III: The Changing Tide/Script

Heirs of Fate 3: The Changing Tide

Before Battle

• Shigure (as narrator): I shall tell you a story of another realm that I will never forget. The boy Kana took up the Grim Yato. Not far off was a Hoshidan prince and what few allies he had gathered. The prince brooded on his recent defeat as his allies tended to their wounds. The injuries were deep but not mortal. They had been inflicted by shadowy foes... For during the battle, the prince had been menaced by minions of a dragon.

(scene transition)

• Shiro: Damn! They got away.
• Rhajat: Wretched fools... I'll curse them for a thousand years for causing me pain.
• Midori: Are you hurt bad? Here, try my all-natural painkiller!
• Caeldori: Maybe it's for the best that the enemy fled from us. If they had continued with a full-force assault, we might not have survived.
• Shiro: That's what you think. Me, I'm not gonna stand for a beating like that! Lousy punks... Soon as these wounds heal, I'm gonna—
• Asugi: Run away? As fast as we can?
• Shiro: Not you, too! You seriously think we're gonna let them off after they attacked us?
• Asugi: I don't know if you've taken a look around, but some of us are cut up pretty bad. Is the plan to order us to die for you?
• Shiro: Well... I mean...
• Caeldori: Why don't we all take a break to cool our heels here? We were lucky that we all met up after escaping our Deeprealms. But we've been fighting nonstop since then, and it's clearly taking its toll.
• Midori: Can't argue with that! Besides, the more time my remedies have to work, the better!
• Rhajat: Everywhere we turn, these ghostly enemies seem to be waiting... If this is a hex on us, it's a strange one.
• Asugi: I never wanted to fight in the first place. Look at us. None of us are what you'd call trained soldiers. It was clear as day we didn't stand a chance against those guys just now. But there you go, charging right into a fight without thinking.
• Shiro: Did you not see the dragon with them?
• Asugi: What about it?
• Shiro: The second I heard that dragon's roar, I couldn't resist wading in. Here we had a mighty beast, backed up by powerful-looking allies. I had to know if I could go the distance against a force like that.
• Asugi: The hell is wrong with you? What do you think this is, a sport? Sure, you're the prince, but you can't go off on your own half-cocked. We all agreed before your suicide run to steer clear of the enemy.
• Shiro: It's not like I asked any of you to follow me into the fight. You came along on your own.
• Asugi: I give up! You're impossible!
• Caeldori: Stop squabbling, both of you. This isn't the time to treat one another like enemies.
• Asugi: For the record, it's not my job to keep you safe. My dad might've been your dad's retainer, but I didn't inherit the job. So don't act as reckless as you please, thinking I'm obliged to clean up afterward.
• Shiro: Heh. I'm actually glad you're not my retainer. Who needs a coward like you working for them?
• Caeldori: Shiro! Asugi! Behave!
• Shiro: Whoops...
• Asugi: Yeah, sorry.
• Caeldori: Our homes have been taken from us in a coordinated ambush. We need to know more about who our enemy is and why they've done this. Until we have that, we can't be picking fights among each other. So take deep breaths. Count to 10. Whatever it takes to settle down.
• Shiro: Yeah. I know what I SHOULD be doing. But I'll blow my stack if I can't fight a little to get my mind off these last few days. Doesn't this frustrate you at all? We lost our only homes, our only family... You never wish you could hit back? It doesn't get your goat to have to run away all the time?
• Caeldori: That's not—
