Part 58: Farewell for a Friend

Last time, I blew through the dozen or so sidequests Abyss threw at my feet. Now – if you can even remember – we're off to Daath to meet with Ion to propose a summit about the Score.

Ion's Proposal



Also almost everybody is wearing stupid costumes. This will only last until things get serious again.



: “I...I'm sorry. I just felt a little dizzy...”

: “I'll call Ion!”

: “I'm fine. I think it's just my medicine wearing off.”

: “But...”

: “That's odd. If it were merely your medicine wearing off, you shouldn't look that pale.”

: “What's going on? Is it getting worse?”

: “I don't think so. I shouldn't progress as long as I don't inhale any more miasma.”

: “Can you walk to the Cathedral? Anise is probably preparing a place to rest there.”

: “Yes... I'm fine. Thank you.”



: “Anise told me what happened to Tear...”

: “Fon Master... I'm all right. I'm sorry to have worried you.”

: “Tear, you look far from all right to me.”

: “Hey, where did Anise go?”

: “That's strange, she said she was heading back to meet with you, Luke...”

: “I haven't seen her.”

Probably got lost. Navigating this cathedral is like going for your Ph. D.

: “Well, I'm sure she'll be back shortly. Let's all head to my room in the meantime.”





: “It's possible that the miasma has pervaded the Planet Storm. If so, it should pass through the fon belt, exiting the atmosphere. Its impact should be minimal...”

: “You don't mean that the stronger Planet Storm is making more of the miasma?”

: “Shouldn't we be more concerned with removing the miasma built up in Tear's body?”

: “Didn't the doctor in Belkend say that was impossible? And Natalia, weren't you going to propose that summit on the Score to the Fon Master?”

: “Well, yes, but...”





Hell yeah, Ion! This guy has seriously gone from useless to more and more useful as the game has chugged on. I'm loving it.

: “But to do it, my...”



: “Anise? Just where have you been?”

: “That's what I'm saying! We have a serious problem outside!”

: “What's happened?”

: “The miasma's everywhere! It's seriously bad! Ion, please come quickly!”



: “We should go, too!”

: “Tear! You may have fainted because of a strong sensitivity to the miasma. You should stay here.”

: “If the miasma is really back, then it won't make much of a difference where I stay.”

: “You're always so damn stubborn...”

: “Stubborn and right.”

: “...Fine. Just try to take it easy.”

: “I will. Thank you.”

Skit: The Miasma

: “Why could the miasma have returned?”

: “Well, it was sealed away instead of destroyed, so there was a small possibility of it leaking out... but this does not seem like just an accident.”

: “Let's go see what's happening.”

: “Tear, you need to take care of yourself.”

: “Yeah, you'll just collapse again.”

: “I told you. It doesn't matter where I am. Worry about the miasma, not me. Let's go.”

Okay, let's catch up with Anise and Ion. They should be just down the tele-



-port... FUCK.

Springing the Trap



: “What?!”

: “Don't move.”

: “Major Legretta!”

: “What the hell is this?!”

: “We can't afford to have you meddling now. We also have a few questions about the Key of Lorelei. Now, behave yourselves.”









: “I told you once before that you throw too slowly. Don't make the same mistake twice.”

: “Grr...”



: “Arietta! Stand down!”

: “Are you really going to make Ion read the Seventh Fonstone Score?!”

: “The Planet Score? But that would...”

: “It would kill him! His body's too weak! I won't let you do that!”

: “It's the most convenient bait to lure Mohs. It's necessary in order to raise the Isle of Feres. You want that, don't you?”



: “Anise?!”

: “Arietta! You'd betray us?!”

: “Van said he wouldn't kill Ion! You all are the traitors!”

: “Luke! Let's hurry to the secret passage. I'd noticed Anise had been acting strange lately.”

: “All right. Arietta, thank you!”



Skit: Legretta's Attack

: “What could Legretta be trying to do?”

: “Forcing Ion to read the Score runs counter to Van's intentions...”

: “Yeah, and she said something about bait for Mohs, too...”

: “Whatever, we've got to go after Ion! If they make him read the Score, he'll die!”

: “Arietta didn't desire Ion's death. The God-Generals must be divided at the moment.”

: “So it would seem. In any case, we don't have time to waste.”

