I've got a Job for you! - Let's Play Final Fantasy V!

As long as it keeps getting top votes during every part, that's more or less inevitable in the long run. Though given that I only tend to grind out 50 to 100 ABP per part, it's gonna take a while.

Make a team of the spooniest of them all. (That means all Bards.)

Part VIII - Fight and Flight

Last time the party bickered and berated one another all the way as they explored the open seas and discovered 3 new towns (as well as losing their ship and getting a new bird). They managed to net themselves two new Jobs too, so inevitably some changes were going to take place.



Bartz is point-blank refusing to take off his Ninja costume. "I am NINJA!" he screamed, then tried to flip out and kill everyone. He failed pretty badly, somehow managing to jam his own Mage Masher into his foot.
"Little help?" he begged, and was promptly ignored. Miffed, he stuck on Learning just 'cause nobody else would.

Lenna (after insisting the party fight at least another battle or two so she could finish up her current Monk class level) liked the sound of the forest-dwelling life, and donned a Ranger costume. "Boom headshot!" she screamed, scaring Galuf out of his wits. She's kept her !White command, as ever.

Ah yes, Galuf... Well, Faris got her revenge at last. "Bartz is the one who's always singing, why do I have to?" he asked in a huff, and was promptly smacked upside the head for asking. "You lost the bet, old man. You know how it goes," Lenna said smugly as she tested out her new bow's string tension. Wanting to not be completely worthless, he also made sure to equip his !Blue command.

Faris also refused to be re-garbed. "Dressed like this, I don't have to listen to you idiots bicker all day. 'Tis a dream come true!" The others, bitter, decided to pretend that Faris didn't exist and wasn't largely responsible for the party's success so far. She's not dropping !Summon for anything.

(Today's update is in Scorchin' Orange, since we're off to the desert.)



In a surprise twist, Bartz did not steer the Black Chocobo towards the desert, but instead towards a little forested valley north of the Wind Shrine!



♪♪ My Home, Sweet Home ♪♪

Very touching music here. I wonder if this is the hometown of someone in the party?



Well I'll be jiggered. Reunion time!

Woman: Wait a minute... Bartz!? I can't believe it, you're all grown up!
Old Man: Hey, it's Bartz! Haven't seen you in forever and a day. Finally back in your hometown... Make sure to take it easy!
Old Woman: Some bard moved into your old place.
Old Woman: Ah, so your pappy got sick... That's sad to hear. Bartz, you're a strong kid.
Woman: Bartz! You've finally returned! I... I've been waiting for you... Say... When you're finished with your travels, would you come see me again? There's something I want to tell you...

Everyone's happy to see him, clearly. Hell, he even appears to have a girlfriend here.



Oh, and an old childhood buddy! Let's reminisce!



Ah yes, the childhood favorite pastime, hide-and-seek.



Bartz is a clever little squirt and hides on a roof.



All freaking day. How is he going to get off?



The easy way, apparently.



And now we know why Bartz is afraid of heights. Can't really blame him.



When I was a kid, everyone teased me for being dumb, but now I'm gonna be a scholar, 'coz I'm S-M-R-T smart!

Actually, you're still a dick, Homer. Alright, what else can we do in Lix?



Buy cheap stuff at the item shop! Discounts rock.



The weapon shop also sells elemental Scrolls and Shurikens. Bartz practically wet himself in excitement. "Bet this is why he loves being a Ninja so much, probably saw this stuff for sale his entire childhood..."



At Bartz' old house, sure enough, there's a bard. He invites this ragtag band of kleptomaniacs to snoop around his home. That's surprisingly charitable of him.



♪♪ Music Box ♪♪

Sweet music chimes as Bartz looks at this little music box. Could there be a flashback in store for us?

There is! Aww, how sweet.



