Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Part #52 - Day 255: Why the Sun Sets Red The Longest Day

Part 52: Day 255: Why the Sun Sets Red The Longest Day

I feel like something is different here.

Music: Organization XIII

It's been a while since we last see this room. And since we last see Xemnas, for that matter.

And Namine?

Still missing, sir.

Missing indeed. Wherever could she be?

Why, Xigbar... It almost sounds as though you know.

Hmph.

What else?

That leaves the question of how Xion gets access to it. The manga did this part a lot better.

"Somebody"? Are we all gonna pretend we don't know who? Little Poppet is turning into a problem-and I think you catch my meaning.

Nonsense. I see no problem whatsoever.

Ha ha! Well no, apparently you don't!

Something you find amusing?

If people see with their hearts, Saix, then you're even blinder than the rest of us.

Xigbar is great, even if he did ditch us twice

Our plans remain unchanged.

Axel, Roxas, and Xion will play the roles Kingdom Hearts has chosen for them.

But sir, Xion... If we don't take steps-

Take steps? How can you not see how perfect this is?

Xion is marching right into the arms of destiny. The only steps we need take are two: watch...and wait.

This is just what's been missing in this game: cryptic talks

New Music: Strange Whispers

*Xion has a flashback*

I guess a white tint isn't the worst choice for a flashback.

*flashback ends*

What are you...doing here...?

Orders. Nothing to do with you. I'm not sure what you thought you'd find in an empty place like this.

Don't lie to me! I know this is where I come from! The answers are here.

Weren't you given some other mission?

......

You can't just throw orders to the wind, Xion.

Or else what? They'll turn me into a Dusk?

Not even a Dusk. They'll skip right past that and destroy you outright.

Because I'm useless?

No, I didn't say that.

Turn around and go home, Xion.

Axel, I'm remembering things... About who I was.

Axel is a prime candidate for Friend of the Year award.

I have dreams every night. You're in them, Axel!

Then they sure ain't memories. How could I be part of your past? Use your head, Xion.

You can't fool me. We've met before, Axel, right here in this castle!

Xion: You keep warping out of my Sonic Blade! I don't even know what that is!

Have not. Go home, Xion. Don't keep Roxas waiting.

Great comeback.

Please, Axel, just...help me! I need to know who I am. *starts to run*

Hey-stop! Xion, stay out of there!

Axel: Don't go there! Your CP is nowhere near enough to survive!

Naturally, the first thing we do today is ignore everything that just happened and go on a mission with Xion.

Music: Welcome to Wonderland
Music: To Our Surprise

We don't even need magic for today's mission.

Aero Recipe and Diamond. As with other globs missions, the Heartless here are all Pureblood.

Aero Recipe and Diamond again.

Massive Possessors aren't a threat anymore. This is a situation where Thundara is actually pretty useful. Still not going to be using it for much longer, though.

Cure recipe.

Really, this mission is boring. There's pretty much nothing special about this one.

Hi-Potion. No, this is definitely not special.

Oh. That works. The Gust Crystal in the chest is okay, I guess, being the next step in the synthesis items. I'm actually talking about the Lurk Lizard.

By the way, remember when I mentioned that the AI can't do Final Limits? Apparently, that's completely false. They will do it if we equip our Final Limit. Xion's is still exactly the same as Roxas'.

Music: Crossing the Finish Line

We can make Phantom Gear+ now, but I won't do it now.

Music: Sacred Moon

Luxord is the only one we can talk to now, so let's do today's mission.

If you pick "Kill this type of Heartless" for today's mission, you're right!

Music: Welcome to Wonderland
Music: To Our Surprise

That's ALL our missions with you so far.

Let's hope things go as smoothly this time around.

Heh. Don't tempt fate. You'll send Lady Luck running with talk like that.

I don't think that will happen. After all, Lady Luck isn't here anymore. It's probably in Castle Oblivion after Sora left it there.

We're back to the Heartless that actually gives Hearts this time. Moving on to Queen's Castle...

Are they still searching for the Heartless we took out last time?

You might say they'll look for absolutely nothing until they find it.

Unless, of course, they decide to look for the new shadow that's appeared. But that seems unlikely to me, does it to you?

