Alicornutopia

TIME FOR MORE SWEET TALKING ACT--

Oldroad in the 'beat the eater' path is entirely optional, yet it's sphere is where I sit to Blitzball for hours. A couple of chocobo-only-chests.

--ION! Wait... I'm finished? Okay.

Also an item for Auron's Celestial Weapon is in the Oldroad.

pedromvilar wrote:Also an item for Auron's Celestial Weapon is in the Oldroad.

Let's leave the semi-secret Ultimate Weapons for when, well, they come up. (I forgot. Shh.)

Chapter 9: Operation Mi'ihen
The Crusaders on the Rock Road receive Maester Seymour, who gives them a pep talk, telling them to believe in the path they have chosen and to let faith be their strength, and says he'll bear witness to their deeds. Wakka's angry that Maester Seymour's backing the Crusaders, who are using the Al Bhed's machina and violating the teachings. Yuna explains that, even going against the teachings, they're risking their lives for the greater good. He seeks an ally in Lulu, who says she can only speculate, and Auron tells him to ask Seymour himself, as the maester walks up to them. He says it's an honor to meet Sir Auron, and that he'd be interested in hearing what he's been up to in the past ten years, and Auron says he has nothing to say about it.

Seymour tells Yuna Sir Auron must be a great asset as a guardian, and when she bows again, he says there's no need for formalities. Wakka fumbles trying to be polite and deferential in asking Seymour why he's there, and when Seymour tells him to speak normally, Wakka asks if he shouldn't be telling the Crusaders to stop the operation for being against the teachings of Yevon. Seymour admits that's true, but also says that both the Crusaders and the Al Bhed truly wish for peace in Spira, and that this operation was born from that desire. He says that though it may be sacrilege to Yevon, he, Seymour Guado, the person and not the maester, wishes them well in their endeavour. Wakka counters that using machina's bad, and Seymour tells him to pretend he didn't see them. When Wakka, stunned, says that this isn't something a maester should say, Seymour tells him to pretend he didn't say it, then leaves.

The party goes on, and Clasko intercepts them to say that Seymour requests Yuna's presence in the command centre. They thank him, and take the detour to go that way. They run into Shelinda again, and she says that she couldn't convince them to stop, but seeing their fierce determination she instead decided to help them. They proceed along the rocks, filled with fiends, until they reach the elevators into the command centre, where Gatta is complaining at Luzzu that he doesn't get to fight. Luzzu says that orders are orders, and that guarding the command centre is important too. Gatta whines some more but Luzzu tells him to go to his post.

Gatta goes up to the command centre and Tidus tells Luzzu he deserves better, but Wakka replies that at least there's no chance he'll get hurt. He then quizzes Luzzu on why they're even fighting, if the Al Bhed machina should be enough, and Luzzu explains they need time to get the machina ready. Wakka grunts in annoyance, but Luzzu says that he has a thing to tell him about his brother and he may not have another chance to say it. Lulu tries to stop him, but he says it anyway: he was the one who convinced Chappu to enlist. He apologises, and after a couple of stunned seconds, Wakka punches him, and has to be restrained by Tidus to not continue doing it. Wakka says that when they played Blitzball together, Chappu used to say that he'd propose to Lulu when they won the cup, but one day without warning decided to become a Crusader. Luzzu says that Chappu once told him that being with his girl was good, but keeping Sin far away from her was better. Wakka asks Lulu if she knew, and she says Luzzu told her before they left, and Luzzu says she hit him too.

Lucil runs by and says all Crusaders in the vanguard are supposed to assemble on the beach. Wakka tells him not to die, so Wakka can hit him more. As he makes his way, Yuna runs in front of him and tries to block his way, telling him not to go. Luzzu tells her he has to, and Auron tells her to let Luzzu go, that Luzzu has chosen his path as she did when she became a summoner.

At the command centre, they see various weapons and Al Bhed. Wakka walks up to a canon and kicks it, hurting his foot. Watching this from a distance, Tidus remarks to Lulu that Wakka seems to really hate these machina, and Lulu says Chappu left the sword Wakka gave him in Besaid to fight with an Al Bhed machina weapon instead. Wakka overhears this and calls out that this has nothing to do with it, and he just hates these sacrilegious contraptions.