Stella: ...You're leaving again so soon?
*Dorgann looks down for a moment, then back up*
Dorgann: ...No. I'm not going anywhere.
Stella: The spasms aren't as frequent anymore... I can get by on my own now. Still, it would be nice if you stayed... not to take care of me, but just so we could be together, as a family...
Dorgann: I know. But get some sleep. You're still sick, and you need rest.
Stella: I will, dear. Just let me finish this up first.
*Stella walks off-screen to the nearby counter*



Sharp kid, Bartz was.

Dorgann: So you were awake.
Bartz: Daddy, are you going to get more bad guys?
Dorgann: That's what I do.
Bartz: I wanna come!
Dorgann: You need to stay here and take care of your mother. Don't tell her you saw me leave, all right? It'll be our little secret.
Bartz: Okay, Daddy.
*Dorgann faces away*
Dorgann: Now, it's time for good little boys to go to sleep. Stella! Worry about that tomorrow and come get some rest.



What's wrong? Didn't Stella get her groove back?



Uh, oh dear. It's never a good sign when the scene fades out on something like that, is it?



Yeah, I don't think that ended well.



Here, this is for you-and your memories.
Learned Alluring Air!

Well, we got another song out of that traumatic recollection, so that's something, at least.



Yeah, I'm pretty sure you saw that coming.



I love free inns.



What a loving son Stella has.



*Bartz looks over*
Bartz: Oh, Faris...
*Faris walks closer and examines the tombstone*
Here Lies Stella
*Bartz faces the tombstone*
Bartz: Meet my mom.
Faris: Eh?
Bartz: You know, I was born here in this village. Mom passed on while I was still young... After that, I traveled with Dad for a long time. But three years ago, he got real sick...
*Bartz walks up to the tombstone and modifies it*
Bartz: That should do it...
*Faris walks over to see what he wrote*
Here Lies Stella
and
Dorgann, Devoted Husband
Bartz: He always wanted to be buried here with Mom.
*Bartz looks down*
Bartz: Dad was so strong...
Faris: A father, huh... wonder what that's like.
Bartz: Faris?
*Faris looks down and Bartz tries to cheer her up*
Faris: Let's head back. Lenna'll worry if she wakes and finds us gone.

Man, Bartz is just getting a load of tough memories here.



"All right guys, no more goofing around. I'm going to become a great Ninja, and you're all going to help me do it!" "Why do I suddenly have this overwhelming sense of dread?"

♪♪ Battle 1 ♪♪

"My improbable aiming skills are coming in handy already!"



"If you can't beat 'em, confuse 'em!"



"Whip it good!"



♪♪ Victory Fanfare ♪♪

"Great job, everyone! We just need 460 more ABP and I'll be a Ninja master!" "..." "..." "..."



"You guys suck."



♪♪ Slumber of Ancient Earth ♪♪

Finally the party arrives as the sandsea!



Which they can't cross, obviously.



Rub it in, Galuf, rub it in...



Help has arrived!

Mid: It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings, and the orchestra hasn't even started tuning up yet!
*The party looks at the inventor duo, who walk to either side of the party to stare at the sandsea*
Cid: We'll build a bridge!
Mid: It's a little risky, but you guys are all about danger, right?
*The party faces Cid*
Cid: How it works is, we use this bell to call the sandworm...
Mid: ...then you guys trash it...
Cid: ...and there's your bridge!
*The party faces the sandsea again*
Galuf: Not the most sophisticated of methods...
Cid: You aren't that sophisticated of a guy! I think it suits you fine! {BURN.}



Mid: You guys ready?
> Yes / No

"I was born ready!" "I was born naked and screaming." "...Just shut up, Bartz."



"Thanks for telling us that BEFORE we made our party a magic-slinging powerhouse team. Argh..."

Cid: Here goes!



And here it comes!

♪♪ Battle 2 ♪♪

This... is a really annoying battle. It's like Whack-a-Mole, only if you miss, you get punished with a gravity ball to the face.



A little Regen, as such, is well in order.



Aiming at this thing is about the only way our nerfed party can damage this beast.



Bartz and Galuf couldn't make a Goblin cringe with their damage output at the moment.



