Part 32: The Hero
Update 30 - The Hero
The Beast knocked us down into this cave... from the looks of things, we seem to be locked in tight. We should probably check on the Hero and see if they're okay after the whole... drinking a deadly potion thing.
Hahh... Wh...
Where's my sword?! Did I lose it?! Agghhh, right! The monster! I drank that potion, and...
The Hero then runs over to the left side to try and find a way out... but we already saw that it's mostly rocks. She's super strong though, maybe she can do something about it.
SFX: Audrey MAD
WE'RE TRAPPED!!! AND MY SWORD IS GONE!!!
AS USUAL!!! AND NOW...
There's no way out.
... ... ... ... ... We might really die here. ... I might really die here... The Hero.
You can't do... anything? Not without my sword.
Oh! What about the rainbow girl? Who? The rainbow girl! You know... The messenger of Eya! You mean Eyala? SHE HAS A NAME?! ...
Back in Chaandesh... I told her to leave... and never come back. Why did you do that? ... ... ...She... bothered me. She's manipulative. She's supposed to be my guide... but she just told me what to do! Without letting me think for myself. Like she knows better! Last I checked, I'm the Hero, not her.
After every couple of sentences of dialogue, the game will make you talk to Audrey again for the cutscene to continue. I guess, to allow for players to take a break if needed. Though you can pause the game at any moment, so that wouldn't really be a problem. I bring it up, because it seems pointless since I always just keep talking to her because there's nothing else to do.
A real hero shouldn't be bossed around all the time! If you just follow what everyone says... then you never decide anything for yourself. It's demeaning! You probably wouldn't understand. Eyala didn't either. She'd just tell me what to do, where to go... but I'm not her puppet. It's my job to save the world, so I got rid of her. 
She told me I could save the world... by meeting all the Overseers, and singing the Earthsong. And that I was special, and she believed in me. But it doesn't feel like that at all. The Overseers are dying so fast... and no matter what I do, everything's getting worse. 
When I asked about you, she said...
"The Earthsong is totally made up... and it'll never ever work. You're the real Hero!"
She... she said that? I thought she said the same to you! I had no idea why you kept trying... Guess it makes sense now. She just lied to you. No... she told us different things. Maybe she lied to you! Or maybe to both of us! She would never lie to me! I'm the Hero! She just told you what you wanted to hear. ... ... So... she told you... you're not the Hero? Yeah... she tested me, with your sword, I think. But I couldn't use it... Oh. You must be really special to be able to use it... I think... it kinda makes me... 
Really? I'm really scared... about the world ending... I wish I could do anything to stop it... I want to make a difference, but I'm so small... and unimportant... You can change things. You can make things happen, but you're using your power... to kill Overseers...
I don't want to give up on the world... it feels wrong to end everything. I wish it was my choice. Well, that's a relief. Huh? With all of Eyala's lies... I thought for a second that... Well, it's ridiculous, but... She made me think... I might not actually be the Hero. Before this all started, I felt like you do. Small, weak... normal. Being the Hero isn't easy! You have to know how to act--
Don't you have anything to say about that? Making the world end? You're fine with that? Well, I don't know! It's the way it works... 
How do you know that's how it works? You said yourself that Eyala told lies... what if that was one of them? ... ... ... I know it. Because... I'm the hero... But what if it's made up? You said you were worried you weren't the Hero. You didn't let me finish. But what if you aren't? I am. I can use the sword and you can't.
Why does using the sword make you a hero?
Heh! Look... whatever. I don't care if you think I'm the Hero or not. It's totally inconsequential. Okay? It doesn't change anything about our situation. ... We're really trapped, huh? Yeah. ... ... ... ... ... ... ...Alright. You really want to know the truth? I am scared. About ending the world. A little bit. But... that's what the Hero is supposed to do! I can't let my little fears control me. Even if, sometimes, it means... pretending. I couldn't say that to Eyala. Because then she'd think I wasn't the Hero. What if she changed her mind? Took back my sword? I can't just go back to just being nobody... But... now that she's gone... and you can really decide for yourself...
What if it's the wrong way to save the world? Have you thought about it? Do you still really want to? Yes. I considered all the angles. And... that's the way it has to be. I don't know anymore what was real, and what was just stuff she said. But if there's a chance... even just a tiny one... that the world didn't have to end, and everything would be okay... Isn't it worth it to try? ...Audrey? ...*Sound of rocks moving*
What was that sound???