They continue into the centre, and Wakka says it won't work anyway. Yuna chides him for that, saying that though it might be hopeless and mean defying Yevon, the Crusaders and the Al Bhed are doing their best to defeat Sin, and that's just what they want, too. Wakka concedes the point, but says he still thinks using machina is a bad idea, and that they're forbidden for a reason. Lucil spots them and tells Yuna the centre is that way, and that Maester Kinoc is there as well.

Gatta is guarding the tents, and when he sees them says the operation will begin soon and they should check their equipment, in a deadpan. Wakka asks him if he's alright, and he says he isn't, because he came to fight Sin and yet they stick him on guard duty. Auron tells him that if he wants to prove himself, first he must complete the tasks he's given. Past this checkpoint, they see a monk who walks up to Auron and embraces him, saying they haven't seen each other in ten years. Lulu explains to Tidus he's Wen Kinoc, one of the four maesters of Yevon, leader of the Warrior Monks and commander of the Crusaders. Gatta shows up again and tells Kinoc everyone's ready and waiting on his say-so to begin the operation, much more lively than just a minute ago. Kinoc dismisses him, and asks Auron where he's been the last ten years; Auron deflects him, citing lack of time to discuss that now. Kinoc says this plan won't work, and they'll just let them dream a little longer. Tidus is startled by this admission, but Maester Seymour shows up to nudge Kinoc along, and he gives the operation his blessing. Auron expresses his surprise that Kinoc became a maester out loud, and Kinoc says he heard that, and that a lot has happened these past ten years. Auron says he was - and still is - fulfilling a promise he made to a friend. Kinoc asks him if he's seen Zanarkand, and he just chuckles and leaves.

Yuna uncomfortably tells Tidus she thinks they don't belong there, but before they can go a Crusader reports to Kinoc that they are ready to commence the operation, and that this place isn't safe from fiends so they should make sure they're prepared to defend themselves. Once everyone's ready, Kinoc gives the order, and they place the caged Sinspawn Gui - a fiend made out of Sinspawn pieces - by the shore. The fiend breaks out, however, and they have to stop it from eating everyone. After they defeat it (though apparently not completely - it doesn't dissolve into pyreflies), Sin shows up.

It destroys everything and kills almost everyone.

And the Sinspawn awakens again.

Yuna, Auron, and Seymour kill it for good this time, though.

Yuna goes looking for the others, and sees the Al Bhed still trying to use their ancient machina on Sin. It shoots deadly lasers at Sin's forcefield, which holds up and eventually expands and destroys the machina, killing yet more people.

And Tidus wakes up, at the beach, surrounded by destruction and death. He walks around, looking for - something - and finds Gatta, kneeling, his head in his hands, screaming that he doesn't understand what's going on or why. Tidus turns around to see Sin doing the same, and swimming away. He screams "Don't you run away from me!" and runs into the water, trying to swim after it. Yuna calls out that she'll summon, but Seymour says she won't be able to hurt Sin, because she is still too weak. She protests that she must do something, and starts summoning, and Seymour tells her she can't. Tidus continues swimming after Sin, and is affected by the toxin, finding himself hallucinating/dreaming about a weird forest/city place. He wakes up on the beach again, to the sight of Yuna performing a sending. Auron shows up, and remarks that Tidus is apparently still there, in spite of many other stories having ended there today.

Tidus gets up and goes after Yuna, but overhears Auron asking if Kinoc is satisfied that those who turned from Yevon have died while the faithful live on. Kinoc notes that the past ten years seem to have changed Auron, and goes away. Seymour goes to Yuna and tells her she does not look so well, but now more than ever she must be the people's strength and confidence, and that while anyone else would be expected to show their sorrow, she, as a summoner, must be Spira's hope. Until Sin is defeated, she must not relent. She says she understands, and Seymour asks if she's afraid, then asks her to take him as her pillar of strength, as Yunalesca had her Lord Zaon. Yuna looks at him in bewilderment, and he bids her farewell.

Tidus approaches Auron, who says Sin is Jecht, and Tidus says that he felt Jecht there for a while, but that doesn't mean he believes Auron. Auron says that Sin is Jecht, and came there to see him, and Tidus is angry at the suggestion that Jecht killed all those people just to see him, to which Auron explains that that's what Sin does, and he wanted to show that to Tidus so Tidus'll kill him. As long as he's Sin, he'll keep killing, and he wants Tidus to stop him. Tidus says he must be kidding, and how does he know all that anyway. Auron chuckles and starts leaving, and Tidus protests that he's not done talking to Auron and he shouldn't run away, but Auron says Tidus is the one running.