Eventually the Sandworm uses Quicksand on the party, which only does 60 damage each, but causes Sap status. Fortunately we have Regen on!



Galuf finds a way to be less useless! Goblin Punch doesn't count as magic, you see, so it's safe to use against this thing.



♪♪ Victory Fanfare ♪♪

Surprisingly, the party wins pretty easily in spite of Bartz and Galuf being so heavily nerfed.



Cid: Now you can get into the desert!
*Cid and Mid jump in celebration a few times*
*Bartz faces Cid*
Bartz: Cid, Mid, take care of the black chocobo while we're gone, okay?
*Cid faces Bartz*
Cid: Good luck!
*Bartz nods**Mid faces Bartz*
Mid: Take care!
*Bartz nods to Mid*

Alright, let's get moving!



You can still get into fights out here while riding the sand, incidentally.



This proves surprisingly not problematic, as Bartz' horrible singing can confuse any enemy. "Bards rule, Rangers drool!" "Uh huh. We're still doing all the damage, you realize." "Sh-shut up!"



♪♪ Four Valiant Hearts ♪♪

Finally the party escapes the shifting sands and reaches the far side.



Not much further along, they find the Town of Ruin!

♪♪ Cursed Earth ♪♪

I see what you did there.



"As opposed to the ten OTHER Towns of Ruin we came across on the way here, Bartz?" "Hahaha you're a dick Galuf."



Hey, was that...?

Lenna: That was...
Faris: King Tycoon...?

He really IS here!



And playing hide-and-seek with us!



Oh come on, man!



Got ya cornered this time!



Faris: ... P...Papa...
*Lenna and Faris exchange a meaningful glance*

Oh plot twist!



♪♪ Danger! ♪♪

Oh plot twist again!



Well he's supremely unconcerned, I see.



The party appears to have landed somewhere... different.



♪♪ Lenna's Theme ♪♪

Faris: ...
Lenna: I knew it! You really ARE my sister!
Faris: I'm sorry... I wasn't certain at first, and then I didn't think I should tell you...



Aww sisterly embrace.

Lenna: Sister!
Faris: Lenna...



Galuf seems to have realized he's trapped!



Lenna: This place is strange...
Faris: Say...what happened to the old man?
Bartz: Huh? He's not here?
Lenna: We must have gotten separated when we fell...
*Galuf walks over to the wall and listens*



♪♪ Huh? ♪♪

I'm sure we'll run into him again later. Come on, let's get going.
*Galuf panics and starts banging on the walls!*
*Galuf looks around, then gets an idea*

♪♪ Fanfare 1 ♪♪

Galuf: Now wait one cotton-picking minute! That was an awfully quick decision to ditch me!
Bartz: Yikes! Uh...sorry!

"Damn, he survived..." "I heard that, Bartz!"



♪♪ Musica Machina ♪♪

We are definitely somewhere weird.



*The device glows twice*
Bartz: What is this?



A teleporter!



It's taking us to a familiar place...



Touchdown!



It's falling apart, isn't it?



That doesn't look safe.



Jeez!



Holy crap!



This place is an OSHA nightmare!



Well, we made it out alive, at least.

♪♪ Huh? ♪♪

Oh what could this be?



We're not the only ones headed to Crescent Island, it seems!



Mid: Bartz should be thrilled! We went above and beyond the call of duty!

Yeah, not so much guys. Was kinda hopin' to ride that bird again some day... Oh whatever.



♪♪ Musica Machina ♪♪

Galuf: I suppose that was a warp device.
Faris: After not being used for so long, activating it must've caused an overload...

Thanks for clearing that up, 'cause I never would've figured that out on my own.



Suits me fine. Let's explore!



This whole place is bizzarre. Gears everywhere, still turning... Who lived here?



Hey, I'm all for rampant manipulation of ancient technology that I can't possibly grasp!



...Huh?
Something is carved into the wall. 'Check the planters in the center room...'

Aha, a hint!



'...the notepad in the room on the right...'

We'll have this solved in no time!



