jovian and the rest would never let me do it. You're professional and we don't have a personal connection, so I know I can trust you with this. I know you'll do what's necessary no matter the circumstances.
Well, tell me what your plan is then.

Fade to black...



I don't care. I've already made up my mind. I'm going to Vanaheim no matter what, and this way I can at least help you out at the same time.
But are you sure you can do this? After all, he's still...
It doesn't matter. I don't see him that way. Either way, it should make the battle a little easier for you all. It will save a lot of lives. Everyone will benefit from this. I know you understand.



That's why I chose you, Eander. I know you'll do what you have to do. You'll have full command over the army while I'm gone. Do you think you're up to the task?
Very well. If you'll be going no matter what, we might as well make the best of it. I don't like it, but it's your own choice. I will do what must be done.
I knew I could count on you, Eander.



Next time: We get some answers.