Part 57: Final Final Boss and Ending

Update 57: A World Beyond the Horizon

FINAL BOSS BATTLE: NEGA FILGAIA PHASE 10



MUSIC: The End of the Beginning
VIDEO: Nega Filgaia FINAL FORM

If it's a nightmare you seek, then a nightmare you'll get...



One that never ends, and one you cannot wake from. Rot in my endless nightmare!!

Apparently this is what the "life force" of a world looks like.
I'd say it's a good thing they forced Billy to take a human form.



A rather strange fight, this!
He's weak against all kinds of elements... but not for long.



First thing to remember - GREAT DRIFTERS STEAL



There it is!

EX File Keys found: 15/15



On his turn, he will summon one of four tentacles to help him out. He'll also summon the corresponding tentacles early if you hit him with elemental damage, so don't do that.
Each tentacle attacks for him, as well as removing two of his elemental weaknesses and giving him a stat buff. These advantages are removed when the tentacle is destroyed, but if you hit him with elemental damage after they're gone he'll re-summon them. So don't do that.



Oricoflagamus

I suspect this name is mistranslated, as some other tentacles have names that come from plant genus, but Oricoflagamus only seems to turn up in webpages about Wild Arms 3. I'm no botanist so I have no idea what it should be, correct me if you know.

EDIT: Spacebard and Polsy tracked it down! It should be Orychophragmus, a family of plants that includes Chinese Violet Cress. Yup, we're being attacked by cress.

Its presence removes Nega Filgaia's Water and Dark weaknesses, and gives its magical power a boost. (which is bad as when it starts attacking, Nega Filgaia exclusively uses magic and is quite mean with it)



It attacks every turn with Sediment of the Styx, wherein it floods the arena with dark water and tries to drown us. It does both Dark and Water damage to everyone, though apparently being warded against only one element is enough to reduce the damage from both.



Matricaria

Named after a genus of plants that includes Mayweed and Chamomile. Yeah it sounded a bit more formidable before I told you that. Just remember it's a huge root that's longer than 10 Boones.
It removes Nega Filgaia's Earth and Ice weaknesses, and boosts its DEF.



Hrimthurs' Eternal Ice Wall - I'm not sure what Chamomile has to do with the guy who built the walls of Asgard. (he got totally cheated by the way)
Still, this deals both ice and earth damage.



Krukmer

What's a Krukmer? No idea. Regardless, it removes his Light and Thunder weaknesses and improves magic resistance.



Apocalypse's Thunderclap is its attack, dealing both Light and Thunder damage to the whole party.



Vanda

Another genus of flowers, this one contains orchids. And we all know what orchids do: remove weaknesses to fire and wind, and provide a massive Reflex boost. Nega Filgaia is now the fastest character in the battle.



Tsohanoai's Solar Wind - Tsohanoai was the Native American god of the sun. Not sure what that has to do with orchids either, but it sure is a fire and wind attack.



Quite a formidable lot, especially since once all of its tentacles have been formed at least once, it will start to use its own supermove - Seyfert Microcosm.



A huge energy field forms above Nega Filgaia...



And inside, a trio of tentacles rush through the void, before reaching a bright light.



Whatever it does, it kind of hurts, especially since its about to be followed up by all four tentacles carrying out their own attacks.
From now on you can look forward to seeing this attack every turn. Really, your best chance is to kill him off before he even gets a chance to use it - very possible if you throw everything you have at him.



Doc fires everything he has...



So does Billy (badly timed since Matricaria just appeared and gave him extra DEF)



Boone does a VERY nice job summoning Zephyr, which is enough to kill off all the tentacles, restoring the elemental weaknesses and removing Nega Filgaia's MAG, DEF, MGR and RFX buffs.

And Pearl?



She pulls out her dual pistols and blasts twenty rounds into the body of Nega Filgaia.



Well done, you just killed an entire planet.



