Dark Road: Chapter 2 - The Presence of Darkness
- Details
- Published on July 30, 2020 @ 07:27 am
- Written by Cecily
KINGDOM HEARTS Dark Road updated with new story scenes and main quests No.21~40.
Watch scenes with English translations below, thanks to goldpanner!
Update: Global version's story update has been delayed to the beginning of August.
Update 2: Added scenes from Global version. Transcription by maryadavies.
Global
I never really thought about who I was.
Not until I began to wonder who others were.Day after day, I spend my time with the same classmates in the same classroom.
The days are peaceful and a little boring,
but they are also familiar and comfortable.Even so, my new life is just like the old.
A different world,
but with the same days playing out over and over again.
I left the island behind to come here, and yet…Maybe it’s not about the place. Maybe it’s about me…
...and how I engage with others. How we influence one another and the world around us.
Maybe that’s what shapes our hearts and who we are...and who we will become.All kinds of things can influence the growth of a heart.
Change can come from anywhere, from the smallest, simplest thing.
From light, or from darkness.(Xehanort, Eraqus and Urd are waiting in the Wonderland forest. Eraqus is pacing back and forth.)
Eraqus: They should be here by now.
Urd: What? YOU’RE late all the time.
Eraqus: Fashionably late!
Urd: Says you!
Eraqus: Hey, there’s an art to my---
Xehanort: Shh. We’re being watched.
Eraqus: It’s about time they showed up!(Eraqus looks up, screams and falls over, startling the other two.)
Eraqus: Agh!
Xehanort: What is it?
Urd: What’s wrong?(They hasten to Eraqus’s side. Eraqus points up at the slowly appearing Cheshire Cat.)
Cheshire Cat: ♪’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves...♪
Urd: Where did---?
Xehanort: Who are you?
Cheshire Cat: A cheshire cat, if you please. Or if you don’t.
Eraqus: A cat? Man, you scared me!
Cheshire Cat: Hmm...there’s no point in waiting around for your friends to arrive.
Xehanort: How did you know we’re waiting on our friends?
Cheshire Cat: Mmm...I’ll never tell.
Eraqus: Can you help us? Do you know where they are?
Cheshire Cat: Why, they’re under lock...And of course, key too.
Keyblade Wielders: !
Xehanort: What!? Where?
Cheshire Cat: Exactly? What or where?(He disappears. Eraqus hurries up.)
Eraqus: Hey, wait!
Urd: So what’s the plan?
Xehanort: Well, we don’t have much to go off of.
Eraqus: But we have to do something! Start looking for---(The Cheshire Cat’s head reappears, startling Eraqus yet again.)
Eraqus: Agh!
Cheshire Cat: Or just wait. The answer will be here rather soon.(He disappears again.)
Eraqus: Is he really gone this time…?
Urd: What did he mean, anyway?
Xehanort: Beats me.(They think for a moment.)
Xehanort: Ah, that might be our answer.
(Suddenly, a bunch of Spade Card Soldiers run up and surround them.)
Urd: What now?
Spade Soldiers: More intruders?! It’s not good to cause a ruckus in Her Majesty’s kingdom, you know.
Eraqus: We’re just looking for our friends.
Spade Soldier: Not that that would matter.
Spade Soldier: We’d best seize them.
Eraqus: Hey, listen to me!(They threaten the Keyblade wielders, when suddenly a voice calls out to them.)
???: Hurry!
(A Heart Card Soldier approaches.)
Heart Soldier: The trial’s about to begin!
Spade Soldier: But we spotted some suspicious---
Heart Soldier: No time for that! If you’re late, you’ll lose your heads!
(The Spade Soldiers tremble a little bit, then the Heart Soldier leads them away, leaving the Keyblade wielders alone.)Eraqus: So...that’s it?
(While this is going on, Eraqus is thinking…)
Urd: I guess we’re off the hook.
Xehanort: For now. But I’m not so sure about the others.
Urd: What do you mean?
Xehanort: “More intruders,” he said --- which means he must’ve run into people that looked like us before.(Eraqus looks up and turns around while he’s speaking.)
Eraqus: That’s it! The cat said our friends were under lock and key, and those soldiers were talking about a trial. That’s gotta be where they are.
Urd: Wait, a trial? For what?
Xehanort: I don’t know. Seems like this world has its own weird set of rules.
Urd: At least now we know where to go.
Eraqus: Then what are we waiting for?(Xehanort and Urd nod.)
KH Dark Road
Chapter 2: The Presence of Darkness
Part 2(The White Rabbit runs up onto his podium, blowing a trumpet loudly.)
White Rabbit: Your Majesty, loyal subjects, the...uh, the trial has begun!
(The Queen of Hearts presides over the trial. Bragi, Hermod and Vor are at the stand.)
White Rabbit: The prisoners at the bar are charged with trespassing...And willfully disturbing Her Majesty’s peace.
Bragi: Wait, I’ll own up to trespassing, but that’s it.
Queen of Hearts: Oh?
Bragi: If anything, we were fighting the monsters to try and KEEP the peace.
Queen of Hearts: So you confess to a far more serious crime!
Bragi: Uh...You mean fighting monsters? But that’s the only way---
Queen of Hearts: All ways here are MY ways! Everything you see here obeys MY rules and follows MY ways!
Bragi: Everything? Like the people, this place, and even...the monsters?
Queen of Hearts: Of course!
Bragi: But that’s crazy!(The other three watch the trial from the safety of hedges.)
Eraqus: I’ve seen enough.
(He summons his Keyblade, ready to charge in.)
Xehanort: Wait. What exactly are you going to do?
Eraqus: Isn’t it obvious? I’m gonna save them!
Xehanort: By attacking these people? Remember, we have to respect this world’s order.(Eraqus dismisses his Keyblade.)
Urd: But what else can we do?
Xehanort: Well, we shouldn’t waste any more time standing around here.(Eraqus and Urd smile at Xehanort.)
Xehanort: What are you smiling about? Let’s go.
Eraqus: Yeah, yeah.(They charge in. Meanwhile...)
Queen of Hearts: It’s time for your sentence...And that sentence is...guilty!
(The cavalry arrives.)
Eraqus: Objection!
Bragi: Guys!
Xehanort: That verdict is unfair and you know it!
Queen of Hearts: Who are you!? And how dare you challenge me!? They’re guilty because I say so!
Xehanort: They should be judged by a jury of their peers, and not by one single person. What right do you have to decide their fate?
Queen of Hearts: BECAUSE I AM THE QUEEN! AND...I AM ALWAYS IN CHARGE!
Xehanort: You decide everything for everyone?(The Queen does an exaggerated nod.)
Eraqus: Come on, there has to be a better way. What did they do that was so bad, huh? Can’t you show them some mercy? Or are you just a bully who rules with fear?
(The Queen looks very angry.)
Queen of Hearts: Fear!? Nonsense! My subjects adore me. DON’T YOU, SUBJECTS!?
(The wielders turn to see the White Rabbit and all the Card Soldiers shaking from the queen's outburst.)
Queen of Hearts: See!? All power here is my power! Now enough of this insolence! OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!
Card Soldiers: They’re going to lose their heads!(The card soldiers gather together, and block off the exit.)
Card Soldiers: They’re going to lose their heads!
(They stack together to form a tower. Eraqus turns to Xehanort.)
Eraqus: What now? Got a plan?
Xehanort: That WAS the plan. We’ll just have to wing it now.
Eraqus: Great! That’s what I do best!(Eraqus gets ready but suddenly, Xehanort notices something behind them.)
Xehanort: What---?
(He spots a dark presence behind the queen, which quickly vanishes.)
Queen of Hearts: Seize them!
(The card soldiers approach the wielders, when suddenly they're blown back by a powerful attack. The wielders stand ready as the Fairy Reaper appears.)
Urd: Whoa!
Eraqus: Can I use my keyblade now?
Xehanort: You don’t have to ask.
White Rabbit: Th-the prisoners have been found guilty. So the uh, the trial is over!(He leaves. The queen takes her leave as well.)
Queen of Hearts: Order! I said ORDER! You will all pay for this!
(The card soldiers try to face the Fairy Reaper but are easily pushed over.)
Bragi: They don’t stand a chance…
(The soldiers cower in fear. Bragi and the others rush to defend them from the Heartless's attack.)
Eraqus: Bragi!
(They do their best to fight back but the Reaper blows them all away.)
Eraqus: Bragi!
(It turns its attention to Eraqus's group now.)
Xehanort: This won’t be easy.
Eraqus: Ready when you are.(Urd nods, then the fight begins.)
(The gang reconvenes in the woods.)
Eraqus: I’m glad you’re okay.
Bragi: Whatever. It wasn’t too bad.
Hermod: I just...never thought we’d have to deal with something like that.(Eraqus puts his hands behind his head.)
