Part 22: A Mile in Another's Shoes Part II
Last time, Guy decided to leave us in order to go back for Luke. Some of our party members however were not so keen on this.Actually, let's talk about that.
Skit: Guy Leaves
: “Why did you not stop Guy?”
: “...He can do what he wants. You too, you know. If you want to go back to that replica, you can leave anytime.”: “I... well...”
: “I can understand you dilemma. Though Luke may be only a replica, that fact does not dilute seven years worth of shared memories.”: …
: “In any case, I'm more concerned about the loss of Guy as a fighter. There are bound to be monsters in Ortion Cavern, as well.”
: “...Forget about Guy. I can take care of monsters just as easily.”
: “I see this Luke likes Guy as well. He must feel quite lonely at the loss of a friend.”
: “...Shut up!”
: “Hmm... their personalities are not so dissimilar, either. Fomicry can't cause that in theory, but perhaps growing up in similar environments pushed them in similar directions.”
There's nothing else to do in Belkend, so it's back to the Tartarus.
Anise is back in the party now that Guy is gone, so here's a shot of the Warrior Maiden.
Skit: Memories
: “I had no idea there was a replica facility here. How can I be a just princess when I know so little about my own country?”: “Nothing is accomplished by just sitting around in a castle. You learned that, didn't you?”
: “Oh... I remember that time! You took me outside the castle for the first time, and...”
: “...And then Baticul became your castle. You'll only find truth by looking with your own eyes, walking on your own feet. Otherwise this country will never change.”
: “...You haven't changed. Even as a child, you were always concerned about the future of our country... and you helped me learn.”
: “...I'm no longer the person you knew. When I was taken away seven years ago, the Luke inside me died. All that's left is his shadow.”
: “No, that's not true! I can tell... you really ARE Luke.”: “I said don't call me that. I'm Asch... the charred remains of the 'sacred flame'!”: “Even so, I still...”
Now before we go to Ortion Cavern, we have to do a side quest. Following the grand tradition of Abyss Side Quests, this one is evil. But not the normal kind of evil: it's pure fucking bullshit, because there is NO way you'd know what to do, at this specific time.
First of all, this has to be done right now. After Guy's left the party at Belkend, but before you enter Ortion Cavern.
Second, you have to go here. Where is it? Why Sheridan Port, of course! How could you have forgotten? It's not like we've never been here, have never been told about it, and have no other reason to come here until much later in the game or anything! Oh wait!
Granted it's on the same continent as Ortion Cavern, but on the opposite side. So maybe if you got stupid lost on your way, you'd find yourself here.
Third, you have to go and wander to the left side of the port. There's nothing over here usually, and to leave the port you go the opposite direction. So you have no incentive to come here normally. If you do though, you'll find an old man being harassed by three sailors.
: “Don't be absurd! I already paid you 5,000 gald!”
: “That was just an advance. Now, give us all you got!”
: “What do you think you're doing?!”: “What? We're having an important discussion, lady. Don't interfere.”: “...How dare you!”: “What's going on, Natalia?”: “Hey, they have a Malkuth soldier with them! It'd be stupid to mess with the military, let's get out of here!”
: “Not at all. Are you injured?”: “No, I'm fine. By the way... am I correct in observing that you use Lanvaldear-style Archery?”: “My, I'm impressed you recognized it.”: “I thought so, and you appear to be quite skilled.”
: “Yes, I've achieved master rank.”: “I thought so... when I was young, I was actually an instructor of Lanvaldear-style archery. As thanks for aiding me, I'd like to pass on my artes to you. In total, I created two kinds of artes.”: “I see. Yes, please. I would be honored for you to teach me.”: “I imagine it will take time for you to pass on your artes. Where was it you were headed for?”: “Daath.”: “Then let us take you there in the Tartarus. You can conduct the training along the way.”: “...No, we already have plans.”: “Oh? This is for Natalia, Asch.”: “Please, Asch...”: “...Grr... Fine!”: “Thank you, Asch.”He's such a softy.
So yeah, you thought this quest was done with dick moves? It actually dumps you at Daath Bay, which you've never been to yet. It's also about halfway across the world, so have fun finding your way back to Ortion Cavern, fucker!
: “Thank you for taking me all the way to Daath.”: “Thank you for your patient instruction aboard the ship.”: “You performed admirably. The arcane arte, Gallant Barrage, is now yours. All that remains is for you to master it through actual use.”
