Part 14

Chapter 14





We're done in the Underworld. Time to go back to the surface!




Ah, fresh air!



Once again, it's up to Luca to take charge.



Eh, I don't think it really matters what direction you come from, considering it's an airship with a massive drill attached. I think you're going to stand out regardless.



As the gang flies over Troia...



A black chocobo!



Indeed, there's a black chocobo flying around.



One of the neat things about these different tales is that sometimes, they'll have a slight overlap. For instance, this part is actually from Palom's chapter. Yep, Palom rides a black chocobo. Sorry for the spoilers.



No...it did look like a girl, though.



Yes, Luca has a crush on Palom. I didn't mention it because, well, yeah.

On the bright side, it's not nearly as bad as it could get. I mean, there's some stupid involved in this Luca/Palom thing, but it doesn't get too uncomfortable, and to some it may actually be more cute than weird.

Of course, this develops into one of the weirdest love triangles I've ever seen, but we'll get to that much later.





Besides, we've got more important things to worry about now. Like the dolls coming back to life.




Screenshots don't do justice to just how fluidly and creepily they move. But then, I'm a lazy man, so they'll have to suffice.



Oh, thank goodness! I'm so glad that you're not hurt!




Oh.



Stop it! Both of you!



They're not stopping...



Their behavior circuits must have gone haywire!



You know where this is going.

Luca, we can't keep this up!



What!?
Okay? Just let me deal with them.

Yeah, we're fighting Calca and Brina, except this time it's more depressing than frustrating.




Dammit, Calca! Why couldn't Jive have been this effective before?



I like how they actually made it so Rydia can't do anything. This is Luca's battle.



They've essentially got their same abilities as before.



But also their low HP, as they each go down quickly.




I mean, you've got to feel sorry for those dolls. Controlled by Golbez, trashed by M.G., and then their circuitry gets fried and they're forced down by their master.

All they ever wanted was some love.



Luca's crying because her toys are broken.

It's kind of a weird position. They are dolls, and neither game ever suggests they're anything more. Even with Luca's upgrades, they're nothing more than robots. They don't have souls, they don't communicate, and all they really do is dance around and stab things.

Yet the characters still treats them like people. Rydia mourns their loss just as much as Luca. And it's understandable to the player. They're not just dolls, they're friends, even family to Luca. Remember that Luca pretty much only has her dad, and she never really got to go on the cool adventures her other friends did.

This game does a lot of things wrong, but again, you'd be surprised with how many good aspects this game has as well.





Oh yeah, they're under attack or something.



2D sprite-based game + interlacing + lots of movement = horrible screenshots. This is why it took me three attempts to do this game.









Luca? Luca!




Luca...



...



Do you think we can fix it?
...




"I'm Cid the airship man; that's what they call me! Just let me at that thing! I'll get 'er back up in a jiffy!"



You should hear her impersonation of Edward.

But it's also the return of Cheerleader Rydia. Now that Luca, who's been leading this expedition, is down, it's now Rydia who's cheering her up. Rydia's no leader, but she excels as moral support when it's most needed.





See? There you go!

At any rate, it works, and Luca's ready to charge on.



All right, let's go!



We've crash-landed at Agart, so we're pretty limited on where we can go. Though there is a cave where there wasn't before...





But first, let's visit the old town, shall we?



There goes the one thing worth visiting Agart for.



This town has the best NPCs.



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Hey, something useful!

Too bad I forget to change to Waning Moon during the dungeon. I'll tackle most of the dungeon during Full Moon.



At the end of every tale, there's Namingway. When you finish a tale, talk to him and he'll transport you to that character's Challenge Dungeon, each of which contains tough monsters, great loot, and gimmicks galore.



We're set on weapons, but Rydia could use some equipment upgrades. Not that I think anything in the next dungeon casts Silence, but resistance is great for a Black Mage.



Cid originating from Agart explains a lot, really. Cid's built like a dwarf, he sustains punishment like a dwarf, and his stats are similar to Luca's. Cid really possesses a lot of dwarf-like features, so Cid being descended from dwarves is something that you wouldn't really think about, but makes perfect sense once someone else tells you about it.



Next time, we check out our final dungeon, which is yet another god damn cave.