Client: Nef Miyama

Premise:

This quest (as it tells you) is meant to be the prologue for episode 3. Nef Miyama, the father of Zoke Miyama hires you to run through his VR simulator. But, he has a catch. You have to take Young Break and Young Orland through it also, to help train them.

Before the quest even starts, you find out some information on what has been going on. This quest is set 10 years in the future from whenever you beat Dark Fallz. Which means, that if Fallz was beaten within the first year after the release of episode 1, you’d only be about 7 or 8 years into the future during Blue Star Memories. However, in this time span, without the presence of Dark Fallz, the supply of monsters has been dwindling. Because of the lack of actual danger, the guild has very few jobs for hunters, and hunting is not an encouraged or lucrative profession any longer.

You can meet a girl with blue hair down by the telepipe area of the ship. She is a “ShipChild” someone born on Pioneer two, and she complains about how she cannot sympathize with the older people of the ship and their “Independence from Coral”.

You can meet Teifu and Matha Grave. Teifu is apparently their new server/butler after the tragic loss of Blant. Matha, now ten years older then when you first helped her on her quest “The Grave’s Butler”, has had a child and gotten married. Her child is not yet of age to hunt, and Teifu looks foreword to the day. However, it is safe to assume since only Matha was left in the Grave family after everyone else had died, that Viviana Grave is her daughter. Viviana Grave grows up to physically and emotionally abuse Teifu.

Quest Start:

One of the first things you find out is how bratty Break and Orland are. They do not cease to remind you throughout the entire quest. You meet Break first, in a dramatic pan, and then he insults you. Orland follows and admonishes him for judging everyone by their appearances. They explain that “Old Man” their trainer is waiting below to give the assignment.

Nef Miyama--

An old FOmar in a green robe explains that he wants a real Hunter to escort Break and Orland through the simulator that he created. When he posted the job, he only said he needed someone to test it, not an escort. It’s his own request that makes you take them along, and that he cannot explain right away. The two humans are quick to explain how they don’t want you coming, but finally go along with it after he yells at them.

In The Simulator:

Once you are inside the simulator, they start to complain about how easy the monsters are, and then run off without you on purpose. Naturally, they fall into a trap, and you have to help them escape. Each area is graded based on a time limit. If you can make it through in under ten minutes in the area, you will receive an “A” rank. If you don’t make it in under 10 minutes and get a “B” they will blame it on you. If you do receive the “A” they will whine that the quest was too easy. Whenever they get hurt they shout and cry for you to heal them, but afterward tell you it was nothing, or complain that you don’t know the way.

The NPCs:

Break and Orland have to rank among two of the WORST NPCs I’ve encountered. If you combine the aggressiveness of Ash with the useless whiffing of Mome and Elly, you will describe this pair. Even though Break is a FOmar, he will rush headlong into every monster he sees. Orland, hangs back with his Brionac, but doesn’t seem to damage as well. What makes them worse is their horrible personalities. At least Elly knew she was incompetent, and tried to be nice to you, they are here to make a nuisance of themselves on purpose. They will also have any shifta or deband you cast upon them removed after every warp. (meaning multiple re-casts before the next wave of monsters)

Along the way:

During the quest, you can branch the plot by giving them one answer or another AND by doing lower then an "A" grade on the tests. Break and Orland are very uninformed about the things that went on, on the surface of Ragol, even just a few years ago. This isn’t too surprising, being as they are still civilians, and the media had refused to report anything that actually happened. However, you would think that with the volume of existing hunters would of straightened out the population on at least some of the facts.

Branch #1:“It’s True!”
They will ask you if there really were great beasts and tons of monsters all over Ragol. If you say it’s true, they go on to ask you about “The Four Hunters” who defeated DarkFalz and freed Rico from evil. If you tell them “I know” about the ones who defeated falz, and you got all “A”s on the times, these answers will lead to Break disappearing in an emergency after you defeat Barba Ray. After defeating Barba Ray, the kids show off, pose down, and generally keep trying to convince you that they are quite cool. They want to return quickly so that Nef can see what they have done. After exiting the raft, a mysterious triangle appears in the air. It is made of letters and is spelling something in the PSO font. What is it spelling? Either way, Break touches it and it sucks him in. You recieve a message from the VR field that it is breaking down due to the data for B. Ray. Everyone must evacuate the system, or it will harm the minds of those inside. If you tell Orland to go back to the ship, he won't go without Break so pick to go and search for him
TheSearch for Break:
In order to go find Break, you and Orland must use the triangle warp to get back into the temple part of the VR field. Along the way, the lighting system isn't working right, and huge green pixels are sort of snowing in the air for a real malfunctioning effect. Dark/Indi Belras appear to block your path to the FOmar. As the countdown and alarms sound, you find break at the upper level of a box room. Finding him forces a transport to another boss room, this time the Gol Dragon. After you battle the Gol and defeat it, a bright light begins to glow, and the kids think it may be another boss. However, it is only Nef Miyama entering the VR world, which has since stopped malfunctioning.

Nef Explains:
After teching to keep the kids away, Nef goes on to explain that they couldn't of made it through the simulator without the help of you, the hired hunter. He also explains that the supposed "VR Malfunction" was programmed into the sim all along, as a part of what was supposed to happen, if you did everything right. (hence, the two endings...if you provided lame answers or did badly on the trials, the sim wouldn't deem you worthy to get to the REAL test--the VR Breakdown)

Nef explains that this fake breakdown was to test the hunter-ability of being prepared to face the unexpected. A trap and a challenge no one knew was coming, that seemed very real. He also lets them know the real value of teaming, and having people watch out for eachother. Nef explains to the kids how real hunters (like you) were always there to watch out for them, even over their running off and trying to hot-dog the sim. He also reveals that you are one of the four hunters who defeated Falz. The kids are very impressed, and finally realize the value of friends and teamwork, rather then just looking out for themselves and trying to be cool by defeating many monsters. He also gives you "Bullet of Future Assassin" which unlocks and Episode 3 Quest. Nef has signed them both up to take the HL entrance exams, and he knows that they will both pass due to their great lesson here in the VR sim they learned with you. Break and Orland hope to become great someday, and Break is sure you will meet again. After you warp up, you're forced out at the guild counter after claiming the reward.

“It’s Just a story”
The Bad Ending to Blue Star Memories

If you don’t get all “A” ranks and you tell them that it was just a story that such monsters existed, once you beat Barba Ray, you will go to meet Nef in the room you started in after receiving the key for “Future Forecast”
Getting a "B" grade on the trials will cause Break and Orland to not ask you about the hunters who defeated Falz. Once you defeat Barba Ray, Nef says that you took longer then he expected, but everything is OK. Break and Orland tell about how they couldn't of done it without you, and that they learned a lot. Nef says they are still lacking something, and so cannot take the HL trials. Because they don't know what they lack, is another reason they are not ready. With this ending, you don't recieve the 'prequel timeline' sequence as in the good ending version.