This is a pretty sweet move that gives Natalia a lot of additional fire power. She fires two bursts of arrows: the first one fans out in an arc, hitting multiple targets. The second is concentrated, doing good damage to her main target. It's good against bosses that have a handful of flunkies with them.
ANYWAY!
Remember how I said that you're railroaded a bit even in the Tartarus? The way this works is that there are certain environmental hazards that the Tartarus cannot pass through. These include whirlpools, strong storms, and canon barrages. Trying to pass the northern tip of this continent gets us bombarded for some reason, so we have to sail farther away. This is to prevent us from docking at an area we shouldn't until much later in the game. I believe that right now, It's also impossible to go to Kaitzur, Baticul and a few other places we have not yet visited.
There's also a cavern next to Ortion Cavern, but it's blocked by a whirlpool. Oh well.
Here we are.
: “It's awfully damp in here.”
: “It's probably because of the sea breeze.”
: “Please wait in the Tartarus, Ion!”
: “But I'm interested, too...”
: “No! It's too dangerous!”: “Go back, Fon Master. You'll be in our way.”
: “...Oh well.”
: Go ahead and take him with you!: Are you stupid? What are we going to do with some who can't fight?: “Let's go inside.”Skit: A Mysterious Facility
: “Asch... what was this facility built for? You were saying something about replicas earlier...”: “...I don't know for sure, but it's likely that this was the site of research into replicas.”: “Those researchers were talking about this place. And there's that dock... it looks like people come here a lot.”: “Let's head inside. We may find something deeper in the cave.”
: “You sure sound like you know something we don't Colonel.”: “Not at all. This is the first time I've been here. Although...”: “Although what?”: “...Nothing.”…
: “Ortion Cavern? You've got to be kidding me...”Get it?
Jade said that Dist probably came here after he stole fomicry technology from Malkuth?
Dist?
Ortion Cavern?
Distortion Cavern?
Ortion Cavern has nothing going for it at the moment. It's boring to look at, the enemies are chumps, and you can blow through it in no joke five minutes. So let's.
: “...Are you okay?”
: “Yes... yes, I'm fine. Thank you, Asch...”: “Jade, do you recognize them?”: “Well, biology is not exactly my specialty. Hmm... they don't appear to be indigenous to the area. And they seem odd for a new species.”: “Looks like this may not go easily...”We proceed to blow through the entire cave in five minutes.
This elevator is just sitting here, taunting us. We can't use it at this point in the game, unfortunately.
Skit: Luke's Worries
: Hey, were you going easy on those monsters just now?: Huh? How stupid are you?
: You're not planning to lure everybody in and let monsters kill them or something...?!: Are you crazy?! The monsters here may be kind of strong, but hardly a match for me. If you're going to keep bothering me like this, you'd better be prepared to face the consequences.
: W-what do you mean? You can't do anything to me from there!
: Not to you, no...: You... you can't mean... no! Don't!: Humph. I won't do anything... as long as you keep quiet.
God, this dungeon just has nothing going for it! I need something to talk about...
Oh, I know!
You have have heard earlier in the thread, but there's actually a manga adaptation of this game. It's mostly an incoherent mess, due to it changing/condensing events in the plot for no reason, and for the oddball artstyle. However there is one thing the manga does very well: it has a handful of 'gaiden' chapters, which provide canon backstory to certain characters that was only hinted at or outright omitted from the game.
Asch was one of these lucky characters to get his own gaiden chapter that does a good job explaining his backstory. If you're interested in having a bit of a firmer grasp on Asch's backstory, I've collected the chapter for you to read Here. I'd recommend not looking for the other gaiden chapters until I specifically link them: they are spoilerish as hell.
So go ahead, take five and read that. I'll just finish up this stupid dungeon while you're reading.
…......
Done?
Good, here we are.
: “A fomicry research facility. Though it appears to have been abandoned for some time.”: “The calculation device is still running.”
: “This is... research regarding the effective scale of fomicry.”: “They were trying to create replicas of large objects by increasing the data collection area.”
: “Large objects...? You mean like houses and stuff?”: “Oh, larger than that. Even back when I was involved, we theoretically could have replicated a small island.”
: “That's huge!”
: “What's wrong?”: “Look at the maximum replica size van's research shows!”