Hey!

*The party spreads out and Bartz gets pissed*
Bartz: Arg! That little-
Lenna: Calm down, Bartz...
Faris: Aye...before you get your pantaloons in a twist, take a look. 'Tis another note.
'Check the urn.'

Okay, that's better.



There was a frog in the urn!



And it knocked a book off the shelf that has the solution! Let's see, what's down 8 and right 4?



But we already tried... um... pushing it... That doesn't say push.



Oh son of a...!

Oh well, free loot! 2 Shurikens and the Mini spell!



Hopefully THIS one won't also be a "pull not push" switch.



Cid and Mid were standing where that hole is now. I'm with the Black Chocobo on this one.



Ah who cares about consequences? The door's open!



Oh hey haven't seen one of those in ages...



...But what's that ship over there?

I think the more pressing question is, who set up a gangway across the two ships to the second one?



It's called an 'airship', Bartz.



Oh hey, Cid and Mid. Glad you could drop in.



Cid: Oww...
Mid: What the... Bartz? Lenna, Faris, Galuf...what're you guys doing here?
*Cid backs up a bit, amazed at what he sees, and takes it all in*
Bartz: I think that's our line! Where'd you guys come from?
Mid: We rode the black chocobo back to Crescent Island. Then all of a sudden a hole opened up beneath us, and we fell...
Bartz: What, so we're underneath Crescent Island? {Um, yeah. I figured the fire-powered ship was a bit of a tip-off there, Bartz...}
*Mid nods as Cid goes belowdecks*
Bartz: That explains the fire-powered ship being here... {I knew he'd catch on eventually.}
Mid: This place must've been built by the Ancients.
Bartz: Huh... And this propeller ship?
Mid: Uhh...maybe you should ask Grandpa about that. Huh? Wait, where'd he go?
*Mid looks around, then goes belowdecks too*
*Bartz is clueless as ever*

May as well follow them, right?



And how!

*Cid walks around the engine room, admiring it*
*Bartz follows him*
Bartz: Hey, Cid-
Cid: Don't bother me, boyo!
*Cid walks down to the largest gear in the engine room and messes with it*
Cid: ...tighten this...and adjust this...righty tighty, lefty loosey...
*The airship starts to shake!*
*Cid jumps in celebration*
Cid: Voila! That should do it!
Bartz: That should do what?
*Cid walks back up to Bartz and raises his arm*
Cid: That should get this ship moving!



Oh sweet mother of win YES.



I concur.



You're slow as a snail, aren't you, Bartz.

Cid: Isn't it obvious? It's an airship! Amazing...I've only ever seen these in old texts! I can't believe I'm getting to use one in the flesh! ...Er, well, you know what I mean!
*The airship shakes and Bartz and Cid jump!*
Bartz: Oof, what was that!?
Cid: Something's dragging us down!
*Bartz walks over to the far rail*

Dude, personal space invasion much, Bartz? Get out of Mid!



♪♪ Battle 2 ♪♪

Hey, it's the canal monster, only now he's gray!



He hits like a gentle summer breeze compared to some of the bosses we've fought.



He's not going to be much of a problem, overall.



Really not much of a problem overall.



♪♪ Victory Fanfare ♪♪

And one embarrassingly short smackdown later...



Bartz: With chese biscuits AND mashed potatoes!
*Cid takes the helm and lands the ship*

See, even the game agrees with me.



We can use parts from the fire-powered ship to make the airship good as new.
*Cid nods to the party a bit*
Bartz: Cid...
Cid: If you're just going to thank me, I don't need to hear it.
Mid: We'll stay here and search for some clues about the earth crystal!
Cid: The skies are yours, kids. Now get out there!
*Cid and Mid depart the airship*

Looks like our team is resolved!



♪♪ The Airship ♪♪

And now we have AIRSHIP! This is as good a point as any to quit for this time. Place your votes on what classes our heroes should take on next, and we'll see how the party fares!

