Closing In On the Truth

Erm, Synth Hydra. Would you mind if I asked you something?

Why so formal, Aldo. That's not like you.

I'd like to go to Horai Village.

Yeah, I did mean to.

It sounds like things have changed.

Something like that.

Very well. I share your interest in the village.

Departure sequence initiated. To 300 AD. Horai Mining Village!

And here we are.

Aldo?

Huh?

It is you, Aldo!

Is that you, Marlowe?!

You've changed a lot since I last saw you! You've matured a lot. There's a calmness about you...

Well, you haven't changed a bit, Aldo. You look as young as ever!

But I was worried about you! It's been a while since I sent that letter to you...

Has it? I came as soon as I got it...

Mayor, look, look! I picked some flowers!

Oh, Mona. What lovely flowers.

Hee hee, they are! Huh? Who's this guy?

I'm Aldo. I'm Marlowe's, the Mayor's friend. Did you move here recently?

Move?

Oh, sorry. I mean, did you move house? You know, when...

Wait. This is strange. I feel as if I recognize this girl.

Well, of course you do. This is... Terry and Sylvia's daughter, after all.

What?! Those two have a daughter already?!

Haha, why are you so surprised, Aldo? How much time do you think has passed since you were last here?

Hmm...

Time?

Oh! It's snack time! Bye bye, Mayor! Bye bye, Aldo!

Wait? Isn't she a bit old to be their daughter?

Now, Aldo, since you're here, come and see the bridge. I think you'll be surprised! Shall we?

Y-Yeah...

Visus Echo! I'm back!

NiGHt... mAreS... *whir* NeVEr ENdiNG NigHTmARes... PeOpLE's DrEAms... ALl baD dReaMs! *whir*

Poor Visus Echo. Look what's happened to you.

NiGHt...MaREs... *whir* waKe... uS wAke... US... uP...

Let's put an end to this. I've brought you the villagers' dreams!

THiS...BO-BoDY... CaNnOT *whir* SToP iT... NO... MaTTEr... wh-WHaT!

Argh, I see! We have to fight first! I'll get you the Rainbow Illusion Stone! Hang in there a little longer!

It's over, Visus Echo. Be free.

Thank... Y...OU... Oper....ator... NOW WE CAN...

At last! The Visus Echo has finally woken up from its nightmare.

But... If someone with bad dreams were to get lost in here... The same thing might happen again. I wish we could do something...

There's no point in thinking about it, I guess. Let's get back to the village and tell Marlowe.

Aldo, you're all right!

Yeah. I showed it your dreams, everyone. It won't go on another rampage fueled by ugly dreams, now. But there's something I want to ask you...

We know it's okay now.

We do, don't we, everybody?

Thank you, Aldo. Right, then...

While you were fighting, Aldo, we were discussing things. And we came to a decision.

We're going to give up on the Prisma ore.

Really? Are you sure?

Even compared to a treasure in front of our eyes, there's something more precious we have that we can't lose.

I shall compose a song... One that tells of an foul monster lurking in the Third Mine. That should stop people going in there.

Good. Now I can relax. And the Visus Embryo should finally be able to sleep in peace.

Yay! Everyone's here!

Mona, what's happened? You're covered in mud.

Hee hee hee, it's a secret! Everyone, come over here!

Hey, where are you going?!

These are...

Sylvia's flowers in Terry's garden?

I'm gonna make Mommy's dream come true! Aren't I clever?

......

Daddy?

Y-Yes, dear? I was away with the fairies...

Good girl, Mona! I'm sure Sylvia's happy too!

Hee hee hee! One day, I'm gonna put flowers all over the village.

So the dream Sylvia had has been passed on like this...

And so has my father's...

Yeah.

But now it really is all over.

What are you talking about? We've only just started!

We've only just started writing a new chapter in the history of this village!

Just watch how the village goes from strength to strength!

Yeah! There'll be more people. And we're gonna build loads more houses. Right, boss?