Eraqus: I guess. I mean, it was tough, but we weren’t in any real danger.
(Hermod shakes his head.)
Hermod: I’m not talking about the Heartless.
Bragi: You’re not? But aren’t they the enemy?
Vor: Yeah, that’s what we learned in class.
Urd: Hermod’s right. It’s not that simple.(Eraqus moves his hands back to his sides and looks upset.)
Eraqus: What are you guys talking about?
Hermod: A threat stronger than any Heartless: the darkness in people’s hearts. That’s what drives the Queen of Hearts to rule with fear. But...if that’s the way of this world, then maybe it’s not our place to say if it’s right or wrong.
Urd: We can’t just go around challenging what we think is “bad.”(Eraqus bows his head and closes his eyes a moment.)
Eraqus: So that’s why you didn’t put up a fight.
Vor: We didn’t have a choice.
Eraqus: Hey, guys...Do you think the upper classmen were caught in a similar situation? If they were, and they realized their hands were tied, maybe they got captured too...or worse.
Bragi: What do you think?(Bragi looks at Xehanort while he says that. Xehanort doesn't answer. He's been silent the whole time, alone with his own thoughts.)
Bragi: Xehanort?
Xehanort: Sorry—What were you talking about?
Eraqus: The missing wielders. We assumed the Heartless were responsible, but instead it might be someone touched by darkness…(Flash to UX: Brain, Ephemer, Skuld and Ven on the hill.)
Brain: Darkness can hide anywhere. Even inside someone.
(Flash to moments earlier, when the gang faced the Card Soldiers; the Queen of Hearts stands with a shadowy presence behind her.)
Xehanort & Eraqus: Darkness can hide anywhere. Even inside someone.(They look at each other in shock.)
Xehanort: Huh?
Eraqus: How did you--?
Xehanort: Me? I…
Hermod: Darkness can hide anywhere…
Xehanort: Right. Look at that queen. She believes people respect her power, even tho it’s obvious they live in fear. That’s the kind of delusion that might force our hand down the line.
Eraqus: Even so, I still believe in the light in people’s hearts.
Xehanort: Me too.
Urd: For now, let’s keep searching for the upper classmen.
Vor: Yeah. We should focus on our mission.
Bragi: Hope we don’t get sidetracked again.
Hermod: You’re going to jynx it…(Eraqus approaches Xehanort to talk privately as the others continue with the conversation.)
Eraqus: Hey. You okay?
Xehanort: I’m fine.(Flashback to earlier.)
Eraqus: Come on, there has to be a better way. What did they do that was so bad, huh? Can’t you show them some mercy? Or are you just a bully who rules with fear?
(The Queen looks very angry.)
Queen of Hearts: Fear!? Nonsense! My subjects adore me. DON’T YOU, SUBJECTS!?
(End flashback.)Xehanort: I wonder...could darkness burrow so deep into someone’s heart that they don’t even know it’s there?
Eraqus: That’s a scary thought.
Xehanort: Could you turn your keyblade on a being that has no idea what they’ve become?
Eraqus: I...don’t know.
Xehanort: One day, we might have to decide.
Vor: What are you two whispering about?
Eraqus: Oh, just whether or not we should stick around here.
Hermod: There’s a chance the others were put on trial just like us. I think we should find out more before we leave.
Bragi: Even though we might run into trouble again?
Urd: Hey, why don’t we split up? A few of us can stay behind while the rest of us go on to the next world.
Eraqus: We’ll stay.
Vor: Just the two of you?
Xehanort: Yeah. Better to keep a low profile.(Vor has a mischievous look on her face.)
Eraqus: Uh...something wrong?
Vor: You tell me...and maybe I’ll keep you company until you do.
Eraqus: Well? What do you say?(Party switching time. For the sake of this playthrough, we're keeping the team of Xehanort-Eraqus-Urd as is. Since Vor isn't in the party, she slumps over, defeated.)
Vor: Aww…
Eraqus: Next time, I promise.
Xehanort: See you guys later. Be safe.
(4 years later)
(The card soldiers march Xehanort to the stand.)
White Rabbit: Your Majesty, the...uh,the trial has begun.
The prisoner at the bar is charged with trespassing..
...and willfully disturbing Her Majesty’s peace.
Queen of Hearts: How dare you trespass in my kingdom! Who are you!?
Xehanort: You don’t remember me?(Dark flames erupt behind the queen.)
Xehanort: I knew it.
(The queen shouts for the trial to begin. Xehanort takes the stand.)
JP Translated by goldpanner
(Xehanort monologues.)
Who am I?
I began to ask this question when I began to be aware of other people——
The friends with whom I shared the same classroom, shared time together.
Light-hearted moments with them formed my daily routine.
Those gentle days were sometimes boring, and perhaps that was a comfort
But, I began to realize that the classroom was exactly like the island I came from.
Cycling through a routine in a tiny place,
I simply moved from one box to another.
Despite rejecting such a world, I was back where I started.
The box itself must not be the real issue.
How do I interact with others? What do I pay attention to about them?
The environment in which you spend daily life mold your heart, as you grow into yourself.
But, you can be influenced during that molding, and your heart can be changed.
It could happen anywhere. It could be something very simple to anyone else.
It could be the light. It could be the darkness.
(Xehanort, Eraqus and Urd are waiting in the Wonderland forest. Eraqus is pacing back and forth.)
Eraqus: They sure are taking their sweet time. Do you think they're running late?
Urd: Look who's talking!
Eraqus: Hey, I happen to know a thing or two about tardiness.
Urd: And you’re… proud of that?
Eraqus: A skill is a skill—
Xehanort: Quiet. We're being watched.
Eraqus: It's probably just Bragi and...
(Eraqus looks up, screams and falls over, startling the other two.)
Eraqus: Aaaaah!
Xehanort: What happened?
Urd: What is it?
(They hasten to his side. He points up at the slowly appearing Cheshire Cat.)
Cheshire Cat: Well now, it seems I've been spotted.
Urd: A local?
Xehanort: Who are you?
Cheshire Cat: Not who, but what. I am a Cheshire Cat.
Eraqus: A cat? Okay, we're dealing with cats now.
Cheshire Cat: The friends you're waiting for aren't coming.
Xehanort: How do you know we're waiting?
Cheshire Cat: The Cheshire Cat has all the answers. I am quite a remarkable cat.
Eraqus: If you have all the answers, then tell me this: what happened to the others?
Cheshire Cat: Your friends are being held prisoner.
Keyblade wielders: !
Xehanort: Prisoner? Where?
Cheshire Cat: Where indeed? They lie in deep shadow. I can't really see.
(He disappears. Eraqus hurries up.)
Eraqus: Hey, wait!
Urd: What do we do?
Xehanort: I mean, what can we do? We don't have any leads...
Eraqus: So what, we do nothing? We need to go out and start looking right awa...
(The Cheshire Cat reappears, startling Eraqus yet again.)
Eraqus: Ahhhhhh!
Cheshire Cat: Oh yes, I'm sure you'll find out soon enough.
(He disappears again.)
Eraqus: Is he gone...?
Urd: Find out? What did he mean by that?
Xehanort: Hm...
(They think for a moment.)
Xehanort: I think I've got it.
(Suddenly, a bunch of Spade Card Soldiers run up and surround them.)
Urd: What now?
Spade Soldier: More of you criminals, huh? You'll pay for stirring up trouble in our kingdom!
Eraqus: Wait, we’re just looking for our friends.
Spade Soldier: No excuses.
Spade Soldier: Arrest them!
Eraqus: Are they serious? I’m not following any of this...
(They threaten the Keyblade wielders, when suddenly a voice calls out to them.)
???: You there!
(A Heart Card Soldier approaches.)
Heart Soldier: What are you doing? The trial is about to start!
Spade Soldier: We were about to arrest this shady lot...
Heart Soldier: Do it later. If you're late to the trial, you might lose your heads too.
(The Heart Soldier leads the rest of them away, leaving the Keyblade wielders alone.)
Eraqus: Uh, what? They're just going to leave?
Urd: I guess we don't have to worry about it.
Xehanort: For now, at least. But I think the others are in serious trouble.
Urd: How do you know?
Xehanort: Those cards just said "more of you criminals." That means they must have already come across some people like us...
Eraqus: Oh!
(Eraqus comes to a realization.)
Eraqus: They're being held prisoner, and are about to be put on trial. It fits what that cat said earlier.
Urd: But why a trial?
Xehanort: Who knows. But it seems this world has a strange version of "order."
Urd: Well then, we know what we have to do.
Eraqus: Let's get to the courtroom and save our friends.
(The White Rabbit runs up onto his podium, blowing a trumpet loudly.)
White Rabbit: Court is now in session.
(The Queen of Hearts presides over the trial. Bragi, Hermod and Vor are at the stand.)
