Previous Part: Ma-ma-ma-magic!?

Storyline text and attempted translations from...

Final Fantasy VI

サウスフィガロの町  Town of South Figaro  | | |  SOUTH FIGARO

With a warmer climate, more open layout, less piping and such strewn about, and no unreasonable guards, South Figaro feels rather more inviting than Narshe. 1-20 "Kids Run Through the City" plays.

The Blast Voice and Bio Blast are available here if you missed getting them in the castle. Also, many of the items around town (the outdoor ones only) will be replaced with different ones after the Major Plot Spoiler if not taken now, though not all of the changes are improvements.

Someone clad in black from head to toe arrives just ahead of the party. The mysterious person enters the pub. 1-11 "Shadow" plays inside as long as the stranger remains there. The party finds him at the bar with a large dog, and may attempt to speak with him. However, he ignores them.

「…… : ...... ....
{ロック}「返事くらいしたらどうだ? {Lock}: How about you at least respond? {LOCKE}: At the very least you could give me a response...

The ninja, as he appears to be, ignores him, but Edgar drags Lock aside.

{エドガー}「よせ
 どこかで見たことある
 たしか…
{Edgar}: Don't.
 I've seen him somewhere.
 If I'm not mistaken...
{EDGAR}: Stand back!
He seems vaguely familiar...
Wait a minute...!
Shadow
誰に忠誠をちかうわけでもない。
その冷たいひとみの奥に隠された
素顔を見た者は誰もいない…
He pledges loyalty to no one.
None have looked upon his true self,
hidden deep within his cold eyes...
He owes allegiance to no one,
and will do anything for money.
He comes and goes like the
wind...

The NA version throws in an extraneous bit about money, and leaves out the part about his true self that suggests he might not be as inhuman as he seems.

{エドガー}「{シャドウ}……
 金のためには親友をも殺しかねない
 暗殺者だ。
{Edgar}: {Shadow}...
 An assassin capable of killing
 even his best friend for a price.
{EDGAR}: That's {SHADOW}...!
He'd slit his mama's throat for a nickel!

The claim that Shadow is capable of killing his best friend—and that's an intentional and meaningful choice of victim on the part of the writer that should be left intact rather than turned into a juvenile reference to his mama—turns out to be delightfully ironic.

{ロック}「かかわりあいに
 ならないほうがいいみたいだな。
{Lock}: Looks like we'd better
 not get mixed up with him.
{LOCKE}: Better steer clear of him, I guess.

If the party tries interacting with the dog...

{シャドウ}「よせ
 他人にはなつかない犬だ…
{Shadow}: Don't.
 The dog doesn't take to others...
{SHADOW}: Leave us.
The dog eats strangers...

Though less accurate, the NA version deserves points for style and memorability.

The party leaves him alone to explore the rest of town and stock up on supplies. However, the owner of the mansion in the northwest corner of town seems a bit suspicious.

町の東の……
……なので…そこから
攻め入られると… ……?!
あ! な、何です?
勝手に入ってこられては困りますな。
手紙を書いている最中に!
The town's eastern...
...thus ...if you invade
from there... ...!?
Ah! Wh-what is it?
You really shouldn't just barge in.
I'm in the middle of writing a letter!
Attack from the east.
That way, ......?!
Hey! Whaddaya think you're doin'? Barging in here while I'm trying to write a letter! Harumph!

The mansion also hides some treasure... see Lock's Scenario for details.

His loose-lipped daughter in another room doesn't help his case any, either, assuming you have any idea who Leo is.

パパはすごい人だから家にはよく
えらい人がお食事に来るの。
この間もレオ…… …
ううん
何でもない。
Daddy's really important so famous
people come eat here a lot.
Just the other day, Leo the... ...
Never mind, it's nothing.
My Dad's VERY important! Why, not so long ago he even dined with General Leo... ...
Uh, I, uh, just made that up!

Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do here, even if you've figured out what's going on, so the party heads northeast toward the Returner Headquarters.

Lock can steal a Mithril Claw (rare) from a Belmodar in this region, though it's not useful quite yet.