: “...Thirty million square kilometers?! That's more than a tenth of Auldrant!”For the sake of you
's out there, the Earth is about 510 million square kilometers. If 30 million is 'more than a tenth' of Auldrant, then that means Auldrant is less than 300 million square kilometers. So if we go close and say it's roughly 290, that means Auldrant is roughly 57% the size of Earth. Food for thought, I suppose.: “Even if they succeeded in making something that size, there'd be no place to put it!”: “They also have a list of previous replica data. The Malkuth military should have disposed of this...”: “Did Dist smuggle it out?”: “Most likely. It's data from the people of the destroyed island of Hod. There's no mistaking it. I was the one who had them take it at the time.”: “Don't tell me they're tyring to resurrect a replica Hod...?”: “I wonder... let's take this data with us.”
If it's not obvious, Natalia just ran to a second cheagle in a second cage.
: “Someone must be taking care of them. These two are probably a replica and its original.”: “Yes, they both have a star-shaped mark in the same place.”: “I wonder if these little guys breath fire like Mieu?”
: “Woah!”: “I wonder if this one's the same.”
: “It must be the replica. It's common for them to have reduced abilities.”: “But Colonel, the identification plate says this weak one is the original.”: “I see. Replica data extraction can have a negative effect on the original in some cases...”: “Oh my. What sort of negative effect?”: “In the worst case, the original dies. Though with perfect isofons, a different effect occurs...”...You're not going to tell us, are you?
: N-no way... so did making me mean that Asch is...?: “Natalia, Asch, there's no need to worry. Symptoms will always present themselves within ten days for inorganic matter. It's even faster for living things. Seven years later, Asch is doing fine. There's no need to worry.”: “Thank goodness.”
: Oh, good...: It's pretty sad when I've got dreck like you worrying about me...: ...What?! You want to start something?!: Enough! Shut up!
: “...Yes. Though it's a part of my past I wish I could erase.”: “We've been here long enough. Let's go.”: “So all we learned was that the Commandant's trying to make a really big replica?”: “That's plenty. Let's go.”: “Go where?”: “I can do the rest alone. I'll take you back to your homeland.”
On the way back out, Asch smells blood.
Pfft.
So, this fucking guy. The filler boss to end all filler bosses. He just jumps out of a side pool and attacks. No reason... hell we could probably just run past him. But no.
The gimmick here is that after taking some punishment, he flees into his shell.
He then spawns a handful of jellyfish to fight. You have to kill them before he'll pop back out of his shell.
He does it a handful of times, but it is only passively annoying. The jellyfish are easy to kill, and the boss himself is a slow, big target.
I was going to show off Asch's mystic arte here, but the boss is such a chump he died before I had the chance.
No worries, we'll have other chances.
This whole affair is just sad.
: “Fomicry research involves a number of chemicals that are harmful to living creatures. That may have been what caused this.”
: “...Let's get moving.”
: “Um... um... thank you...”: “...I remember the last time I caught you like that.”: “Yes! I wanted to sneak out of the castle, so I jumped from a window below...”I know a handful of people have shit on him in the thread, but I really like Asch. He has a very human, very flawed character. He claims he's over his past, and he tries to approach everything with a sort of stoic detachment. He also has, quite understandably, trust issues, and so he's uncomfortable traveling with a group. Despite that it's obvious that he's not as over his past as he likes to think he is, and he still has feeling for Natalia despite everything that's happened. He's not a saint, but he's also not as bad as he wants people to believe he is. Yeah he hates Luke with a passion, but you could argue that it is rather justified, given his backstory.
...Anyway, wasn't there an earthquake or something? What's that about?
FUCK
: “What?! Why?!”: “Because Luke destroyed the Sephiroth Tree supporting southern Rugnica. It was barely hanging on by the Sephiroth from other areas. It's about time it fell.”: “What effect will that have on other regions?”: “Did you forget that we've been having the Fon Master open the doors to the Sephiroth?”: “Even with the doors opened, the passage rings are protected with Yulian seals, No one can use them.”: “Van can!”: “In other words, Van is able to control the Sephiroth. Then... is his objective the further destruction of the Outer Lands?”: “That's what it looks like. From what I heard, the next to fall will be the area around St. Binah.”: I don't have time to play with you anymore. Goodbye!
: “Mieu...”
: “Oh, yeah! St. Binah's in danger!”
: “Is this a flower garden?”
: “They're selenias. The only flowers that grow in the Qliphoth. They bloom only at night. The Outer Lands cover the sky, so hardly any sunlight gets through...”
: “Anyway, you looked like you were worried about something...”: “Oh! Right! I want to go back to the Outer Lands!”: “You'll be able to go back at some point. But for right now...”
: “But... you've been asleep this whole time...”: “I could hear! He and I are connected!”
: “W-well...”
