Part 69

Let's sort out what we found in the castle.



There were 4 mirrors on the mural. The writing on the mirrors was in the language only I can read.








Meaning, there is a connection between these 4 seals...







We're not going together like we always do?
No. I'm going to drop off two of us in each location.

We've got our plan. The goal is to place all four mirrors simultaneously using four parties of two.



What? Why...?
It's called 'ladies first,' Zidane! And we girls have things to talk about!
Uh-huh. Is that okay with you, Dagger?
Sure, but... Where are we going first?
Well... The nearest location would be...



Oh, you were listening to us?
I've been a sailor for a long time! I'm confident in my sense of direction. 'My power is protected underwater, surrounded by the earth.' The location must have something to do with water; why not go there first?
Alright... Thanks for your help.
Please don't hesitate to ask me if you forget your destination! And please remember to equip yourselves properly while we are onboard!





Alright, Erin! Let's go!
Yes, sir! Now departing!



The party we choose right now is largely irrelevant.



Though I do go back and have Quina learn Doom, thus finally completing their Blue Magic list. Too bad Doom is even more useless than usual due to its terrible 25% accuracy.

There's a bit of new dialogue from some of our party members.

I wonder what Terra's like...

I wonder if Terra is as big as Gaia...

Zidane! Is time I show my stuff! I learn more as I eat more! We on airship. Maybe we go eat food from all around world!

That last one is a hint, saying "Hey, you might want to have Quina start eating some enemies and learn some Blue Magic. Just saying!"



Hey, relax.
S-Sorry. I'm not very good at explaining things...



The last option goes over the stuff we just saw at the beginning of the update. The top option is handy for finding our next destination.





It's in this bay south of Ipsen's Castle. Dagger and Eiko will be heading there.

Key thing to note, we aren't actually going to play as any of these groups other than Zidane's, so it's irrelevant whether the rest of the party members have equipment or not.

SILENCE



You're the one who suggested we split up.
What? Don't you trust me and Dagger?
It's not that I don't trust you...



You better get going. We need to take all points simultaneously.
You're right...
Where are you going next, and who are you going to drop off?



Alright, now, get going! Don't make us ladies wait!
I'll be back to get you guys soon!





I hope they brought plenty of ethers since their main offense is going to be expensive summon magic...





Our next location is this giant volcano in the northeastern part of the Lost Continent.



Just a little closer!
Zidane! The heat is going to kill the engine if we get any closer!
Okay... When we get closer to the volcano, you two head for the shrine's entrance.



Oh, sorry. Did you wanna go with Eiko?
......





Pairing up Steiner and Quina seems like a bad idea... I think I'll ask Vivi to babysit Steiner.





You know, there's a Wind Shrine in FF5, and it's where you face the first boss and get your first jobs. Otherwise, shrines are actually pretty common in this series.



It's the wind shrine, so it's protected by strong gusts... Be careful not to get blown away!
There is no need to worry! Master Vivi, just follow me.
O-Okay...



Really?



You're okay because you're wearing armor.







But I'm with Quina. I should worry more about myself.



Quina's development is pretty damn important for this next part. The more Blue Magic, the better, since there's quite a few spells that make it significantly easier.



Also since we're fighting in the Earth Shrine, Gaia Gear or at the very least Auto-Float are valuable to have.





There's this area on the Outer Continent that's constantly shaking, and it's where Zidane and Quina are headed.

Gonna shut up for this next part because it's pretty sweet. Enjoy!







Ah, Zidane. You want go with me!
Well... I sort of got stuck with the leftovers...
You no have to explain! I so happy.
Huh?
There old saying in my tribe...



...Let's hope we find good things in this cave.
Is probably full of good food!



Yeah...



What wrong?
Did the ground just shake...?









It's too quiet...
They probably got scared of us and ran away!
I hope so...
Aaargh!



Wh-What are you talking about?
Oh, nothing. I just have a lot of things on my mind...
......







We almost flat like pancake!
I hope there aren't too many more of those.







It's a trap! Be careful...



Let's go, Eiko!







I'll place the mirror right here...



!?





......
Now, I'll place the mirror here...