• Shiro: Because it gets my goat. My whole herd of them. Probably some cows, too. Father kept me alive long enough to meet up with you—even gave me the Raijinto. Somehow, I don't think living life on the run is what he wanted out of me. I wish I'd been better when things started happening. Maybe we'd still be together. He'd have been happier than anyone to see me wielding his sword. He'd have been proud of me...
• Caeldori: Oh, Shiro...
• Midori: *sniff* *sniff*
• Rhajat: Hmm? Why are you crying?
• Midori: I'm frustrated, too. Father isn't here because I couldn't defend myself. All I know how to do is brew medicine. If he was here, I could have patched up his wounds. But he never came back from the Deeprealm he rescued me from...
• Rhajat: You weren't to blame, Midori. The fault lies with those shadowy soldiers. Not even my dark magic had any effect... I hoped to make them rue the day they forced us out of our Deeprealms. But all the rue is mine for being unable to squash them like the toads they were.
• Caeldori: I feel the same way. Well...up to a point. If I had honed my skills more, I could have fought them off alongside my father. But I'm a pale shadow of his perfection. He had to stay there alone while I fled. It doesn't seem fair of him to leave such a perfect void in my life...
• Asugi: Huh... Guess I'm the odd one out here. I finally feel free. It was no thanks to my dad that I made it out of my Deeprealm. I'm sure he had better places to be, as a Saizo and all.
• Shiro: Hey, watch your mouth. Saizo was there at your Deeprealm.
• Asugi: Say what?
• Shiro: He went to help my dad, but my dad just yelled at him to go see to his son. If you didn't see him, you might've left just when he was getting there. Or maybe... I hate to say it, but he might've been defeated before reaching you.
• Asugi: You think so? It'd certainly explain why there was nothing stopping me from leaving the place. Is that even possible? Could my dad be...
• Shiro: Sorry, man.
• Asugi: Well, how do you like that! My dad saved my life, and I never even knew. Guess that's a ninja for you.
• Rhajat: Heh heh...you're not as unique as you thought, it seems. It's a bit creepy how similar all our shared experiences are, though. Since we all have regrets over not fighting, why not try proving ourselves once more? After all, our enemy no longer has the benefit of their dragon.
• Midori: Wait, really?
• Rhajat: The dragon's signature presence is absent now. Surely you noticed.
• Midori: That's weird. What could have happened to it?
• Rhajat: I couldn't guess. Maybe it was under a curse and someone dispelled it. Whatever the reason, it's fair to say that this changes things considerably. Without a rampaging dragon on their side, the advantage may swing back to us.
• Shiro: Huh, yeah. You think we have a chance at beating them if we strike now?
• Rhajat: I'm no tactician. Just stating the facts.
• Caeldori: There was something strange about those enemies with the dragon, though. They acted less predictably than the troops who stormed the Deeprealms. I can't put my finger on it beyond that... Maybe if we can take them prisoner, we can question them and find out why.
• Midori: Hmm. They might be as tired as we are from the last fight. If we can sneak up when they think they're safe, maybe we can win this time.
• Shiro: I'm game. Is everyone ready?
• Midori: If you give me a little longer, I can brew up a bit more medicine. Although I want to make sure Asugi's OK with it before we go.
• Asugi: Hmph... If there's gonna be a fight, I'll pitch in my share. But I'm doing this for my own reasons, not any of yours. If a certain someone can't keep his head, it's not on me to reel him in.
• Shiro: I'll keep it in mind. All right, everyone, if things look bad, it's OK to fall back. That said...let's go!

