Final Fantasy X Part #126 - Episode CXVI: Our Loose Ends

Part 126: Episode CXVI: Our Loose Ends

"We must go to him."

"Then we will! Let me take front!"

"Good luck."

"Follow me!"

Yeah, actually everyone just wanders off before that dialog concludes. Anyway, welcome to the final dungeon of Final Fantasy X: Inside Sin. Which we will be exploring... next time! We've got a few very final loose ends to take care of now that the last area has unlocked. Don't worry, we can just hop back onto our airship at any time and fly right out of Sin at any time.

Apparently, the doom whale destroyer of Spira is just hovering over Bevelle functioning as an airship accessible gateway for our party's convenience from now until the credits roll. That must be real confusing and uncomfortable for the poor clueless saps down in the city.

Music: Attack

It's eternally twilight on the ol' ship bridge now that we're on the final stretch of the game. Phew... It's almost over! Only took ehh... it'll probably be about a month short of four years from the start of the original thread and the completion of its second pass... Huh...

…

Fuck... I'm never doing anything Final Fantasy again.

Aaaaaaanyway! Now that we're well and truly into the last portion of Final Fantasy the Tenth, the party now all has some closing dialogue to reflect the end of our journey. Let's see what they have to say before we get our Spira wrap-up underway.

“Ehh... Okay.”

"Really? I'm great... thanks to you."

”Yeah, I bet.” *finger guns*
“...Huh?”
*sigh* “Forget it.”

"We're almost done."

”Ugh. Yeah... Not gonna be puffing out my chest and start parading around going 'I'm the best'. At least not until we beat my old man.”
“Hmm?”
“You'd know what I mean if you'd met him. Err... you know... before he was Sin and all. Nevermind. If we're not the best guardians, at least we'll go down in history as the last ones. Haha!”
“...Not funny.”
“It's a little funny.”

"You know, your meeting Yuna was really quite..."

“...”

"Can't say 'Praise be to Yevon' anymore, can we?"

”Man... That has to be the longest stretch of trolling in history. Whatever this Yu Yevon dude is, he knows how to run a heck of a long con.”

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!”

”Well, my eardrums are bleeding. Thanks. Didn't need to hear to go fight Yu Yevon or anything.”
“Oh... sorry...”
“What?”
“...”

"Once the Calm starts, we'll take the airship to your Zanarkand!"

”Yeah... that'll... be great...”

"Just a feeling, but I think my dad kinda likes you.”

”Does he usually threaten to demolish people's asses with his boot the first time he meets anyone?”
“Mostly. Yeah... sounds about right.”
“Just checking.”

"All Spira's rooting for us! Let's not let them down, ya?"

“...”

"And to think, if you hadn't come floating out of the sea that day."

Wakka, please do not point out that most of this narrative is stitched together by a series of incredibly unlikely events frequently hand-waved by “Sin arbitrarily did a thing because something... something... Jecht's influence...?”. The plot is already held together by duct-tape and glue at this final stretch. Don't pick at the early seams.

"When this is all over, I will leave. I have played at life too long."

“...”

“Ten years ago... I honored Jecht's last words, and traveled to Zanarkand.”

”Yeah... how did you get to my Zanarkand, again?”
“Do not worry about it.”
“No seriously...”
*glares*
“Fiiine.”

“I planned to stay there, watching over you. But when Sin attacked Zanarkand that day, I changed my mind. Outside the dream world, life can be harsh -- even cruel. But it is life. He wanted you to have a shot at life. I saw it in Sin's eyes. That's why I brought you here, to Spira."

“And the stopping the summoner pilgrimages, killing Yunalesca, and now the whole defeating Sin, who is now my old man, thing?”
“...Well. Perhaps.”

Last, but... yeah alright, objectively least. Kimahri is hanging out in the hallway with Rin like a weirdo.

"Kimahri felt friendship from somewhere inside Sin."

”Big guy, I like you and all. But if that's what you felt from my pops, it wasn't for you. Trust me, that guy would clown on you all day long. He'd make those two bully Ronso you beat up look tame.”
*frown*

"There is no need for fear. Kimahri will go with you."

See that above? In true Square developed RPG featuring a beastman form, Kimahri has exactly one more line beyond this in the rest of the game. And that was optional. In truth, barring the Affection Mechanic business lines, Kimahri's last mandatory speaking screen time was... back when he suggested they go see Maester Mika after Zanarkand. So for the entirety of the actual plot related end of game events and final dungeon, he has one single line. Good stuff.

Anyway, lack of representation of Ronso folk aside, let's return to the task at hand.

The game makes no effort to point this out, but a series of optional scenes have unlocked now that we can travel Inside Sin. They involve returning to the newly reopened to the party temples of Yevon. We can return to each of the temples and have an audience with the Fayth to gain some insight into what the heck is going on with the whole Yu Yevon, Dream of the Fayth, and Tidus' status in the equation ordeal.