My Filgaia and I have been defeated... But your Filgaia will come to an end as well... My Filgaia, and your Filgaia... Everything is composed of opposites: Day and night, positive and negative... Everything is structured to cancel each other out. Just like my Filgaia in the dream world, and your Filgaia... The connected world will also perish with my demise... They will eventually expel each other... Everything will come to an end... You... me... Everything will be engulfed in nothingness... Heeheeheeheeheeheeheehee...

Some time later?



MUSIC: The Greatest Smiles in Memory
VIDEO: Ending, credits and epilogue

Where are we?

Great. The entire universe was destroyed.
Destroyed? Then where are we now?
I don't know. But I can darn well tell you where we're not: The universe.



Daddy...!? Daddy, where are we?
This is the [horizon]. Everything has transformed into memories, and all the memories have gathered here at the horizon...



The horizon...?
An interval between reality and the dream world... The horizon that separates the two worlds. And... the emulator zone, known as the information library Hyades.

Hold on, didn't we cut Filgaia's link to Hyades?
... this isn't going to be addressed, is it?



This... is Hyades...? ...
A white world of nothingness... Did our Filgaia end up like this? Just a void...? Oh... So we weren't able to accomplish anything...
An existence will one day cease to exist. And this existence is nothing but a mere memory to begin with... ... Existence is a form of memory passed down through history.

What? The hell does that mean?

We all fought so hard to protect everyone's memories... But I guess...
Wait a minute! Memories!!



If Filgaia and all life living there are a form of memory, then all we have to do is create memories again! Every one of us has to gather up the memories we have towards the future! And this is a horizon where all the memories are gathered!!



Pearl takes out the Old Terminal her father once used to project his form. Hold on, wasn't that damaged by Beatrice?
... this isn't going to be addressed, is it?

If Beatrice was able to create a Filgaia from memories... Then if I use this terminal to unify everyone's memories as one, Filgaia may once again...
And likewise, we use the Yggdrasil System's generator that was transformed into memories!

Yeah! Wait, what? No! You can use it sure, but it's still just a memory of a generator, not an actual generator! Hows it going to make something in the real world?

It will take a miracle for this to succeed. This is an unlikely coincidence, but do you believe it will work?



Coincidence is a part of fate. We're not just leaving this miracle to chance. My efforts and everybody else's will unify the Filgaia that's in our hearts into a form. It's a Filgaia from our memories, so it might be a bit dusty, but we can all work to change that!

Creating a Filgaia from memories... That is the same game plan as the dream-demon, but will it work? But if indeed it is possible, Billy's memories will also be included... If we still have his memories of the former Filgaia, then maybe... just maybe the Filgaia of before will arise... This is like planting a single seed into the wasteland... it will be a miracle if it blooms...

I agree, it will be. This is like getting a god out of a machine, only the machine is imaginary.



I know it'll work, Daddy. I'm not alone... And plus, a miracle is a reward you get for giving it your best. At least that's what I think... Or else the fruits of our efforts won't be worth the price...



The terminal glows brightly, and...



MUSIC: The Greatest Smiles in Memory (midpoint)

Is everyone... alive...?
You're the one who was out cold until now...
The world... Is Filgaia still here!?



Yes! Yes! We all made it!
Yes, we all made it back safely.



Pearl gets up and looks over the balcony, at Lamium's dead body.

(Lamium... We'll bring forth Filgaia's future you wanted...)

BANG!



Crap, someone's shooting at her!



Albert, the kid who introduced us to the Ark in the first place, is on the ground floor. His aim is uneven and nervous, but he is definitely shooting at Pearl.


Wh-What are you doing up there...? D-Did you do this...? Wh-Why did you kill the founder!?
No... Wait! It's not what you think! You've got it all wrong!



He keeps missing, but the surprise makes Pearl fall backwards. Probably a good idea.



E-Everyone! In here!! The founder! The founder has been...



Talk about bad timing... the worst! But they're pretty green at fighting. We could still fight our way out...
No, we can't do that!!



We have no other choice! We've been showered with fire before! What's the difference now!? Don't tell me we're commitin' suicide!
No, nothing like that! We're not going to lay down our lives!
Then how the hell do we get out of this pinch!?
You are the leader. If you have a way out, we will follow your orders.



