Part 8: Episode VIII: Fei Fong Wong vs. A Goddamn Dinosaur

Episode VIII: Fei Fong Wong vs. A Goddamn Dinosaur


Now, where were we...?

Music: Steel Giant


Oh right. Elly was getting attacked by a fuckin' dinosaur!

Fei runs after Elly...




It seems our scaly friend was nice enough not to immediately devour Elly and has instead decided to parade her around in his stubbly lil’ arms.


But, seeing Fei rush to the rescue has caused him to lose interest in her and instead turn it on our hero.


“Darn! She's unconscious!"
”Sheesh. Was she just getting jumped by every critter with teeth she came across since she wandered in here? No wonder she was all jumpy when we met...”


Welp. Now we’re fighting a dinosaur... I honestly did not see that whole session of angst and melodrama segueing into “...And then a giant prehistoric lizard attacked!” But...well here we are...


Since Fei either has massive balls or...isn’t all that bright...he decides to practice his kung fu skills on Barney. Unfortunately, mixed martial arts do not work so well on three story tall thunder lizards.


Luckily, the “Rankar Dragon” (no relation to the Rancor) is pretty terrible at fighting as far as dinosaurs go. It mostly just tries to swat Fei with its tail and...yeah, that’s about it. This goes on for a little bit until...






Citan out of fucking nowhere with a helicopter robot crab!




Bam! Giant robot! Rankar Dragon does not know what the fuck!


”I mean I JUST used this thing to accidentally kill everyone in Lahan. I didn’t want to see it ag—“


“Gah! Cute redhead is in danger. Screw it! Giant robot piloting it is!”


“I will defeat this monster! But, if it looks like I'll go out of control like last time, then shoot me!"


He says that now. But you just know Citan will totally cap a bitch if it comes down to it.


Tactical Anime Action: Crotch Gear Solid


Alright, time for our first boss battle: The Rankar Dragon. This thing, like most every initial RPG boss battle in existence, is a total pushover. All we need to do is just lay on the heavy attacks until it is dead.


Rankar does possess an annoying ability to vomit black smoke all over Fei’s gear, causing a slow status effect on him. Status effects in Xenogears stack. So, if this thing decides to be a dick and spam its slow breath a few rounds in a row...this battle could take a little while to conclude. Fei can counter this by activating Booster mode on his Gear. Booster will consume Fuel every round in exchange for greatly speeding up its ATB gauge. Booster really should be used in moderation as we’ll be burning through enough Fuel just attacking enemies. But there you have it.




Other than that, Rankar just continues with its tail sweep antics and not much out. I don’t even think it ever attempts to bite anything. What a lame fantasy T-Rex.


Anyhow, here’s a picture of a giant robot uppercutting a dinosaur in the jaw to save the girl. It’s probably one of the more awesome things you’ll see today.


Amusingly, Rankar’s death animation makes him topple straight on top of the unconscious Elly. Fortunately, it is just a silly design oversight. This sadly isn’t going to be a plot about a bumbling yokel traveling the world meeting cute love interests and then accidentally murdering them due to robotic kung fu shenanigans.

Fei hops out of the Gear after slaying the boss...

Music: Forest of the Blackmoon


"Fei! Are you alright?"
"Yeah... I guess so."
"That fight with the Rankar was remarkable. An ordinary Gear could not defeat that monster. And you certainly keep yourself in good shape..."
"Why did you bring this here, doc?"
”Wasn’t I heading this way through the forest to get some distance between myself and this thing...? I think I remember that correctly.”
"This...? You mean Weltall?"
"...Weltall? This is the Gear that destroyed our village. Why did you bother bringing it here? I never want to see another Gear again..."
"I understand how you must feel... But, in order to protect yourself you need a certain degree of strength. Even more since we are being pursued."
"I agree that a certain degree of strength is needed for self-defense. And if it weren't for this Gear here, Elly and I'd be in that Rankar's stomach right now... But its power goes beyond what is necessary. Does one really need the power to destroy everything?"
”I see you are at the Angst stage of loss...”
"I don't need that kind of power... I just hate Gears."
"Fei, using power or being used by power...is that not a problem of the heart...? If humans do not use their power for wrong it can be a good thing... I believe such power can help us. In that respect, I know you will be fine. It sure helped you out this time. Am I right?"
”I understood like three words of that, Doc.”
*rubs chin* “Fei...sometimes a giant robot is just a giant robot.”
“Well...what else would it be...?”
*rubs eyes* “Nevermind. I am just saying we could use this Gear to our advantage.”
"I want to believe that. But something is holding me back. This Gear... Well, whatever... At least Elly is safe now."

Citan and Fei walk over to Elly...