Wait... The next maze? There's more than one?

Yes...

Oh, didn't you know? Here, a maze is a maze of mazes.

Isn't that amazing!? *disappears*

He's gone...

Not quite. I've one more quick quip. If four new switches you trip...the new shadow unzips!

A "new shadow," is it? Hmm...

Let's check the maze for those switches, Roxas.

Right.

Luxord still refuses to talk in the cat's presence.

The gang are all here.

The chest with Air Slide (5) is also here. The card guarding the second maze, however, is not. The card guarding the first maze is back here, though.

Yeah, this maze spans two screens

This card won't let up their watch, so we can't go here. They probably don't want to end up like their peers that guarded the White Rose Hedge Maze.

That leaves three...

So that's what the lights are for. This is similar to what we did in KH1, except that one requires magic and has no stealth.

Cura Recipe. This maze is more annoying than the second because we have to wait longer in the card's cycle to get past them. Examining a switch resets the cycle, so I had to wait even longer for them.

Diamond. This card has a pattern that's hard to recognize. If we get caught, we get the same dialog as last time before getting kicked back to the last switch. Not the area transition. Good thing I have savestates

This card is the one that yawns, reducing their field of vision.

Cura Recipe. Thankfully, I don't think we can get caught in here despite the red area appearing.

Two to go.

There's two paths forward. Going east has a card with a harder path.

Going north has cards with easier path, but with 2 of them.

We have to wait for the second card here to yawn to get this treasure. There's something in the east path too; I'll get it later.

Hi-Potion. This card yawns, but even with that there's still no room for us to sneak past them.

Just one more.

Oh no! I forgot the assembly!

This card jumping in surprise is great

At least until you realize why exactly they jump in surprise

Ack! If I'm late again, the Queen! *runs off*

My guess is they're headed to see that queen of theirs.

Heh heh, it seems the house here is a stickler for rules.

This removes ALL cards from the maze

All spots that were formerly occupied by a card now has Heartless instead. We can technically ignore them, but I still kill them anyway

It took me an embarrassingly long time to find this badge. This was the one thing in the eastern path.

I killed so many Heartless that I collected 18 items already, even after I used up the Hi-Potion.

That should be all of them.

That pose is getting used a lot.

Now the lights are lit, the shadow's permit to come out and play. "Hooray!" I say.

I don't see any shadow.

Well, the lights aren't lit here. They're lit over there.

Over where!? ...Never mind, I know you won't tell us.

Oh, but today's the day I might. Today's the day to say your job's to look in the room with the napping knob. *disappears*

That's a nice hint. Off to the Bizarre room we go!

Music: Destiny's Force

Honestly, Novashadow really isn't interesting.

It has the same attacks as Neoshadows. It's basically to Neoshadows what Dark Follower is to Darksides.

At least we get to see Luxord's Final Limit and his actual minigame.

If you're wondering why it says I only got 6 chests, turns out that if you toss out an item from the chest instead of consuming it, it won't count toward the stats and will be back in its chest next time we do the mission. So there's no way to miss the Slot Releasers/abilities/etc. I just found out about this.

Music: Welcome to Wonderland

Yeah. Let's.

Goddammit!

Music stops
Video: Why the Sun Sets Red

I know something's different! Why were you trying to hide today's real title? (This isn't actually shown today).

You're early.

No, you're just late.

I pretty much just copied and pasted the movie from the second update.

What's that about?

It's been that many days since I first joined the Organization. Man, time flies.

So, you got the number memorized, do ya?

Music: Roxas

Yeah. Have to hang onto something, right? It's not like I have memories from before the Organization. Don't you remember? I acted like a zombie.

This song plays really rarely, unlike in the movie.

Right, that first week you could barely form a sentence.

Twilight Station Tower: 45
Sea-Salt Ice Cream: 84

Oh, thanks!

*laughs*

Hey, Roxas. Bet you don't know why the sun sets red.

That's still not red. Honestly, when I said about Daybreak Town last time I didn't know that it actually exists in KHX. Also, even in Daybreak Town the sky is definitely not red.

And out of all those colors, red is the one that travels the farthest.

Like I asked! Know-it-all.

*time passes*