Pearl hesitates for a moment, then as one the group draws their ARMs.



But Pearl lets the bullets fall out of their chambers.



MUSIC: The Greatest Smiles in Memory (midpoint)

The first hurdle I had to overcome after becoming a Drifter was... the fact that my concept of what justice is doesn't always hold true in the wasteland... But still, an unwavering sense of justice lies within me. It compels me to hold true to my convictions. I won't let my feelings waver. I'm going to carry through. That's my definition of justice.



We've traveled the right path up until now, haven't we? We may have stumbled, but we did the right thing, right?
Yeah, I think so. There's no way we would live slavishly.



Then... We won't need ARMs any more. Let's just hold our heads high and run out!!



See, this is why you don't give cultists guns. It never ends well.



MUSIC: Elegy for the Villains

Fine... fine... I'm in. But I'm not accompanying you to the otherworld.
I don't have enough memories yet. I'm not goin' out until I have enough memories, just like everyone else.
You are an unpredictable leader... Just like a storm. Whether to believe this storm can blow away all our problems is the question...
A storm, huh. You said it...
It reminds me of that stormy night on the train, where we all met by coincidence. But I never thought the last stop would turn out like this...
A coincidence is a part of fate. I'm really, really glad I met all of you. We had some rough times together, but more than anything, it was fun. It was fun because I was with you. Our memories together can't be bought by any treasure... Right?

Right.



There is a clatter as the rest of the drifters unload their ARMs.

Our every step is always headed toward the future...







VIDEO: Credits including the song "Wings"



EPILOGUE



MUSIC: To the End of the Wilderness
VIDEO: Epilogue

A wanted bill is posted in the side of a dilapidated house in Little Twister.



The Drifters are suspected of murdering the Order leader, and assaulting the Order members.
Minor injuries: many.
Seriously injured: none.
As key suspects to the crime, their whereabouts are still unknown...

Hm, we should probably bear the value of that bounty in mind. It might be important someday in a really stupid way.
The poster blows away. Elsewhere in town...



MARTINA! The hell are you doing running away from home again? Don't tell us you're here to visit your aunt or something.
(she is, she tells you she wants to in chapter 4)

What are you running from anyway?



Oh, hey! It's those two!



Martina tries to run, but looks behind her and ends up running straight into someone.



Whoa, there...! I love it when women make the first move.



Why does trouble always seem to come from over there...?




Help me, please!! Bad guys are chasing me!



It's a shame, really... We're actually villains ourselves...



Except we don't put up with thugs!




Noooooooooooooo!!

Y-Y-You guys are...



I hope you haven't forgotten about the great memories we had together!



The two thugs run away, and the drifters find an out of the way place to confer.

Well, what now? I guess we should lay low, huh?
You're the one who sticks out like a sore thumb.
We should let everyone know that we're all right. What do you say we hit Humphrey's Peak first?
Thank you... I would appreciate that...



And with that the drifters leave town, outlaws and wanted men. I guess they'll be fine - they have gods and a dragon on their side after all - but have we really accomplished everything we wanted to?



Who can say?






And that's the end of the story, the game... and almost the LP. There's just one thing left to check out...


EX FILE KEYS - THE FINAL INSULT



Upon completing the game, we're given the option to save an "EX File." Load it up and we're given...



.. a nice piece of art and...



Four options to spend our accumulated EX File Keys on. the cost of all four options adds up to 15 - the max number of keys.
Yes, I know it says I only have 14 EX File Keys. I completed the game again with my level 80+ characters and forgot to steal from Nega Filgaia. But still, it's fortunate, as this will help demonstrate a problem with this entire system.

Those options then...



Opening Movie - costs 8 EX File Keys

Watch the various versions of the opening movie. Made obsolete by Youtube. To my surprise, there are a few movies I wasn't aware of. One where Asgard gets a second or two of screentime....