Isolated House  | | |

Along the way, they notice a lone house and step inside to investigate. "Kids Run Through the City" plays here too. No one is home, but things keep drawing Edgar's attention...

     {エドガー}「ん?
 こ このにおいは……?
   {Edgar}: Hm?
  Th-this smell...?
    {EDGAR}: Hm...
What's that smell...?
{エドガー}「この花は……
 あいつの……?
{Edgar}: These flowers...
 they're...?
{EDGAR}: Flowers...
His favorite...
{エドガー}「これは……
 あいつの好きなお茶……
{Edgar}: This tea was...
 a favorite of...
{EDGAR}: And this...
His favorite tea...
{エドガー}「この食器は……?
 あいつが愛用していた……
{Edgar}: This dish...?
 An old favorite...
{EDGAR}: There dishes!
They were his favorite!

あいつ (aitsu) doesn't translate well. It's more or less "he" or "she" (or "him" or "her") with a bit of a discourteous edge to it. It's unfortunate and inconvenient that "they" is still facing resistance as a singular pronoun in English, while other gender-neutral pronoun options for people (like "ze") aren't as widely recognized and tend to face even more opposition. Besides, Edgar knows who he means and would use masculine pronouns here anyway.

Anyhow, I get the impression that you're intended to think he's referring to a woman that he's been involved with, until he actually says "Mash", or even until he says "man" later if you weren't paying attention to names earlier.

{エドガー}「{マッシュ}がここに……? {Edgar}: {Mash}... here...? {EDGAR}: {SABIN}...he was...here?!

When they exit, they find an old man standing by the house. Edgar tries talking to him.

{エドガー}「おいこんな… {Edgar}: Hey, do you... {EDGAR}: What the...

He pauses, presumably to get out something with Mash's picture on it.

{エドガー}「男をしらんか? {Edgar}: Know this man? {EDGAR}: You know this guy?
「ほいほい。しっとるよ。
 2、3日前にお師匠のダンカン様が
 殺されてね。
 その直後に山に登ったよ。
ダンカン様の息子、バルガスも
行方知れずでねえ…
ここもこんなにあれちまって…
: Yup, yup. I shore do.
 Climbed th' mountain righ' aftar
 mastar Duncan-sama dun got
 kilt two, three days ago.
Dunno whar Duncan-sama's
son Vargas got to neither...
Things're gettin' stormy here...
MAN: Of course. He left a couple of days ago after he heard Master Duncan was slain.
He headed into the mountains.
I heard Duncan's son, Vargas, is missing as well.
I have a bad feeling about this...

This guy's speech is strongly accented, so it's rather difficult to make out at times, but I think I've got it now... On the other hand, it's an excuse to use an awkward hickish accent. Something I'm honestly not very good at.

Edgar has a line in the ROM that fits here, but isn't used anywhere that I can find.

{エドガー}「やはり
 {マッシュ}はダンカンの弟子に…
 そんな高名なかたにお世話になって
 いたとは…。
{Edgar}: So {Mash} really did wind
 up as Duncan's student...
 Never expected him to win the
 favor of someone so famous...
{EDGAR}: He must have gone to pay his respects to his mentor, Duncan...

コルツ山  Colts Mountain  | | |  MT. KOLTS

Explore carefully to find a Main Gauche and Giant's Bracer hidden off the main path.

1-9 "Mt. Kolts" plays here. As the party navigates through the system of caves and mountain trails, it seems as though they're being followed, and shortly before the far end of the pass, someone blocks the exit.

バルガス「{マッシュ}の手の者か? Vargas: Are you working for {Mash}? VARGAS: {SABIN} sent you, right?
{ロック}「何者だ!? {Lock}: Who're you!? {LOCKE}: Who're YOU?
{エドガー}「{マッシュ}?
 {マッシュ}はいるのか?
{Edgar}: {Mash}?
 Is he here?
{EDGAR}: {SABIN}?
Is he here?
{ロック}「さっきから
 うろちょろしていたのはお前だな?
バルガス「知るか!
{Lock}: You're the one who's been
 shadowing us since earlier, aren't you?
Vargas: Who gives a damn!
{LOCKE}: You were shadowing us earlier, right?
VARGAS: Brilliant!