Chapter 9, home of even more cutscenes...

Sinspawn Gui is pretty funny. He is the only time Kimahri should ever use the Overdrive Self Destruct (obtainable in Kilika). He is comprised of 4 parts, two hands, the body, and a tail. Self Destruct hits the hands and the tail/head (the non-mandatory one) for just enough damage to kill them, and with a Lulu Overdrive (spam-cast fire based on r-stick-rotations) you can kill him in 2 actions, since the hands are broken and won't cover.

I'll talk about Self-Destruct and the way the game works with escaping battles in a chapter or two, when it becomes very very relevant.

The Sinspawn Gui 2, you have a forced party of Auron, Yuna, and Seymour. Seymour is only in this fight, and he has the second-tier of magic attacks with stats you can't check that are pretty damn good. Seymour can't summon Anima or anything in this fight, shhh. It isn't very hard to win, but hey.

Seymour saying "be my Yunalesca" is him HITTING ON YUNA. He wants to MARRY HER. (Yuna is named after Yunalesca, and Lord Zaon was her husband.)

Chapter 10: Djose
The party continues on its way through the arched rocks by the Djose shore. Tidus and Kimahri sorta lag behind, and Yuna cheerfully asks them to hurry up. Tidus comments on this, mostly to himself, and Kimahri stops in front of him and explains that in dark times, she must shine bright and be the people's hope. Tidus is surprised Kimahri actually speaks, but says they should help her, but Kimahri counters that if they worry she tries harder, so they should not frown. Tidus asks him to smile, and the result sorta creepy.

Just before they reach the Djose temple, Tidus wonders how much longer until they reach Zanarkand, and Lulu explains where they need to go (down the Moonflow to Guadosalam, cross the Thunder Plains to the temple of Macalania, and on), then Yuna says she needs to before all that pray at Djose. Tidus complains about that, asking whether they can't just skip all that, and Yuna and Wakka explain that a summoner needs to pray at every temple in order to prepare their body and mind to summon the Final Aeon. Auron pulls Tidus aside while the rest go on to Djose, and asks him not to tell Yuna about Sin being Jecht, because she'd distance herself from Tidus. He protests that even if he did say something no one'd believe him, but Auron says that Yuna would. Tidus agrees that he has a point, then wonders why he had to learn about it, and Auron explains that it's better than learning at a critical moment and becoming emotional.

They meet Lucil, Elma, and Clasko on the bridge towards the temple. They tell each other they're glad everyone's alive, but Lucil says that their troops (and chocobos) are almost all dead, and muses that this is their just reward for turning their backs on their faith and the teachings.

They reach the Djose temple, which at first looks like a pillar of rock with a door embedded in it, until it shakes and the rocks explode outwards and start floating around the temple and emitting sparks; Lulu and Wakka explain this means that there is a summoner inside addressing the fayth. The party walks towards the door but notices Gatta sitting by the temple, looking disconsolate and rambling to himself about Luzzu. Wakka asks where he is, and Gatta explains he found him torn in half. Wakka curses, calling Luzzu an idiot, and Gatta wonders what he'll do now, and decides he can't do this and will go back to Besaid.

Inside the temple, the party runs into a summoner and his guardians. The summoner asks Yuna's name, and comments she looks like her father when she introduces. Yuna asks if he knew Lord Braska, but he confesses to never have met him, then apologises and introduces as Isaaru. His guardians introduce as Pacce (the small one) and Maroda (the bigger one), Isaaru's brothers. Isaaru explains he's always looked up to Lord Braska and wished he'd someday become high summoner, and exclaims that Yuna must have some of his talent in her and will someday defeat Sin. Yuna stammers that she's only just become a summoner, and Isaaru jokes that he has no intention of losing either so perhaps they should race to see who defeats Sin first. Yuna accepts his challenge, and the other summoner and his guardians depart.