White Rabbit: The defendants are charged with trespassing in Her Majesty the Queen's dominion, and inciting violence.
Bragi: Please, wait. I'm sorry for trespassing. But I don't agree that we incited violence. We were just fighting the monsters...
Queen of Hearts: Did you hear that? They just confessed not only to trespassing, but also committing an outrageous crime.
Bragi: Crime…? You mean, fighting the monsters?
Queen of Hearts: Everything in this land belongs to me. I'm the only one allowed to do as I please.
Bragi: Everything? You mean, even the monsters…?
Queen of Hearts: Well of course.
Bragi: That's absurd.
(The other three watch the trial from the safety of hedges.)
Eraqus: I've seen enough.
(He summons his Keyblade, ready to charge in.)
Xehanort: Wait. What are you going to do with that Keyblade?
Eraqus: Isn't it obvious? I'm going to rescue them.
Xehanort: You're going to attack the inhabitants of this world? What about the "order?"
(Eraqus dismisses his Keyblade.)
Urd: So what do we do then?
Xehanort: Well, I'm not saying we should just sit here and watch.
(Eraqus and Urd smile at Xehanort.)
Xehanort: Why are you smiling?
Let's go!
Eraqus: Yeah!
(They charge in. Meanwhile...)
Queen of Hearts: This court finds the defendants... guilty!
(The cavalry arrives.)
Eraqus: Objection, objection!
Bragi: You guys!
Xehanort: This trial is a sham. I refuse to accept it.
Queen of Hearts: Who do you think you are? How dare you interfere!
It doesn't matter a bit what you or anyone else might think the way is. All ways here are my ways!!
Xehanort: A trial should carry out justice under the law. You can't just go by your own pompous opinion.
Unless, you're the one making the rules in this world?
Queen of Hearts: Of course. When the mob is allowed to say and do as they please, their contempt for others leads to quarrel and trouble.
I am the one who must...
Xehanort: You must control them, because you are the law?
Eraqus: But there must be a better way to do this. Can you honestly say they've committed a crime?
Aren't you just controlling your people through fear?
Queen of Hearts: Fear? I don't see any, do you!?
(The wielders turn to see the White Rabbit and all the Card Soldiers shaking from the queen's outburst.)
Queen of Hearts: Take a look. Those with power reign supreme.
Enough questions.
Off with their heads.
Card Soldiers: Off with their heads.
(The card soldiers gather together, and block off the exit.)
Card Soldiers: Off with their heads.
(They stack together to form a tower. Eraqus turns to Xehanort.)
Eraqus: Now what? Do you have a plan?
Xehanort: She can't be reasoned with. We'll have to think on the fly.
Eraqus: You know, that's my favorite kind of plan.
(Eraqus gets ready but suddenly, Xehanort notices something behind them.)
Xehanort: What…?
(He spots a dark presence behind the queen, which quickly vanishes.)
Queen of Hearts: Round them up and cut off their heads!
(The card soldiers approach the wielders, when suddenly they're blown back by a powerful attack. The wielders stand ready as the Fairy Reaper appears.)
Urd: What!?
(Eraqus summons his Keyblade and looks at Xehanort.)
Eraqus: You're okay with this, right?
Xehanort: Yeah.
(Everyone summons their Keyblades and prepare for battle. The White Rabbit takes the opportunity to escape.)
White Rabbit: W-well, sentencing has concluded. Court is adjourned.
(The queen takes her leave as well.)
Queen of Hearts: What are you doing? You have no right to come into my kingdom and do as you please!
(The card soldiers try again to face the Fairy Reaper but are easily pushed over.)
Bragi: How reckless...
(The soldiers cower in fear. Bragi and the others rush to defend them from the Heartless's attack.)
Eraqus: Bragi!
(They do their best to fight back but the Reaper blows them all away.)
Eraqus: Bragi!!
(It turns its attention to Eraqus's group now.)
Xehanort: This thing is pretty tough. Think you can handle it?
Eraqus: There's no other choice.
(The gang reconvenes in the woods.)
Eraqus: I'm glad you're all okay.
Bragi: A weakling like that isn't going to finish me off.
Hermod: We have discovered an extremely formidable foe, though.
Eraqus: Really? I won't say it wasn't a challenge, but if we could take it down ourselves then it wasn't all that bad.
(Hermod shakes his head.)
Hermod: I'm not talking about the Heartless.
Bragi: But aren't they the enemy?
Vor: Yeah, that was drilled into us in class.
Urd: I see what you're getting at. I suppose it is hard to judge.
Eraqus: Come on guys, just spit it out.
Hermod: There's an even stronger enemy than the Heartless: the darkness in people's hearts.
The Queen of Hearts rules over her subjects with fear. Under our worldview, we would call that evil. But if that is the nature of "order" in this world, then who are we to decide what's right and what's wrong.
Urd: In other words, we can't just go swinging our Keyblades around thoughtlessly.
Eraqus: No wonder you guys didn't resist when they arrested you.
Vor: Yeah. We didn't have a choice.
Eraqus: I see... I wonder if that's also what happened to the upper classmen? If they came into contact with the darkness of human malice, and weren't able to do anything because of world order,
maybe they were captured, and if so they could already be...
Bragi: What do you think, Xehanort?
(Xehanort doesn't answer. He's been silent the whole time, alone with his own thoughts.)
Bragi: Xehanort!
Xehanort: Oh, uh, yeah, what?
Eraqus: I was talking about the upper classmen. Like, what if it wasn't Heartless, but people touched by darkness that got to them...
(Flash to UX: Brain, Ephemer, Skuld and Ven on the hill.)
Brain: Darkness can hide anywhere...
Even inside someone.
(Flash to moments earlier, when the gang faced the Card Soldiers; the Queen of Hearts stands with a shadowy presence behind her.)
Xehanort & Eraqus: Darkness can hide anywhere...
Even inside someone.
(They look at each other in shock.)
Xehanort: What…?
Eraqus: What yourself?
Xehanort: I mean… I...
Hermod: Darkness that can hide inside someone, huh...
Xehanort: Yeah… The Queen of Hearts misunderstood the nature of power.
If that becomes a recurring theme, then maybe someday Keyblades will have to be used against other people.
Eraqus: Still, I want to believe in them, and in the light in their hearts.
Xehanort: Yeah...
Urd: Anyway, we should be focusing on finding the missing upper classmen right now.
Vor: That is our goal, after all.
Bragi: I wish it were that simple.
Hermod: Well then, don't jinx us.
(Eraqus approaches Xehanort to talk privately as the others continue with the conversation.)
Eraqus: What's wrong? You look frazzled.
Xehanort: It's just...
(Flashback to earlier.)
Eraqus: But there must be a better way to do this. Can you honestly say they've committed a crime?
Aren't you just controlling your people through fear?
Queen of Hearts: Fear? I don't see any, do you!?
(End flashback.)
Xehanort: Maybe people might not be aware of any darkness hiding within them.
Eraqus: You really think so?
Xehanort: I don't know if I could turn my Keyblade on someone who doesn't even know what's lurking inside...
Eraqus: I know what you mean...
Xehanort: I think our search is going to get a lot more complicated...
Vor: What are you two talking about?
Eraqus: Just whether there's any point in continuing our search in this world.
Hermod: If it's possible that the upper classmen were put on trial, then yes, we need to keep looking.
Bragi: But what if they catch us again?
Urd: It might be better to split up. Some of us can keep looking here, and the others can move on to the next world.
(Eraqus looks at Xehanort. He nods.)
Eraqus: Xehanort and I will continue the investigation here.
Vor: Just the two of you?
Xehanort: Yeah. We'll stand out less this way.
(Vor has a mischievous look on her face.)
Eraqus: W-what is it, Vor?
Vor: You guys are acting suspicious. Maybe I'll stay here too!
Eraqus: Xehanort, what should we do?
(Party switching time. For the sake of this playthrough, we're keeping the team of Xehanort-Eraqus-Urd as is. Since Vor isn't in the party, she slumps over, defeated.)
Vor: Awwwwwwww.
Eraqus: Maybe next time.
Xehanort: Okay. Let's regroup once we find something.
(ALTERNATE: Vor gets to tag along with Eraqus and Xehanort. Eraqus doesn't look too pleased.)
Vor: Alright! Don't worry guys, I'll stay out of your way.
Eraqus: You better.
(Vor jumps up and down with joy. Eraqus sighs.)
Xehanort: Okay. Let's regroup once we find something.
(4 years later)
(The card soldiers march Xehanort to the stand.)
White Rabbit: Court is now in session.
The defendant is charged with trespassing in Her Majesty the Queen's dominion, and inciting violence.
Queen of Hearts: Again? Strange things do sneak in from time to time.
Who are you, and where are you from?
Xehanort: You don't remember me?
(Dark flames erupt behind the queen.)
Xehanort: I knew it. I can see the darkness.