There's a line in the ROM that fits here but isn't used in either version...

{ティナ}「あなたね?
 格闘家ダンカンを殺して逃げたと言う
 弟子は。
{Tina}: It's you, isn't it?
 The student they say fled after
 killing Duncan, the martial artist.
{TERRA}: YOU! You're the coward who murdered Master Duncan!

Maybe it's just as well; the NA version especially is far too confrontational...

バルガス「ふ、貴様らが何者とて
 つかまるわけにはゆかん。
 このバルガスに出会った事を不運と
 思って死んでもらうぞ!
Vargas: Hmph, whoever you are,
 I'm not about to get caught.
 You'll die now, and realize how
 unlucky you were to meet Vargas!!
VARGAS: And how unlucky it is that you have run into me...!

Boss battle! Vargas starts with two burly, yet flammable, bears tanking for him. None of them have any particularly dangerous or interesting attacks. Lock can steal a Potion (common) or Mithril Claw (rare) from Vargas, but it's probably not worth it. The High Potions on the bears might be, though.

Either way, when next hit after having taken at least 720 total damage, Vargas starts yelling again.

チィ! こざかしい!!
まとめて、あの世に送ってやる!
Tch! Wise-asses!!
I'll send you all on to the afterlife!
Enough!!
Off with ya now!

"Off with ya now" isn't half as badass as the original line.

「やめろっ!! バルガス! : Vargas! Stop!! Give it up, Vargas!

A familiar-looking muscular young man jumps into the fray... The intense 1-14 "The Unforgiven" plays for the rest of the battle.

バルガス
 「{マッシュ}か!
Vargas:
Oh, it's {Mash}!
VARGAS:
Is that you,  {SABIN}?!
{マッシュ}
「バルガス、なぜ、なぜ、
なぜ、ダンカン師匠を殺した?
実の息子で、兄弟子の貴方が!
{Mash}:
Vargas, why, why,
why did you kill Master Duncan?
You, his own son and senior apprentice!
{SABIN}:
Vargas, why'd you do it?
How could you do your own
father in like that?!
バルガス
「それはなあ… 奥技継承者は
息子の俺ではなく…
 ひろい子のおまえにさせると
ぬかしたからだ!
Vargas:
Well, you see... the successor to his
secret arts was not me, his son...
He spurned me to favor you,
the one he took in!
VARGAS:
Fool! He made the mistake of
choosing you as his successor!
He snubbed me,
his only son!
{マッシュ}
「ちがう! 師はあなたの…
{Mash}:
You're wrong! The master...
{SABIN}:
No!
You were the one he chose!
バルガス
「どう違うんだ?
違わないさ、そうお前の顔に
書いてあるぜ!
Vargas:
How am I wrong?
I'm not wrong, it's written
all over your face!
VARGAS:
You're a liar!
{マッシュ}
「師は、俺ではなく……バルガス!
あなたの、素質を……
{Mash}:
I'm not the one he... Vargas!
Your potential...
{SABIN}:
Our Master wanted you to be
his successor, not me.
He appreciated your fine
spirit......
バルガス
「たわごとなど、ききたくない
わ!自らあみだした奥技!
そのパワーみるがいい!!
 必殺! 連風燕略拳!!!
Vargas:
I don't want to hear your nonsense!
I worked out my own secret arts!
Behold their power!!
 Deathblow! Renfuuenryaku Ken!!!
VARGAS: Enough of your lies!
Now, have a taste of my
superior technique!
Mortal Attack! Blizzard Fist!

連風燕略拳 translates, very roughly, to something like Serial Wind Swallow Pillage Fist, and that "swallow" is the bird, not a verb. Martial arts moves with all-kanji names tend to be awkward, and often more poetic than can be translated cleanly.