I've told you before! I'm gonna hammer every last bit of knowledge I have into you then retire. So, work hard for your daughter. And learn your lessons well!

You haven't really got that much left to teach him, you know.

I'll look after Mona when you're at work. So, you can work hard with an easy mind. Of course, I've no intention of closing the Furnace Shop, so keep your business coming.

That's good to know! My explosives will endure eternally, too, hee hee! With Grace I reckon I can make even stronger explosives than the Magic Bomb!

Oi, don't go talking on my behalf! I intend to live a quiet life now. Don't go disturbing my peace!

Calm down, calm down! I'll be sure to bring you presents.

Hmph. Well if that's the case, be sure to bring me something I like next time!

Stories passed from parent to child, person to person...

I feel such pride that I will be the one to make songs of those stories. May this village see eternal peace and prosperity.

This really is a lovely village.

Yes. It is my pride and joy.

This is a village where people embrace the dreams of others and, little by little, make them bigger...

And I hope it lasts forever and ever and ever...

Wow, the bridge is amazing! what kind of magic did you use to get it done so quickly?

It was thanks to Gordon and the efforts of the whole village. Of course, we couldn't have done it without you either, Aldo. I don't know how to thank you.

Hey, Marlowe! Is that who I think it is?!

That's you, isn't it, Aldo!

It's been a while, Aldo.

Huh? Do we know each other?

Hey, quit joking around.

It's us! You were at our wedding!

Wedding?

Wait, Terry... and Sylvia?!

But, you're both so grown up now. I didn't know who I was looking at for a moment there.

You haven't aged at all! I'm so jealous!

Aldo, we've got a lot of catching up to do. How about we take a stroll across the bridge?

Yes, that's a great idea.

I see that a lot of water's passed under the bridge since I've been gone, haha!

Ahaha! Good one! But even funnier than that, there was this time, Marlowe and some copper ore...

Come on, how much longer are you going to go on telling that story?!

Hahaha, I can see that you still get along!

They haven't changed at all. But...

Urgh! *cough cough*

......

Are you all right, Sylvia?

I'm fine, really... That walk was longer than I'm used to...

What was that about?

Sometimes Sylvia has these attacks. It's a chronic condition she's always had.

Are you feeling better now?

Yes. Thank you, Terry.

I thought it was noisy around here, and just look who it is!

I've told you before not to make a racket near my house. Get back on your own side of the bridge!

Huh? Who's this?

Oh, it's just the weird old woman who lives in the shack over there.

It's a pokey little shack, so I offered to make it bigger for her, but she refused. "A whippersnapper like you?" she said. And, "Too late now!" Too late when we met for the first time?! All I wanted to do was help her!

Hmm.

Hey, that over there... Is that what I think it is?

Yes it is! We're finally ready to enter the Third Mine.

I am finally close to finding out the truth about the thing that my father said should never be disturbed. The thing that caused the village to fall into ruin when I was a child.

The place is crawling with monsters. So, we will have to rely on you, Aldo, as we always do...

Got it. Leave it to me! I'll have a look inside.

If you need anything, just ask!

We've had a good look round. Let's go back to the village and show Marlowe the new notes we've found.

Hmm... What on earth happened in this village?

Hey, Marlowe. We found some more of your father's notes. Can I leave them with you?

You've been exploring again, have you? Thank you for that.

Actually, I found a note too.

You did? What does it say?!

Well, this is still a secret, okay? In the deepest part of the Third Mine, there's a Prisma vein...

Prisma?! Does that mean that the "vein of veins" in these notes is a Prisma vein, then?!

So there was something like that in your notes, too, eh?

Yeah. But there was a lot of other worrying stuff, too. I don't think we can celebrate just yet.

I've been prepared for this ever since you found the first note.

Okay, let's compare notes, shall we?

So, to summarize...

There's a Prisma vein located in the depths of the Third Mine... The villagers of Horai quarreled over that Prisma... And, as if in response to that, a mysterious creature grew larger and eventually destroyed the village. So before that happened, my father had me escape this land.

