Quesada's Swan

Part 1 | Part 2

In the daytime, the Empyrean's Throne looks more grander...

Laphicet: "I can feel him...! Innominat's somewhere in the sky."
Eleanor: "In the sky? Wait, look..."

The malakhim here are more different...a Two-Tailed Fox, Phantasmal Needle, Enticing Glamor, and the Wings of Misfortune...

I move the camera upwards, where a tiny circle up in the skies is...

That must be where Innominat and the Shepherd are.

The music sounds ominous...

Up to the western part of this area, as I climb the ladder...

It's been almost four months since the last time we were here last...now the legates are gone, and the Shepherd and Innominat are left.

In one of the entrances, two maskless malakhim are talking.

The earth and wind malakhim thank us for freeing them from Innominat's control.

Velvet says she was only doing it for herself. Oh, Velvet...

The malakhim say they're now frightened of getting exposed to malevolence.

Malak: "Before Innominat's interference we were a peaceful people."

Velvet don't care. Eizen now speaks.

Eizen: "We get what you're saying. But if we go easy on anybody, then we'll be the ones who get killed. If you truly want to protect your friends, you'll have to stop us by force." My god, Eizen...the crew doesn't do anything by halves.

Velvet now asks them now that they have free will, what are they going to do about them?

Earth Malak: "And that's why we too will work toward the future we desire."
Wind Malak: "In order to achieve a perfect fusion of human and malak power, the Abbey gave [fusions] a physical form [...] they're vessels [...] that can manipulate mana. They call these objects divine artifacts." Divine artifacts?

Laphicet asks if the bow the wind malak is holding is one of them. It is.

Wind Malak: "We decided we want to pass on the knowledge behind the divine artifacts and [fusion] to future generations." Oh my god!

---

Even Laphicet's not having that, and asks why.

They want humans and malakhim to get along.

Laphicet: "What!?"

The earth malak explains further that the fusion is a "one-sided", or forced, process by the human.

Wind Malak: "But imagine if humans and malakhim could [fuse] with mutual awareness and consent." The Crystal Gems might be happy with that...

The earth malak agrees, out of necessity to defend themselves from forces such as "the Lord of Calamity."

Velvet's, like, go ahead.

Eizen: "It's another potential for the future."

Laphicet agrees.

The wind malak, though, says that we're too late: Innominat's divine artifact is "complete."

Velvet: "Meaning [The Shepherd] himself will use the divine artifact to [fuse] with Innominat."

Earth Malak: "For the good of the future, we'll pray for your success in battle...Lord of Calamity." Dang!

So the Lord of Calamity gave her blessing for the malakhim to continue fusion, and the malakhim, in turn, pray for her success at finishing her mission!

The earth malak, though, warns us that there are malakhim who still follow the Shepherd even after they've been freed. The ones that see no hope for living with humans. After all they've been put through by the exorcists...

Earth Malak: "But I don't believe the way to the future can be found through despair."

Laphicet agrees.

The wind malak's thinking of tests to measure the will between malakhim and humans as a way to grant fusion.