: “I'm worried about Anise, too.”

: “Yeah, let's hurry!”



: “Wait!”

: “Luke!”

: “What the hell is Mohs doing here?! Anise, what are you trying to do?”

: “I....”



: “Anise! Take care of this mess! Do not betray me. Oliver and Pamela are counting on you.”

: “Wait, Anise! What does he mean?!”

: “Shut up! It's been my job from the start to keep Mohs informed about Ion!”

…..WHAT.

True Colors



: “Stop!”



: “Is there no other way to get to the Sephiroth?”

: “Hey, take a look at this.”

: “It's holding a letter...”



: “It's from Anise. It sounded like Mohs has taken her parents hostage.”

: “Indeed. It's also probably true that she was Mohs' spy from the beginning.”

: “In any case, let's trust Anise for now and hurry to Mt. Zaleho. It's dangerous for Ion to read the Planet Score.”

: “Yes, Ion is a replica. The moment he reads it, the Seventh Fonons in his body will run out. He won't survive.”



: “Yeah, we have to save him!”

So Anise betrayed us... god fucking damn it. Well, they did say her parents were taken hostage so... I'll give her a little slack. For now. Maybe. We'll see.



: “Or Legretta... I wonder what happened...”

: “Had they killed each other here, we'd at least still see their corpses.”

: “Colonel! Arietta may have been our enemy, but she did just help us. And Legretta was Tear's instructor, please show some consideration.”

: “My apologies.”



: “Has Mohs really kidnapped Fon Master Ion...?”

: “Yes, We're headed to Mt. Zaleho to help the Fon Master now. Do you know where Arietta is?”

: “She was injured, so I put her to rest in Oliver's room. First Legretta and Arietta turn up alive, now the miasma reappears... just what the devil is going on?”

: “So that talk of the miasma coming back was true?”

: “Yes, and thanks to that, the city is in a panic. Please be careful. I'll send the Oracle Knights to the volcano right away. Oh, also, if you find Oliver or Pamela anywhere, tell them to hurry back here. As it stands, there's no one here to look after Arietta.”

: “Sounds like Anise's parents really have been taken hostage.”

: “Yeah, we've got to do something to help them.”

In case you were thinking Trithime might actually be useful: no. We'll see no Oracle Knights at Mt. Zaleho. Then again, telling the regular military to scale Mt. Doom probably isn't the best order.

Skit: Betrayed by Anise

: “To think that Anise and Mohs were connected...”

: “There has to be a reason for it! She wouldn't-”

: “She did tell us how to find her, so it's pretty certain there's something going on.”

: “Save the chit-chat for later. If we don't hurry, things could take a permanent turn for the worse.”

: “Yes, Ion is a replica, after all. If he's forced to read the Planet Score...”

: “We can reach Mt. Zaleho's crater with the Albiore. Let's hurry!”

: “Yeah, Ion... don't die on us!”

Springing the Trap



: “If so, then Van really is...”

: “Is my brother... alive?”



: “Tear! Are you all right?”

: “I'm fine... I was just exposed to a bit of the miasma is all.”

: “Tear's body was the first to sense that the miasma was returning.”

: “I'll be fine. Right now, we need to go after Ion.”

: “Tear, I'm sorry. I wish I could do something to help you...”

: “You idiot, now is not the time to be wallowing in guilt. Let's go.”

The Replicas



: “Th-that's...!”

: “Iemon? That's not possible!”

: “Shut up and move!”



: “Steady, everyone.”

: “Replicas...”

: “What?”

: “Might these perhaps be replicas? The military experimented with programming replicas to perform a set task. These people's eyes are the same as those of the subjects of those experiments.”

: “Target sighted. Move to secure them now.”



: “Mary? Guy, what are you talking about...?”

: “Why...? Why is my sister here?!”

: “Guy! What's going on?!”

: “General Frings, too! But we saw him die in Grand Chokmah!”

: “I see other who have already passed away! The Colonel is right. They must be replicas!”

: “You all know Grand Maestro Mohs' orders... kill them.”

: “Any fonic artes would hurt civilians as well. We should eliminate the replicas by the exit, and-”

: “Wait! That's where my sister... where Mary is!”

: “It's a replica!”

: “I know! But still...”