Defeated Quotes

“Damn...that's enough. I'm out...”
—Shiro defeated

“Oops...they got me good. I'll just sit back and let you all handle the rest. ”
—Midori defeated

“The man said to retreat if I had to. And, well, I have to. ”
—Asugi defeated

“To push myself past this point would just be recklessness. It's wiser to retreat. ”
—Caeldori defeated

“They've driven me back not once but twice? The third time will pay for all...”
—Rhajat defeated

After Battle

• Shiro: Ha! Revenge is sweet! Let's close in and—
• Asugi: Hang on. I wouldn't count them out just yet!

(enemy units move into position)

• Rhajat: They still mean to fight. This will be very unfortunate for one of us.
• Caeldori: We're already at our limits. Let's stand down for now.
• Shiro: No! We're not leaving!
• Caeldori: Shiro?!

(Shiro moves forward)

• Midori: No, don't! Come back!
• Shiro: I won't back down! Not when we've finally got you on the ropes! We're finishing this, right now! You're going to give me answers, damn you! We've fought too long and lost too much to let it end any other way!
• Midori: Shiro! WATCH OUT!
• Asugi: Dammit...

(Asugi steps in front of Shiro and takes a hit)

• Asugi: Urghnf!
• Shiro: What the?! Asugi? I thought you didn't give a damn about me.
• Asugi: I don't. But I'd catch hell from my dad if I let anything happen to you. Let's get while the getting's good. Nobody here wants to lose someone else they care about today. If you actually plan to win this fight, you won't do it by charging in alone.
• Shiro: ...Yeah, I guess not. That was dumb of me.
• Caeldori: Careful! They're coming for us again!

(Female Kana and Kiragi enter the map and guard a hit each)

• Kiragi: That was too close! You OK, Shiro?
• Shiro: Kiragi?! What are you doing here?
• Kiragi: Please hold all your questions until after the mass escape! We know a good place to lay low just over there.
• Kana: Yup! Wait 'til you see it! Mitama, can you please heal everyone once we're there?
• Mitama: Well, since you asked nicely... Judicious retreat / Up and at 'em, everyone / Make a break for it!
• Selkie: Awww...I thought we came to play tag, not hide-and-seek.
• Hisame: We'll be facing them again, whether we like it or not. Save it for then.
• Selkie: 'Kay!

(scene transition after they retreat from the battle map)

• Kiragi: Hmm, yeah. This should be far enough away to be safe!
• Caeldori: That's a relief. Fortunately for us, our enemy didn't seem to be giving chase.

(healing sound)

• Mitama: You ought to feel better still now that I've healed your wounds.
• Asugi: Much obliged.
• Shiro: Thanks for bailing me out back there.
• Kana: Sure thing! I'm glad you're OK. Oh, by the way, I'm Kana. This is Hisame, Selkie, and Mitama. Did you know Kiragi already?
• Shiro: Yeah, he's my cousin. I'm Shiro, if you didn't already catch it. The others are Asugi, Caeldori, Rhajat, and Midori.
• Midori: Um, nice to...meet you...?
• Selkie: Yeah. It's funny, though. I feel like I've met some of you already.
• Caeldori: I noticed that. Something about this doesn't feel like our first meeting.
• Mitama: How peculiar / Were we friends in our past lives? / Is it déjà vu?
• Rhajat: You're all strangers to me.
• Hisame: It's the damndest feeling. Like an itch I can't scratch.
• Shiro: Never mind all that. Where did you guys come from, Kiragi?
• Kiragi: We heard some kind of horrible roaring sound and came to check it out. We sure didn't expect to stumble on you fighting those weird soldiers! I have bad news, though. Something happened to my parents.
• Shiro: Really? Is Uncle Takumi OK?
• Kiragi: The same forces you're fighting now came to my Deeprealm. My father made sure I got out safe, but...it might have cost him his life... And I'm not the only one, either. All of these folks could say the same thing.
• Shiro: Us too. Tch... What the hell's going on around here?
• Asugi: Caeldori said the ones we were up against were acting weird. So I watched closely, and she's right. They're not like the troops who came for us in our Deeprealms. I was hopin' to catch one so we could ask a few polite, friendly questions.
• Hisame: They did seem more human than the other things we were fighting.
• Caeldori: Maybe they were commanders? Though that doesn't square with their behavior.
• Kana: Some of the enemies we fought didn't really look like monsters either.
• Mitama: Yes. Their tactics were a cut above the usual dash and smash, as well.
• Asugi: Oh yeah? Did you defeat any?
• Selkie: Nah. They got away. We woulda gone after them, but some lady told us that wasn't a great idea.
• Midori: Did she say who she was?
• Kana: No. She was real mysterious. She didn't tell us hardly anything. But she gave me this neat Dragonstone! You know what, though? She did ask if we thought the enemy seemed weird. Maybe that was her mysterious way of telling us they were human.
• Rhajat: Why not come to the point and say it?
• Hisame: She had her reasons, no doubt. Maybe it would've done no good to come straight out with it. Come to think, she did say we wouldn't understand if we didn't figure it out...
• Shiro: Sounds like we'll have to take another crack at them to know for sure.
• Kana: Yeah! We'll all find out together!
• Shiro: We will?
• Kana: Yeah! I saw you try to fight that whole army yourself. I was afraid when they attacked you and Asugi. I thought they'd take somebody else like they took my papa. Good thing we saved you, huh? But please don't do that again!
• Shiro: Uhm...
• Kiragi: I'm not one to talk, since I tried to go it alone, too. But think of how bad it could've gone if we hadn't shown up in the nick of time!
• Asugi: Told you so.
• Shiro: Hah. I hate to admit it, but you were right. You've got my word I'll be a little less reckless from now on. Can I count on all of you to be with me in return?
• Asugi: I'd have to be a pretty big jerk to say no, huh?
• Kiragi: I'm with you, buddy! With all of us together, we're unstoppable!
• Kana: And I'll help too!
• Shiro: This is starting to sound like a plan! Let's get started!