He not good person! Why you work for him?



Guardians of Terra...?





What is Terra?
We did not become guardians to chat with mortals... We derive pleasure from ending your worthless lives...



So you understand. But will that knowledge help you?
Foolish.
What?
Picking fights with strangers in a place like this...



He refused to find beneficial ways to use his power. Instead, he'd seek out people to fight...
Amarant...













You...!
He's too fast! I can't target him with my magic. We can't take him on with just the two of us...



But...
We can defeat this monster if we work together!





What!?
...Master Vivi, I shall attempt to hold him down. You attack him with your magic while I hold him down!
But...what if I miss the target...?









Sorry, it's just the two of us. Did you have a feast prepared?
You no worry! We eat everything.
Ah, so you're attempting to conquer all 4 shrines at once... How futile.
We'll see about that!
Must try eating before we give up!
What will you lower life-forms do on Terra?
We won't know until we get there!











This is the Earth Guardian, boss of the Earth Shrine. It seems there originally going to be four such bosses, one for each shrine, but the other three ended up cut I'm guessing since most players probably won't level all eight characters equally.





The Earth Guardian has -aga spells and powerful physical attacks. Auto-Reflect is handy, but all my stones are tied up in various other abilities.



Only two steals for this guy. The Avenger is a set of claws that have a 15% chance of inflicting instant death and teach Amarant Demi Shock, which deals damage equal to Max HP/5. Doesn't work on bosses, of course.



Quina is key to this fight, as there are several ways to tackle Earth Guardian. His MP pool isn't huge, so you could Magic Hammer it away. He's also weak to Wind, so Twister isn't bad. He only has slightly over 20k HP, so two Limit Gloves and attacks from Zidane can do the trick though is kinda unnecessary. Frog Drop may be useful at this point if you caught a lot of frogs. Defensively, Vanish and White Wind are passable, while Auto-Life might save your ass with only two characters available.



More importantly, he's vulnerable to some key status effects, such as Sleep. Thus if you give Quina and Zidane Insomniac, you could lock Earth Guardian down pretty easily.



But that's not all! Earth Guardian is also vulnerable to Darkness, Slow, and Mini, all of which can be inflicted by Bad Breath.



The Rubber Suit is a women-only equip that nullifies Thunder damage and teaches Esuna and Eye 4 Eye, which doubles the chances of Counter triggering (which, again, is a percentage chance based on the character's spirit). Kind of a dumb ability since you're wasting 13 stones to counter physical attacks reliably at a point where physicals aren't really an issue, especially for bosses.



Of course, the Earth Guardian can also use earth attacks. Gaia Gear is great since it absorbs that.



I've got what I wanted, so Thievery and Twister away until...



uhhhhhh

okay.



I wonder if everyone okay?
Yeah, I'm pretty sure they're waiting for us by now.
Right! We go back to airship now.

-----



Zidane is unbelievable... Asking us ladies to fight a monster like that...



What's wrong, Eiko?
Oh, I completely forgot! And we're all alone, too!
Wh-What is it?
There's a question I need to ask you! I've been waiting a chance to ask you for the longest time! Give me an honest answer, okay?
Well, you have to ask the question before I can answer...





You have to answer me! Do you love him or not?



The camera centers on Dagger as she's about to answer...





Did you just say something, Dagger?





Again, Shakespeare and anime as fuck.

-----

ENGINE NOISES





So we'll go to Shimmering Island, then to Terra?
Yeah. It's near Esto Gaza. It won't take long.
......





You know, that is a good question. Why does Zidane do the things he do? Sure, you could say it's for Dagger, but that doesn't explain Burmecia or going back for Amarant in Ipsen's Castle. The same is true for Kuja's motivations. Sure, both are driving factors, but even if Dagger wasn't around and if Kuja's intentions were clear, I have no doubt Zidane would still be pushing himself and his friends forward.

It's just who Zidane is, and when it's so natural to a guy like him, you can't really explain it.



You don't even know why you do the things you do?
I didn't say that. Maybe I do it because I don't know what motivates me.



I'm sure we'll understand something when we get to Shimmering Island and go to Terra.





Next time, we go to Terra.