That must be tough... You don't have to keep going with this if it's too much, Marlowe.

Thank you for your concern, Aldo.

But I want to know what sort of creature destroyed the village. If it becomes known that you can mine Prisma here, people will flock to the village. The question is whether it's a good idea to do so or not.

We'll only know that once we've unraveled the mystery of that creature.

In that case, we need to get down into the depths of the Mine. But there was some rock there that even explosives couldn't penetrate.

It looks like we need to talk to Hilda.

Umm, I'm not sure she'll have anything. But it can't hurt to ask.

Oh, what is it today, Aldo? You look like you've got something serious to ask...

Yeah, I need some explosives. Something much more powerful than you've made before.

You must have a reason. Did you find some really impenetrable rock?

Yeah, well, more or less.

More or less? What are you hiding from me, Aldo?

Hiding? I'm not hiding anything from you!

As we descended into the depths of the Third Mine, we encountered this whitish rock face. And the way beyond that was blocked by a huge white boulder.

I see, I see... Well, hard, white rock is something I'm familiar with.

Really? Wow, you're one in a million, Hilda!

Hehehe, that's me all right. You see, I study detonations night and day. But for that rock, you'll need something a bit special. I can't make it with what I've got at home...

Is there any way we can get what you need to make it?

Grace might have some. Let's go and ask her.

What, back to Grace's again?! She's just gonna send us away.

No problem! I'll bring a present... Just as you promised!

Here you go, Grace!

Hmph. What a stupid girl, actually bringing me a present. So stupidly honest I'll let you ask me what you want to ask. But make it quick.

Well, you see, Grace. I've got this explosive to make - something a little out of the ordinary. Aldo's way is blocked by a hard, white boulder, and he needs some help.

Are you trying to access the depths of the mine?

We are... How did you know?

Maybe this, too, is fate...

Take this, it will help.

What's this?

Once, long ago, I was a monster hunter. And I know a bit of magic from those days. Use that powder as your igniter and - kaboom! - it should do the trick.

I knew we could rely on you! Thanks, Grace! See you around!

Don't come running to me if it's damp though!

Hey, Hilda, wait for me!

Just a moment, young fellow.

Huh?

Since you're here, take out this trash for me, would you?

Trash? You, err, what's this?

A charm I made long ago. Too late to be of use, as it turned out. So it has been gathering dust in the corner. I don't have any need of it anymore...

Oh, I see! Thank you very much.

I'm telling you to throw it away! Throw yourself out with it!

Haha! Okay, okay, I get the picture!

Right, time to get Hilda to make this Magic Bomb now!

Okay, nearly done... Or so I think.

Oh, Aldo, I can feel it, innovation beckons! Any moment now and I will be inspired to invent!

I reckon the old woman on the other side of the bridge knows something.

Is that right? I better go see her, then.

I have a feeling she and I are gonna get on well.

Why's that, you ask? Hehe, call it a woman's intuition.

I've got a bad feeling about this. I hope it's no more than a feeling...

Are you worried about Sylvia? Terry's been the one taking her on her walks recently. It is a bit worrying.

Why are my bad feelings always right? I hope she gets better soon.

Sylvia... She was such a lovely girl. I just can't believe it.

But there's no point in regret Let's look to the future and live our lives for her.

Yes, let this be an end to talk like this.

It's done! This Magic Bomb is fit to blast through anything now!

This should clear the way through to the Third Mine!

I guarantee it! But this explosive is unique, one of a kind! We'll never get these ingredients again!

Thanks, Hilda!

Thank Grace, not me. I couldn't have done it without her.

Well, thanks are due to both of you. Right, let's go shift that big, white boulder and get into the Third Mine!

Through here! Veins of raw Prisma ore!

Okay, set the Magic Bomb here, like so...

This should be a safe distance.

Waaaaaagh!