Current Stats:
Bartz: Level 23, Bard L0 (!Guard, !Flee, !Smoke, !Image, !Throw, !Check, !Spellblade L2, !White L2, !Black L2, Cover, Learning, Magic Shell, First Strike, Find Passages, Sprint)
Lenna: Level 23, Ranger L2 (!Focus, !Chakra, !Flee, !Smoke, !Animals, !Aim, !Check, !Gaia, !White L3, !Red L1, Barehanded, Counter, Berserk, Find Passages, Find Pits)
Galuf: Level 23, Bard L1 (!Focus, !Check, !Calm, !Control, !Hide, !Red L2, !Blue, Barehanded, Cover, Learning, Berserk, Find Passages)
Faris: Level 23, Ranger L1 (!Flee, !Animals, !Check, !Calm, !Control, !Gaia, !Black L2, !Time L3, !Summon L2, Equip Whips, Cover, Learning, Find Passages, Find Pits)

Next time: The Ronka Ruins and a farewell to a party member!

Postscript Edit

Remember Jackanapes?



Yeah, me neither.

Could we some time get a AP inventory for everyone? Job level and how far to the next level? It's hard to keep track and by now we might want to go back and move toward mastering classes. That said, I think it's time to up some spell levels since I'm sure new spells are coming up soon.

Bartz: Mystic Knight
Lenna: White Mage
Faris: Summoner
Galuf: Ranger (always one step behind on trends)

Did you pick up Esuna while you were at Lix?

Actually, I picked up Esuna back at Karnak Castle while it was about to blow up. You can get it there from a chest near the exit.

Sure. Here's how everyone's doing for trailing AP in classes.

Bartz:
Knight - L2 6/50
Monk - L0 0/15
Thief - L3 14/50
Ninja - L4 2/450
Berserker - L0 0/100
Ranger - L0 0/15
Mystic Knight - L3 0/50
White Mage - L2 0/30
Black Mage - L2 2/30
Time Mage - L0 0/10
Summoner - L0 0/15
Blue Mage - L2 9/70
Red Mage - L0 0/20
Beastmaster - L0 0/10
Geomancer - L0 0/25
Bard - L0 20/25

Lenna:
Knight - L0 0/10
Monk - L4 1/100
Thief - L2 0/30
Ninja - L1 8/30
Berserker - L1 5/400
Ranger - L2 2/135
Mystic Knight - L0 0/10
White Mage - L3 1/50
Black Mage - L0 0/10
Time Mage - L0 0/10
Summoner - L0 0/15
Blue Mage - L1 0/20
Red Mage - L1 3/40
Beastmaster - L0 0/10
Geomancer - L2 1/100
Bard - L0 0/25

Galuf:
Knight - L1 22/30
Monk - L2 5/45
Thief - L1 8/20
Ninja - L0 0/10
Berserker - L1 0/400
Ranger - L0 0/15
Mystic Knight - L0 0/10
White Mage - L0 0/10
Black Mage - L0 0/10
Time Mage - L0 0/10
Summoner - L0 0/15
Blue Mage - L3 44/250
Red Mage - L2 0/100
Beastmaster - L2 17/100
Geomancer - L0 0/25
Bard - L1 37/50

Faris:
Knight - L1 29/30
Monk - L0 0/15
Thief - L2 16/30
Ninja - L0 0/10
Berserker - L0 0/100
Ranger - L1 5/45
Mystic Knight - L0 0/10
White Mage - L0 0/10
Black Mage - L2 0/30
Time Mage - L3 0/50
Summoner - L2 29/45
Blue Mage - L2 2/70
Red Mage - L0 0/20
Beastmaster - L3 5/300
Geomancer - L2 2/100
Bard - L0 0/25

If you want me to work on leveling up a few specific classes during grinding time next update, let me know.

From now on votes are for "final" classes for the update, ie. classes I'll be continuing with during the plot for tackling upcoming bosses. You can put in a separate grind-vote for what classes you want me to get our intrepid heroes up to snuff in too, and I'll do my best to get some grind-time in on them for what you pick (within reason, of course; a max of, say, 100 ABP an update, half that at times when ABP-building is limited to 1 or 2ABP encounters).