The party starts walking up the stairs into the Cloister of Trials but before Tidus can join them, Isaaru calls him and Maroda says that he's heard rumours about summoners going out on pilgrimage and just disappearing into thin air. Isaaru concedes that it could just be the fiends, but not this many this quickly. Isaaro asks Tidus to becareful, and he says he will, then follows the rest of Yuna's guardians into the Cloister.

They go through the Trials, and while they're waiting on Yuna inside the Chamber of the Fayth, Dona and Barthello show up. Barthello walks up to Auron and Dona asks whether he knows "this riffraff." Barthello confirms that he is indeed Auron, and when he does, asks the legendary guardian to shake his hand, explaining that Auron's the reason he became a guardian. Auron laughs and accedes, and Barthello thanks him. Wakka snarks about Dona not having recognised Lord Braska's personal guardian, and Lulu repeats the same words Dona said to Yuna in Kilika: "And you call yourself a summoner?" Dona calls Barthello back to her, and they retreat to a corner to wait until Yuna's done.

When she walks out, stumbling to her knees as Kimahri catches her, Dona says she owes much to her father - all these guardians, Sir Auron, and she hears Maester Seymour's quite taken with her, too - and that the world must look different when you're Lord Braska's daughter. Yuna says this has nothing to do with her father, and she's travelling on her own as a full-fledged summoner. Dona challenges her to stand on her own two legs for once to prove it, and when she does says that Yuna's guardians won't be able to protect her when the time comes.

The party leaves the temple and spends the night in the travel agency outside (except for Yuna, who has quarters inside). The next morning, everyone's outside waiting for Yuna, who slept in. Tidus goes to look for her and finds Gatta praying in the temple. He tells Tidus he's leaving for Besaid. He walks into the quarters and a priestess says she was working until dawn, healing the wounded and sending the dead, so Tidus says he'll come back later. As he's walking away, she stirs awake and gets up immediately upon noticing the time. Tidus says it's okay and walks out to wait with the other guardians.

She gets ready eventually, and apologises to everyone. Lulu fixes her hair for her, and Wakka jokes about how the world's doomed with summoners with bed hair. Yuna complains that they could've woken her up, and Lulu says that they tried but with all that snoring they failed. Yuna complains that everyone's picking on her today, and everyone laughs, including Auron, who says that once she has fixed her hair they're leaving.

(Tidus' narration notes that he hadn't laughed like that in a while, and that it wasn't until later that he realised he was the only one laughing that day.)

Chapter ten...

Isaaru's brother Pacce is like, 4.

/End. Next should be the giant dump of when FFX gets really really silly. (Besides the whole... Unending stream of story.)

I want to keep this here for my own future reference:

http://vast-journey-9935.herokuapp.com/ ... ply-166623

Chapter 11: The Moonflow
On their way to the Moonflow, they run into Lucil and Elma, who are worried about Yuna's health, departing so early after having spent the night healing. She says she feels well-rested, and Tidus notices that Clasko isn't there. Clasko appears, coming from the temple, asking them to wait for him. The Mounted Force says they're going to cross the Moonflow and find more chocobos in the north so they can reassemble.

On the Moonflow's South Bank Road, they run into Shelinda, who says that they've all learnt a lesson now, that only the faithful have a hope of defeating Sin. The party moves past her, and sees Biran and Yenke picking on a boy, saying he's probably one of Kimahri's friends. Tidus is confused by this, and Biran says both follow summoners on all fours like hornless goatlings. Kimahri reacts, but the two of them say they're there to warn Kimahri about the disappearing Summoners. They mock him a bit more then run along. Tidus wonders if they have a problem with him, and Kimahri says he'll deal with it. Tidus says he'll help, but Kimahri says he'll do it alone, and Wakka explains the ronso deal with ronso problems. Lulu says she's worried about these disappearing summoners. Tidus says that if them guardians do their job, there won't be any trouble.

They fight through some more fiends along the Road and see Belgemine again, who repeats the litany that in the end only summoners can hope to defeat Sin. She suggests another aeon fight, and when Yuna wins, teaches her how to teach Aeons abilities, and moves on as well.

They reach the Moonflow in the late afternoon, a body of water with moonlillies, a type of plant that gathers pyreflies, and that at night the entire river glows with them, like a sea of stars. Tidus says he has an idea, and Auron tells him they're not waiting until nightfall, so Tidus declares that they're coming back once they beat Sin. No one says anything, and the awkward silence eventually becomes just silence.