... and of course the ones with the whistle versions of the themes and - again to my surprise - Japanese lyrics.



Exit Movie - costs 4 EX File Keys

Watch the various versions of the closing movie that plays after you save and quit. Made obsolete by saving and quitting, as as far as I can tell they're all identical except one is a whistle theme.



Status - costs 1 EX File Key

Displays your character status as of the end of the game. Made obsolete by loading your game and looking at your character status. Seriously, it costs 1 EX File key to unlock this. That means it's supposedly a reward equivalent in value to defeating Ragu O Ragla or Arioch.



The only reward worth a damn is starting an new game with your levels and gella carrying over, but... it costs two EX File Keys and I only have one left!

No matter. The game doesn't ever save the fact that you've USED those keys, so quit to the title screen and reload and...



They're all back. So all you ever need to unlock everything is eight keys. And all you ever need to unlock everything you'd WANT is two.
EX File Keys. It's a mug's game.



Still, going back to the start of the game with high level characters is kinda fun. All you keep is your levels and gella though.



All other items, gear and mediums are lost. Well, except from the Sheriff Star we got from Ragu o Ragla. In theory you could complete the game four times, picking up a Sheriff Star each time, and let all four characters get one. I won't be doing it.



And that's it! I really enjoyed making this LP, in spite of any complaints I really love this game, and I hope you enjoyed reading it...



Huh? You can use smilies?
I won't let you end it like that!


A DAY A DAY

Today is April 21, Turn-Off Day. The great King Garbeth III of Meria Boule thought naming a day for turn-offs will be good for his country. Come to think of it, it sure turns me off to know that today is turn-off day.

Today is April 22, Circle Day. The mother of all round things is the planet Filgaia herself. Filgaia is our mother. Our mother is round. With that argument, my round mother is actually Filgaia. Make sense?

Today is April 23, Furball Day. Once you start grooming to pick off furballs and fleas, you just can't stop. Engineers supposedly incorporated this logic into the Emma Motor, but I wonder how it works?

Today is April 24, Back-of-the Knee Day. The back of the knee is the spot where your knee drops when you push on it. You've played this trick on your friends too, right?

Today is April 25, Coffee Day. A farmer who was storing beans for landowner's tax accidentally let his beans go rotten. Wondering what to do with the damaged beans, he poured hot water over it. 'Mmm, this smells good!' he said. And that's how coffee was invented.

Today is April 26, Idea Day. There was a gloomy man who tried to make poison from herbs to kill the woman he hated... One day, he accidentally spilled the herbal mixture over his clothes, leaving a green stain. The stain was so stubborn it couldn't be washed away. Seeing this, the man decided to market the concoction as green paint, instead.


Happy now?
Yeah... but...
But?
Well, I started on May the second right? But you finished early! It's only April 26th, and I have some days left over. What am I supposed to do with the poor things?
Well, you could always just show them now.
Are you sure? It kinda feels like bad luck, looking ahead like that...
Ah, how could it hurt? Go ahead.




Our memories, into the future...

Today is April 27, Yawn Day. Sometimes when you yawn too much, your jaw drops. You're afraid to drop your jaws, but can't go on living without yawning... That's why Yawn Day was made to commemorate the sad dilemma we all face.

Today is April 28, Chicken Fight Day. In the garden, there was a rooster, a hen, a weathercock, and three turtles. The chickens and the turtles didn't get along at all. The weathercock kept the peace between them, but one night, both parties found him to be the most irritating of all and was bludgeoned by both sides. Power struggles can be so gruesome.

Today is April 29, Meat Day. Vegetarians won't be having any fun today, but luckily I'm a carnivore! I just have to be careful not to 'pig' out.

Today is April 30, Jeans Day. Jeans are often called denims lately, but who cares? Rose will be rose and jeans will be jeans, I say.

Today is May 1, Wet Towel Day. To feel like a wet towel means to feel heavier with each tear you shed. You can also take it as regret for being born in this world. If you take the opposite view, though, things like guardians and monsters are probably happy they weren't born as humans.