Grind Bartz up in Knight for Two-Handed, Lenna in White Mage for the next two Job levels, Galuf in Knight for Two-Handed too, and Faris in Red Mage for a few levels of Red Magic.

Bartz: Mystic Knight
Lenna: Monk
Gaulf: Red Mage
Faris: Time Mage

I don't have an opinion on the training classes. But for the main classes, I'm going with my usual picks:

Bartz - Ninja
Lenna - Geomancer
Galuf - Monk
Faris - Beastmaster

Ya know, you could have one-shot the Sandworm boss (or close to it) by casting Aqua Breath on it.

Quite. Or tossed a few Water Scrolls at it (I've no shortage of those). I'm not using ideal or even remotely perfect solutions here, I'm just using what comes to mind at the time. And at the time, I'd forgotten that Blue magic doesn't actually count as magic (to the point that you can still use it when muted!).

....You know, this is the first time I've realized that Grey Claw is specifically a Red Lobster reference.

A couple of years ago I realized you could make the following non-sequitur palindrome using the phrase Red Lobster:
Loops. Secrets. Bolder red lobster. Cesspool.

What would drive one to come up with something like this?

Probably the same thing that makes me good at jumble puzzles and rebuses - it's just the twisted, sideways method to how my brain works (sometimes).

Also, driving past a Red Lobster restaurant to and from work every weekday for over a decade might have had something to do with it.

Part IX - It's All Ronka!

Last time the party went through an awful lot of trouble to get to the Earth Crystal, only to find themselves given a spiffy new airship as a consolation prize for not finding it. They're all feeling a bit self-conscious right now, so they're gonna go grind for a bit.



Bartz decided to become a Knight again he'd like to know how to wield a sword in two hands. "It might come in handy!" he shouted to the others, who weren't paying attention to his little insecurity fit anyway.

Lenna donned a White Mage's frock. "I'm gonna learn to cast Esuna if it kills me!" she said, and then nearly got killed when Bartz accidentally swung his sword at her. He's remarkably clumsy, that Bartz...

Faris put back on her Summoner digs. "Shiva told me there's other monsters to conquer out there who will be my bitches, and damned if I'm not gonna be the one to call 'em once we've kicked their asses!" The party remains a bit leery of Faris' ulterior motives.

Galuf, lacking any creativity, just put on a Knight outfit and copied Bartz. "When in Gohn..." he muttered in his defense. Bartz was not amused, but also not going to stop him.

(Today's update is in Ancient Yellow, since we will be tackling the Ronka Ruins later.)



"Woohoo more Ninja gear!" "Should we tell him he's gonna do all the work for us?" "Why spoil our fun?"



♪♪ Battle 1 ♪♪

Repeat x17.



"Okay, change-up time!" Bartz donned a thief's outfit, determined to learn how to !Steal. He practiced on Galuf for a bit, until he grabbed where he shouldn't, and then decided to just stick to tossing water scrolls at enemies instead.

"I'm not done being a White Mage!" Lenna screamed, and refused to let anyone change her outfit. Nobody argued with her, mostly because they didn't want a faceful of fist.

"Punching's really more my thing," Galuf said indignantly as he put on a Monk's dougi. He promptly ignored the party pointing out that he was the last of the group to take up bare-fisted brawling.

"It's for the greater good," Faris mumbled as she slipped back into her dorky Time Mage outfit. The rest of the group would have laughed at her once, but now they refrained from doing so. Mostly because they didn't want her to summon Ramuh at them. Again.



This really is quite repetitive...

♪♪ Victory Fanfare ♪♪



Satisfied at last, the team donned their most comfy outfits and piloted the airship back to Gohn. "Aw yeah, Learnin' Ninja in the house!" "Shut up or I'll punch you, Bartz." "I'm the master of Blue AND Red magic! I'm versatile!" "Oh sweet earmuffs, how I missed ye..."