Eventually Wakka says they'd better hurry or they'll miss the shoopuf, and Tidus asks if that's some kind of boat. Wakka points, and Tidus sees what the shoopuf is - a large elephant-like creature with a spiral trunk. Yuna says she hasn't been on a shoopuf in a long time, and says she took one ten years ago with Kimahri. He recalls that she fell into the water and the shoopuf rescued her with its trunk, so she jumped thrice again for fun. Auron says that before then, on Braska's pilgrimage, a drunk Jecht struck the shoopuf, thinking it was a fiend. After that, Jecht never drank again, though the shoopuf he attacked still works there.

In the small shop by the shoopuf stop, the party sees Lucil, Elma, and Clasko arguing with a hypello about bringing the chocobo along on a ride. They decide they'll go the long way through the river's shallow waters farther along, because they're not leaving their chocobo behind. Clasko complains it'll take days, but Lucil says "Where there's a will, there's a way!" and they go.

Maechen's there, too, and he tells them that no one knows what the shoopuf eats - apparently the water it sucks through its schnoz is enough to sustain it, and some theorise it eats teeny-weeny waterborne organisms. He then says that the shoopuf are handled by a water-dwelling species called 'hypello,' who are fairly slow on land but very quick underwater. He muses that they'd make great Blitzball players, but they're in general of very lackadaisical dispositions and tend to prefer less strenuous pastimes.

They get on the shoopuf and start crossing the Moonflow. About halfway through, Wakka tells Tidus to look into the river, where a sunken machina city can be seen. He and Lulu explain that it used to be on a bridge which collapsed under its weight. Wakka says it's a good lesson, and that the people who built the city just wanted to prove they could defy the laws of nature, but Tidus isn't convinced. Wakka explains that, as Yevon taught, when humans have power, they seek to use it, and if you don't stop them they go too far. Tidus questions them about the machina they do use, like the stadium, and Lulu says that Yevon decides which machina they may or may not use. He wonders what kind of machina they can't use, and Wakka says that it's the kind used by Operation Mi'ihen. Lulu, Yuna, and Wakka explain that there was a war over a thousand years ago where machina powerful enough to destroy the world was built. And then Sin came and destroyed the cities. Wakka says that Sin's their punishment for letting things get out of hand. Tidus points out that the machina themselves aren't bad, and Lulu says they're only as bad as their users, and Wakka says it's because of people like the Al Bhed.

The shoopuf shakes, and an Al Bhed appears and kidnaps Yuna. She's held captive by a robot underwater, and Tidus and Wakka fight and destroy it to rescue her. The shoopuf continues on its way, and Wakka ponders whether this could have something to do with Luca, but Lulu reminds them of the disappearing summoners rumour they heard. Tidus says it's no use complaining, and they'll protect Yuna from anyone, anywhere, and that's all he needs to know, to which Yuna mouths her thanks.

The party arrives at the north bank, and as they continue their journey, Tidus, ahead of the rest of the party, runs into Rikku lying on the ground near the river, looking a little bit worse for wear. He asks her how she's been, and she says she's terrible because he beat her up. He's confused but then realises she was the Al Bhed who tried to kidnap Yuna. She complains that it hurt and he says she was the one who attacked them, but she claims it's not exactly what he thinks. The party catches up to them, and Wakka - failing to recognise Rikku as an Al Bhed - asks Tidus if she's a friend, to which he says more or less. She introduces, and Tidus explains she helped him before he was washed up on Besaid, and almost says she's an Al Bhed but cuts himself off before Wakka catches on. Yuna and Lulu realise something, but Wakka just marvels that Tidus owes Rikku his life, and thanks Yevon for the luck of meeting her there. Wakka asks Rikku if she's okay, and Yuna and Lulu say they need to discuss something - the two of them plus Rikku. They talk, and eventually Yuna walks up to Auron and tells him she'd like to make Rikku her guardian as well. Auron walks up to her and asks her to look at him, and when she shows her the spiral irises that mark her as Al Bhed, she asks if that's disqualifying. He merely asks whether she's certain, and gives her his blessing when she assents. Wakka grumbles, but eventually says "the more the merrier," and onwards they go.

(1) the Moonflow is a really unfortunate name for a geographic feature

(2) shoopufs are unbelievably goofy oh my god