(The queen shouts for the trial to begin. Xehanort takes the stand.)
Next Episode 3: The Purpose of the Journey
| Quest | Recommended Level |
| No.21~30 | LV18~24 |
| No.31~40 | LV24~28 |
Additionally, players can now purchase Quest Keys in the shop for 18,000 BP. The 10-run limit on the BP event quest has also been lifted.
COMMENTS
Added JP videos.
Edit: the presence of Darkness ?
This is silly, they're purposely not giving us the update at the same time, the translation as to be done for sure already.
Just finished the 20 missions, tbh a bit disappointed but not with the story.
The story actually blew my mind when Eraqus and Xehanort had the same flashback and said the same sentence, i didn't expect that. I have some ideas about why that happened but I'm still uncertain, first i want to see the ending of Union X.
Also, it seems that all the chapters of the main story will end with the flashback of 4 years later
What i'm disappointed is that there's just 1 new heartless(well, actually 2 but 1 must be from an event since it didn't appear in the main missions(the main account just showed that the second heartless is Ifrit from the collaboration)) and we can just defeat him 1 time like the flame core unless he appears in an event later because we can't repeat the main story missions.
Of course he could appear in another world later as a mob but it's still annoying. Also, no new worlds, but at least they used wonderland for the main story i guess...
For the next update i'm sure we should be at least level 45-50, it's not a problem i wanted to be lvl 50 for the next month but the staff should make a way to win more BP
And it's interesting that now you can buy the quest key with 18k BP, it's practically a lottery now, in case you get 2+ golds then you win but if not you lose 4k, but right now that's not really a problem because the new event is easy and fast, you can win 2.4k with just one round, if you make 2 you've win the loses and you can buy another quest key xD
Added JP videos.
Edit: the presence of Darkness ?
Is it just me, or is there like a body forming in the Darkness behind the Queen of Hearts? I'm sure this is Darkness and not the darkness, but it's either corporeal or not.
(Haven't watched the clips yet, waiting to play it, no spoilers please)
So, am I to understand that after releasing the first episode globally, now they're going back to staggering JP and NA release like with Union X? I'm sorry, but I'm so done if that's the case. What a slap in the face. There's no excuse if that is indeed the case. If they're just a day late, that's still stupid (as Katsagu mentioned, they should have everything finished for it), but I guess I'm more okay with that. But if they're really just doing this month-deferral shit for no reason again, I'm going to be really pissed.
Thanks for the video uploads Sign. For those of us who can't play these are highly important. While I don't know what's being said it looks like the Wonderland world is more complete then Agrabah was when Team Xehanort visited. That's what I call them, Team Xehanort. And while it looks to be the same plot they always use in Wonderland, at least Alice wasn't on trial this time. And the cards stacked on each other like that was neat. Can't wait to see the translations for this.
Thanks for the video uploads Sign. For those of us who can't play these are highly important. While I don't know what's being said it looks like the Wonderland world is more complete then Agrabah was when Team Xehanort visited. That's what I call them, Team Xehanort. And while it looks to be the same plot they always use in Wonderland, at least Alice wasn't on trial this time. And the cards stacked on each other like that was neat. Can't wait to see the translations for this.
Imagine if they come back and some random girl with a name similar to Alice ends up on trial.
They could at least give some info about the Global release on the NA Twitter account. Not knowing when it will arrive is really frustrating. I am trying to resist watching the videos before playing but it looks interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing more dialogue with the rest of the students to learn more about their personalities.
They could at least give some info about the Global release on the NA Twitter account. Not knowing when it will arrive is really frustrating.
A couple of hours after midnight PT, which is when the story should have been included, they updated a notice from a couple of weeks ago to reflect the delay:
| ■ [Updated 7/30] Main Quest was suppose to happen in July, however it got moved to the beginning of August! |
So at least knowing it'll drop during the beginning of August is better than the initial confusion when there was nothing. If their Twitter was used for more than "here's what's coming today" and the odd "strategy and tips" then I'd have expected them to tweet about this delay (they still could!) but alas, just gotta wait until the work is done and ready to go.
Looks like Global is already not running neck and neck with JP. Love you so much, SE! Never buying another weekly again :^)
As for the content, I really do like how Xe/Er have the same sayings of the Brain saying. Because, this is showing the divergence between their two thought processes. We have to see more of the characterization, but remember that much of KHDR is already "foretold" given that we know where Xe and Er end up at the end of their journeys (in KH3).
A couple of hours after midnight PT, which is when the story should have been included, they updated a notice from a couple of weeks ago to reflect the delay:
So at least knowing it'll drop during the beginning of August is better than the initial confusion when there was nothing. If their Twitter was used for more than "here's what's coming today" and the odd "strategy and tips" then I'd have expected them to tweet about this delay (they still could!) but alas, just gotta wait until the work is done and ready to go.
Thank you. I will have to remember to look at the notices carefully when updates are due.
This 'BP quest key lottery' makes me wonder about the probability of getting 2+ golds and being a net winner is. Part of me wants to get 100 quest keys and record each result to estimate what the odds of being a winner are.
Honestly this delay kind of got me a bit down on the game. I felt I had an objective for all that grinding, pulling, doing events and that was to experience the story as it came out for myself. But right now that's kind of impossible like this when I like to be on the centre of KH discussion online.
I'm not sure what reasons they have for the delay, being ambiguous is not helping them and delaying it by more than one day honestly doesn't make much sense to me. Beginning of August could mean a ton of things.
Well at least it gives me time to grind levels a bit i guess
A couple of hours after midnight PT, which is when the story should have been included, they updated a notice from a couple of weeks ago to reflect the delay:
So at least knowing it'll drop during the beginning of August is better than the initial confusion when there was nothing. If their Twitter was used for more than "here's what's coming today" and the odd "strategy and tips" then I'd have expected them to tweet about this delay (they still could!) but alas, just gotta wait until the work is done and ready to go.
To be honest, I can forgive it if it's just a one-time delay of a few days. That's no big deal, and what with covid and everything you have to expect some things here and there to be a little out of step. That's just reasonable.
But on the other hand, I'm not really in a lenient or generous mood with Bitgroove. I still find the continuing delay on the Union X quests inexcusable, and if this keeps happening with Dark Road, I'm just gonna shift to YouTube like everybody else. There was never a reason to delay Union X, and there's certainly no excuse for introducing delays here, too. So, if it's just a one-time screw-up, that's cool, but this better not be an indication of future practices. There are VERY few redeeming graces about either of these games as it is.
Updated OP with goldpanner's translations. Subtitled video to follow tonight.
Imagine if they come back and some random girl with a name similar to Alice ends up on trial.
Maybe her name will be Mary Anne!
I gave in and looked at the translations and I actually love this. They actually adapt the world's story to Xehanort's story well. It's interesting that Xehanort is the one reluctant to break the rules about the Order of the world. I can't wait to see where this talk of people tainted by darkness leads. Also, the appearance of the Queen of Hearts raises some more questions about how the chronology of the series works. Sorry, too many thoughts in one post but I genuinely think this really interesting.
I like how much of a deadpan snarker young Eraqus is. His line about Chesire Cat cracked me up
Xehanort is shaping up to bethe deviant - one who challenges his preconceived notions. This is exactly what we would expect from a Keyblade Master of Darkness. We shall watch his career with great interest.
Can't say I'm even remotely surprised that SENA has found some way to delay the story update.
$5 this won't be the last time.
As for the update itself, I'm not really sure what I expected out of it, but I guess we have an idea of what DR's pacing will be like.
Seems the search for the upperclassmen will be a bit breadcrumb-esque, at least for now as Xehanort and friends learn about other worlds and their role in them.
The dark figure behind the Queen is... interesting. It's definitely not Darkness as we see it in UX, but it's certainly not just a normal dark aura either.
And Xehanort and Eraqus both repeating Brain's words is uh, confusing. That scene doesn't have Player in it at all, so is he not actually connected to Player specifically?
Maybe her name will be Mary Anne!
I laughed! When I read this, it reminded me that Mary Anne and Alice were implied by Disney secondary canon to be the same person and that one couldn’t exist in the same space as the other. Sound familiar, right?
Can't say I'm even remotely surprised that SENA has found some way to delay the story update.
$5 this won't be the last time.
This does feel like it has “artificial scarcity” written all over it. I’m pissed too.
And Xehanort and Eraqus both repeating Brain's words is uh, confusing. That scene doesn't have Player in it at all, so is he not actually connected to Player specifically? |
I’m more curious how they even know that scene, since it happened way before any of them were alive. Unless they somehow read a copy of the BoP complete with illustrations and verbatim quotes of the union leaders (even with Ven, because impostor and all that), I’m surprised they even flashbacked Skuld and Ven there since those two were flung into the future far ahead of YX and young Eraqus’ time.