Not all of the temples, mind you. Baaj Temple offers nothing to us. Seymour's Mom is not taking any further visitors. And Ghost Kid said his piece during our last visit to Bevelle, as that temple is inaccessible during normal gameplay. So we'll just go ahead down the line and retrace our pilgrimage steps starting with Besaid...

Music: Hymn of the Fayth

There is one aggravating bit to visiting the first handful of temples. One I'll be editing out here...

Yeah... all the goddamn Cloister of Trials have reset. So I have to do the lot of 'em again. Had to stuff just a wee bit more padding here before the finishing line, didn't you FFX? I know the Cloisters reset to give players the chance to go back and do the Destruction Sphere puzzles. But I did those! You cannot tell me it was impossible to make a temple cleared state that just skips to the Chamber of the Fayth. Nobody on this planet was clamoring for yet another run at these mediocre puzzle dungeons just for shits and giggles. And if there was such broken a person, you could have just made it optional.

Damn it...

So bear in mind, that's a good ten minutes of my life I'm never getting back between each shot here. Not even taking into account the five minute travel time just to get to the damn temple. Rin, why is the teleporter to Besaid Island on the beach by the ferry and not, I don't know, the goddamn village where people live and 95% of the content on the island resides?!

Music: Song of Prayer ~ Valefor

It's a bit weird to me that they made all these Fayth scenes optional. The developers went to all the effort of creating and rendering fairly intricate unique Fayth stones designs to decorate each of the Chambers of the Fayth. But unless the player goes out of their way to do this mini-quest, over half of them are never seen.

They did, however, not go to the effort of creating unique models for the fayth ghosts themselves. I'm fairly certain this is just a recycled generic female NPC wandering around Besaid.

“Sin prays. It curses its form, it prays for dissolution. Sin sees dreams of its own destruction. Sin is looking at us.”

“Free him from Yu Yevon. Free him -- the fayth that has become Sin."

Visiting the Fayth does cough up some tangible rewards to go alongside the cryptic monologues. Mostly in the form of fairly uncommon spheres.

After the chat ends, we are also free to loot the Chamber of the Fayth. What? Yevon's brand is in such tainted shambles at this point that they'll have to scrub the whole thing and reboot their whole organization to gain any traction. Which they totally do, as NEW Yevon in Final Fantasy X-2.

Plundering Kazooie's Chamber of the Fayth nets a Hi-Potion, an Elixir, a White Magic Sphere, and 2 regular ass potions. Talk about a crap-shoot loot haul.

One down, several more to go. Next we have the relatively unspoiled by Endgame content Kilika to have our concluding visit.

Sheesh, Kilika. It's been a few months and you've not even begun rebuilding your wrecked village or sent a mason over to begin repairing the temple path up to your temple? It feels like Spira folks are just plain lazy with ruin clean up. I suspect that district of Bevelle that was leveled by Sin's body slam will remain in a sorry state for years to come. Ha. Even in Final Fantasy X-2 Bevelle's city proper gains all of a single new screen.

Gossip word of Bevelle getting wrecked, which happened all of a couple hours ago, has reached the far reaches of Kilika. But pulling some broken boards out of the water or clearing the way of bricks on a pilgrimage path? That's asking too much of these lowly Yevonites.

Music: Song of Prayer ~ Ifrit

Nice cap, bozo. The big orange X's really speak to me.

“Your father touched Sin and became real that night, foundering in the seas of Spira. How sad now, that he is caught in the tragic spiral. He is Sin. He is lost."

Nobody mentions how it's funny the entire crux of Final Fantasy X's story hinges on the fact that Jecht happened to get super shitfaced and went out boating one day at just the right time to bump into Sin while it was zoning out nearby.

Our grocery haul from Kilika's Chamber of the Fayth also includes an Agility Sphere, a Defense Sphere, and an Accuracy Sphere. McGruff has some alright loot. Hi-Potions? Normal ass potions? My weakest party members have like 4,000 HP game. C'mon. What are you even playing at?

Luca does not have any temples or fayth for us to visit, obviously. And I'd rather stick my dick in a vise than play another round of blitzball the rest of my life. There is, however, one fairly reoccurring character's storyline that concludes here.

It's easy to miss, since it involves visiting the Luca Sphere Theater, aka the relic from the game being released in 2001 before everyone had high speed internet and Youtube existed. Remember noted scumbag merchant, O'aka XIII? Turns out he's hanging out here post-Bevelle Highroad revisit.

"Hey, weren't you in prison?

"Nah, those monks are pushovers, I tell ye! I'll fleece any priest, or my name's not O'aka!"

*cringe*

"Sorry. It was our fault they locked you up.”

