The airship approaches the Shimmering Island; a whirlpool in the air is created. The Hilda Garde 3 enters this Whirlpool, as bright beams of yellow energy are being sucked in all around them. Everyone floats up from the deck of the airship, and begins to get pulled in. First Yao then Im Yong Soo followed by Ludwig, Arthur and Ivan. We see them following some sort of teleportation path, as streaks of blue and orange light, along with dragon-like howls, pass from all around them. Suddenly, they appear to be underwater, with trees above them. They float up from the water.
Ivan, standing alone on a path, looks around. Everything is strange, alien; A deep blue landscape, surrounded by high-ranging trees all around.
"Could this be...Terra? What is this light? Could it be..." Ivan wonders.
A man appears down the path.
"So you finally came. The time has come at last... the one who folds time is here" Old Man says.
"Who are you!?" Ivan asks.
"Ask my name, will you? Then let us ask... what is your name?"
"Me!? My name is-"
"What is your name?"
"Hey, what is your problem!? I am trying to tell you my name"
"So you believe a given name has meaning... boy, you have been bewitched by the light of the blue moon"
"What do you know? You must be from Terra, da"
"You know nothing, and that is all. Come and see for yourself... See what Terra is, and what you are..." the Old Man teleports away.
"H-Hey, hang on! He is gone..."
"Ivan!" Yao walks up to Ivan
"Yao-Yao! Are you alright?"
"Yes. Everyone is fine. Come, let us hurry..."
Ivan heads into another Ivan sees a blonde-haired girl.
"Hey...!" Ivan calls.
She runs away and he follows her.
"Hey, wait up!" Ivan calls again.
She runs away again. Once again, he follows her into a new area. She's standing there, facing him. Then she turns around and runs away again.
"What is your problem...?" Ivan asks.
He runs to another area. He looks around; no one's there.
"Where did she go?" Ivan wonders.
He runs off, descending a plastic ladder-type thing, and approaches the girl, who is standing there, waiting, and facing him.
"Who are you?" Ivan asks.
"You don't remember anything, do you?" Mysterious Girl asks., "follow me, and you will understand us... and maybe your own heritage as well"
She runs away.
"Hey, wait! Hold on a sec!" Ivan calls.
He follows her to a new area. They're both standing on a bridge.
"Once you go on, you'll see" Mysterious Girl says.
He runs off to a new area. Ivan and Yao walk up a set of stairs, and stop at the base of a different set of stairs.
"What the heck...? What is this place?" Ivan wonders.
"It looks really artificial. So different than before, aru" Yao says.
"Da... but it does not seem very lively"
The Mysterious Girl walks up the final set of stairs.
"Welcome home" Mysterious Girl says.
Ivan looks confused.
Mysterious Girl
"This is where you belong. The place to which you shall offer yourself... is here" Mysterious Girl up the stairs.
At the top of the stairs is a glowing blue light.
"And a sign saying Bran Bal" Ivan says, "hold on a second! What the heck are you talking about!?"
The ground begins to shake.
"Wh-What the-" Ivan wonders.
An airship flies over the edge. Yao and Ivan look up at it above them. It's the Invincible, a.k.a. the ship with the eyeball that destroyed Madain Sari and Alexandria, and was at the Iifa Tree. Yao falls unconscious.
"What?" Yao manages to say before Alfred, who appeared out of nowhere, whacks him over the head.
"Yao-Yao! Wake up! Yao-Yao! Dammit! What the heck is going on!?" Ivan asks then turns to Alfred, "I will kill you for this"
"But, he wouldn't have passed out if I didn't do that" Alfred protests.
The mysterious girl, at the top of the stairs, looks at him, turns around, and walks away.
"You are completely oblivious. Just like a newborn child. You don't know why you were given life, or for what purpose you exist... you simply shout to emphasize your life...your own are completely oblivious"
Ivan picks Yao up and runs off, leaving Alfred lying on the ground.
"We have to find a place for him to rest!" Ivan says.
Ludwig appears, "Ivan! Leave the prince to me. You must go reconnoiter at once!"
"Da, you are right. There has got to be some place around here..." Ivan says, he hands Yao over to him, "watch over him, Ludwig! I will be right back!"
Ivan goes left.
In front of him, several people are walking around; they all have tails, just like him.
"Wh-what is going on? Everyone has a tail... and their hair is... nothing like mine... wait, how long have I had a tail?!" Ivan wonders aloud.
