Trace of Two Pasts novel discussion

[Eerie]

this is my maru headcanon fan cast and i will be picturing this cat for all subsequent maru appearances

will someone with talent draw fanart of young tifa and this maru

Yeah we have that there lol:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1416864941449957376

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

this is my maru headcanon fan cast and i will be picturing this cat for all subsequent maru appearances

I guarantee my little Amazon box sitter is a more fitting source of the image for a cat named "Mal."

 

[SilverArrow20XX]

So if I'm understanding that summary.
Nibelheim was not part of the Junon Republic.
Shinra built their mansion there specifically to avoid them.
That makes a lot more sense.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Shinra selling Junon Republic weapons while secretly developing mako power and plotting their downfall.
You guys go ahead and kill each other, we'll build our corporate empire on your bones.

 

[Cae Lumis]

So if I'm understanding that summary.
Nibelheim was not part of the Junon Republic.
Shinra built their mansion there specifically to avoid them.
That makes a lot more sense.

Given that the next paragraph has Tifa mention that Nibelheim was a model village of the Junon Republic, it probably was, just that it was very remote and thus out of sight of Junon proper.

EDIT: As an aside, since the implication is that Nibelheim was a part of the Junon Republic, its probably safe to guess that Rocket Town was as well, implying that the Belligerents of "The International War" were The Republic of Junon & Shinra Manufacturing vs Wutai. One could say then that the International War was The First Wutai War, and the one we're familiar with was the Second Wutai War.... or... WWI... and WWII.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Or Wutai v. Republic of Junon and Shinra sold weapons to both of them and became richer than the two combined.

 

[Cae Lumis]

Or Wutai v. Republic of Junon and Shinra sold weapons to both of them and became richer than the two combined.

The Early Materials/ Initial Design Files state its a case of both (to quote the translation on TLS):

From: World View (Shinra Company)
A company from a certain country, with Old Midgar as its capital. They developed and constructed weapons, and practically monopolize the defense industry. Received vast profits from a long-lasting war with another nation (they also secretly exported weapons to the enemy country as well. The traces of this can been seen in various towns and cities afterward. Characters such as Barret notice this.)

From: World View (SOLDIER)
The war with another nation which took place on this planet dragged on due to the strength of each country being equal. That was when SOLDIER appeared. Only those whose aptitude had been acknowledged, having been selected from the general army or civilian population and after undergoing many examinations, were able to enter the SOLDIER training facility. At the training facility, in addition to training, were also exposed to mako energy.

[skip]

The SOLDIER operatives who were sent to the war were an elite few, and with guerrilla warfare shifted the state of the war to favor the nation on Shinra’s side. The activities of their new weapon “SOLDIER” were broadcast in detail, and the people view SOLDIER as heroes. They are idolized by children. Cloud was also one of these children…

– After the end of the war… In an time without war, the duty of SOLDIER turned towards ‘maintaining the peace’. This of course includes ‘suppression of rebel elements’.

– Difference from the government troops… To the people the government is as good as worthless. Only Shinra will protect them. The fact is the government will do nothing for them. The government does have an army. However, the one who actually commands the army is Shinra. Just like the government, they are under Shinra’s power.

Though the details have clearly been shifted around slightly, the gist seems to be the same: In addition to providing arms and material support to both nations surreptitiously, Shinra overtly provided manpower and troops to supplement the Government's (Now known as the Junon Republic's) own forces.

 

[TurquoiseHammer]

Hito, thanks for the excellent summary. Can't say how nice it is to read idiomatic English for a change. I promised myself I'd just wait for my copy to arrive but sure enough I've been prowling the internet looking for scans, not finding any, and settling for translations from non-native English speakers (not trying to put anyone down—I always appreciate any effort to give the eager fans what they want!).

 

[a_apple 2.0]

https://t.co/hh8U0lp2tJ?amp=1
https://fusetter.com/tw/U2yHaUmd#all
Rest of the story

 

[Odysseus]

Barret being the last to join Avalanche is a humorous subversion when you consider many people thought Avalanche was just his small group that he started.

 

[minami758]

I’m curious now, with the details about how this novel takes place while they’re traveling and on the Shinra ship, if this novel is supposed to be taken as an expansion of the OG as well as the Remake. I think someone mentioned earlier these conversation topics could’ve easily been original scenarios from the OG that didn’t make the final cut.

I assume yes because it doesn’t directly contradict anything from the OG and it also covers a period that we haven’t even seen in the Remake yet, but I guess I’m wondering, if Remake really is an alternate universe or something (I’ve only been vaguely keeping up with the time travel/parallel universe theories because it just makes my head hurt), should we take this novel to be the canon case of events in both universes?

I personally don’t see why not, and so that makes me happy to know the Kalm story and the whole disguising themselves as Shinra workers will still happen in Remake Part 2. I didn’t really expect them to change that stuff, but it’s nice to have confirmation.