So at least knowing it'll drop during the beginning of August is better than the initial confusion when there was nothing. If their Twitter was used for more than "here's what's coming today" and the odd "strategy and tips" then I'd have expected them to tweet about this delay (they still could!) but alas, just gotta wait until the work is done and ready to go.
My tablet is celebrating.
I already took a pause from the game a couple of days ago when I finished everything that could be done in the game. I won't randomly grind, better take this time to move back on Union.
By the way this delay is so ridiculous that they may just adopt it for the future too: JP at the end of the month and GL at the beginning, why not split the community like on Union? Users sounded happy about it.
They just deserve people not buying WJE until the Global games are updated.
Proud that I never put a cent. into this stuff.
So...much...dialogue x___x ahhhhhhhhh
Spoilers for the people who didn't watch or read it yet.
[SPOILER]This is cool. Sure QoH being here is a bit confusing, but seeing as Wonderland is a nonsense world anyway it's possible since that QoH is this worlds Order that she doesn't age. Or maybe Age doesn't exist in Wonderland because it's like a dream world. Not an actual Dream World, I hope I'm not being misunderstood.
Anywho, Xehanort and Eraqus already showing off how different they are and will be is nice. I also like Xehanort's reluctance to fight Darkness infected beings with a Keyblade. Sora has fought them serially because of their influence on the Heartless; but that reflects what Xehanort said about it becoming necessary to do so, and while what Eraqus says is optimistic it also reflects the people who were able to free themselves from Darkness like Riku. I like this update. [/SPOILER]
Moral of the story: Keep your darkness in your pants, until you learn to control it
OP updated with subbed videos! Thanks for your patience~
I guess if a world's going to be eternally ageless, it might as well be Wonderland.
Though it's interesting, Xehanort describes worlds as boxes that repeat a cycle over and over. That describes worlds on many levels - most directly the sleeping worlds, most metafictionally the disney worlds, and most relevantly... perhaps a certain box itself (if it contains the UX computer, which is my belief).
The Heartless that showed up was cool, almost felt like I was playing a disney world in a kingdom hearts game. Ha ha.
Also wow I'm not a shipper for KH in the slightest but some palpable Xehanort/Eraqus right at the end there. Or at least in Vor's eyes.
Oh yeah, I also wanted to say that when I saw this had voice acting the delay for the english version actually totally makes sense, if they're going to dub it.
OP updated with subbed videos! Thanks for your patience~
Thank you so much!
So intriguing! I love the "What?" / "What yourself" lines and what happened just before. (And Eraqus, stop being so damn cute... No, don't stop^^)
EDIT: What's Vör's line if you pick her instead?
Though it's interesting, Xehanort describes worlds as boxes that repeat a cycle over and over. That describes worlds on many levels - most directly the sleeping worlds, most metafictionally the disney worlds, and most relevantly... perhaps a certain box itself (if it contains the UX computer, which is my belief).
Yes, that concept felt suspicious!
I wish they'd drop story content just a little more frequently. It's so good.
Though it's interesting, Xehanort describes worlds as boxes that repeat a cycle over and over. That describes worlds on many levels - most directly the sleeping worlds, most metafictionally the disney worlds, and most relevantly... perhaps a certain box itself (if it contains the UX computer, which is my belief).
I find it interesting too and the stuff with the Queen's darkness makes me think about Young Xehanort's line in Re Mind (chronologically at the end of the '4 Years Later' tour, I think ) about how people 'repeat the cycle, and their darkness grows'.
Thanks for the subs! When it comes to Wonderland I think the area is timeless in that it will never age. Some worlds probably age differently but Wonderland is such a world of madness it's probably in a infinite loop that never breaks and that fits the world. Notice how Alice isn't part of this story. She is probably the one exception...for now.
It also doesn't surprise me the Queen doesn't remember Xehanort. He's just another criminal to her. However with Xehanort able to see darkness like that it makes me curious if every Disney villain has this. Perhaps Darkness the character has been split in the Disney villains this whole time. It might explain why it spoke with Maleficent. If that is the case then this has been the most interesting thing they've done with Disney villains in awhile and I wanna see more.
Vor was really cute in the video. I think next to Eraqus she's my fave of Xehanort's friends so far.
How fascinating a direction for Xehanort, having him realize an almost inescapable truth that takes many years to realize. You can't escape yourself, quite often the problems are not just the place you live or the people you interact with but rather the issue is you. Shifting your location often results in only moving your problems not escaping them, you have to fix yourself to avoid falling into the traps of repeating mistakes.
Xehanort's problems seem to largely stem from a life where he feels he lacks purpose, his inability to just accept a happy modest life in a cozy home with friends or family. He needs stimulation, knowledge, and purpose I might very much argue that Young Xehanort heavily reads now as someone who is suffering from depression. Who needed medicine and therapy but instead got super weapons, out of date traditions, and what might as well have been unlimited power and agency.
I wonder if this how he always is or if THIS was the result of his time travel. Where he knew his purpose and his inescapable fate but then forgot both those things and so he could feel it, this gnawing waiting for something to happen, for understanding to take place, for his life to begin to move. In other words I wonder if by traveling through time and etching his path in his heart that he doomed himself to a life that just felt like he was going through the motions. A life where you feel you are just go through the motions is a pretty textbook description of what living with depression can feel like.
It makes Xehanort's actions more understandable, not justifiable but understandable, he is trapped in his life and he ends up going to extremes to escape that. Xehanort never stopped being the kid stuck on the island he just moved to larger prisons but he couldn't escape the actual prison that was his own heart. I always wondered in all the worlds in DDD were meant to be exploring Xehanort at the same time as Sora and I feel this update and the previous confirms that was in fact the intent.
It brings I think extra meaning to Xehanort calling the islands a prison for a heart seeking freedom juxtaposed against the inside of Sora's heart that takes the form of the islands. On one hand that's where the hearts in Sora were trapped which seems to support Xehanort's words, but there is a deeper meaning to this. Where does KH3 end? It ends on the sunset islands where everyone has returned to by choice to share in friendship and happiness. The beach has always been a symbol in this series for freedom not prisons. For RAX the promise to go to the beach and live that represented the ultimate freedom they never had till now, and that goes doubly for Roxas who promised an HPO they would go to the beach but never could as DiZ would not let Roxas out of his digital prison.
While Ventus and Terra didn't have quite the same connection to the Beach, Aqua absolutely did. The beach of the realm of darkness represented a place she could escape from and wait for freedom and when she finally does escape her first sights are the Destiny Islands. Which she first thinks means she is still trapped but instead finally making it here represents her freedom and return to the realm of light. With Kairi the islands act not as a prison but a place of safety, sometimes she feels trapped but as a whole it's the thought she can always return to this place that gives her the courage to explore outside it. For Riku the islands used to feel like a prison but after he matured the ability to return to the islands without shame or guilt keeping him distant from the people there he loves ended up representing the ultimate freedom for his heart. It goes without saying that for Sora the islands have always been a source of comfort, he was curious but never consumed by that curiosity, it's not a prison but a sanctuary the world most safe and precious to his heart.
Xehanort returning to Scala and his heart being set free there I think makes a lot more sense as an ending for Xehanort in KH3 now. What's happening in those final moments is after as far as Xehanort had come he was back on Scala, back in his prison true prison his heart where this all really began, he's trapped, cornered, and doomed it should have been a suffocating and all consuming feeling of anger, desperation, and dread. Instead however it's only by returning to this prison, by reuniting with the people he left behind (well the one that was left), that finally Xehanort's heart could be set free. Free from the embittered old man that he had become who is also from the man who had set him on this path to become this, the imprisoned childlike heart of Young Xehanort in his final moments is free possibly for the first time ever in his life.
That's why we are seeing "Xehanort" get a happy ending because MX he is the one who caused all this, quite literally going back in time to corrupt his young self the same way he did to Riku, and thus in every respect Xehanort was both the victim and villain. We "killed" Master Xehanort completely and utterly he vanished from within Xehanort's own scala and we saved the young Xehanort boy who had been so lost, trapped, and corrupted just like we saved Riku. In other words the Xehanort saga, isn't about defeating Xehanort it's about saving him. That's why we could never defeat him by combat only by releasing his young heart from the decades of imprisonment that had twisted and ruined him.
Which makes me wonder even more now if the MoM is in fact a form of Sora it would be pretty thematically fitting that after dealing with a story where we rescue a young boy from the major villain, the major villain being his future corrupted self. If now the story is shifting to Sora facing off against the same thing though he doesn't know it yet. If the MoM's machinations are a time loop designed to cause Sora to become the MoM, a possibly bigger villain than Xehanort ever was, and the story is going to be based on helping Sora advert that. Preventing Sora from ending up like another Xehanort, changing time and history.
Hirokey123 Rambling thoughts™
Hirokey123 Rambling thoughts™
I've had the same thoughts (except I hadn't replayed KH3 yet to finish making sense of what Scala meant to MX), so thank you for writing them down so well!