*cough cough* Hilda, you were only supposed to blow the ruddy boulder off!

But, wow, it worked! We're through!

Okay, in we go. Time to find out what Marlowe's father was talking about.

Amazing! This is what a Prisma vein looks like!

Is this the ore, then?

Wh-What the?!

Urgh!

What happened with that monster?! How'd it get so big?! And those creepy faces in its stomach! Just thinking about them gives me the chills...

That's why I told you to stop! If you hadn't been so greedy and just left it alone, none of this w...

You're the greedy one!

Stop it, you two! We've gotta get out of here, it's too dangerous!

Don't be stupid, it'll never be able to lug that bulk all the way here...

Urk!

It's coming this way! Destroying the bridge as it does so!

What was that I just saw? Was that a vision of Horai Village when it was destroyed?!

Wh, ! What is this?! Look at the size of that thing! Is it the monster from Marlowe's father's notes?

......

Hold on... Those faces on its belly. It can't be?!

InTRudeR d-DeTec...Ted... OpER... Tor... *whir* rEgI...St...

The Visus Embryo! And it's survived into this era?!

Unnatural magnetic field detected. The Visus Embryo appears to be the source.

W-wE...ArE...thE...EcHO oF ViSuS... MovEd tHr... tiMe...

The echo of Visus... Let us call it Visus Echo for convenience.

But why is it here?

Consulting map data... Please wait.

Whoa, are you all right?!

There is no cause for concern. I have obtained the necessary data! This appears to be the former site of the Tower of Time.

The Tower of Time?!

It would appear to have been buried here when the Tower of Time collapsed.

I see.

Without a backup of the Tower of Time, the Visus Echo is limited to the manipulation and realization of human dreams.

It can make people's dreams real?!

Affirmative. The Visus Echo's body is composed of the dreams of mean-spirited people. I assess that it is a reflection of the greed and aggression of those who came to exploit this mine.

Then the Visus Echo is...

In human terms, it is in a state of eternal nightmare.

But...that's awful!

BaD... dREamS... *whir* CA... WaKE... uP... PeOpLE's DrEAms... AlL baD... ALl baD dReaMs...

Urgh! What's going on?! I...can't...move...

Motion controls impaired... The Visus Echo's ability to manipulate time appears to have malfunctioned.

What?! That doesn't sound good!

Wh-What is this that's started glowing? Is it the charm that Grace gave me?

I can move again!

NiGHt...MaREs... *whir* waKe... uS wAke... US... uP...

Urk! Riica! Quick, let's get out of here while we still can!

Agreed!

Oof, I got caught with my guard down! I didn't think this would happen.

The charm...it's broken! Looks like it saved me back there! I owe Grace my gratitude!

But what's going on?! Didn't we shut down the Visus Embryo in the Tower of Time back in Antiquity?

It is likely that part of the Visus lay dormant deep underground and that is what we face now.

Is this going to mess up history again?

As I told you earlier, the powers remaining to the Visus Echo are limited. In its current state it is unlikely that it can do any more than observe and realize people's dreams. Where once its powers could affect the whole world, now it is limited to a single village.

A single village, huh?

This is too much to take in! Let's get back to the village and tell Marlowe.

What happened? You don't look well. Aldo... Did you, err...?

In the depths of the mine there was a massive monster!

And you were attacked by it?! You're lucky to be here...

I am so sorry. This is all because I made you help me out with my crazy dreams...

No, listen, Marlowe. The people who created that monster were the people who used to live in this village.

Wh-What are you saying?

I'm going to tell you everything that's happened. No hiding things.

In other words...

They were essentially destroyed by their own greed, their own ugly dreams.

It's hard to believe, but it matches what my father wrote in those notes. As hard as it is, I just have to accept the bitter truth.

So the villagers were driven by greed... They fought over the Prisma. But they and the village were destroyed And it was their own dreams, in the form of that...monster which destroyed them. Is that about right?