♪♪ Danger! ♪♪

In the skies over Gohn, something is amiss!

Galuf: Look! The town...



The town becomes a desert, explodes, and some... thing... pops out of it! We'd better consult Cid and Mid!



I'd just like to note that the airship in FF5 is insanely finicky about landing on specific tiles. The problem is the exact opposite of FF4A and FF6A: it actually flies too damn fast!

♪♪ Musica Machina ♪♪

Anyway, back at base, Cid and Mid fill the party in.

Cid: Save your breath...
Mid: ...'coz we saw the ruins through the telescope!



*Galuf jumps*
Mid: The ancient Ronkans amplified the earth crystal to make their town float. But once they realized amplifying the crystal could make it shatter, they stopped the machine.
*Cid and Mid nod*
Cid: Shake a leg, miscreants! Somebody's turned the machine back on!
*Faris and Lenna look at each other*
Lenna: It couldn't-you don't think that Father...
Faris: Never! He would never do such a thing!
*Bartz walks up to Cid*
Bartz: How're we supposed to get that high?
*Bartz steps aside and the others walk over as Cid pulls out a book of his own*
Cid: With this...
Mid: ...Adamantite! If we reinforce the ship with it, it'll fly higher! But we'll need to find some more...
*Galuf fist-pounds a few times then raises his arm*
Galuf: That's simple enough!
*The others look at Galuf*
Galuf: That meteorite I came here in... I remember seeing some adamantite reserves inside!
Bartz: Are you sure?
Galuf: You calling me a liar!?
Bartz: Of course not... It's just that your memory's still kinda spotty, right?
Galuf: Pish-posh! The adamantite part is clear as day!
*Galuf looks over and Lenna and Faris, and Faris raises her arm*
Faris: It's good a place as any to start. Let's go check it out.
*Galuf nods and Cid and Mid reclaim their books*
Cid: We'll stay and get things prepared.
Mid: You guys hurry and bring us some adamantite!
*Cid and Mid leave*

Okay, we have a goal!



Wow, it's been a long time...

*Galuf fiddles with something and the meteorite opens; he walks back to the party*
Galuf: There! Inside there!



♪♪ Fate in Haze ♪♪

*The party fans out and Galuf grabs the Adamantite*
Galuf: How about that! Pretty sharp memory, huh?
Bart: How would an amnesiac like you know!?
Galuf: Ah-hahahahaha! ...Wait, are you mocking me?
*Galuf laughs*
♪♪ Fanfare 1 ♪♪
Obtained Adamantite!

That was easy. Let's go!



What really?



Ah man! Boss fight time...



♪♪ Battle 2 ♪♪

What a pain.



2x of that is pretty much how the fight goes. He hits hard, but doesn't even KO anyone. Boring!



♪♪ Musica Machina ♪♪

Back at the Catapult Deck (seriously, that's what it's called)...

Mid: Quick, give it here so we can install it! Bartz, you guys take a break.
*Bartz nods, the party regroups, and Cid and Mid go belowdecks*



♪♪ Hurry! Hurry! ♪♪

Aaaaah too many Cids and Mids! (The music speeds up like crazy during this scene.)



♪♪ Huh? ♪♪

Bartz wakes up shocked! But why?



I dreamt that the airship was already finished...

Oh that's why.

Cue the canned laughter!

*Bartz spazzes out, and faces Cid and Mid*
Bartz: Yikes, you work fast!
*Everyone wakes up and looks at Cid and Mid from their beds*
Cid: After you lift off, press the A Button to fly higher! {So he installed an A button on the steering wheel? That was an odd design decision.}
*Lenna gets up*
Lenna: So withg this, we can go to the floating ruins?
*Cid and Mid look at each other, then look down*
*Cid faces the group*
Cid: Technically, yes, but... Well, take a gander at this.



♪♪ The Ancient Library ♪♪

Oh, time to put our serious faces on again.