"You only just figured it out, I think it looks cute" Feliciano says.
"Aaah! Im Yong Soo! Do not do that!" Ivan says.
"Sorry"
Ivan sights, "stay close and do not wonder off"
Ivan and Im Yong Soo explore Bran Bal for a bit, then approaches someone.
"Hey, is there a place around here to get some rest?" Ivan asks.
"Why do you rest?" they ask.
"'Why?' Don't you guys go to sleep at night? Not that I'm sleepy right now, but..." Im Yong Soo says.
"You had sugar earlier, da?" Ivan asks.
"Just a little"
"By night, do you mean the condition in which light recedes?" they ask.
"Look, we do not have time for an interview! Where can we find an inn!?" Ivan asks.
"There is the entrance"
"Right there, huh? Gotcha"
Ivan enter the Inn leaving Im Yong Soo outside.
"This looks like a good place for Yao-Yao to get some rest. But...what is wrong with everyone here? They are all so...stiff. I do not know why... but I have a bad feeling about this place. Well, first things first. I have to bring Yao-Yao back here!" Ivan says.
Ivan leaves the inn. Outside; Im Yong Soo is trying to talk to some of the villagers of Bran Bal.
"'Scuse me... do you have any medicine...?" Im Yong Soo asks but they don't answer him, "안녕하세요 (hello)... is there a place I can buy some medicine around here?" they still don't answer him, "안녕하세요!? I'm asking if you have any medicine! Ngaaa! How come this place is full of weirdos? Everyone has a tail like Ivan... aww, if I could only find some Pimo-pimo herbs, I could make some wake-up powder for Aniki... but is this my lucky day? No! Huh!?" he runs up to a girl, "found ya! You're that girl, right? It's your fault Aniki collapsed, you know... oh, never mind. Say! Don't you have any medicine at all?"
"She will soon awaken" Mysterious Girl says.
"How do you know?"
"Where is your man?"
"M-My man? MY man!? Oh right, I'm playing a girl... anyway, are you talking about Ivan!? Even I never called him that! But too bad for you! He and Aniki are super hot for each other! You don't have a chance with him da~ze"
"Tell him I am waiting in the underground laboratory." the girl walks away.
"Whatever. Hey, where do you think you're going!? What a bimbo! Uh-oh! I don't have time for this!"
He runs into the inn where Ludwig, Kiku and Ivan are gathered around Yao-Yao's body, which is lying down on a bed.
"Yao-Yao..." Ivan says.
"Prince... why must you suffer more...?" Ludwig asks.
"Dammit!"
"What is the matter, Ivan-kun? You have not been yourserf at arr" Kiku asks.
"What the heck do you mean, I have not been myself...?" Ivan asks but Kiku doesn't answer him, "I am sorry... I do not even know what is wrong with me. I just...I just cannot concentrate with this blue light..."
"Ah... uhhh..." Yao moans.
"Prince! You have awoken!" Ludwig says.
"What made you rose consciousness so suddenly?" Kiku asks.
"I remembered" Yao says.
"Remembered what?" Ivan asks.
"That I have to kill Alfred for knocking me out, ow my head"
"Oh do not worry, I did that for you... did you not remember anything else?"
"Huh... oh yes, right. It was not a storm that destroyed Madain Sari. It was the eye on that airship that destroyed Madain Sari. You remember, do you not? The eye was also there when Alexandria was leveled"
"Yes, there was a rarge eye in the sky above from which right emanated" Kiku says.
"Now that you mention it... it was there when Bahamut went wild at the Iifa Tree" Ivan says.
"Yes... it was there in the sky. It must be the same airship" Yao says.
"WHAT!? Then that must be the ship that slew Her Majesty..." Ludwig says.
"Rusty!" Ivan says.
"Oh... I-I'm sorry, Prince!" Ludwig says.
"Do not worry about it. I have already come to terms with that and who could miss her? Seriously, she is a big enough target. I mean, that ship took everything from me... it took away my parents, my homeland, Alexandria...everything" Yao says.
"How terribre..." Kiku says.
Im Yong Soo runs in, "Aniki! Are you alright?"
"Yes, I am fine, aru" Yao says.
"No, you're not! You're still pale! You gotta rest! Hmm? How come everyone looks so pale? What's wrong? Is there a bug going around?"