Yes... If this monster destroyed the village once before, there's no guarantee it won't do it again...

I wish there was some kind of clue, something to guide us...

A clue...

Urgh! What's going on?! I...can't...move...

Motion controls impaired... The Visus Echo's ability to manipulate time appears to have malfunctioned.

What?! That doesn't sound good!

Wh-What is this that's started glowing? Is it the charm that Grace gave me?

I can move again!

Come to think of it, it was the charm that I got from Grace that allowed me to escape...

Do you mean Grace who lives on the other side of the bridge?

Yeah. She might know something. Let's go and ask her!

I thought you'd be back here. You saw it then? That monster that makes people's dreams real, as if reflecting them in some ghastly mirror?

Right...

The dreams it reflected were mean and ugly, I imagine it had a bitter and twisted form to match...

You did well to make it back alive.

That was thanks to the charm you gave me. It saved my life.

You didn't throw it away, then? You are fortunate in your ill-starred endeavors...

Grace, do you know of any way to deal with the monster? So long as it remains, there can be no true peace for this village. As such, we must defeat the monster...

B-But then...

Come now, less of that end-of-the-world face from you! That's no attitude for a mayor! You should be ashamed of yourself!

If that's the limit of your resolve, you can get out of my house this instant! Get out of the village, too, while you're at it!

You're right, of course, Grace. I've already decided. I'm going to rebuild the village my father was so proud of; right here, right now!

So, please, Grace.... I don't mind what it is, but tell me what, as mayor, my options are here.

That's more like it! That's what you should have said from the outset, if you are your father's son!

Huh?

Nothing.

And you, did you bring back any Prisma ore?

Yeah, but only a little bit.

Good, that makes things easier. We have to stuff that ore with the dreams of all the villagers.

Stuff it with dreams? How do you do that?

It's simple enough. You just fill the Prisma ore with everyone's feelings. Do that without so much as a shred of negativity... Well, it will become a clear jewel known as a "Rainbow Illusion Stone."

And with that we can suppress the monster?

I told you, didn't I? The monster makes all of a person's dreams real, not just the bad ones. But, if so much as a pinch of ill will gets into the mix, the stone will cloud over, and it will all be for nothing.

Understood. Okay, Aldo, I'm going to tell the villagers, tell them everything... I won't let this village be destroyed for a second time!

Hey, aren't you going to take the Prisma ore?!

Tch...

By the way, Grace... This monster hunter that Marlowe's father mentions in his notes...

The Bonefaced Child.

Huh?

You met the Bonefaced Child, didn't you? The mechanical monster with a face like a baby. It's so rare, it is little more than a rumor among monster hunters.

That's what they call the Visus Embryo in this era.

They say that the flow of time is distorted wherever the Bonefaced Child appears.

As I told you earlier, the powers remaining to the Visus Echo are limited. In its current state it is unlikely that it can do any more than observe and realize people's dreams. Where once its powers could affect the whole world, now it is limited to a single village.

So, this distortion explains why the bridge was completed so soon and everybody aged quicker than me...

As long as that thing, the Bonefaced Child remains, time here will pass more quickly than elsewhere.

Then we really do have to do something about it.

I wonder if we really can make a Rainbow Illusion Stone...

I think the people of this village can.

Okay! I've got to go and give Marlowe the Prisma ore!

Thank you all for gathering here. It is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that this village faces destruction... The same threat as it faced back in my father's time...

A fearful monster lurks within the mine. It may emerge at any moment and attack us. This monster is made of dreams; ugly fearful dreams of constant strife. What we need to do is replace these nightmares...

To this end, I need you to share your dreams with me. Would you do that?

I have a dream... I think you already know what it is... When my father was mayor, the village was destroyed. When I first came here, it was not with the intention of rebuilding the village. I merely wanted to see my birthplace. I thought that would be enough for me.