: “You don't understand a thing. You base all your actions on what others say and never try to understand things for yourself. That's no different than how you acted at Akzeriuth.”
: “ 'Master van said so...' 'Asch said so...' That's all I ever say... It's no wonder everyone got sick of me and left me behind.”: “You knew? That they went back to the Outer Lands?”
: “I told you, Asch and I are connected. I saw it through him... I really am his replica.”
: “Luke...”: “Up till now, all I ever paid attention to was myself... and I'm not even sure I saw myself clearly...”
: “...Yeah.”: “I want to change. I HAVE to change.”: “If you really mean that, then perhaps you can.”
: “And it won't erase the fact that thousands died.”: “With the weight of all that on your shoulders, how do you plan to change?”
: “I don't know... heh, that's all I know how to say. I'm pathetic. If I could make up for Akzeriuth by apologizing, I'd apologize as much as it took.”
: “But that's not how things are. Even if I tried to make up for it, I'd never be able to. So I'm going to start with what I can do. I don't know what that is yet, but I'm serious. I want to change.”
: “I still don't think you really understand. Not while you can talk about dying so easily.”: “I won't ask you to trust me right away.”
: “Yes, why?”: “Let me borrow one for a minute.”
: “Luke!”
: “With this: I say good bye to who I've been.”
And with that, we've finished Act I of the game. Believe it or not, things only get crazier from here.
Next Time: A new Luke, a new mission.
Synopsis:
The walls of Ortion Cavern were full of strange minerals that looked
almost like mirrors. I hope we can learn something about Master Van's plan
here. All we can do for now is head deeper inside and look around.
At the far end of the cave was some fomicry equipment.
Jade began investigating the equipment, and discovered that the research
being done here was for making a replica one-tenth the size of Auldrant
itself. He also found replica data taken from the people of the destroyed
island of Hod, almost like they were planning to revive Hod.
But it looks like this facility hasn't been completely abandoned--there
were two cheagles probably used in experiments, an original and its replica.
According to Jade, replicas' abilities tend to be inferior to their
originals. He also said that sometimes the extraction of replica data can
have a negative effect on the originals, sometimes even killing them.
For an instant, I was worried that the same thing might happen to Asch,
but Jade said that always happened within ten days at most, so if Asch is
still doing this well after seven years, he has nothing to worry about. I was
relieved, but Asch still seemed concerned about something. I wonder what?
Jade also mentioned that something different can happen to perfect replicas,
so maybe that's what's bothering him.
Anyway, Asch apparently found what he came for. We learned that Master Van
is trying to create some sort of huge replica, possibly the destroyed island
of Hod. But what does that have to do with the loss of Akzeriuth? In any
case, Asch said he was leaving Ortion Cavern, and everyone followed.
At the exit, an earthquake occurred. Asch said that the earthquake might
be a precursor to the area around St. Binah falling. Since I destroyed the
pillar at the Akzeriuth Sephiroth (he called it a "Sephiroth Tree"), the
other Sephiroth have been affected as well. What have I done...? Not only
that, Master Van seems to be trying to get to the other well-protected
passage rings to use them to speed up the collapse of the outer Lands. St.
Binah may really be in danger...
Just then, Asch suddenly cut off the channel between us, and I finally
woke up, not hearing anything else from Asch.
That's everything I saw through Asch while I was asleep.
When I woke up, I felt like I was back in my own body for the first time
in a long time.
Mieu was waiting next to me. I wonder why, after how badly I've always
treated him...? But I'm kind of glad he's here.
I may have returned, but I still don't know much about this place, so I
decided to go find Tear first.
Tear was in the selenia garden.
I told her about the danger St. Binah is in, and asked about a way back to
the Outer Lands. But Tear responded coldly. She said that I'm always basing
what I do on what others say, that I never try and think for myself.
That was when I first realized the truth. The truth that up until now,
I've never even once really listened to anyone, considered their words or
decided for myself what to do. And I knew that I wanted--that I had to change
that. But I was doubtful Tear would believe simple halfhearted words, so I
cut my hair. It's not that I really cared about my hair that much, but I
wanted to show that I was throwing away my old self.
Tear still didn't seem to really believe me, but I'm serious. I will
change.
But I don't even know a way to find out whether St. Binah really is going
to collapse, much less how to save it if it is. Tear suggested that Teodoro,
the mayor of the city, might know something, so I decided to ask him for
information. This time, I'll think for myself, of course...and take
responsibility for my actions.
I will never forget that.