A Vision!

Warning a big chunk of this has me theory crafting.

A lot of the quests and prep I did were connected to Rex, so let's begin talking yeah?

I want to talk about the Cooking With Rex quests again, now that I think I've done every quest related in that chain.

The story has made it clear by this point that Shulk and Rex desire to reestablish parental connections with their kids. But while Shulk's attempts go extremely well, with several Nicol and Shulk related quests and story beats showing how excited the boy is to actually work on something with Shulk.

Glimmer however...is another story.

I describe Glimmer as basically being Torna Mythra, a version of the character that Rex never got to deal with. Rex is currently sitting firm in Adam's shoes right now, trying his best to support Glimmer but tripping every which way.

He obviously is trying to win her full favor over by cooking the food she loved back on Alrest. That being food that Pyra cooked. The first two Cooking With Rex quests just make it seem like he's teaching Matthew recipes he knows to expand their options, but every time the party goes to eat...Rex is just standing talking to Shulk right near where the former salvager can observe Glimmer's reactions.

And it's more clear in the third quest, where Rex doesn't even respond properly to Matthew encouraging him to cook again, instead remembering what Glimmer's favorite food is: The Torpedo Wrap (something that is loved by the whole base game party).

But when Rex talks with Shulk at the end of the quest like always, the game makes a bigger point to show he's waiting to hear her thoughts. Even if we never find out what they are...

Then we have the Lute quest, which shows Glimmer basically inheriting an instrument. Unfortunately given it was found without strings they need to make the strings from rare monster intestines. Which while Glimmer can handle the killing she's too squeamish to gut the monster. So Rex offers to do it, telling anyone else who is squeamish to close their eyes. (Nicol thanks you, Master Driver). He's even super supportive of her learning to play, as is the rest of the party.

But there's another character Rex parents, that being Linka, Zeke and Pandoria's daughter. In the quest aptly called "Linka's Birthday" Rex decides to make her one of her favorite foods, which is basically Octopus Balls. Zeke had told him the recipe and you go hunt down the tenticled monster all while Linka is left unaware.

Though it turns out that after she sees it...she comments that Rex killed the wrong monster for the recipe. Despite this, she tries it and enjoys it, mentioning how nostalgic it is for her.

While doing these quests along with a quest that calls back to the mural quests from Xenoblade 2...it made me wonder what Rex did post 2.

He obviously kept Garfront Mercs going, given Linka calls him Boss like every merc called Vandam but...God this is interesting.

As for story progress? I didn't get much, the beat I ended off on today was of the group stopping to rest at the Valak Mountain camp and Shulk mentioning his desire to still see the future somewhat, despite passing up the chance at godhood at 18. A does pretty much say that the future isn't set and even if he knew it could only be the knowledge of a single possibility. It's clear that Shulk's anxiety is at a peek, given he's the only one from the OG game still around.

Riku reassures Shulk that he isn't alone in all of this, and gestures to Lucky Seven, the one Noah will eventually get. And then to the Monado REX+. Basically symbolizing that the hopes, dreams and will of the friends he once traveled with are still with him.

I DON'T FEEL PREPARED FOR PRISON ISLAND.

I get the feeling going there and fighting N (as we see in the trailer) begins the Point of No Return.

Shulk and Rex did explain the creation of Bionis and Alrest and showed their knowledge that their worlds used to be one. Basically explaining what Nia does both during the main story and in post game. Though it's evident that the duo don't...really know how to solve the situation beyond killing Mobius.

Two required quests then popped up since of course they do.

One was simply go into a cave and get a rare metal to build an Ether Lift. Huge cave, hard fights. It's Xenoblade 3.

But the other was in my opinion more significant.

Glimmer and Nicol, the two Soldiers saved by Mathew who just so happen to be Rex and Shulk's kids respectively, show their resolve and determination to join the fight against Alpha.

Rex is EXTREMELY against it, given their Oroboros powers are newly awakened and aren't strong enough to fight something as powerful as Alpha, who was able to best Shulk. Rex AND Z.

Then Nicol brings up Riku, because of course he does, and they end up deciding to try and tap into the Oroboros stone Nia left behind. They end up learning that if Nicol and Glimmer get into an intense enough fight, their powers synced with the stone will buff them.