(CG image of Shiro holding Raijinto, which is glowing)

• Shiro: Huh? The Raijinto! NOW what?
• Kiragi: Ooh! The Fujin Yumi was glowing like this, too!
• Kana: The Yato's shining again... Does that mean it's gonna power up?

(Yato transforms)

• Shiro: Am I seeing things, or did your sword just change shape?
• Kana: It's really pretty, isn't it? We should call it the Blazing Yato now.
• Shiro: Did you just make that up on the spot, or...
• Kana: Nope! The mysterious lady told us this would happen. It's still my papa's sword, but it's changed a lot since I got it.
• Kiragi: Yeah. You should have seen it before it reacted to the Fujin Yumi.
• Shiro: The Blazing Yato... All right, then. Seems like a pretty fitting name.

(scene transition)

• Shiro: With a blade like that, we'll blaze a trail right through our enemy!
• Kana: I can't wait to save Papa!
• Shiro: Yeah... All right. We've got the advantage now. This time's for keeps.

(scene transition)

• Shigure: (singing) A burdened heart sinks into the ground A veil falls away without a sound ♪ Not day nor night, wrong nor right For truth and peace we fight ♪ A song for one who has chosen the difficult path between two chasms. Alas...
• ??? (Azura's spirit): In this world, that path was broken, never coming to its proper end.

(Azura appears)

• Shigure: I know. Which is why you spared me. Thank you, Mother.
• Azura: My time is almost up, I'm afraid. I'm sorry to have to lead you down the one path I never wished for you. Before I go, I must teach you the rest of the song.
• Shigure: There's more to it?
• Azura: Yes. When I sang, I failed to use the song's full potential. There is a fourth verse that holds tremendous, dangerous power. I've wondered why I remain here, and I believe it's to teach you that verse. Remember when I told you that you can use the pendant as I could?
• Shigure: Yes, but you warned me never to do so.
• Azura: There is no other way now. You have more potential within than I ever did. The power flowing through you is equal to that of the ancient kings of Valla.
• Shigure: You never told me much of them.
• Azura: That's a pity. There are wonderful stories of the king from Anankos's time. Mighty Cadros, the first King of Valla, was a staunch friend to the dragon. I never knew him except through the songs and portraits. But you have much in common with him...both in appearance and power.
• Shigure: Then it really must be me.
• Azura: I'm sorry, Shigure. I had hoped you'd never need to learn this verse. If I could, I would have kept it from everyone. Its power is too dreadful. I know firsthand what it will do to you.
• Shigure: You're worried that I'll fade away. Just like you did.
• Azura: ...Yes.
• Shigure: But that's just one possibility—not the inevitable. I promise I'll succeed, Mother. I'll save this world. And then everyone who faded away can come back...including you.
• Azura: Yes.
• Shigure: Then there's no time to lose. Please teach me the rest of the song.
• Azura: One last thing first...
• Shigure: I'm listening.
• Azura: I love you, Shigure. Whatever obstacles lie in the path you've chosen... I'll always be there, helping you over them.
• Shigure: Mother...you're making this sound like the last time we'll speak. If I succeed, we'll see each other again. You weren't misleading me, right?
• Azura: Perish the thought, Shigure. You're completely right, of course. I'm not going anywhere. Even if my body decays or my mind fails, I live on in someone's memory. Every time you remember me, you call me there to your side.
• Shigure: I'll hold you to that, Mother.
• Azura: I'll sing the rest of the song for you now. Listen carefully. *ahem*... In endless dreams...countless realms collide ♪ Hope falls only to rise like the changing tide ♪ But all dreams come to an end... Just whispers in the wind. ♪