Final Fantasy IX

Part 45

Summon magic?

Yeah, it's called the Eidolon Wall!

We need to grab Dagger anyway to check out the wall so might as well do it ahead of time. Seems like something she'd be interested in since they have to do with her immense power that Brahne's currently using to destroy the world and all.

Eiko's decision to show the Eidolon Wall to outsiders upset him. But we moogles love Eiko. He'll understand, in time.

Why does the wall need protection?

The Eidolon Wall has been protected by Eiko's summoner tribe for generations.

Is that true?

Way ahead of ya there.

This particular screen gets its own music. It's a sacred place, after all.

These eidolons all exist?

Kupo.

Lady Eiko comes here everyday to pray and burn incense for her ancestors.

I...

You'll get it back.

......

...Okay.

They attempted to become one with nature through their summon magic research. The tribe migrated to this location 500 years ago. But now...

Early summoners were scientists in a way, communing with eidolons to better understand nature and the nature of the planet. Yet something has happened to wipe them out. Why? Did they suddenly anger an eidolon? Was there a more powerful force that felt threatened or that desired their power?

And more importantly when will dinner be ready I've been starving all day over here!

Pale... White hair... Strange clothes...

Zidane look for man named Kuja. I called Quina.

...Oh! You chased Mog on the Conde Petie Mountain Path! I'm Eiko!

Smell good.

The heat too low.

You can cook?

Is my destiny to pursue way of gourmand!

Quina is a professional chef and has quite the extensive palate. S/he may be weird, but who better to help us pull off this meal?

Hrm... I know how many people live in this village. Is Zidane's group, the moogles, and me make 11 people. Is good amount.

Was not possible to make enough for everyone.

I teach you very important lesson in cooking.

Maybe more people show up. Maybe your guests very hungry.

This doesn't work so well when you're cooking for one and you end up with a large amount of leftovers and you get sick of the damn meal after the fourth day of having them.

This your only ingredient for stew?

Mocha went to dig up some rock-fisted potatoes.

Is problem now with heat. How we get more heat? Hmm...

I know black mage. I ask him make fire.

Some important cooking advice from Quina. Always prepare more than you expect to need, and always have a black mage handy to cook higher quantities.

We moogles also help Eiko protect the wall. Don't mess it up!

Where are all the other people of her tribe?

...I can't tell you.

At last, dinner is ready.

Kupopopo!

What's his name...? Quina? S/he helped me.

S/he helped you without eating all the food? Amazing.

Vivi, too!

Hehehe.

-----

Wow, this stew tastes amazing! You should start a restaurant. The fish is just right.

Are they hiding underground or something?

Underground? Yeah.

What...?

I've been living with moogles ever since my grandpa died last year.

I'm sorry...

Ten years ago, which is four years before I was born...

But my mom and dad fell in love and had a family. Not that I remember what they look like, because they died when I was very young.

I see...

Eiko is the last of the tribe of summoners, which means as far as we know she and Dagger are the only people left who naturally can summon eidolons. Pretty weird how a tribe of people who commune with nature end up succumbing to a natural disaster, though.

Huh?

uhhhhhhhhhhh

How did you know!? Darn it!

(How does Eiko know about that play? This place is far from the Mist Continent.)

-----

Thanks, Eiko!

That was really good!

See? Don't you wanna eat my food everyday?

Maybe. Hey, there's some other stuff I wanna ask you.

Maybe!?

Before we do so, let's check in with Dagger.

I think this one is Lord Avon's 'Wishing Upon a Star.' Can you believe this? This is a first edition! I've only ever seen one at the castle library! Why does she own books that are more than 500 years old...?

It is pretty odd that so many of these books still exist in good condition after that many centuries. Perhaps this was some sort of library before the disaster?

Anyway, let's get the dirty work over with.

Those two are going nowhere fast. Well, this is good news for me!

Thanks, Zidane. Could you leave it there?

What about the Iifa Tree?

We want to go there.

It's sealed with an eidolon. You can't get in.

Sealed? Did you seal it, Eiko?

Well...

It's our custom to seal a failed eidolon where we summon it.

An eidolon you failed to summon...?

We get control again, so we talk again.

Wh-What!? No way!

It's not like we're gonna do anything bad... Well, I'm sure we can handle it on our own.

No way! Are you crazy!?

Welp, no luck on that front.

Off to the side we can get another coffee we need to get some dumb trinket or whatever.

Zidane, I make great discovery! These fish different from Mist Continent fish!

And this will occupy Quina's time for awhile longer.

It's been a long day of dialogue and more dialogue. Let's sleep so we can get even more dialogue.

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CAVERN WIND ECHO-TYPE NOISES

Vivi...

I tried to stop worrying about things, but I just can't. I know you told me not to think too much, but...

That's because we're different, Vivi.

I want to stop... I don't wanna feel like this anymore. What if I keep feeling like this?

Vivi...

Either you do or you don't.

It's not fair...but that's the way things are. The choice is yours.

Zidane...

I just wanna protect the people I'm with. Doesn't matter whether I can or not. It's what I believe in.

Zidane is the man for me! He's right. You either do, or you don't.

There's something that seems to hold Eiko back from simply joining Zidane and company outright. She clearly wants human company again, yet she's hesitant until hearing Zidane's daily Vivi pep-talk to follow what she wants. Maybe she's afraid to leave Madain Sari for some reason.