Cruel, yet beautiful, and said to possess great intelligence...
The legendary creature, Maka.
In the distant past,
it is said that the Maka and humans lived separated by the lake,
acknowledging each other's existences.
A great number of residents of Blue Notes Blues
witnessed the golden, glittering body as it danced aloft in the night sky.
The people revered the Maka as a god,
and they viewed it as a blessing that the Maka existed to protect the land.
Yes...
That was until people's hearts were polluted by sin.
Blue Notes Blues
Polluted by sin?
Blue Notes Blues...
So this is where the Maka lived...
Then it's really true...
Niche, what did you mean by you were born 200 years ago?
20 years ago?
2 years?
I don't get it...
But that town is where you were born, right?
If you remember, then that means you were here until recently?
It was when I was a babe!
A babe?
A baby?
You can remember when you were a baby?
I was a babe... I remember...sort of.
Do you really remember?
But there might be people in town who know you, Niche!
When we reach the town, let's ask...
Lag.
It's best not to say anything about me.
Niche, wait! Niche!
A cave?
Hey, what are you doing there?
Don't get any closer to the Holy Site!
I-I'm sorry!
Wait, those clothes...
Yeah... He's a Letter Bee!
Oh, we're so sorry about before.
You must be freezing!
How wonderful of you to come all the way up north!
Please, try some of this jumping picopico sashimi!
Oh, please don't bother yourself with me.
I only came here to ask some questions...
What is it you would like to know?
I am the Mayor, Khari Tonov.
I bid you welcome to the Glacial Village, Blue Notes Blues.
I'm the Letter Bee, Lag Seeing.
And this girl is my din...
Clawgrab!
Niche! Your claws! Your claws are digging into my shoulder!
Is this what you wanted?
No, no... I don't need any crab!
This person saw the man garbed in black who you are looking for.
Yes. He was with a girl clad all in white.
That's him!
Where was he, and what was he doing?
It was the path by the glacial lake you were walking on.
He was heading toward the cave beyond there.
That big cave...
Thank you very much!
Let's go, Niche.
Hold it.
That cave is the most holy place we have.
Even for someone from the government, we cannot allow you to enter.
I do not know who that man is,
but if he entered that cave, he would surely pay dearly.
That cave is the path that leads to Blue Notes Scale,
the underground lake where the Maka resides.
Where the Maka...
Um...
What is it?
In this book, it talks about "Until people's hearts were polluted by sin."
What does that mean?
A shortsighted fool from this village ate the forbidden fruit.
Forbidden?
The Maka was so disheartened that it no longer shows itself.
It was around 200 years ago...
Blue Notes Blues was facing a terrible crisis.
Our geothermal energy was being taken away.
The few fertile fields fell frozen.
Many townspeople died.
Among those that survived was Celica, a woman with child.
Celica heard the rumor
that by drinking the water of the underground lake where the Maka resides,
one can live for 1000 years.
But that is surely nothing but a fairy tale born from famished hearts...
But the greedy Celica, with her lust for long life,
believed that the rumor was true.
She set foot inside the holy cave into which no person should ever tread!
As the warmth of the land began to return and people started to feel some relief,
Celica returned to the town.
She spoke with no one, and to everyone's surprise, survived for months without eating.
She gave birth, then quickly died.
It was then...
Anyone who had witnessed it would know what it means for a human to be cursed...
Celica's sinful heart had given birth to twins...
Fashioned after the Maka, they had golden hair, sea-blue eyes, and claws for hands.
And then, those children...
They say that one day the cursed babies
suddenly disappeared from the town, never to appear again.
We wish to return to a peaceful life together with the Maka!
Every day we're working hard to become a righteous people that the Maka will accept!
The curse may have been brought upon ourselves,
but do not forget that in this land, the Maka is god, Mr. Seeing!
Cursed?
Anyway, please rest easy tonight.
Was Niche really born 200 years ago?
If she really is cursed...
If saying goodbye is so sad for you, then I'll stay by your side.
What am I worrying so much about?
Niche is my precious friend!
Of course Niche isn't some cursed child!
Lag!
Should we go investigate?
The cabe!
Do you remember this town, Niche?
I was just a babe...
But I have a bad feeling, kind of.
I'm sorry about this, Niche.
I took you here not knowing anything...
I'm fine!
I am your dingo, Lag! Anywhere you go, I will go with you!
Lag...
Thank you, Niche...
Let's go. Together.
Let's go... To the Maka's cave!
Those kids...
It couldn't be...
Something really big was dragged here...
Something is definitely here. Let's go, Niche!
This mist is really dense...
I can barely see my own nose...
It's a tunnel of ice.
A gaichuu?
T-This is...
G-Gaichuu frozen in ice?
Lag!
The biggest, widest pillar is split open?
And there are shindanjuu cartridges here as well...
They don't look exactly like the usual gaichuu.
But the ones here and that one near Moosehead are definitely gaichuu.
Did Gauche lure that one from here?