Hmm... I wonder if Xehanort calling the Islands and Scala "a box" because of the routine is just a coincidence or not, seeing as how we still have the pending Black Box plot.
Also, I wonder if the Xehanort from four years later is the Xehanort that had told the MoM that he was gonna go to the worlds and see them. I think KHDR Xehanort is a Xehanort trying to find himself, while the 4 years later Xehanort is that Xehanort that is starting to become the man that decides that the world needed to be plunged into darkness and then purged with light in order to restore it.
Hmm... I wonder if Xehanort calling the Islands and Scala "a box" because of the routine is just a coincidence or not, seeing as how we still have the pending Black Box plot.
Between this and the ark (uses the "box" kanji), I think Nomura is getting a real kick out of throwing around "box" in normal dialogue, knowing full well it gets our attention every single time
Which puts us in the exact same position as the villains in KH3 getting distracted by Pandora's Box and Davy Jones' Box!
Didn't realize until now that the third scene was set up for another party switch, thought Vor was just being playful xD
Between this and the ark (uses the "box" kanji), I think Nomura is getting a real kick out of throwing around "box" in normal dialogue, knowing full well it gets our attention every single time
That and "darkness" I'm sure, whenever it's mentioned just vague enough to make it difficult to discern whether it's referring to darkness in general or Darkness the character lol
It's really sad how they always find a way for us to officially get behind the jp version. Thanks for the translation guys!
Hoping more episodes have a flashforward to 4 years later. I feel like it's just a matter of time until they slow down the pacing, but it's breath of fresh air seeing a story told like this.
I added the alternate dialogue you get if Vor was in your party during the third scene. Seems like no matter who you choose, Eraqus would just rather it not be her lol he does not look very pleased
| Vor: Alright! Don't worry guys, I'll stay out of your way. Eraqus: You better. (Vor jumps up and down with joy. Eraqus sighs.) |
Here's a vid if you want to watch it play out, if the timestamp doesn't work, it's at 18:35:
That and "darkness" I'm sure, whenever it's mentioned just vague enough to make it difficult to discern whether it's referring to darkness in general or Darkness the character lol
I imagine it's harder when you have to discern whether or not the aura behind the Queen of Hearts is corporeal or not xD Like, yes, Darkness has a Black Coat, but what if this version of Darkness doesn't? Haha
I imagine it's harder when you have to discern whether or not the aura behind the Queen of Hearts is corporeal or not xD Like, yes, Darkness has a Black Coat, but what if this version of Darkness doesn't? Haha
YES. I was like "is this something I should be reading into?" This extra confusion is something I do not need xD
YES. I was like "is this something I should be reading into?" This extra confusion is something I do not need xD
I imagine it must be hard editing the video and then looking back and asking yourself this, haha.
But anyways, thank you for your work! I uninstalled the game because of the intense grinding, so I'm very grateful for the work you guys do!
Unless there's another delay, Global will get Chapter 2 on August 6th.
Which makes me wonder even more now if the MoM is in fact a form of Sora it would be pretty thematically fitting that after dealing with a story where we rescue a young boy from the major villain, the major villain being his future corrupted self. If now the story is shifting to Sora facing off against the same thing though he doesn't know it yet. If the MoM's machinations are a time loop designed to cause Sora to become the MoM, a possibly bigger villain than Xehanort ever was, and the story is going to be based on helping Sora advert that. Preventing Sora from ending up like another Xehanort, changing time and history.
This whole post is interesting, but this paragraph above especially is one I wanted to add onto.
On one hand, it would contradict what Nomura said about Sora being an "ordinary kid", but on the other hand... I wonder. As it stands, it seems like Xehanort's fate was essentially time-locked no matter what. But as we know so far for Sora, we're told that's not the case. After all, we have endless real-world examples of ordinary people going on to do extraordinary things, so he can start off as an ordinary boy but become a legend in the distant future. Then there's the whole issue with Yozora supposedly knowing who Sora is, attempting to "save" him, and his shoulder patch looking like a skull with Sora's hair and two Kingdom Keys crossed. But if Sora's the Master of Masters, you'd think Xigbar would know that as well, because he said to Sora, "As if the Keyblade would choose a wimp like you." He also seemed very surprised at Sora's response to that as well, so it's weird, unless MoM's current form isn't Sora's appearance, but he at one point was Sora.
I feel like Dark Road will eventually have to address why Young Xehanort knew so much about the Power of Waking in KH3. Then there's Terranort saying "Seeing that you have also taken the forbidden path, you too must be ready to make the ultimate sacrifice." We can safely assume that the Young Xehanort that we see in the four years later timeskip is also the Young Xehanort that we see in KH ReMind. YX in the ReMind opening and the YX we eventually end up facing are different in that ReMind YX hadn't acted on his ambition yet, although you clearly see it coming, whereas the "current" YX is already well on his journey. So if YX knows about the Power of Waking, and we see him change from a rather quiet but cocky kid to who he is now... He most likely also tried to do it to save his friends. But maybe he failed.
And maybe that's what Yozora is trying to save Sora from -- Maybe whatever happened to Xehanort was more than just "losing faith in humanity". Maybe Yozora is tied to what's going on, and he's actually very familiar with what's happening to Sora because it happened to someone else he knows. And he also isn't in his true form either, so who knows? Maybe Yozora actually knew Xehanort.
Had an a ha moment about darkness. What if we have been looking at the shadowy figure of Darkness all wrong? We keep speculating that Darkness in Union X needs to possess Ven to move forward? If that were to happen Darkness wouldn't be around in Dark Road and contradict what we are seeing in Chapter 2's update.
This being all said... What if in this latest update we are just seeing a manifestation of darkness of the Queen of Hearts and nothing more? Maybe it's the same in the other games. Darkness in Union X, it's Malificent's darkness talking to her from that time (would be a digital version). Same in KH3 with Sora coming in contact with darkness (aka Vanitas) at Ven's station of awakening. Vanitas chose the new name "darkness."
Of course this is go to raise hairs with the story of Union X, but if this was all the case, fingers are pointing to Ava being a horrible person. She has her own hidden darkness leading her thoughts to betray the MoM.
This whole post is interesting, but this paragraph above especially is one I wanted to add onto.
On one hand, it would contradict what Nomura said about Sora being an "ordinary kid", but on the other hand... I wonder. As it stands, it seems like Xehanort's fate was essentially time-locked no matter what. But as we know so far for Sora, we're told that's not the case. After all, we have endless real-world examples of ordinary people going on to do extraordinary things, so he can start off as an ordinary boy but become a legend in the distant future. Then there's the whole issue with Yozora supposedly knowing who Sora is, attempting to "save" him, and his shoulder patch looking like a skull with Sora's hair and two Kingdom Keys crossed. But if Sora's the Master of Masters, you'd think Xigbar would know that as well, because he said to Sora, "As if the Keyblade would choose a wimp like you." He also seemed very surprised at Sora's response to that as well, so it's weird, unless MoM's current form isn't Sora's appearance, but he at one point was Sora.
I feel like Dark Road will eventually have to address why Young Xehanort knew so much about the Power of Waking in KH3. Then there's Terranort saying "Seeing that you have also taken the forbidden path, you too must be ready to make the ultimate sacrifice." We can safely assume that the Young Xehanort that we see in the four years later timeskip is also the Young Xehanort that we see in KH ReMind. YX in the ReMind opening and the YX we eventually end up facing are different in that ReMind YX hadn't acted on his ambition yet, although you clearly see it coming, whereas the "current" YX is already well on his journey. So if YX knows about the Power of Waking, and we see him change from a rather quiet but cocky kid to who he is now... He most likely also tried to do it to save his friends. But maybe he failed.
And maybe that's what Yozora is trying to save Sora from -- Maybe whatever happened to Xehanort was more than just "losing faith in humanity". Maybe Yozora is tied to what's going on, and he's actually very familiar with what's happening to Sora because it happened to someone else he knows. And he also isn't in his true form either, so who knows? Maybe Yozora actually knew Xehanort.
Another thought: what if the MoM, after effing up the world, realized he made a mistake, he's the only one who can undo it, so he returns back in time in order to set into motion various events that would end up making himself, as in Sora, not turn into the person that effed up the world to begin with?
What if what turned Sora into the MoM was the fact that he lost Kairi forever? What if getting the Power of Waking is the turning point of Sora not turning into the MoM?
Of course, this is assuming the MoM is Sora.
I like how this update will "spoil" a scene that hasn't appeared in the Global version of KHUX yet. What will they do if more scenes are requiered to be played back to back to make sense?
I like how this update will "spoil" a scene that hasn't appeared in the Global version of KHUX yet. What will they do if more scenes are requiered to be played back to back to make sense?
Probably nothing if the last 4 years is anything to go by.