"No need to be concerned. A strange prace such as this is cause enough for exhaustion" Kiku explains.
"Oh... hey! Where are you going, Ivan? Oh, that's right! That weird girl! The girl that led us here said something strange again! She said she was waiting for you in some underground laboratory! What a pervert!" Im Yong Soo says, Ivan walks out of the Inn, "Ivan?"
Ivan goes to the underground laboratory. Sure enough, the girl is there.
Ivan turns around and sees two tubes against the back wall, filled with water, also containing two humans.
"Oh, so that is what is going on... I should have guessed... so, this is what you wanted to show me?" Ivan asks.
"Yes. I am glad you understand" Mysterious Girl says.
"I do not understand! Sorry, but I am not like that. I mean all these guys with tails, who look sort of just like me... they are a bunch of zombies"
"They are my peers. We are Genomes. We live in this village"
"Genomes? Is that what they are called?"
"Not just them, but you and me, too. It is the name of the seed given to all of us. Its name is Genome"
"Talk about a let-down. Who would have guessed that the home I have yearned for would be a dump like this. No wonder I never found it. It is not even on Gaia!"
"Why are you not happy? You have returned to the place of your birth."
"Happy? You guys can process that emotion? Look at 'em! Look at all their blank faces!"
"What can we do? After all, we are made that way. And we are built to watch over each other and work together as soulless Genomes"
"What is it all for!? Get to the point already! How come I grew up on Gaia if I was born here!? I am alive! I have a soul! Why is everyone here so..."
"Because you are...special"
"What!?"
"We are mere vessels. You have been given a greater purpose. The will of Garland is absolute..."
"Garland? Who's that?"
She walks up the stairs. He follows her. She's on the floor above the underground laboratory; several Genome surround a large glowing crystal.
"Garland watches over this planet. His mission is to restore the people of Terra" Mysterious Girl says.
"R-Restore the people of Terra? You mean people besides these guys here?" Ivan asks.
"They are merely vessels. So am I, and so are you. But the true people of Terra have been asleep for ages, waiting for their time to come. When the time is right, the light of this planet will change from blue to red, and Gaia will become Terra"
"Wait a sec! So the people of Terra are out to take over Gaia!?"
"What else can there be? Terra has always absorbed new planets to survive. And when the time comes, the souls of the people of Terra will occupy the Genomes. Such is the restoration of the people of Terra"
"Why do they have to be so tedious!? Why don't they just wipe us out with magic like they did Alexandria!?"
"Once, Garland tried to use a more forceful method, but failed"
"Then he should just quit and leave Gaia alone!"
"Because of his failure, he was forced to wait a long time. To wait until Gaia's civilizations gained tremendous power: The power to use eidolons"
"So that's why you attacked the summoner's village and destroyed Alexandria"
"Planets have a cycle of souls. Souls are born from the planet, and then return to it. Garland planned to gain control of that very cycle... and you were supposed to help him achieve that"
"What!?"
"Garland is waiting for you. Come..."
She walks away.
"What do you think you are doing!? I do not care about all this Terra and Gaia stuff!"
Back at the inn...
"Ivan isn't back yet. And with Aniki's not feeling well... I wonder where he is" Im Yong Soo says.
"Im Yong Soo..." Yao says.
"No, Aniki! You can't get up yet!"
"It is alright. Listen, I want to ask you a favor, aru"
"Oh? Just tell me, and I'll get right on it!"
"I want you to go find Ivan"
"Huh? Oh, sure. Okay. Oh, I get it! You're getting jealous!"
"No, I am not... I just have a feeling something terrible is going to happen"
"Alright! I'll go get him. So you just stay here and rest! Look a new ATE"
-Place to Call Home-
Alfred, after waking up, walks into the room with the large crystal, that several Genomes are standing around, watching.
"Wow! What big stone! Why are you guys all watching that stone? No answer... I think I'll lick it? Dude not even I'm dumb enough to do that. Hey, who's that?"
Alfred runs to the other side of the room; Ivan is standing there, still.
"What are you doing here, Ivan?"
"Huh? Oh... hi, Alfred"
"You're standing here saying nothing, then you're just like these other morons. No can tell difference! They say someone always has double somewhere. There so many of you here! The world strange place, right? Um... Ivan?"
"Sorry, I thought I saw my worse nightmare, I can only handle one of you and Natalia"
"Ivan, what's matter? You no seem yourself" Alfred asks, clearly ignoring what Ivan had said.