 

[Odysseus]

The only distinctly remake-centeric things I recall from the synopses are that Jessie's past as an actress is brought up and that Marle is in the story. Otherwise it could work either way, since neither of those things are strictly contradictory to the original anyway.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I'm sitting here on tenterhooks waiting for this twitter person stan to post their translation of Aerith and Ifalna's escape from the Shinra building.

Edit: here it is I think

 

[Eerie]

Fck you Hojo

Thanks for sharing, this is really good stuff

 

[null]

Wouldn’t that depend on how aware Sephiroth is of specifically Tifa’s role in restoring Cloud? Because if Sephiroth knows the future but doesn’t know every exact step, maybe he’d still regard her as a nuisance who just happened to be in the way?

I’m curious now, with the details about how this novel takes place while they’re traveling and on the Shinra ship, if this novel is supposed to be taken as an expansion of the OG as well as the Remake. I think someone mentioned earlier these conversation topics could’ve easily been original scenarios from the OG that didn’t make the final cut.

I assume yes because it doesn’t directly contradict anything from the OG and it also covers a period that we haven’t even seen in the Remake yet, but I guess I’m wondering, if Remake really is an alternate universe or something (I’ve only been vaguely keeping up with the time travel/parallel universe theories because it just makes my head hurt), should we take this novel to be the canon case of events in both universes?

I personally don’t see why not, and so that makes me happy to know the Kalm story and the whole disguising themselves as Shinra workers will still happen in Remake Part 2. I didn’t really expect them to change that stuff, but it’s nice to have confirmation.

Good question. Did the OG and Remake diverge at the opening scene? Or were they separate timelines altogether? Then there's the Terrier Stamp timeline, which we know from the eponymous litter was already different prior to the Fate battle... do we know for sure it even altered its course? Or did defeating Fate change the Stamp artist's design retroactively? What if the OG is the timeline where Stamp never existed??

(I'm probably forgetting something obvious. Good thing there's no downvote button.)

 

[Makoeyes987]

This novel is for the Remake and FFVII's OG story. There's no reason to divorce the two in this case.

As for when the timelines separated, we don't know. That'd require knowledge of what Sephiroth or whatever did to create this situation in the first place. But, I will say that the divergences from the OG that exist are clearly marked by when the Whispers have to intervene and when they fail.. That's when Stamp changes.

 

[Tetsujin]

Interesting that Aerith's chapter describes the ferry to Costa del Sol as unexpectedly lavish and there being wealthy passengers on board. Stealth preview of a design change for part 2?
In the original it seemed like it was purely a military cargo ship.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I am truly excited at the prospect of seeing a lavish Shinra cruise liner.

 

[Odysseus]

Makes you wonder if the context for them getting on the ship is going to be a little different. It was pretty hand-wavy how the rest of the party got there originally anyway. Makes more sense for the Shinra higherups to travel first class.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Somebody suggested that Rufus is throwing an inauguration party on the ship. I thought that was a great suggestion and I really hope SE decide to do it. Maybe he'll dance with Tseng. No no, I didn't say that. Who said that?

 

[Wol]

Interesting that Aerith's chapter describes the ferry to Costa del Sol as unexpectedly lavish and there being wealthy passengers on board. Stealth preview of a design change for part 2?
In the original it seemed like it was purely a military cargo ship.

Then Costa del Sol will be hype.

I can't wait to see Hojo there lol.

 

[KindOfBlue]

Good question. Did the OG and Remake diverge at the opening scene? Or were they separate timelines altogether? Then there's the Terrier Stamp timeline, which we know from the eponymous litter was already different prior to the Fate battle... do we know for sure it even altered its course? Or did defeating Fate change the Stamp artist's design retroactively? What if the OG is the timeline where Stamp never existed??

(I'm probably forgetting something obvious. Good thing there's no downvote button.)

At the moment I’m considering the remake and the OG as two separate entities as whatever changes happen in remake exist only in the remake and not the OG, but we can presume that things are the same in the remake as they are in the OG until it is explicitly shown to not be (my go-to example is always the change made to the Honeybee Inn)

 

[TurquoiseHammer]

Let's hope Part 2's presentation of the Junon ship ride doesn't differ from what's described in the novel, otherwise people will wonder if ToTP is set in a third timeline. (Mostly kidding, but I do wonder how much of that scene and the events leading up to it have been locked in development-wise. Hope Nojima didn't write the rest of the team into a corner.)

 

[Odysseus]

Since Nojima was able to casually include an event a little further along in the story, I'm assuming the plot scenario is set in stone for the next part by now.

 

[Eerie]

Yeah they were still working on the scenario last year but my understanding is that they moved past that? I can’t remember where I read that interview I think it was over the summer? Argh.

Coming back to the novel, Ilfana is so damn beautiful and strong ? she protected Aerith, made her think escaping was an adventure, definitely did not eat so that her child could, hid her bad health to not scare her ? absolutely beautiful ?