: “Even knowing that they're replicas doesn't mean we could just kill Iemon and the others.”

: “And that is exactly what Mohs is counting on!”

: “Leave them... to me.”







: “I've never tried to put so many to sleep at once.”

Uh... bullshit? You knocked out Luke's entire manor in the very first update, and the entire guard population of Batical's castle when you busted Luke and Natalia out. I mean I get it, she's suffering from the miasma poisoning so her abilities are diminished, but why doesn't the line say that instead of a blatant lie like that?

: “I doubt it will last long. Let's get out of here, fast!”



: “Deciding what to do about the Score is the least of our worries now.”

: “I never thought I'd see a replica made of my sister.”

: “It was probably a plan to shake us by making replicas of people close to us.”

: “Mohs is such a bastard!”

: “But an effective one.”

: “Don't say things like that!”

: “My apologies. In any case, the first order of business is aiding Ion. If we don't help him, Ion will die.”

: “You're right. I'm also worried about Anise. Let's go to Mt. Zaleho fast.”

Skit: The Replica Soldiers

: “I never imagined that they would create so many replicas...”

: “How could they turn replicas of the dead into their soldiers...?”

: “Mary...”

: “Guy, it's just a replica.”

: “Yeah, I know... but...”

: “All just to make us hesitate... how inhuman!”

: “If they attempt to stop us again, we may have no choice but to eliminate them.”

: “But...! Isn't there anything else we can do?”

: “Do you want to have Tear sing them to sleep again? She seems very weak.”

: “Dammit...”

: “I'm fine. If they attack again, then I'll stop them.”

: “But you're--!”

: “With all that's happened, I can understand if you're flustered. But right now, rescuing Ion takes priority. You need to calm down, Luke.”

If anybody needs to calm down, it's you Jade. This replica stuff obviously has you addled, because you've been angry this whole skit.

: “Yeah... let's head for Mt. Zaleho.”



Yeah, we're flying into the crater of an active Volcano. No biggie!

Dungeon Video: Mt. Zaleho Part II

From here on out, any of the dialogues taking place in the dungeon are in the dungeon video. I'll still link the boss fight and an important dialogue at the end of this update. Sorry: I'm a little pressed for time at the moment.





: “Mt. Zaleho is more active than ever now that it has descended into the Qliphoth.”

That's not how volcanoes... ugh, never mind.

: “Anyway, let's head towards the passage ring for now.”

: “I can feel the Sephiroth's location.”

: “We'll count on you if we get lost, Mieu.”

: “Yes sir!”

Since we've dropped into the volcano via it's mouth, rather than using the cathedral's teleporter, we're in a completely different place right now. The Mt. Zaleho dungeon is actually fairly large and interconnecting, even now we won't be seeing all of it just yet.



: “Well, we are inside a volcano. The air seems to burn my throat and lungs with every breath.”

: “Then how come you look so comfortable?”

: “Oh, not at all. I'm so hot, I could just die.”

: “You really know how to get on people's nerves.”

: “The volcano feels even hotter than the last time we were here...”

: “Mieu, is it much farther to the Sephiroth?”

: “Just a little more, Mieu...”

: “If the heat doesn't get to us first...”

: “Perhaps Anise's plan is to take care of all of us in one fell swoop...”

: “Jade!”

: “Just kidding.”

: *Sigh*

: “...Well, half-kidding.”



: “Everbody, this way!”

: “Good work, Mieu.”

: “Sure!”

: “He's got way too much energy...”

: “Looking at Jade and Mieu is only making this more exhausting.”

Even while in an active volcano chasing down a friend in peril, Jade finds time to troll the party.



A little further on in the dungeon, we get some environmental hazards. These lava flares will damage your entire party if you're in the path of one.



There are also tides of lava that move up and down. Once again if you get hit by one, kiss some HP goodbye. You can use Mieu wing to avoid it during a long path, but since you can't move with Mieu wing you still have to be careful.

Also wouldn't the entire party be on fire and dead if they were this close to lava? The ambient temperatures would be insane... whatever, suspension of disbelief and all that. I'm sure they could handwave it with fonons.

Oh, and there's this:



: “What in the hell...?”

: “It's...”



: “Impressive, to live inside a volcano like this.”

: “If we go this way, we'll have to settle things with him. Or, should I say her.”