If you don't disable it, you won't be able to enter.
Mid: According to this book, the cannons are really powerful...
*Lenna and Faris face one another*
Lenna: But we must go!
Faris: No question about it!
Galuf: I don't even see the worry. What's a couple of overblown pop-guns against the likes of us!?
Bartz: Cid, Mid, thanks for all your help. Now, let's get to the crystal before it's too late!
*Cid takes back his book, the party regroups, Cid gets out of the way, and the party heads to the airship*



Ahahaha oh Bartz you're such a putz.



Sure enough, now we have the option of going higher up or to land. Up we go!



♪♪ Musica Machina ♪♪

And here's Gohn's true form! There's 4 cannons on either side for us to pwninate.



Which we do with ease. (Lightning Scrolls are hard to time a screencap of, cut me a break!)



Lenna: Wait-what's that!?
*The air shakes!*



It's a giant phallic cannon! Guess we'll have to dispose of that, too.



Faris: Guess there's one last thing to take care of...!

Quite. Banzai!



♪♪ Battle 2 ♪♪

Oh no, not another one of THESE fights... I just got through with one in FF6!



Galuf feels inadequate for some reason. I can't imagine why.

No clue at all.



Even Lenna is kicking more butt than Captain Versatile over there.



I'm guessing we don't want this thing to finish preparations for blasting us in the face.



Bartz is not helping with Galuf's inadequacy problems. (That was a Lightning Scroll again; damn those bastards are hard as hell to screencap!)



"Who's Galuf now, Galuf!?" "Okay, so you can do some single-target damage. Good for you."



"I still do more, though." "Sh-shut up!"



"Uh, guys? I think we're gonna get face-blasted here pretty soon..." "Shut up, Bartz, we're working on it!"



"No seriously, this is gonna hurt." "We know, Bartz!"



"Whew, it blew up!" "Yeah, we know you wanted a face full of laser." "I did not!"



♪♪ Victory Fanfare ♪♪

Pretty good ABP that thing gives...



Even better reward it gives!



Um, duh?

Galuf: Sure looks like it.
Faris: We'll know in a second!

♪♪ Musica Machina ♪♪

One uneventful entry flight later, we're in Ronka!

Location: Ronka Ruins
Enemies: Ronkan Knight, Enchanted Fan, Archeotoad, Lamia, Stone Mask, Hydra, Ra Mage, Ghidra

This place is huuuuuuuuuuuuge! (That must mean it has huge guts! Rip and tear!) Faris equips !Control, just 'cause, and we're away!



Ho hum, invisible pathways. If only we could see them.



"Ninja to the rescue!" "Bartz, put your Learning back on right this minute, young man!" "You never let me have any fun..."



"Respect, yo." "Hooray, I'm more versatile!" "Shut up, Galuf."



It's worth it to check out the secret paths around here, if you didn't guess.



Save points are, as ever, a welcome sight.



"The things I do for you people..." "Hooray, more versatile!"



This treasure room has some nifty stuff in it. But there's a catch, of course...



Mind the gap!

As you may have gathered, this dungeon is ginormous. It has two save points!



Oh, a rare fight! Hydras don't show up often here, but they're kinda mean.



But you can still !Control them!



Rather pointlessly, seeing as they can't damage themselves very well.



You fight all types here, really...



Now here is the badass I was looking for!



Ghidras hit like mofos and have auto-Reflect on. Oh, and they dodge a lot and cannot be !Controlled.



Shurikens are the best way to deal with them. They use Level 4 Graviga when killed, but sadly we can't learn it from them since our levels are not even close to a multiple of 4. Boo! Eh, we'll pick that up later.



At last we reach the bottom!

King Tycoon: Urgh... That bedamned clapperclaw blocks the path!
Faris: Papa-
King Tycoon: Silence! There is no time for chatter!
*King Tycoon steps aside*
King Tycoon: That beast is the guardian of these ruins. It can change its weakness at will... Make yourselves useful and defeat it!

Oh boy, another boss fight...