"She seems to have come to."
”Doc... Maybe you should move over to where I’m standing?”
“Hmm...?”
“Eshay isway oinggay otay inkthay ouyay ereway ookinglay upway erhay irtskay.”

Elly regains consciousness and jumps to her feet...


“GAH! Hiellythisismyfrienddoccitanhetotallywasnottryingtolookupyourskirt!”
"I am Citan...a friend of Fei's. You almost did not make it. If Fei had not have helped you, I hate to think what may have happened. But I was not too pleased with his rashness in trying to take on that Rankar with just his bare fists."
"Bare fists?"
”Yeah umm...I found out that roundhouse kicking a dragon is...not as effective as you’d think...”
“I...would not think that would be effective whatsoever...”
“Yea...”
"Well, I am glad that you were able to find a use for what I brought you."
*looks at Weltall* "!!"
<Crap!>
"Let us just say we are borrowing what the Kislev army left behind..."
"...Oh."
"Thank you, Fei. This makes twice."
"Don't mention it. I'll just put it on your tab."
"It is getting dark. Let us make camp now and start out early tomorrow. The both of you look tired and I need to make some repairs on our friend here..."
”Getting dark... Doc, we just woke up like an hour ago... I don’t even think it’s past noon yet... Right...?”
*shrug* “Don’t look at me. I was passed out...”
“Tch... Fine... Alright, back to bed...”

13 hours later...


“The actuator can be fixed, but the circuit needs to be replaced..."

Citan stops practicing country doctor medicine on the advanced technology and jumps down the campfire below...


"Yeah..."
"I imagine you would. You have had quite a day."
”Nothing that a few months of therapy sessions and staying away from lizards of unusual size for the time being won’t fix...”
*turns to Weltall* “This is the machine Fei used when the village was attacked. There was another machine left sitting on the outskirts of the village...”


<Crap!>
"Just as I thought... The missing pilot from the Gear that made an emergency landing in Lahan...and the mysterious woman found wandering lost in the forest... are actually one and the same person. Judging from your uniform, I would also say you are with the military... Am I correct?"
"How...? Who are you?"
“Oh...just an average rural community doctor...”
"I checked the ID tags of the soldiers who died in the attack on Lahan... The design on their tags and the design on your uniform there is the same. Do not worry, they were given proper burials. But, they may not have been too pleased to die in a foreign land."
"...Maybe."
"Does Fei know about you?"
"I don't think he has realized yet."
"Most likely... Fei knows nothing of the world outside of Lahan."
”Which is a nice way to say that he would have a hard time identifying water if he were tossed into a lake.”
"I see... So how come..."
"...In any case, it is best if we do not pry into each other's pasts anymore."
"But..."


"Anyway, Elly... I have a favor I must beg you to do..."
"...What is it?"
"Go straight ahead and you will come to a road. Then just keep going... Would you please leave us while Fei is still asleep?"
”Come again...?”
"Unfortunate things keep happening around Fei. I would like to protect him if possible... I do not want him caught up in any vain struggles. I am also saying this for your benefit. Elly, you do not belong here. Go back to your family."
"Um... I..."
"Do not worry. I will not tell Fei what your true identity is. I will...just tell him you went to meet up with your family..."
”Or you were dragged away by a bear. I have yet to decide.”
"No, it's not that! I did something terrible to him... So...I want to...apologize."

Music: Tears of the Stars, Hearts of the People


"Fei told me it was our fault your village was destroyed. Fei kept saying... 'if only they hadn't come...' Then, I called Fei a coward because he was trying to escape from the responsibility... But in fact it was me who was trying to escape from taking the blame... If I hadn't crash-landed there, they would all still be living peacefully now. All those innocent people wouldn't have been caught up in that tragedy. But I accused Fei..."
“You are a rarity. I did not expect your people would ever think like that. To your people, surface dwellers are nothing more than domesticated animals, are they not...?"
"'The Shepherds, -Abel-, took control over the surface dwelling -Lambs-...possessing the right to give life and death unto them as they see fit...'"
"Exactly. Yet you seem to feel responsibility toward Fei and the villagers. Why is that?"
"I don't know myself... At Jugend I was taught that surface dwellers were stupid and base... And that is why we have to control them... But..."
"But upon meeting Fei, something about him made you feel differently?"
"Yes. He's no different than we are... in fact he seemed more powerful.”
”He was already three levels ahead of me and I have been in service for a couple years... How does that even work?”
“He possesses something...something we don't. He also risked his life to save me...twice."
"Most of your people would feel ashamed at receiving such an act. Yet, you are grateful to Fei...?"
"It's probably because of my father. He had an open mind to surface dwellers. My nanny was...a surface dweller. No one knew about her though... Besides... I am the same as Fei..."
"The same?"
"No, nothing. Nevermind..."
”Hmm... I see I am not the only one to have studied up on foreshadology.”
“I took a couple courses back in high school...”
"Hmm. I think I understand. I am sorry. After just saying we should not pry... It is my nature, you know? My wife says I am too persistent and that I talk too much. But, personally, I do not think I talk too much."
”You don’t say...”
"It is probably best if you return home to your country. You really should not be here."