: “Goodness Colonel. Do you know how to tell the sex of dragons?”

: “If you could observe how they breathe fire...”

: “Amazing. Jade, you really do know everything, huh?”

: “...'and be able to determine their sex, wouldn't it be interesting?' Was all I was going to say.”





: “Well, shall we move on?”

: “I figured as much.”

: “No kidding.”

The dragon continues to spit a lot of fireballs at you as you continue through it's area of the dungeon. Eventually though, we reach it.



: “Grr! Wait for an opening, then attack!”



Boss Battle: Fyr Bronc



Fyr Bronc is an odd one in my book. He (or she) has a really fucking cool design, lots of health, and is actually fairly brutal, making for a challenging fight. On the other hand, Bronc is a straight-up filler boss, with no purpose other than the level designers figuring this dungeon would be really boring without a climatic boss fight.



The thing about Bronc is that he (or she) is really big, hard to stun, and throws around a lot of really powerful three punch combos. Yeah, the dragon gets up on two legs and punches you. Hardcore.



But you know what? Ion's in danger, and I'm not about to let some filler boss scrub slow me down. Get. OUT.



Moving on.





: “...I feel kind of bad for it.”

: “Yeah. We were the ones to come into its home uninvited.”

: “I'm concerned for Ion's safety. Let's move on.”

: “Yeah.”

I like how Jade notices the party is about to laps into a eulogy for their fallen foe like with Fon Repairbot, and he just brings them right back to task.



A bit more running, and suddenly things are green. I think we're here.

Legacy of the Fon Master



: “ND2019, The forces of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear shall march northward, through the Rugnica Plains. After inflicting atrocities upon the villages in their wake, the army shall surround the fortress capital.”



: “Their howls of victory shall resound throughout the land.”

: “ND2020, A mountain of corpses shall bury the fortress capital. Death and disease shall envelop the city. The plague born thence shall become a new poison unto humanity, killing all within its reach. Its spread shall mark the true end of Malkuth. Kimlasca shall enjoy decades of prosperity as the plague of Malkuth grows. Ultimately, the plague will be brought into the Kimlascan kingdom by a single man.”



: “Stop it, Ion! You have to stop!”





: “There, salvation will be found through the use of a forbidden power...”





: “Ion! Are you okay?!”

: “Luke... that was my reading of the Score for you... A single path... among your many possible futures... I know you don't depend on others... but this was the only way I could help you.”

: “Shut up! You've helped us out a million times! And you'll keep helping...”

: “Luke... don't look at me like that. There are plenty of replacements for me...”

: “How can you say that?! Those other replicas don't know me at all! You're the only Ion that went to the Cheagle Woods with me!”



: “I will... take the miasma from your body into my own.”

: “But Fon Master, you'll...!”



: “The Seventh Fonons are drawn to one another. As my own Seventh Fonons dissipate, so will your contaminated ones.”

: “Ion!”

: “Don't you see...? This way... Tear is... safe.”





: “You don't have to... watch over me... any more... Anise...”

: “I'm so sorry, Ion! I.... I...!”





: “...Ion!!”







: “Humph. The best replica of the bunch, and even he couldn't read the Score properly...”



: “Preposterous fool! The Score is crucial to mankind's continued survival!”

: “Mankind can get by just fine without it!”



: “I am a watcher! I have been charged with protecting and guiding humanity! I swear I will use these replicas to bring about war as foretold in Yulia's Score. Therein lies our only path to salvation!”

: “What should we do? These are civilians. Fighting them would be far too...”



: “Please, allow Grand Maestro Mohs to leave unharmed. They'll back down peacefully if you do.”

: “But... nevermind, he's escaped. There's nothing we can do now.”



: “Still, to think that so many replicas have been created...”

: “It must be the result of fomicry data Van left behind. There's no way they could have made replicas of the people of Hod without it.”

: “We can investigate this later. For now, let's escort Anise's parents to Daath.”

: “Anise, that's all right with you, I presume?”



So it goes. Goodbye, Ion.

Next Time:

Synopsis:

As soon as we reached Daath, Tear's condition suddenly got worse. She says
she's okay, but I'm worried.
Anise said she'd go and tell Ion, so let's get Tear to the church.