I like how this update will "spoil" a scene that hasn't appeared in the Global version of KHUX yet.
A scene that is scheduled to be released this month, isn't it?
You may just have discovered the reason for the delay...
A scene that is scheduled to be released this month, isn't it?
You may just have discovered the reason for the delay...
Yeah but said update will probably not be released before they get DR Chapter 2.
It's been interesting to go back and read Xehanort's Report in light of this game. So far things have been pretty consistent between the two.
Here's an interesting line compared to what he says about worlds repeating their cycle...
"My legs took me there unbidden, and as I stood there on the same beach where I had made my choice so many years ago, I thought: not a single thing has changed. Here, in this quiet world, time marches in place. "
It's been interesting to go back and read Xehanort's Report in light of this game. So far things have been pretty consistent between the two.
Here's an interesting line compared to what he says about worlds repeating their cycle...
"My legs took me there unbidden, and as I stood there on the same beach where I had made my choice so many years ago, I thought: not a single thing has changed. Here, in this quiet world, time marches in place. "
I didn't even think about that. I need to reread the Xehanort Reports especially with Dark Road going on. I'm sure reading them again will be a different experience now. (And I love Ansem/Xehanort/secret reports)
I'll likely never look at Master Xehanort and Eraqus's relationship the same way again when this is over.
Okay, so I finally bothered to watch this update and express my thoughts on it after reading the thread.
1. What I feared happened, but not like how I expected. Dark Road is making me really like Young Xehanort. But while at first I rejected this idea because I hate his older self, what ended up happening is that this is making me despise Master Xehanort because his Younger Self is quite well written and is setting up to be quite the character, which only makes his older version' writing looks worse and dated. Specially after KH3's ending.
2. I knew the scene with Eraqus and Xehanort talking at the same time reminded me of something, but the comment sections on the video made it make sense. It's pretty much FFVIII.
[spoiler] In that game, the main party keeps having dreams of Laguna Loire and his friends, then a bit past halfway the game we find out those aren't actually dreams, and it's actually one character sending the party's conscience back in time to try to change the events of the future. This actually makes a LOT of sense in the UX context, so If this really is the plot they go with, I'm excited to see where it'll end up. [/spoiler]
3. While I already expected this to be the case before more info on the game came out, I'm disappointed over how mediocre the writing for the rest of the class is. Maybe it's because of the party system, but the other characters so far are what I call "half assed protagonists"; their designs are pretty generic to evoke the feeling of a OC, but they have a finalized touch that gives them a bit more credit. But if you place them next to Eraqus or Xehanort and then put the Player or the generic Unions/Dandelions from UX next to them, you'll clearly see where they belong.
Personality wise they've been pretty underwhelming as well, and while I know we are only at chapter 2, we already got significantly more of a story going on in those than UX did for the longest time; and yet, Brain and Lauriam had that unique flair to them instantly. Ephemer and Skuld also stood out back during X.
I really hope we can see some improvement going forward because if they really do go through the tragic fate hinted at chapter 1, I won't really feel sad for those characters given how barren they have been so far.
4. I'm enjoying the way the story has been told so far, but I'm worried over how this is going to evolve with time. Dark Road's pacing feels like a mini series written with a specific number of chapters in mind before closing, which would be perfect to me had this not been a gacha mobile game, so I'm worried at how this is gonna go.. But I guess everything can change once they're done with the search for the upperclassmen fillers, lol.
I said this before but I'm going to mention it again specifically because of the whole anaylisis over Xehanort's older and younger forms as well as Sora's connection to MoM: Dark Road reminds me A LOT of the Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver franchise.
I have a small question. Are Player X (Union X/Chi) and Kid Xehanort (my nickname for Young Xehanort in Dark Road) still connected or has that been debunked? If so any idea what they're connection is?
I have a small question. Are Player X (Union X/Chi) and Kid Xehanort (my nickname for Young Xehanort in Dark Road) still connected or has that been debunked? If so any idea what they're connection is?
Now with what [USER=251825]@Noivern[/USER] hinted, I'm thinking there's a meddling Chirithy involved, maybe on orders. (I blame everything odd on Chirithys :D these little guys can't be trusted -- look who created them.)
Also wow I'm not a shipper for KH in the slightest but some palpable Xehanort/Eraqus right at the end there. Or at least in Vor's eyes.
Oh, that's why she was curious? Is she gonna write her own yaoi fanfics about them?
Oh yeah, I also wanted to say that when I saw this had voice acting the delay for the english version actually totally makes sense, if they're going to dub it.
Same with Ephemera's voiced line when he and Skuld save Player at the Graveyard.
Would've been great to have some more of Ben Diskin's performance, but alas.
I wonder if Xehanort seeing darkness is the same as Riku's power to smell darkness. We need someone who can hear and speak darkness next. I vote for Aeleus or Dilan to speak darkness. Maybe Terra can hear darkness, as he fits the Xehanort/Riku theme lol.
? the only things shared between the Player flashback and the Brain flashback are the presence of Ephemer and Skuld.
I'm feeling like they're going to pull a "Xehanort and Eraqus are actually Ephemer and Brain" twist if not something weirder.
Global scenes:
Alternate scene if Vor is in the party:
They've also added the prompt to change party members during that third scene, which was absent in JP.
I wonder why most of the story quests feature random enemies when another playthrough of these quests is not intended. Maybe they'll add an episode replay feature along the theater mode at some point in the future, it's still seems like these quests are more of an afterthought compared to the world battles and events.
I wonder why most of the story quests feature random enemies when another playthrough of these quests is not intended. Maybe they'll add an episode replay feature along the theater mode at some point in the future, it's still seems like these quests are more of an afterthought compared to the world battles and events.
Y'know, it's really weird, but I was just thinking how the gameplay for this game has actually started to feel WORSE than last time. And I think you're onto the generic and arbitrary nature of the battles being part of it. At least in Union X, the enemies are placed amongst a navigable world map that you have to traverse in order to get from point A to point B, so at least they felt like obstacles en route to your destination. But here, they just throw random enemies in between cutscenes that have nothing at all to do with the progression of the narrative, and there's no sense of spatial progression in defeating them.
Not only that, but the cards feel much more abstract than the medals or the cards from CoM—at least from those games, there's an in-game reason why you're using these things to execute attacks and other moves, but here, it's such a blatantly transparent mechanic. We also still don't even know what Xehanort and Eraqus' weird Keyblades are called, probably the first time in the series where we don't know the names of the weapons we're using. All in all, everything about this game so far besides the story itself is making it feel like the developers really don't give a shit. I'm noticing more and more how much better this story would work as a movie (let alone an actual honest console game) than as what it is. Every aspect of the gameplay, story mode or not, feels completely superfluous and un-engaging. It makes me pray that Bitgroove never be allowed near this franchise ever again after these two titles are done with.
After doing the quests myself, compared to Goldpanner, they did do pretty well, tho with the Cheshire Cat, they actually added some flavor text from the movie as localizations, but the meaning comes though.
I CAN'T object to that, and I grew up with Disney's Alice in Wonderland.
[Edit] Rewatching, I can see they did that EVERYWHERE here. Hey, I don't mind, you get what they're saying even if they changed the text around a bit to fit the world/the original movie. SOMEONE knows their Disneys. And they did a good localization, it's not a straight translation (I assume Goldpanner's a little more literal in places, no offense meant. Different translators work differently *hugs Goldpanner*; some go literal in a way, some like to localize. Have seen this many, many times before with certain fansub groups that I will not name here so if you're looking Goldpanner, don't feel offended, it does just show another way of putting it. And if the offical translator screwed up..which I don't think he did..your translation shows what he screwed up on.)
As I keep saying, JP to English translation is a art, not a science. It REALLY is. And since the original Disney's Alice in Wonderland is a original English animated movie, well..I don't think anyone can blame the official translator for drawing from that for his translation/localization so if you watched that as many times as I have, you'd feel like Xehanort and crew stepped RIGHT into the movie in Alice's place. Ha.
Oh and if anyone wants it, I can prolly go though the videos again and transcribe, tho I assume the staffers will do that a bit later when they get time!
Y'know, it's really weird, but I was just thinking how the gameplay for this game has actually started to feel WORSE than last time. And I think you're onto the generic and arbitrary nature of the battles being part of it. At least in Union X, the enemies are placed amongst a navigable world map that you have to traverse in order to get from point A to point B, so at least they felt like obstacles en route to your destination. But here, they just throw random enemies in between cutscenes that have nothing at all to do with the progression of the narrative, and there's no sense of spatial progression in defeating them.
I agree 100%. Their claim to make a more light-weighted and therefore more accessable game than KHUX (which is almost at 4GB now) clashes completely with the quest design, there is absolutely no story told through them. It's bascially a movie with extra steps at this point.