But when I saw the devastated land and my dilapidated old house, I began to question myself. Can I really leave it like this? Can I allow the Horai that my father loved so much to just disappear, remembered by no one? I knew the answer right away. I wanted to rebuild the village, even if I were to be its sole inhabitant.

Aldo, I owe you my gratitude. You have been critical in making my dream come true. And it is an honor to do this with you, my fellow villagers.

We have built our home up from the ruins that we found, to the thriving mining village it has become. Now I want to see what this village and its inhabitants can become.

That...that is my heartfelt dream.

After I got here I was always just fooling and playing around. Bet after I met Sylvia, I thought I should try and change my ways... And somehow we ended up dating. You never know what life will bring....

Some time passed, and then, when we got married, everyone celebrated... And before we knew it, Mona was born... I was so happy, but then.... Sylvia was taken from us. You really never know what life will bring.

Even so, there's one thing I know for sure... And that's that my life in the village is so much richer and more precious than before. And nothing exemplifies that better than Mona. Nothing pleases me more than imagining her future here. I think a lot about what Sylvia and I spoke about when she was pregnant with Mona. When Mona grows up, the village will also have grown. She will have so many people to be friends with...

I'm gonna make a hundred friends!

Yes, Mona, I really think you will. That's my dream. That's the dream of my family.

"In a village far to west, deep within a cave, something fell and great lies dormant..."

I don't know if that ancient poem was referring to the Prisma ore or to the monster. But I don't have any regrets about drifting into this village.

I was a drifter originally, but before I knew it, I'd put down roots in this village. Now that I think about it, I realize that the songs I compose, originate in the feelings of the people...

Maybe it was fate that decreed I should put down my roots here. But I want to write the songs and poems of this village and its people for future generations. That is my dream.

I came to this village when my husband passed away... And, to this day, I am convinced it was he who led me here. I never thought I'd be blessed with a new daughter, though.

Of course I treasure my son, He is the blood of my blood... But I think that Sylvia and I were connected by something else. No, I think, perhaps, we still are.

Mona's like a granddaughter to me. We've started looking after the village flowers together. It's a dream Sylvia had years ago. She wanted to see the village blooming with flowers. And one day that dream will come true.

And it has become my dream true...

Actually, in my case... There's someone I need to make up with. Since falling out long ago, we still ignore each other when we pass in the street...

......

I think so much time has passed that neither of us knows how to act around each other now. She was always stubborn, and I think I probably get that from her, too.

But one day I want to demolish that rock-hard stubbornness of hers!

And that's the day that I'll call her mom again. That's my dream.

Me? I don't wanna give up my favorite watering hole. And they don't come any better 'n' the village tavern.

But, it's not what you pour down your throat that makes a place special. It's all about where you are and the people you're with. So, if this village disappears, I'll be more 'n' a little bit put out. What's more, I haven't taught my stupid apprentice all I know yet, either.

Master!

Don't make that face. Once I've taught you all I know, then I can put my feet up, that's all. Then I can stay in the village tavern all day! That's my tiny, tiny dream.

I just want to live in peace. I'm fed up with all this fuss. Especially when the villagers are coming in and out of my house like they are now. Once the village calms down, I'm sure they won't anymore.

So... I want the village to calm down so it doesn't have to rely on my old knowledge anymore. That's the limit of my dream.

Our reasons for coming here are all different. And I'm sure our goals were too, at first. You might even think the dreams we just talked about are different, too.

But I think I felt something, a warmth shared by all our dreams. Just like the feeling I inherited from my father of wanting to protect this village. That feeling that somewhere along the line turned into my heartfelt dream.

If the monster Aldo saw is made of people's dreams which have been made real... Then let's show it some good dreams.

Let's show it that humans aren't limited to the nightmares it has previously seen.

Is this the Rainbow Illusion Stone? Look! Look everyone how clear it is!

You did it, Marlowe. Everyone, you did it!

I leave this in your hands, Aldo. The future of this village is now up to you.

Okay, I'll take it to the Visus Echo. Time to go into the depths of the Third Mine again!