We made it to Ion's room and set Tear down on his bed, but Anise wasn't
there. Ion's right here--where'd she go off to?

Ion saw Tear's condition, and said that he knew a way to remove the miasma
from Tear's body, but just as he was about to explain it, Anise came running
back into the room. She'd brought news: the miasma had suddenly returned, and
the whole city was in a panic. Anise then dragged Ion off. So that's why Tear
suddenly collapsed before... The miasma had affected her. We left Ion's room
to find Anise and Ion.

We used the fonic glyph to exit Ion's room--and found ourselves surrounded
by Legretta and her soldiers. It looked like that was going to be it for us,
but then Arietta appeared and saved us for some reason. Apparently Arietta
and the rest of the God-Generals are at odds regarding Ion.

Then we heard something unbelievable. Anise had taken Ion and headed for
the Sephiroth, and she was going to force him to read the Planet Score--the
Score containing the life of the planet, just like Yulia's Score. Ion's a
replica, so he's weak already...if he does that, he'd probably die. Arietta
had saved us so we could stop that from happening. We left Arietta to deal
with Legretta, and headed for the secret passion leading to the Sephiroth.

In the secret passage, we saw Mohs taking Ion away--and Anise with him,
not doing anything. Anise said that her job from the beginning had been to
report on Ion to Mohs, and left with Mohs for the Sephiroth. And the fonic
glyph leading to the Sephiroth no longer worked when we reached it.
How could Anise betray us...and Ion?!

Then Guy found a letter held by Anise's Tokunaga.
The letter said there was a way to the Sephiroth from the volcanic shaft
in Mt. Zaleho.

If Anise had really wanted to betray us, she wouldn't have left a letter
like that. There must be some reason for what she's done. Let's trust in her
letter and head for Mt. Zaleho.

When we returned to the church's entrance hall, Arietta and Legretta were
no longer there. Tritheim was, and he explained that Arietta had succeeded in
fighting off Legretta, but had suffered injuries of her own and collapsed.
Then he asked us to find Oliver and Pamela to watch over her, and we realized
what had happened. Mohs had been using Anise's parents to control her.

And it looks like what Anise had said about the miasma returning wasn't
just a lie to fool us, either. With everything going on it's hard to keep
calm, but first let's go to Mt. Zaleho and free Ion.
For Anise's and Arietta's sake, as well.

When we reached the entrance to Daath, we found it blocked off by a
suspicious group that was fighting with the townspeople. When we looked
closer, we saw Iemon, General Frings, and even Guy's sister Mary. They were
replicas, and had been sent by Mohs to kill us. We'll have to fight them to
get out, but that means killing them...even knowing that they're replicas,
how can we possibly fight them?!

Then Tear--as hard as it must have been on her--sang a fonic hymn, and we
were able to escape the town.

Damn that Mohs! Just how mean can he be?! We're going to head west from
Daath to Mt. Zaleho, save Ion, and get Mohs!
We flew to the top of Mt. Zaleho in the Albiore and got off at the top of
the volcanic shaft. It's awful hot in here, and the magma comes right up to
the ledges we're walking on. We'll have to be careful, but we need to hurry
downward.

Something really painful happened...
To be honest, I'm not in the mood for writing.
But this is a truth I have to face, so...

When we reached the Sephiroth, Ion was already reading the Planet Score. I
tried to stop him, but it was too late, and he read one final Score for me,
looking as though he could breathe his last at any moment. But he didn't even
care, telling Tear that since he was going to die anyway, he'd take her
miasma with him... So that was how he was going to heal her. He's a replica,
so he's made of Seventh Fonons, and he took advantage of that to draw out
Tear's contaminated Seventh Fonons, releasing them into the Planet Storm
along with his own. That...that was what Ion wanted.

And yet Mohs--even though he killed Ion by making him read the Score--he
said that the Score Ion read was wrong!

I couldn't forgive him. How could he kill Ion just for the sake of the
Score...? Ion had only been alive for two years, and Mohs threw him away like
a discarded tool...!

Mohs swore to bring about the war foretold by the Score for the salvation
of the world, and left. We rescued Anise's parents, who had been held
hostage, and headed back to Daath with Anise, depressed over losing Ion.
We'll have to tell Arietta what happened. I'm sorry, Arietta... I'm sorry,
Ion...