"What do you mean? I am always myself. Besides, it is not just me. You look just like your master, too... I think"
"Dude, I'm not THAT ugly, I'm the-"
"Hero, da we know"
Alfred turns around to look at the crystal & Genomes.
"Good to know you know" Alfred says.
Ivan walks away.
-Place to Call Home end-
Im Yong Soo runs out of the inn.
"Another ATE? This is one of those millions of ATE parts isn't it? Let's have a look"
-Where the Heart Is-
Arthur is speaking to a Genome. Behind the Genome is a deep lake of blue light.
"Excuse me..." Arthur says but he gets no answer, "So, what do you guys do here?" still no answer, "okay... oh, yes... this blue light is nice to look at, isn't it?" still nothing.
Ivan appears and stops behind Arthur.
"You like it, too, right? You're all looking at the blue light" Arthur says.
"The light is unpleasant to us..." they say.
"Oh...really... that doesn't make sense" Arthur sees the Mysterious Girl, "Huh? It's that girl..."
The girl walks away.
"Hmm?" Arthur turns around, "Ivan! What are you up to?"
"What do you mean? What are you doing, Arthur?" Ivan asks.
"I was trying to talk with the natives. This boy here seems to be about my age... or at least that's what they say"
"You are wasting your time. They will not give you a decent answer"
"Oh... but I think I can get through to them"
"Huh. I am surprised you feel that way"
"I don't know why, but... I...I feel like... I'm talking to Alfred... your right, I am waisting my time"
"Told you"
"I think I shall find someone who doesn't have the same IQ as Alfred"
"Good luck"
Ivan walks away, following the direction that the Girl went.
"Hey... where are you going, Ivan? Ivan?"
-Where the Heart Is end-
Im Yong Soo... has decided to stay put?
"I'm waiting for all the ATEs to finish then 'teleport' to where I'm suppose to be"
-Came into this World-
The girl and Ivan are at the entrance of Bran Bal, with the glowing green light.
"This way..." Mysterious Girl says.
She walks into the light. Ivan stands in front of it.
"Hey, Ivan!" Gilbert walks up to him.
"What do you want?" Ivan asks.
"Vhat? That's no way to say hello. Vhat the hell is this place? I thought ve'd find some mean mothers down here, but they're all a bunch of wimps"
"No challenge, huh?"
"Ja, I guess not"
"Hey, Gilbert... can I ask you something?"
"Ja?"
"Do you... have any parents or family?"
"Vhat a stupid question"
"Sorry. I was just curious"
"I don't remember any loving parents. My first memory is of the face of a guy I had to fight."
"I only found meaning in life through combat. That's not true? Vhat about Vati?"
"Funny how you put that in past tense. All due to my wonderful influence"
"Vhat do you want me to do? Thank you?"
"Please! You are going make me sick!"
"Same here. How about you?"
"What? You mean my parents? ...I do not have parents"
-Came into this World end-
"Still here" Im Yong Soo says, "who's Vati?"
-The Truth-
Ivan is walking along a path of Terra. The girl is standing on the path in front of him.
"Hey! Where are you taking me?" Ivan asks.
"I told you. You are going to see Garland" Mysterious Girl says.
"Da, of course. But this way is a dead end"
"There is a way. See? You may find him through the portal. He awaits where the souls sleep. The floating castle, where souls bide their time until their restoration... Pandemonium. Will you not say farewell to your friends?"
"I do not care what I am... I was born here, was I not? If so, then I am an enemy of the people of Gaia"
"You learn quickly"
"Make no mistake. I will not join your side. I just... if we are actually relatives, then... then I want to take care of this little family matter myself"
Ivan steps into the portal, teleporting away.
-The Truth end-
Im Yong Soo runs to where Ivan teleported away. The girl is still standing there.
"Finally. Now, you listen to me! Where did you take Ivan?" Im Yong Soo demands.
"He went on his own to see Garland" Mysterious Girl says.
"Garland!? Oooo, THAT'S a sinister name! But Ivan wouldn't just leave us hanging!"
"He went... yes, he went to find out the reason for his existence"
"Lair! That's a terrible lie!"
"'I am an enemy of the people of Gaia,' he said as he walked through the gate to Pandemonium"
"We gotta tell the others!" Im Yong Soo runs off.
"Heaven grant the wandering souls eternal respose..."