"You are worried..."
"Yes..."
"Worrying is natural... 'Even I used to worry once too, you know!?'"
"Oh, Citan..."
”Was...was that supposed to be some cute in-joke?”
*shrug* “I am not sure where I was going with that. It has been a long couple of days. I just buried an entire town, plus your squad, and the Kislev ones as well... I am a bit off my game.”
"Anyway, let me handle what to tell Fei... You had better go now."


Having finished fully cockblocking Fei, Citan watches as Elly treads off alone into the darkness of the woods. A giant eagle immediately swoops down and scoops her up in its talons just feet outside the camp.

The next morning...

Music: Forest of the Black Moon


"Oh, so you were awake?"
"Yes, I woke up midway, so I only heard part of what you two were discussing."
”Seriously, I was leaning on one arm by the fire. How soundly did you really think I was asleep...?”
"..."
"Elly...so that's what she is?"
"Fei, she is..."
”Pretty hot. Yeah...”
“I...meant more the thing with Lahan, Fei.”
“Oh...right. That.”
"I know. It's not Elly's fault. What happened to the village is all my fault. I took out all my pent up feelings on Elly. I'm the one who should apologize."
"Fei, do not blame yourself. It was not your fault either. You were just trying to protect the village."
”Granted, you did probably THE worst job of that task in recorded history. But, it is the intent that counts, no?”
"Thanks, doc... By the way, how is everyone from the village going?"
"Do not worry, Yui is taking care of them. I told her to leave soon and take them all to a certain place. They should be safe for a while. So you just worry about yourself for now."
"Okay, doc."
”So I umm...I guess this is it, huh?”
"Now to think what we should do next... Shall we leave this forest and head for the desert town of Dazil? We may learn what Aveh and Kislev are up to... not to mention getting some parts for Weltall. The leader of Aveh is not going to sit back and let the other night's fiasco go by unpunished!"
”Wait... You’re coming with me? But... Yui. And you daughter. And all the people I injured. What about them? Don’t they need you now more than ever?”
“Ah... Do not trouble yourself over it, Fei. They will be fine...”
“But...”
“Let’s get moving.”
“Alright. So, where did you park the Land Crab thingie of yours?”
“What now?”
“The flying thing you came here carrying that Gear with...?”
“Oh, that? I...parked it somewhere around you. I do not rightly recall after all that excitement with the Rankar. Hmm... I suppose I should have marked that a bit better. Oh well! The desert is not THAT hot this time of year.”
“Great...”

Fei and Citan walk toward the exit to the woods...




"What is that...?"
"I would assume it is an aerial battleship from Aveh..."
"An aerial battleship? I've never heard of Aveh having anything like that."
”Fei, you were calling Gears ‘giants’ like some kind of mystified tribal just yesterday.”
“...”
“...Point taken.”
"Of course it does not come from Aveh originally... Most likely it belongs to the Gebler forces stationed in Aveh."
"Gebler?"
”Well, they used to be called ‘Gevurah’, but when it was translated to the local dialect it was mangled into ‘Gebler’ and that just stuck. Anyway...”
"Special forces from the Sacred Empire of Solaris known as Gebler. I am sure you have heard something about them. They are an organization providing large scale military aide to the Kingdom of Aveh. They showed up in Ignas several months ago. Until then, Aveh was being routed by Kislev. But with Gebler's help they have managed to regain half their losses. They are now expanding their territory and gathering resources buried in the ruins."


"Quite possibly so. Their group has superior technology and power. It is rumored they are here solely to get the resources in the ruins. I am surprised they are using something as powerful as that ship... It must be to suppress the recent border skirmishes."
”In English, doc?”
“I will not point out the anachronism of utilizing that word. But in simpler words: dick waving to scare off invaders.”
"So they are fighting the Kislev Empire?"
"Yes. It seems they have found new ruins on the northern edge of Aveh. Those ruins are under a five-hundred-year-old temple. Three weeks ago Kislev took over those ruins. Most likely they are fighting over that."
”So...what are the odds we are eventually going to end up there at some pont...?”
“I would give it a 50/50 chance.”
“Figured as much.”
“Right, then. Shall we?”
*shrug* “Let’s mosey.”


And off to the desert we go...










Rankar Dragon Concept Art – How did it even manage to pick-up Elly with those stubby little arms?