-The next step seems to be how to avert crashing into the meteor to die a certain death, but wouldn’t stopping that collision doom the planet?
-Oh. Phew. They’re launching an escape pod without averting the collision.
- <3 you Yuffie. She wants to steal the Huge Materia. Is that used to power the rocket or to lend the rocket weight when it hits the meteor?
-To unlock the huge materia, I need a passcode. Hm.
-That was an intense three minutes.
Had to adapt to the logic puzzle Cid was throwing out about the activation code on the fly (“Ok once,” “2nd key not menu or cancel,” “1st not switch”) and failed. Just not enough time. Whatever.
-Some explosion inside the ship throws debris onto Cid, stopping him from getting up.
-YES! EAT IT, CID! The tank that blew was Tank #8, that Shera told him was problematic.
-Shera emerges!! She stowed away on the rocket.
She’s awesome. I want more of her.
-…and of course, just by raw habit, Cid immediately calls her a “stupid *****.” You’re SO GROSS.
-At least he apologizes afterwards.
-Shera checked the escape pod to make sure it’s in working order, and Cid now trusts that. Good. Some progress.
-The pod launches. They escape and plummet towards the Planet.
-Neat cinematic of the rocket slamming into the meteor and a montage of people we met reacting to it.
-Well. Shit. It didn’t work.
Damaged the meteor, but some force seems to be holding the meteor together. Credit where credit’s due: it was a good attempt by Shinra.
-Still not 100% sure what Sephiroth’s goal here is. AND OH BTW WHO IS JENOVA.
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The Highwind
-Despair and frustration reign, but Cid and Tifa help refocus things. What’s our next step? And where’s Shera gonna go?
-Cid seems to have a plan. Being in space gave him perspective on how small the Planet really is.
“The planet’s a kid, sick and trembling in this universe. Someone has to protect it.” Please say aliens please say aliens please say aliens
-Oh. It’s us, not aliens. I’ll live. <span class="idc-smiley"><span style="background-position: -12px 0pt;"><span>:D</span></span></span>
-LOL – after a beautiful speech like that, Cid doesn’t really know how to stop it. Reminds me of a Toby-Will exchange from “The West Wing:”
WILL: I came here to show you the spots and tell you I think we should run a counter-ad. I don't have an idea for one.
TOBY: Well, get one. Have an idea. Don't come in here with half a thing and not be able to, y'know, after you've walked me to the brink, and say we've got to do this, it's important, though I have no earthly idea how!
-Ruh roh. A whining or screaming noise. It’s the Planet’s scream that Bugenhagen told us about. Next stop is Cosmo Canyon to check in with him.
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Cosmo
-Outside of Cosmo, I have a nervewracking moment where I think I’m pincer attacked by Tonberries, but it turns out their just low level Sahagins.
-An elder is reading the “Book of Stars.”
-Not sure how many of these Turtle Inn posters I’ve found, but I get the sense that something good happens if I find em all, like the FFV pianos. Though I’m still not sure what happened with that beyond a sense of completion.
-Bugenhagen tells us there’s likely some wisdom buried within us that will help. Cloud knows all about that.
-The party gathers together. This may be a group effort.
-Aw. Cloud says he remembers Aeris.
-Bugenhagen’s response is… interesting. He says that she’s not gone and remembered, but rather by our side. Does he mean her memory, or is she about to be our wisecracking ghost sidekick?
-No, not that. Something about the words she left behind. She said she was the only one who could stop Sephiroth’s meteor. It’s certainly not unprecedented for the FF series to call upon a dead ally’s spirit for aid. That happened in pretty much every game except for Final Fantasy I.
(Actually, maybe it didn’t happen in FFVI – I can’t remember. But definitely in II, III, IV, and V. I’m really curious whether it’s a part of wider Japanese culture or even Shinto.)
-Now the party’s talking about going to “that place” where Aeris faced down Sephiroth. The Forgotten City?
-We’re off, but first Bugenhagen takes the Huge Materia (I thought that was lost with the rocket??) off our hands.
-The Huge Materia carries a consciousness inside. Creepy! I mean, probably not intended that way, but still.
-It looks the same as “command materia.” Not sure what that means.
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The Highwind
-We hop aboard with Bugenhagen, and before I finish this session, I want to note a fascinating exchange with Tifa. Cloud expresses sorrow that she died on that altar, but Tifa says she doesn’t think that was intended at all. That Aeris knew she’d come back.
Again, whether this means that we’ll see her cohesive spirit or that she’ll be back in a more disperse form as part of the lifestream I don’t know. I’d bet on the former.
Not so sure of that, Barret.
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Next time: Back to the Forgotten City? Maybe?
