Let’s Blog: Ar Tonelico III – #10: Diving with Saki

This entry covers a non-mandatory dive I made into Saki’s Cosmosphere Level 1 after having returned to Tokoshie Canopy.

Spoilers, as usual.

First off I attempted to synth that weapon for Tatsumi, but Saki refused to do it (Finnel had left my party when I returned to town earlier.)  There were no new talk topics either, so off to the dive shop straight away, where I dived into Saki’s cosmosphere level 1.

Nice looking, and the BGM here isn’t half bad either. Aoto remarks it looks like a fairy tale, and how different it is from Finnel’s cosmosphere.

Saki’s mind guardian appears and asks him to not discuss other worlds inside the cosmosphere. She introduces herself as Tsaribella. Aoto remarks “That princely appearance of yours suits Saki somehow,” Tsaribella replies angrily that she’s not a man, and that he shouldn’t refer to her master with an abbreviated name like that, either. Aoto says “Huh…? Isn’t Saki her whole name?”, which she does not deign to clarify. Instead, she warns him that if he does anything weird she won’t allow him further into Saki’s heart.

The first location you head to in the cosmosphere is the Organitto Cabin. Saki is in there, humming to herself as she works. However, when Aoto tries to get her attention, he fails.

An armored woman (the same one he saw when he first met Saki) appears, saying that Saki is not able to see or hear him. She introduces herself as Sakiya Rumei, or ‘Sakia’ for short. Sakia tells him that if he wishes to talk to Saki, he will have to assist her. She tells him to search for a Hymma named Modeko, who is the key to conversing with Saki. Afterwards, she will meet him at Stonehenge.

Suddenly, Saki announces “Now then, I’d better change,” and begins stripping down. Before Aoto can get much of an eyeful, Sakia violently ejects him from the cabin.

Outside, he encounters Tsaribella again, and asks her if Sakia is who she meant by her master. She replies, “Don’t refer to her so familiarly!”, and instructs him to instead call her Sakiya Rumei-oneesama.

Now that Sakia has left, you can go back to the Organitto Cabin to see Saki in her underwear. Saki is talking to herself about how she’s gained a little weight, and she needs to exercise so Aoto won’t dislike her… Aoto has risked his life for her, so the least she can do is make him happy. Her innocent thoughts make Aoto feel guilty for peeping on her.

The next location you head to is the World Tree Arphage. Aoto remarks on how huge a tree it is, and that there doesn’t seem to be a Hymma around… but recalls that a long time ago, he used to kick trees like this to see all the insects scuttle out. He decides to do it again, and after giving the tree a good hard kick, instead of insects a Hymma flies out.

She calls him a meanie, and complains that places like this are where Hymma take their afternoon naps. Aoto asks “What are you, a bug?” She replies that she’s no bug, but the Hymma Modeko. Upon hearing the name, Aoto forces her to come with him.

After that, it’s off to Stonehenge. Sakia thanks Aoto for bringing Modeko, Modeko asks what she’s needed for, and Sakia- after hesitating briefly- says she needs her to sing just one song. Modeko is delighted at the chance to sing, and can’t remember the last time she’s done this for anyone.

Aoto asks Sakia if one song is really going to do anything. She looks briefly pained, and Aoto asks her if she’s okay. She replies, “I’m fine… but prepare for a shock.” Then, Modeko begins singing in a voice so awful it causes the earth to quake…

Sakia says “Well, this takes care of the first level…” Aoto asks what’s going on, and Sakia replies, “What you wished for. You will be able to speak with Saki now…” The earthquake ends, as she continues “That should do it… after this… Saki…” Aoto shouts at Sakia “What the hell have you done to Saki’s cosmosphere?!”, but both her and Modeko suddenly disappear…

Aoto decides to check if Saki is all right. He heads out onto the cosmosphere map, to discover the world has been destroyed. He shouts for Tsaribella, but doesn’t get an answer, and hurries to the Organitto Cabin where Saki was last.

Saki is there, still in her underwear. She greets Aoto with an exclamation of “Pervert!” and a slap that knocks him out, evidently able to see and hear him perfectly now. After getting dressed, she revives him and apologizes for hitting him. He replies that it was understandable, and Saki wonders why he arrived in such a hurry. Apparently she didn’t notice the earthquake earlier.

Aoto goes outside with Saki, and she is shocked by the destruction. Aoto explains that it was the doing of the people who live in this world with her, and since he didn’t know this was their objective, he aided them. He apologizes, and promises to rebuild the world somehow and punish Sakia.

Saki tells him that she’s all right, and he doesn’t need to go to that much trouble… she’s glad that he is safe as well. She says that even though the world is like this, she’s sure if she searches with Aoto she can find a way to return it to the way it was before. Knowing that Aoto came to this world to support her is enough to reassure her.

Aoto rebukes himself for being the one who had to be cheered up by Saki, rather than vice versa. He decides that he’ll search for a way to heal this world, and heads to the World Tree Arphage.

Aoto is impressed that it survived the destruction, and Saki explains that the tree is a spirit which watches over this world, so that’s why it didn’t die. She continues that every day, a great amount of life energy is created here. Aoto comments that this must be the source of Saki’s life energy.

Suddenly, a Hymma arrives, saying “Ah, here it is.” Aoto asks who she is, and she introduces herself politely as Bukkuru. Saki greets her, and Aoto asks why she’s come here. She explains that since the world was completely destroyed, she came here to rebuild it. Saki exclaims, “So this can return to the beautiful world it was before?” Bukkuru replies that the world can’t be returned to the way it was, but that it can be the base for the construction of a new ‘Book’.

Aoto asks what she means by ‘Book’, and Bukkuru explains that if Saki draws a picture with all her feelings put into it, she can create a new world. Saki says it sounds interesting, and is excited to help. Aoto agrees to as well. Bukkuru explains that to create the base of the new world, she’ll need to borrow a bit of Arphage’s energy, and will also take a bit of time. She asks them to wait until she is ready, after which she’s sure the two of them will be able to draw a wonderful world.

She chants a short phrase in Hymmnos: “Was yea ra waath ar ciel.” (I shall be happy to see this world reborn.) Then she disappears, and you acquire her as a usable Hymma.

Suddenly, Stonehenge begins glowing with the energy of a Paradigm Shift. Once arriving there, Saki thanks Aoto for making the Paradigm Shift possible. Aoto says he didn’t do anything, and apologizes again for destroying the world. She says it’s okay as long as he doesn’t forget his promise to rebuild it. He asks if she’s scared of the Paradigm Shift or showing him more of her mind. Saki says she’ll show him everything… “But you don’t get to see me naked,” she adds.

That’s the end of the first level of Saki’s cosmosphere. Tomorrow we’ll be returning to your regularly scheduled endless plot cutscenes.

Tags: ar tonelico, ar tonelico 3, gust, jrpg