They have access to hundreds of maps from nine different worlds and over 270 Heartless, yet that's all what they produce.
Not only that, but the cards feel much more abstract than the medals or the cards from CoM—at least from those games, there's an in-game reason why you're using these things to execute attacks and other moves, but here, it's such a blatantly transparent mechanic. We also still don't even know what Xehanort and Eraqus' weird Keyblades are called, probably the first time in the series where we don't know the names of the weapons we're using.
I've not given up on explanations yet, because they started with explanating plot points from KHX/KHUX that were over seven years old but it still feels odd.
All in all, everything about this game so far besides the story itself is making it feel like the developers really don't give a shit. I'm noticing more and more how much better this story would work as a movie (let alone an actual honest console game) than as what it is. Every aspect of the gameplay, story mode or not, feels completely superfluous and un-engaging. It makes me pray that Bitgroove never be allowed near this franchise ever again after these two titles are done with.
I kinda get where they tried to go with this whole project, with it being a companion piece to KHUX and all of that, but I don't think they made a good game in the process. If there were different things to do like customizing Xehanort, upgrade the (unnamed) Keyblade, exploring the world, or even adjust the auto battle feature to your liking it wouldn't be this bleak.
Edit] Rewatching, I can see they did that EVERYWHERE here. Hey, I don't mind, you get what they're saying even if they changed the text around a bit to fit the world/the original movie. SOMEONE knows their Disneys. And they did a good localization, it's not a straight translation (I assume Goldpanner's a little more literal in places, no offense meant. Different translators work differently *hugs Goldpanner*; some go literal in a way, some like to localize. Have seen this many, many times before with certain fansub groups that I will not name here so if you're looking Goldpanner, don't feel offended, it does just show another way of putting it. And if the offical translator screwed up..which I don't think he did..your translation shows what he screwed up on.)
I definitely agree. I am glad we have Goldpanner's translation as well as the more stylized official localization. Like, I really liked how the Cheshire Cat quoted the Jabberwocky in the Global version but it's good to have a translation which makes the original meaning clear. And Goldpanner's version is very readable itself.
After doing the quests myself, compared to Goldpanner, they did do pretty well, tho with the Cheshire Cat, they actually added some flavor text from the movie as localizations, but the meaning comes though.
I CAN'T object to that, and I grew up with Disney's Alice in Wonderland.
[Edit] Rewatching, I can see they did that EVERYWHERE here. Hey, I don't mind, you get what they're saying even if they changed the text around a bit to fit the world/the original movie. SOMEONE knows their Disneys. And they did a good localization, it's not a straight translation (I assume Goldpanner's a little more literal in places, no offense meant. Different translators work differently *hugs Goldpanner*; some go literal in a way, some like to localize. Have seen this many, many times before with certain fansub groups that I will not name here so if you're looking Goldpanner, don't feel offended, it does just show another way of putting it. And if the offical translator screwed up..which I don't think he did..your translation shows what he screwed up on.)
As I keep saying, JP to English translation is a art, not a science. It REALLY is. And since the original Disney's Alice in Wonderland is a original English animated movie, well..I don't think anyone can blame the official translator for drawing from that for his translation/localization so if you watched that as many times as I have, you'd feel like Xehanort and crew stepped RIGHT into the movie in Alice's place. Ha.
Oh and if anyone wants it, I can prolly go though the videos again and transcribe, tho I assume the staffers will do that a bit later when they get time!
Oooh, I like that they used more Alice in Wonderland lines! And they keep nailing Eraqus's lines; I love "fashionably late". I do like the XEU dialogue of the second video better in the unofficial version; something about the timing of Eraqus's looking up and smiling, then the speech bubble with the slightly shorter "Why are you smiling?", felt way funnier than the new video. (That was a random detail, sorry XD) I love GP's "What?"/"What yourself!" but the official "How did you--" is intriguing, too!
It's so interesting to have both translations side by side (yes to a transcription!!). Where did the word "box" go? :D Something got lost there.
This translation nerd is having a blast with these video updates. I'm sorry the game's not as enjoyable for you guys :(
Oh and if anyone wants it, I can prolly go though the videos again and transcribe, tho I assume the staffers will do that a bit later when they get time!
Nah, I don't plan on transcribing these. Feel free to do so if you'd like :D
Oooh, I like that they used more Alice in Wonderland lines! And they keep nailing Eraqus's lines; I love "fashionably late". I do like the XEU dialogue of the second video better in the unofficial version; something about the timing of Eraqus's looking up and smiling, then the speech bubble with the slightly shorter "Why are you smiling?", felt way funnier than the new video. (That was a random detail, sorry XD)
It's so interesting to have both translations side by side (yes to a transcription!!). Where did the word "box" go? :D Something got lost there.
This translation nerd is having a blast with these video updates. I'm sorry the game's not as enjoyable for you guys :(
And Xehanort seeing darkness lol. Now he just knows something. What is it he's supposed to know?
I'm also interested in how they've translated Brain's line. Unofficial translation of the line put the emphasis on a person being hidden within darkness, but the official localization has it the other way around, darkness within people. This will be in the next story update for Global so will be interesting to see how that goes.
What’s with the “4 years later” part?
What’s with the “4 years later” part?
That's when Xehanort goes on the world tour.
Okay, to make this quick, I'll be linking these from my Google Drive (I'm using a word processor). [USER=89972]@Sign[/USER], feel free to open and copy/paste and add to the first post in this thread. I did borrow the stage directions MOSTLY from the JP transcript, with a few additions to be more specific in spots (you'll see where). So watch this post!
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Anyway be patient, it takes me time to go though each video and pause at every line, then type it out.
Okay, to make this quick, I'll be linking these from my Google Drive (I'm using a word processor). [USER=89972]@Sign[/USER], feel free to open and copy/paste and add to the first post in this thread. I did borrow the stage directions MOSTLY from the JP transcript, with a few additions to be more specific in spots (you'll see where). So watch this post!
Part 1
Anyway be patient, it takes me time to go though each video and pause at every line, then type it out.
Thanks mary! I'll add this to the OP later <3
I'm also interested in how they've translated Brain's line. Unofficial translation of the line put the emphasis on a person being hidden within darkness, but the official localization has it the other way around, darkness within people. This will be in the next story update for Global so will be interesting to see how that goes.
I don't know about how it will work in UX, but in Xehanort's story I think the darkness hiding in people seems to make more sense with how his seeing darkeness is shown. It also lines up nicely with his saying to the MoM in Re Mind that 'darkness lurks in the pit of everyone's hearts'.
I don't know about how it will work in UX, but in Xehanort's story I think the darkness hiding in people seems to make more sense with how his seeing darkeness is shown. It also lines up nicely with his saying to the MoM in Re Mind that 'darkness lurks in the pit of everyone's hearts'.
In UX it's kinda the opposite, since this line comes right after they establish someone is working within the shadows to kill Strelitzia and set Ven up as a Union leader. But the official localization may present that differently in a way that allows this line to work for both situations.
I'm also interested in how they've translated Brain's line. Unofficial translation of the line put the emphasis on a person being hidden within darkness, but the official localization has it the other way around, darkness within people. This will be in the next story update for Global so will be interesting to see how that goes.
That's how I read it, darkness hiding within people. I think it's a deliberate connection to what the Master talked about, how darkness had changed form over time and now hides inside people.
OKAY! Done. had to pause to get dinner going but the transcript is done. [USER=89972]@Sign[/USER] you know what to do. ^^
But yeah, see above for the whole thing.
It was pretty short. beat it around 25 minutes.
barely any actual story aside from the last scene.. was hoping for more.
hopefully things will start pick up in the next few chapters.
young eraqus is such a fun a character.
Finished the story. More I "play" of DR, the more I'm mad it wasn't its own game done in the old Kingdom engine at least, or UE4. On kinfolk on God I would pay $60 for a YX game.
Something I think is much better in Goldpanner's version is Xehanort's response when Eraqus says he wants to believe in the light in people's hearts. In Global, he just simply agrees, 'me too', but in Goldpanner's he says 'Yeah...', so you can see he is having doubts already, which is nice.
Something I think is much better in Goldpanner's version is Xehanort's response when Eraqus says he wants to believe in the light in people's hearts. In Global, he just simply agrees, 'me too', but in Goldpanner's he says 'Yeah...', so you can see he is having doubts already, which is nice.
If these were voiced, you'd get the same effect from gurobaru.
That's how I read it, darkness hiding within people. I think it's a deliberate connection to what the Master talked about, how darkness had changed form over time and now hides inside people.
lol so after you said that I went back to double check that sequence of events and you're absolutely right, should be darkness within people rather than people within darkness.
Reuploaded cutscenes~
This episode lacks of contents in my opinione. There are less cutscenes than the first one and more filler dialogues. I didn't enjoyed it very much.
Sign
July 30, 2020 @ 07:32 amOffline