Tales of the Abyss

[SimsHsia]

Episode 5: Chosen Hero

OP note: I'm adding in a spoiler toggle. Some of you may just want to see the pictures, but do not want to be tempted by the synopsis of what occurs in this episode. So, there you go!

Recap from last time:

We learn more about the history of the Score, the Seventh Fonstone and its importance, and all six names of the God-Generals of the Oracle Knights. Luke and the rest of the group travel to Duke Fabre's former vacation house, the Choral Castle, where Luke was found seven years after his kidnapping, and while Luke is unable to recall any lost memories, Guy has a flashback of his only forgotten memory regarding the lost of his family. During Luke's short capture by several God-Generals, they download information on to fondisks, with one of them reprimanded by Guy. Luke and company, along with Cmdr. Van Grants, prepare their journey back to the capital of Kimlasca.

Key plot points:

• While Luke and the rest of the group are en route back to Kimlasca, Jade reviews information on the fondisk captured in the previous episode.
  
• Jade reveals information from the fondisk regarding isofon research, and several members of the group tell Luke more about fonon frequencies.
  
• We find out that Luke lost many memories seven years ago, thus he had to relearn how to speak and recognizing his own parents. This causes Tear to reconsider how many memories he's forgotten, and as a result, acts more nicely toward him.
  
• Dist the Rose (or Dist the Runny [Nose!], as said by Jade; or Dist the Reaper, as said by Anise), one of the six God-Generals of the Oracle Knights attacks their ship with his Fon machine, Kaiser Dist X. After several attacks with almost no direct damage, Van comes out and destroys it.
  OP Note: My previous post for ep. 4 has him listed as "Dist the Reaper", it is his official title and canon in the Tales game; however, Dist prefers the name "Dist the Rose" he announces in this episode.
  
• While out on deck, Jade suddenly initiates a hyperresonance by himself resulting in a clean hole in the deck's hull. Van comes out and puts Luke to sleep, when Luke comes about, he explains to Luke the reason why he's been confined to his parent's mansion: he's a weapon because of his power.
  
• Luke and the group return back to Kimlasca, they all meet the King of Kimlasca, who happens to be meeting with Grand Maestro Mohs. Despite the guards blocking Luke and the group, Luke barges in and stops Mohs from speaking further to his uncle, the King. They present the peace treaty letter to the King and leave to let the discussions about it to take place.
  
• Luke and the group return to the Fabre residence and they meet Princess Natalia, Luke's fiancée. Natalia requests that Luke go meet his mother, as she fell ill shortly after his disappearance. She also requests that Tear go and apologize to Luke's mother for her involvement of Luke's disappearance.
  
• Tear meets with Grand Maestro Mohs, he denies accusations about him wanting war between Kimlasca and Mulkuth, and orders Tear to continue her search for the seventh Fonstone.
  
• The King of Kimlasca requests Luke and the group's presence, and they are asking Luke to become ambassador for a request for aid from the Mulkuth Empire. Akzeriuth, a mining city in Mulkuth, apparently has poison gas seeping out of the mining grounds and the Mulkuth Empire was unable to evacuate its citizens from the city.
  
• At first, Luke rejects becoming an ambassador, replying he has had enough fighting for the time being. The Score of the sixth Fonstone is read by Tear revealing to Luke that he is what the passage was referring to, that he would be a hero. With this, he readily agrees to this assignment. Natalia requests she join too, but her father, the King, denies such her involvement.
  
• We learn the truth behind Luke's kidnapping seven years ago, Van was the one who kidnapped him, not the Mulkuth Empire.
  
• Van secretly tells Luke the continuation of the sixth Fonstone, if Luke were to evacuate Akzeriuth, war would be eminent. However, Van comes up with a plan: Luke is to initiate a hyperresonance to remove the poison gas and become a hero. In addition, Van tells Luke he should escape with him to Daath so he can be free, telling Luke he wished it when he was younger, but requests this plan not be revealed to the group until the last minute. All the while, Natalia is listening in on their conversation.
  

Episode thoughts:

I had a feeling that Commander Van Grants was a sketchy character. Leader of the Oracle Knights of the Order of Lorelei, leader of the God-Generals, Luke's teacher, Tear's brother, and now this: he kidnapped Luke seven years ago because of the fact he can create a hyperresonance. I think that Van is manipulating Luke by saying he can be a hero and to be free, to raise his hopes and gain his trust, but it may end up in betrayal. In the scene where Luke initiates a hyperresonance, we see that Van puts his hand over Luke's eyes and later Luke wakes up. At first I thought Van erased his memory, which ties in to his kidnapping revelation later in the episode, but we won't know since Luke blacked out. Also, when Luke finds out Van was the one who kidnapped him, he was obviously shocked, but moments later he blindly trusts Van when he mentions a promise he made with Luke to run away to Daath, which cheers Luke up. There's definitely something going on here.

Anyways, next episode, Desert Rain, the group journey's back to the Mulkuth Empire. Despite her father's denial, it looks like Natalia joins the group with bow and arrows. Looks like that stab through the chest Jade gave him didn't kill him, Largo's back in action. Plus, despite his returning to Kimlasca, looks like Ion joins in this mission too.