The sound came from the right side, and we should go investigate... but Audrey's got a little more dialogue if we talk to her first.
So...? Are you gonna check it out, or what? I still want you to answer my question! About ending the world! Sure. But you should really check out that sound first. The rocks might collapse again...That's a good point Audrey, we wouldn't want to be crushed if there's a chance we can make it out of here, however slim.
I didn't really want to interrupt that conversation between Bard and Audrey, but I do just want to point out how absolutely devoted Audrey is, not to doing heroic work, but BEING the Hero. Actually doing the heroic things seem to come backseat to her getting to keep the title, which is all that matters to her. That uh, may come up later. Anyway, let's go check out this noise.
SFX: Bard Laugh
BUGS are here!!!
Did they... move... these rocks...? YES, Audrey!!! Bugs move rocks!!! They are very good!!! And they can help us ESCAPE!!!Bard's talking to her like she's a dumbass for not knowing that bugs can move rocks. Like duh Audrey, we all learned about how to manipulate bugs using song in 3rd grade, sheesh.
So you're saying... I have to rely on bugs to get out of here? Hmmm... Well... I'm friends with the bugs...
Holy shit... Bard... are you seriously threatening to kill Audrey!? This is such a dramatic turn for his character. What the hell!?
You'd leave me here to die? You have to make a PROMISE, Audrey! You have to PROMISE... to be nice! ... Okay, sure. You have to SAY it!!! Say you PROMISE to be nice!
... Really? YES!!! SAY IT!!!
I promise to be nice...
... And you have to promise... not to end the world!
I can't. Yes you can! That's a very normal, easy thing to promise! Look, I can do it right now! "I promise not to end the wor-- IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE!!! The CREATOR... of our entire UNIVERSE CHOSE me to do that! I can't just PROMISE that away! That's not how that works! Fine! But... Then...
What? Come on! I'm serious. If I help you escape... and you kill the last Overseers... it'll be my fault. I could save the world right now. I could leave you here...It's genuinely unnerving to hear this come out of Bard. Sure, any other character, or any other person in this universe, be it in game or our own, would absolutely agree with that logic. But this is Bard we're talking about. The man who made friends with bugs because he didn't want to step on them! Talking about potentially killing someone. Bard is 100% right in what he's saying, but I don't know if he could actually pull the trigger on this. He literally can't hurt a fly, how can he hurt someone that he, in a way, idolizes?
Don't do that! That won't...
Ugh...
! There. Okay? Yeah!
Look, Audrey! I think they're telling us to follow them!!! ... ...Well... Don't mind if I do!
That scene is one of the longest in the game, but is one of my favorites. It's probably my favorite scene that doesn't involve Miriam (remember her?) in it. There's more I'd like to talk about in regards to the scene, but there will be more conversations with Audrey that will give more context and information, so I'll wait till we have that.
MUSIC: Cave Exploration
One of those conversations is right here. Yes, they decided to leave their entrapped area and then immediately started talking to each other again.
I can't believe we're getting out of this. When I realized my sword was gone... I thought I was done for. I feel naked without it. Even if we get out of here... I don't know what I'll do without my sword. I hope it's still on top of the mountain. What do you need it for anyway? You're not killing Overseers anymore! It's more than that. It's the source of my powers! Without it... I'm basically nothing. Audrey... that's not true! Your sword isn't what makes you great! Well, my sword is what lets me shoot lightning. I would say that's pretty great. She's got a big point there, I'd feel pretty depressed about losing the ability to shoot lightning.
What were you like... before you knew you were the Hero? Before I was the Hero... nobody cared about me. NObody? Why would they? I mean yeah, I'm strong, and smart, and pretty... but... lots of people are those things. That's not what makes people care about you. ... When I got the sword... THAT'S when they cared.At least she doesn't lack for confidence. Still insecure, but not in a self-loathing way. More of a narcissistic way, I guess.
So, Eyala tested you in a dream, right? Yeah! Did she test you, too? Yeah. When the end of the world is nigh... I think everyone in the world has that dream. That's how they find the Hero. ...EVERYONE? Everyone. They're all told the world's ending, too. But most everyone forgets about it after, or pushes the knowledge to the back of their mind. It's a hard thing to accept. There was some slight hinting of this WAY back in Langtree. Marley told us she felt like she had a dream about the world ending, and thought it was nonsense until the ghosts came.
