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A Solitary Patron (2-3)
-Tons of chaos inside Snow’s palace. The cyclopes give me especial trouble at first.
-Blitz does so much damage! I assumed as an aoe it’d be weaker than attack, but I gotta keep an open mind.
-It’s strange being back in the starting palace. I expected it to be my last stop.
-Speaking of which, I didn’t mind XIII’s linearity, but I very much love how open LR is! [Non-rhetorical question: do you even need to complete Luxerion first, or could you have just skipped to one of the other zones and returned to Luxerion later?]
I know XIII got lots of hate for its linearity. LR must hold a special place in fans’ hearts for this freedom.
-Everything hints at Snow becoming a Cie’th during our coming fight.
-The double Anubis configuration takes some getting used to. Gotta play very defensively.
-Found an ally in one of Snow’s guards. He sees what’s happening, wants me to help free the Patron.
-Snow is aware of his own decline. Asked his guards to “kill him without hesitation” if he became a danger. Now, they just hear monstrous screams from inside Snow’s chamber.
-Reached Snow’s door. It’s frozen over magically, and regular fire won’t help.
How do I break through? Gonna keep exploring.
-Found an odd “room.” A prison cell with a bed, a desk. Snow’s room?
-LR COMBAT IS SO DAMN SATISFYING! Like with the Anubys. I love watching it approach, trying to read whether it’s gonna jump or drag its weapon and respond with the right guard timing. What a rush!
-Got inside the cell. Snow’s pendant for Serah is here. I’ll bet this is like that werewolf trope where he locks it up to keep loved ones safe from him. The pendant represents Serah, and maybe Snow goes Cie’th at times. Or just hates himself.
-Yup, the pendant breaks the frost on Snow’s door. The room is full of Chaos (and Snow).
SNOW: “[Killing me] didn’t work before, but you look different this time.” It’s the cat ears.
-He claims this was all a test to see if I’m the real Lightning. Only the real Lightning would know what Serah’s pendant means and think to use it to break through the door.
I suppose I believe that. He spent hundreds of years fighting without me, and I suddenly appear? Sus.
-I follow Snow into a deeper chamber, and it’s so full of Chaos that it’s hard to see.
-He spends his energy keeping it contained, and his reserves are running low. Reminds me of Vanille. He’ll go full Cie’th soon.
Maybe that was Cactuar’s Focus for him, to keep people safe? Or maybe I’m misunderstanding what turns someone Cie’th, and raw despair is enough.
-This storyline is amazing. It’s a great twist on Snow’s “I’m the hero” schtick. He’s had five hundred years to dwell on how shit a hero he was (in his mind, anyway).
Serah died, the world’s dying, and protecting a dying town at the end feels almost like mockery.
-His brand burns. “Let me do this! I’m tired of being useless.”
-Again, the voice acting is top notch. “Give me this last thing! Let me get it right, just this once.”
-Lightning pushes back, says he’s just looking for an easy way out. That’s kinda cold.
-But he’s not listening. He’s in such despair after not being able to save Serah or the world.
“This is what I deserve. I know it, and you know it.”
-He sucks all the Chaos into himself.
-Then he whispers. Asks me to destroy him, his Cie’th self.
-Boss time. Here we go.
-He’s less nimble than Noel was, as is to be expected. More of a straight puncher.
-Not too bad a fight. Wait for Riposte then blast with fire, guard against his main attacks – especially the chaos geyser of Sanctify.
-The Chaos begins to disappear.
-Then Lumina arrives because of course she does.
-oh shit, I thought we saved him, but not yet. He finished sucking the Chaos into himself and now he’s mostly Cie’th. Lumina asks me to put him out of his misery. Uhhh how about no?
-Lightning walks up. Holds her pendant to him… and punches him in the face with it. Hits him repeatedly. Really kicks the crap out of him.
-…it’s not working, Lightning, stahp.
-Lumina taunts Lightning. Sort of? She urges her to finish Snow off, give him some rest after all he’s been through these past 500 years. For all the mocking tone, I’m still convinced she means well.
This was his wish, after all.
-Crap. Snow attacks, nearly all red-eyed Cie’th. Please don’t be phase two.
-Lightning stops punching with her fists and starts punching with her memories of Serah. Really weaponizes her.
“Her soul is dreaming of being with you again, you fool. If you’re not here, then what’s my sister supposed to come home to? Snow… I’m begging you. You have to live. I need you, Snow. To bring Serah back.”
-She shoves the pendant against him. Light envelops them… and he’s back. PHEW.
-I like how quickly the best version of their old relationship returns. Teasing and joking with each other.
-Snow will hold on a little longer as the Patron, until Lightning can guide everyone to this new world.
LIGHTNING: “Stay strong. Someday, you’ll be all [Serah] has.” What?? Is she not going to this new world with everyone?
Perhaps. Even Moses brought his people to the promised land, but was forbidden from entering himself.
-For now, she’s saved Snow’s soul.
He’s ready to be a hero again.
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Luxerion
-I spend the last few hours before 6am on some Luxerion side quests.
-The most interesting side quest involves tracking someone’s long-lost wife. Turns out, she aged and died as an old woman.
SHE AGED. That’s unheard of, since the Chaos broke loose. No explanation why yet.
-I’m not fretting too much about these side quests. There are a number I’ve made some progress on but haven’t solved fully. I’ll get them or I won’t.
-Vanille says Fang went to the Dead Dunes to search for a Holy Clavis to help Vanille.
-The third day ends. I feel like (and hope!) I’m doing okay on time.
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Lumina and Ark
-More Lumina interlude time. She’s pissed at how Lightning talked Snow down. Specifically, she feels I was putting words in Serah’s mouth.
LUMINA: “Serah’s not even dead. And I’m not talking about any of that sweet, ‘oh, she’s still alive in everyone’s heart’ garbage, y’know?”
like… her spirit is in the aether, or she’s a waitress in Yusnaan somewhere? Lightning interprets Lumina’s words as the former.
(I still believe Lumina contains some significant part of Serah.)
-Anyway, the next Yggdrasil branch blossoms. Still six days until the end. Day four begins.
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Next time: the Dead Dunes.
