The Wish Seed (chapter)
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The Wish Seed is the tenth chapter in the storyline of Kid Icarus: Uprising and the beginning of the second main story arc. This chapter has Pit trying to retrieve a legendary item known as the Wish Seed before Hades, the god of the Underworld does. Taking place at a volcanic location littered with ruins, this chapter is certainly one of the most dangerous due to it containing many perilous obstacles during both the land and sky missions.
Aerial Mission
The aerial portion begins in the smoky skies above a volcanic wasteland, where Pit and Palutena discuss their newest adversary, Hades, and his plans to steel the sacred Wish Seed, which can grant any wish and is guarded by a monster called the Immortal Phoenix. This portion of the chapter takes him across many dangerous and heated locations upon reaching ground level, including a lava-filled cavern, a fiery sea, and a deep gorge made of flowing molten walls. Some notable volcanic monsters are also rife in this area, including liquescent Magmoos and rather comical Petribombers that often self-destruct themselves. Nearing the mission’s end, Palutena gives Pit two choices to either enter a safe-looking cavern, or to cut straight through the foreboding volcanic landscape (chosen depending on his position on the screen).
Cavern Route
If Pit chooses to take the path through the cavern, he will find the rest of the trip to have fewer obstacles, but more enemies. The sights in the area itself are also notable, including a chamber filled with beautiful crystal formations. However, things take a turn for the worst when he enters a deep hole, which is actually a massive volcanic fissure vent. A rumbling is heard, and Pit soon finds himself racing for his life up the vent as lava quickly rises from below. He barely escapes as the lava exits the vent in a blast reaching the sky, and proceeds to make his way to the landing spot.
Volcanic Route
If Pit instead chooses the route through the volcanic wasteland, he will have to avoid many more obstacles in addition to numerous enemies. Unfortunately for the angel, he chose to take this path during a time of intense volcanic activity, causing many of the individual volcanoes to actually rise out of the ground, with some of them even floating in mid-air using intense pressure to propel them. He races through the area while avoiding many rotating lava flows and Underworld monsters, until he finally reaches the volcanic vent from the cavernous route as it erupts. Relieved that they chose not to take the first path, Palutena leads Pit to the ruins where the ground mission takes place.
Ground Mission
The ground mission of this chapter is very dangerous, as much of the land is covered in pools of lava that cause both damage and a burn status effect. Magmoos and Petribombers are once again quite common in this location, with the latter often found trotting around on their hands and tossing explosive rocks. As Pit makes his way through the ruins of an ancient civilization, Hades will finally begin speaking telepathically to him as well as Palutena, formally announcing that he wants to use the Wish Seed to revive an orphan's dead parents, then make them wealthy and royalty. However, as Pit battles his way through the Underworld army, Hades soon admits the Seed is actually fake, but states the human race isn’t aware of this fact. This becomes worrisome for the angel, as he no longer understands the Underworld army’s reason for being here in the first place. Palutena states that he has no choice but to make his way to the Phoenix and destroy both the monster itself and fake Wish Seed to ensure that they can’t be used against humanity by Hades. This trek is proven to be very difficult and includes another battle with a deadly Tempura Wizard in addition to other powerful enemies. By following a stone path towards the edge of the mountain, Pit makes his way to the home of the Phoenix and the Wish Seed that it guards.
Intensity Gates
An Intensity Gate can be found midway through the level in a cavern, just after defeating the chapter's only Tempura Wizard. It requires an intensity level of at least 4.0, and contains a Hot Spring and a Souflee hiding in some bushes growing in an opening along the cave wall. A Girin, Sinistew and Mimicutie can also be found in the area. Defeating the Mimicutie will have a weapon appear as a reward.
Boss Battle
The boss of this chapter is the Phoenix, which has become agitated after fighting off Underworld forces. This massive reptilian bird is capable of a variety of fire-based attacks, including a flamethrower attack and an extremely dangerous burning charge that is difficult to dodge. The center of the circular arena also has a Jump Pad that can be used to avoid some of the creature’s more threatening attacks. If the Phoenix takes enough damage, it will occasionally become stunned and fall to the ground, allowing melee attacks to be executed on the beast. In addition, the Wish Seed floats around the arena during the entire battle, and can optionally be destroyed (Underworld forces will do the same at the battle’s end if it’s left alone).
Attacks
- Flaming Rocks: The Phoenix spits out fiery rocks at Pit.
- Fireballs: The Phoenix spits out three fireballs at Pit.
- Fire Charge: Its strongest attack. The Phoenix wreaths itself in flames before diving at Pit. Using the Jump Pad or a well timed dodge is the only way to avoid it.
- Feather Blades: The Phoenix fires off two of its razor-sharp feathers at Pit.
- Shockwave Stomp: The Phoenix stomps the ground, sending three giant blades of energy.
- Tornado: The Phoenix flaps its giant wings, sending three tornadoes at Pit.
- Flamethrower: The Phoenix breathes out a stream of fire.
Epilogue
Upon being defeated, the body of the Phoenix spawns a fiery, bird-shaped beacon. Pit hopes that this will symbolize the Wish Seed is fake. Instead, Hades proclaims that it, to the human race, symbolizes its defeat. Hades says that he can now trick the humans into thinking that the Seed was real, and that it has been stolen rather than destroyed. He also claims that he will be able to turn civilizations against each other by spreading this rumor, with Palutena realizing that she made a huge mistake in having Pit defeat the Phoenix, as the Wish Seed’s supposed guardian was the only thing standing in the way of Hades' master plan. Thus begins the greatest war that Angel Land has ever seen.