How did you become friends with the bugs, anyway? I was just very very careful! Everyone steps on bugs without thinking... can you imagine how that feels? What, to step on bugs? No! To be stepped on!
Sounds pretty painful. Not just painful... it's sad... when nobody even cares about you. So I don't step on the bugs, Audrey! And just for that, they're your friends? Yup! Caring about others goes a long way! ... How could you care... about something so insignificant... like bugs? How did you even know they would help you? Huh? I didn't know they would help me! That's not why I care about them, Audrey. I care about them because they're living things! And even if they never did anything to help me at all... they would still be worth caring about. ...Not gonna lie, I may have spared a bug or two's life since playing this game. It's pretty dumb, but hey there it is. Not sparing roaches though, you can't guilt me on those things
You're so... ... Simple. Hmm. I guess I am!
Let's go...With that, Audrey's done talking for a bit. Let's head out of this cave and try and make it back to the topside. We still need to find the Overseer and get the Earthsong, after all. Even if Audrey's sworn off killing them, the Overseers are still corrupting by the moment.
Audrey will now follow us... for a moment. She's faster than Bard and will quickly catch up to us and lap us.
We still need to direct bugs to move boulders so we can pass through or use them for platforming. Though no where near as much as we did previously.
I was definitely not joking about Audrey by the way, she's easily faster than Bard. Which is cool! She's the super strong Hero, ordained by Eya herself. Her being stronger and faster than us is a little detail the developer didn't have to do, but is super cool they did.
She will wait for Bard after getting too far ahead, but only for a moment. For the most part she goes at her own pace.
DON'T STEP ON THE BUGS!!! Oh. I wasn't even watching for them...
But they're special! Bugs are cool, Audrey! And they're our friends! And you PROMISED... to be nice! ... Okay, well... can you ask them to move? Why yes we can!
Audrey just makes the jump with no issue... we need it to be a bit higher to make it ourselves.
Now she's just showing off.
Uh... wait... this looks... really really familiar. Are we in a castle...? We were just in the caves, like we were earlier. But now we seem to be in some Overseer's castle??
This is definitely an Overseer castle, though it seems mostly destroyed. What happened here?
...OH. MY. GOD. Is that... a dog fairy???
MUSIC: Heart Fairy
... Is this... an Overseer castle...?
Yes!!!
...Moon Fairy move over, because there's a new favorite in town.
Why is there a castle inside this cave? I don't know!!! Why is there a cave inside this castle??? Oh. It's because the spirit world collapsed... so everything there got pushed into here. Bark!!! Seems paws-ible!!!SFX: Slidewhistle
Ugh. Wait! So, does that mean... the Overseer is here? No!!!
All this weird stuff started happening at once!!! The King of Hearts got sick!!! And started acting funny... and making monsters!!! And now we're in a cave??? And he ran away!!! I don't know what I'm supposed to do!!! You're not supposed to do anything. The King of Hearts can't be fixed. The only thing anyone can do... is end his misery. WHOA WAIT A SECOND!!! AUDREY!!! YOU PROMISED... NO KILLING OVERSEERS!!!
That's right. I did... but then... what should we do? Do you think it's better this way? The King of Hearts a beast, skulking-- Wait a second. Is the King of Hearts... a big black wolf monster? Yes!!! Well... he is now!!! But he was nice before!!! So that monster we saw earlier... THAT was the King of Hearts??It was somewhat obvious if you were able to get a good look at it. I had noticed it on the mountain climb during my first play through, when I saw the crown on its head. Plus, we saw what happened to the Sun's King... the Overseers' final stage seems to be horrific giant monsters.
Are you??? Really??? Gonna KILL HIM??? No! We'll find... another way! Right, Audrey? ... What're you gonna do? SING to him? Maybe! That's ridiculous! That might work!!! The King of Hearts really likes music!!! If there's any bit of him left... and you put allllll your Heart into it...!!!
It's worth a shot!!! Yes!!! See, Audrey! We have to try! ... And... you PROMISED! Okay! Okay, fine! We'll do it your way. Maybe... maybe, it can work after all. That would be nice...