So obviously that means fighting Shulk and Rex. WAIT WHAT? This is the first time a Protagonist of a Xenoblade game has been a boss fight without being questionably canonical (Sorry Elma).

But yeah, Dad Squad really doesn't want their kids to get killed. Even if they're both close to homecoming anyway.

They win and Rex gives his blessing. Following all that though, A talks with both of them privately. Shulk and Rex know that...even if they're strong enough to fight N and Alpha, they're still going to die.

And they make a vow to somehow free them from it because "No child should die before their parents."

More shit happened after this but...I just want to sit on this. In the statues dedicated to Nicol and Glimmer in the City its said they lived way past their terms, surviving until their 80s. So somehow, like Mio in base game, they'll defy death.

But in Mio's case someone took her term end for her, that being M.

Are Shulk and Rex going to take on the burden of their final terms themselves and allow themselves to enter the cycle and die?

Will they die in front of their kids?

Will this explain why they're not in the main story?

So I did A LOT of quests, gearing up for the next story objective I had to tackle and a lot of lore got established that developed parts of the older games retroactively.

Given the main base is Colony 9 (the real one), of course Gem Man's Stall exists. And Nicol and Shulk end up repairing it together to study so we can make higher level gems. Father son bonding!

It's here we learn it's custom made, which explains why the Gem Man made us the portable Gem Crafter in 1, it was based on his own design.

Then there's Georgina, the daughter of Paula and granddaughter of Georgino the Curry Master. The gang builds her a cantina and after nostalgicly gathering her 5 Dance Apples, she makes his Curry. And we even get the recipe!

We're allowed to use the Cantina after the quest, but Rex points out there's no point using it given they can just cook at a campsite. But it's here that Matthew learns that Rex knows how to cook and asks him to cook them something they can make later.

So opens a first in a chain of quests "Cooking With Rex Part 1". This is significant as the food he's cooking is one of Pyra's dishes.

I'm gonna guess the other dishes will be her other dishes. But its through this and a lot of other quests that...I noticed something.

Where...are the other party members? During my first play session, I did a H2H where Shulk and Rex talk broadly about Dunban. But they're both using past-tense, as if he's dead. Granted Riki and Dunban being dead makes sense, being 40s and 30s respectively in Xenoblade 1. But it seems everyone else is gone too.

Granted I've just hit Chapter 4, which has A LOT of lore dumps connected. Containing but not limited to:

- A is a split off of Ontos, who has now dubbed Themselves Alpha

- Alpha wants to kill all remnants of the Old Worlds and save only those of the City to create a new world.

- It's due to Alpha appearing in the City withn the hands of Na'el that led to Z making Noah Consol N and attack the city, because he wanted N to use the Sword of the End to kill Alpha. With the promise of bringing back Mio if he did. Holy...shit .

-N...is on our side as a result? But not really? Because this is still N. Mr. Nutjob McYandere Pants. Matthew doesn't want Na'el to get killed, and N straight up threatens that Na'el will die if that's what it takes to earn "Eternity", AKA Mio.

SO YEAH MATTHEW ISNT REALLY HAPPY WITH A, SHULK AND REX FOR HIDING AS MUCH AS THEY DID FROM HIM! RIGHTFULLY SO!

I should also explain that, during that whole moment before Na'el appears and we fight her. Rex explains that while Logos was the Male and Pnuma the Female, Ontos was somewhere in between. It fits the fact that Ontos represents the Holy Spirit, but in another sense means Alvis is genderfluid. Given A is more feminine and Alpha retains the Alvis form. Though given gendered terms are never used for Alpha or A, it's safe to say that...yeah this is our NB rep right here.

That's awesome!

..yeah this post was a lot longer than my first one and I didn't even touch on how Matthew figured out that N is his great-grandfather and his "Eternity" is his great-grandmother all because he recalls having the photo of Noah and Mio at his family home. Matthew isn't as smart as other Xeno protagonists, but he's got some level of intelligence especially when family is involved.

Matthew is a great character. I love him.

A is sus and they have visons. That's concerning.

I enjoy getting points to upgrade!

WHY IS RIKU HERE

REX AND SHULK ARE COOL

Also Glimmer and Nicol are their kids, God that's probably awkward...