It's also noted on the Japanese Final Fantasy Glossary Wiki site that 略 seems out of place in a martial arts attack name. The contributor who notes this speculates that perhaps it's being used in the sense of noting an omission or abbreviation, which would imply the real name is even longer and make the given one something more like "Serial Wind Swallow... and so on... Fist".

A more recent response to that gives a more likely explanation. 略 also has rarer, older meaning that has to do with sharpness (apparently related to the 䂮 kanji that is generally only used in Chinese). The name as a whole would then invoke something along the lines of an attack that raises a series of swift, piercing winds suggestive of a swallow dancing in the air. More or less. Anyway, back to the story.

A fierce wind blows Edgar, Lock, and Tina away. Mash manages to brace himself well enough to stay in the fight.

バルガス
「さすがは{マッシュ}!
親父が、見込んだだけのこと
はある男
Vargas:
Not bad, {Mash}!
I'd expect no less from the man my
old man had such high hopes for.
VARGAS:
Ahh, {SABIN}!
The master taught you well!
{マッシュ}
「や…… やるのか…
{Mash}:
Do... do we have to do this...?
{SABIN}:
I guess there's no avoiding
this!
バルガス
「宿命だ。そしてお前には
私を倒すことはできぬ!
それもまた、宿命だ!!!
Vargas:
It's fate. And it's impossible
for you to defeat me!
That, too, is also fate!!!
VARGAS: Fate made us train together,
and fate will send you to
your doom!
終死拳! Shuushi Ken! Doom Fist

終死拳 approximately translates to "final death fist". "Finality Fist" if you're going for style points.

フッ……
お前の命も 後わずかだ!
Hmph...
Your life is nearly up!
Phew...
I tire of this!
どうした{マッシュ}!
後がないぞ!!
What's the matter, {Mash}?
This is it for you!!
Come on, {SABIN}!
There's no going back!
オラ オラ どうした! Hey now, what's the matter!? Come on. What's the matter?
バルガス
「さて、そろそろ
おわりにさせてもらおうか!
Vargas:
Now, I think it's about time
to bring this to an end!
VARGAS:
Time to put an end to this!
{マッシュ}
「師が言っていた……
 ひっさつわざだ……
ひっさつわざを選んで
ひだり みぎ ひだり Aだ!
{Mash}:
Like the master told me...
a Deathblow Technique...
Select Deathblow Techniques,
then left, right, left, A!
{SABIN}:
The Master's teachings......
Must use a Blitz technique......
Choose Blitz, press the
Control Pad left, right,
left, then press the A Button!

Mash's special combat ability unleashes various extreme martial arts skills, chosen by inputting specific button sequences, sort of like in a fighting game, if generally less complicated. Some have healing effects, but most are attacks, with enough variety and power to keep the skillset viable through the endgame, though his equipment selection is limited. Mash gradually learns more skills as his experience increases; refer to his character entry for details.

For now, Mash uses Bakuretsu Ken (the left, right, left skill) against Vargas (or the tutorial gets more insistent if Vargas is hit after at least 1232 total damage).

バルガス
「うっががががっ!!
 す すでにその技を…!!
Vargas:
Unhgagagaga!!
Th-that skill already...!!
VARGAS:
W......what the......?! He......
already taught you that?!
{マッシュ}
「貴方のその おごりさえ
なければ…師は………
{Mash}:
If it weren't for that arrogance of
yours... the master would...
{SABIN}:
If only you hadn't been in
such a rush for power......

Vargas is finished, leaving everyone else free to talk, and, of course, that's exactly what they do.

{エドガー}「{マッシュ}!! {Edgar}: {Mash}!! {EDGAR}: {SABIN}!!!
{マッシュ}「兄貴? {Mash}: Big bro? {SABIN}: Big brother?
{ロック}「お…弟、ふたごの!? {Lock}: Y... your brother, the twin!? {LOCKE}: The brothers are reunited!

Going by the JP version, it seems that Lock has never met Mash before. Which makes sense if his involvement with Edgar is recent.