That's right! You can't defeat a gaichuu unless you resonate "heart" within them.
These gaichuu are frozen, but still alive.
Niche!
An underground lake...
T-Then this is Blue Notes Scale that the Mayor was talking about.
Where the Maka resides...
That's the... Maka!
Niche! I don't know what kind of creature it is, so stay back!
This is ancamen... uncommon...
A visitor?
Is has been near two hunded years!
Sister.
Two hundred years?
Then you're Niche's older sister?
Those children went into this cave?
The girl's sea-blue eyes, that golden hair...
That dingo girl must be the Child of Maka!
It's only natural she would go see the Maka.
The mist! This proves it!
It's usually so dense we're forced to turn back, but now it's so clear, it's scary!
Inviting the Child of Maka inside!
U-Uh... Nice to meet you!
My name is Lag Seeing!
Niche, your little sister, is my friend!
And my dingo... Er... Co-worker!
So... Um... Could you... Uh...
Excuse me, but... Could you first... Um...
Please put on underwear!
"Button underwear"?
"Put on"!
And if you... Um, if you don't mind, covering your chest too, it might...
It looks like Niche is a bit fixated on them, too...
Thank you very much! That's really a great help!
Niche... If that... Is that your name now, Sister?
And also, what is with your body?
You are far too immature and stunted.
You have completely forgotten to grow, Sister of mine.
I'm not your sister!
I don't know who you are!
And I'm gonna grow in lots and lots!
Grow in?
You remember nothing, do you?
Perhaps you forgot.
What the humans did to us.
The Maka does not sense any humans here.
I concur.
You there.
Are you a human? Or are you something that has taken human form?
Which is it? Shall I slice you open to find out?
Niche!
You may be dinky, but you can use your swords, I see.
I will beat anyone who hurts Lag!
As his dingo!
Dingo?
The Maka... Is it the Maka?
Mr. Mayor?
Maka... What a heavenly body!
To think we could have the honor of meeting so close!
We are people who live in the Glacial Village.
If I may introduce myself, I am the Mayor...
Begone!
I do not recall inviting you here.
Leave here, humans.
Who are you?
I was speaking with the Maka!
Mayor... What if that is also the Child of Maka...
What? But they were twins...
The Maka has long since lost the ability to converse with humans.
Then, please tell the Maka this:
In order for us to become recognized as righteous people,
we have worked hard for many generations!
Hey, let me...
We've become people worthy of living together with the Maka!
Please, do not misunderstand us!
We aren't like the people from the past!
We don't have the polluted heart of a sinner like Celica!
Hey, you don't need to go mentioning that right...
It seems you know nothing.
Except for that one.
The Maka does nothing but protect this land.
It never had any interest in humans from the start.
But to hear you speak of what is righteous and what is sinful is laughable.
Perhaps I will tell you a little story.
What are you doing?
This is the water that'll let you live for 1000 years, right?
You idiot! We were just telling the Maka...
M-Me too...
What are you doing? Stop it!
Just a little...
The Maka has no interest in people, nor any expectations.
But there was one lone time when it was touched by the heart of a human.
200 years ago, when the heat of the land started to subside.
On a grand scale, but quietly,
the Spirit Amber from which the warmth of the land grew began being mined.
Thanks to the loss of the Spirit Amber, a great number of people in the village died.
But the Maka, with its own role to play, merely watched quietly.
Then one day, a wounded woman,
so frail it seemed like she could fall at any time, appeared in the cave.
Leave, human.
Leave here.
I cannot.
For I have come here to die.
Please, devour me, or what have you.
If I return to the village, the people there will even kill the child in my belly.
What whimsy was this?
The Maka turned ear to the person's story.
They thought to sacrifice me to the guardian of the land,
so the warmth will return to the soil...
With no relatives in the village, I was chosen.
I begged them to wait until I had given birth,
but they refused to listen.
I tried to run away,
but a great many beat me and cast me in this place.
My husband starved to death.
And I will follow soon.
Great Maka, I beg you.
While I am still alive, take my life.
And in return, save my child!
All I wish... Is for my child to live on...
As the woman begged, struggling to breathe...
The Maka was touched by a human's heart for the first time.
And then, a single tear was shed.
Human. I have received your heart.
Your wish will soon be granted.
Eventually Celica returned to the village.
It's Celica!
Celica!
And she gave birth.
Call the chief!
Curse... They're cursed!
They aren't even letting out a single cry...
How frightening!
And, Celica?
It was soon after she gave birth to these...
I see. That's a small blessing, at least.
Why are they still babies?
20 years passed, and the Maka never appeared.
What did Celica do in that cave?
She must have done something to anger the Maka.
The babies were only given water.
And yet they lived on.
Chief! The village to the east has gotten wind of the cursed Children of Maka!
We can't let Blue Notes Blues be tarred by this sin any more!
Chief, make your decision!
The unpleasantness is now frozen in the lake!
Future generations will surely laud our great actions!
Next: 200 Years of Solitude