{ティナ}「お…弟さん?
 わ、私…てっきり大きな熊かと…。
{Tina}: L... little brother?
 I... I could have sworn a large bear, or...
{TERRA}: Younger...
"brother"?
At first glance I thought he was some bodybuilder who had strayed from his gym...
{マッシュ}「熊ァ!? {Mash}: A bear!? {SABIN}: Bodybuilder?!
{マッシュ}「熊か…そりゃあいい! {Mash}: Bear, huh... I like it! {SABIN}: I'll...take that as a compliment...
{マッシュ}「それより兄貴。
 いったい何だってこんなとこに…
{エドガー}「サーベル山脈に行くところだ。
{マッシュ}「もしや…
 地下組織リターナーの本部?
{Mash}: Anyhow, big bro.
 What are you up to in a place like this...?
{Edgar}: We're on our way to the Sabre Mountains.
{Mash}: Could that mean... the headquarters of
 the underground Returners organization?
{SABIN}: Anyway, brother, what are you doing here?
{EDGAR}: We're on the way to the Sabil mountains.
{SABIN}: To the Returner hideout, no doubt?
{マッシュ}「とうとう動きだすか!
 かげながら冷や冷やして
 ながめていたぜ。
このままフィガロは帝国の犬として
おとなしくしているのかってな。
{Mash}: So you're finally making your move!
 I've been watching from the shadows,
 shuddering at what I've seen.
I figured Figaro was going to keep
on being the Empire's lapdog.
{SABIN}: I've been watching from afar, hoping that the world might regain some sanity...
At this rate, Figaro will be reduced to a puppet state.
{エドガー}「反撃のチャンスが
  来たんだ。
もうジイヤたちの顔色をうかがって
帝国にベッタリすることもない。
{Edgar}: Our chance has come
 to strike back.
No more sucking up to the Empire or
worrying about upsetting the old fogeys.
{EDGAR}: Our time to strike back has arrived.
The Empire's going to pay for what it has done...

じいや (jiiya) means an old male servant. The female equivalent, ばあや (baaya), can be translated as "old maid" or "wet nurse".

{マッシュ}「俺の技もお役に
 立てるかい?
{Mash}: Could my skills
 help the cause?
{SABIN}: Think a "bear" like me could help you in your fight?

"Bear" comes out of nowhere here in the NA version. When he was actually called that earlier, it was localized as "bodybuilder"!

{エドガー}「来てくれるか?
 {マッシュ}よ……
{Edgar}: You'll come with us?
 {Mash}...
{EDGAR}: You'd...join us?
{SABIN}...!!
{マッシュ}「俺の技が世界平和の
 役に立てばダンカン師匠も
 うかばれるだろうぜ!
{Mash}: If my skills help with
 world peace, I'll bet Master
 Duncan will rest easier!
{SABIN}: I think Duncan would rest easier if he knew his disciple played a part in bringing peace to the world.
{ロック}「さ 行こう! {Lock}: So let's go! {LOCKE}: Let's get going!

サウスフィガロの町  Town of South Figaro  | | | |  SOUTH FIGARO

You can also return to South Figaro at this point for a brief scene with Master Duncan's wife.

「{マッシュ}
 主人とバルガスは…?
: {Mash}, what happened with
 my husband and Vargas...?
{SABIN}, where's Vargas?
Where's my husband?
{マッシュ}「先生はバルガスに…
 バルガスは…
{Mash}: The master was...
 Vargas...
{SABIN}: Master was...
Vargas...
「バルガスもなぜあんなことに…。
 でも主人もあなたに奥技を残せて
 思い残す事はないでしょう…。
: Why would Vargas stoop to that...?
 But I'm sure my husband had no regrets
 since he left his secret arts to you...
DUNCAN'S WIFE: I'll never understand Vargas...
Fortunately, my husband taught his most secret techniques to you.
{マッシュ}「この10年間
 家族のようで楽しかった…
 お世話になりました…!
{Mash}: These ten years were
 fun, like we were family...
 I owe you so much...!
{SABIN}: For 10 years you've treated me like a son. I am eternally grateful!


Previous Part: Ma-ma-ma-magic!?

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