"No problem! Anything for a customer, eh? You know... I had a sister. Wantz's older sister, you see. A summoner, she was. Went on pilgrimage at a young age. And that was it. Aaah... Me and Wantz, well, neither of us were fighters enough to be guardians. I think about it every day, I do. If we could've helped her. Least I can do is try to help another summoner, I figure. And Lady Yuna, she looks so much like..."

"Eh?"

"I-It's nothing."

"Say, thanks."

And that's it for O'aka. Sorry, pal. Your sympathetic backstory doesn't really cut it when you were still price gouging us and people going off to their deaths to make a quick buck. All the while following us around for a payday because you were genre savvy enough to recognize we were the game's protagonists. And then sending your little brother to the top of a mountain summoners regularly get eaten or freeze to death on in order to continue bringing in money? Pretty shitty!

O'aka XIII? Kindly fuck off.

Our next destination is Djose Temple. Of course our only options are a five minute walk from either the Moonflow or the Mushroom Rock end of the Djose Highroad. Hey, Brother? You seem a competent enough pilot. You think you could just drop us off at the temple and let us throw Rin's teleportation system into the ocean? It sucks ass.

It's worth noting there was supposed to be a scene when we approached Djose Temple of Dona and Barthello having quit the pilgrimage. But, it's not triggering and it seems like its failing to fire is somewhat common.

Here's a link to the scene in question.

Dona decides to quit her pilgrimage and go visit Barthello's homeland of muscular baby men, leaving Sin to ~~Yuna~~ other summoners. She's pleased to hear of our plan of defeating Sin by defeating Sin. Barthello flexes for us. The end. We saved her a disappointing trip to an empty Zanarkand. You can thank us anytime.

Music: Song of Prayer ~ Ixion

Uhhhhh...? Did we... did we arrive at a bad time, guy? We can... like... come back later...? You seem... busy...

Now that's just rude. Look, guy. I'm sorry about the Thorse name for your dog summon. It wasn't my idea! This is just how democracy works.

“You reminded us we must go forward. Yes, we must run. Let us go, you who share our dreaming. Come, and we will run till the dream's end."

Additional pillage loot: An Agility Sphere and a Magic Defense Sphere. Thorse... you always were kind of disappointing.

Guadosalam offers nothing but moody tree elves lamenting the end of the world and falling into despair after the death of their beloved parricidal leader's demise.

Music: Wandering Flame

But, we can take a quick spin back into the Farplane to have a last scene with noted creepy butler and only other named living Guado, Tromell. Might as well close out all the optional scenes in one go here, eh?

“The days spent in your service were the best in this old man's life. Those of us left behind will soon be destroyed by Sin and join you in the Farplane. I will serve you there as I have served you in this world, always.”

Seymour Guado? Better or worse than Donald Trump? That's a toss-up right there.

One more temple to go where I have to redo the lousy Cloister of Trials. This is the final time we have to go back to the greater Macalania region for any reason! Thank fuck!

Macalania's Cloister had the weird thing where it activated after the summoner, and any fools unfortunate enough to enter this chamber of sliding puzzle misery, had already entered the far side of the area.

Hey, remember the time we murdered Seymour in this room? Good memories. I'm glad it only took two more attempts to make it stick. Certainly, Seymour Guado is undone for good nowadays.

Definitely feels strange they have this whole nifty looking under-passage to the Chamber of the Fayth at the temple's bottom as an optional area. Additionally, how did this place even get built? What would have happened if say, I don't know, Sin rumbled a bit too loud and shattered the ice supporting the massive structure?

Music: Song of Prayer ~ Shiva

“But do not weep, nor rise in anger. Even we were once human. That is why we must dream. Let us summon a sea in a new dream world. A new sea for you to swim."

Nothing out of the party with the fayth mostly directly speaking to Tidus and talking about how he is going to wink out of existence? Not a thing to add questioning this, Yuna? Naw.

Oh well, take this and another Accuracy and Magic Defense Sphere. Lest you fade away into the incorporeal dreamscape of Spira's beyond.

While I said we cannot return to Ghost Kid's Chamber of the Fayth, there is an additional scene we can view by returning to Bevelle's Highbridge. This one's timing is kind of off since the only way it makes sense is if instead of going straight to battle Sin after Bevelle, we immediately turned around returned to Bevelle. Which kind of kills pacing. But Final Fantasy X is all about those choice pacing speed bumps.

Returning to Bevelle this last time brings us in front of Maroda and Pacce. If you have understandably forgotten who these clowns where, they're Isaaru's brothers and guardians of little importance. Let's see what they're doing hanging out here.

“Bevelle is off limits by the temple's decree. No one may enter."

“And it's been morning for days now!"

”Didn't Mika croak like... yesterday?”
“I know! Sheesh. Get over it.”

"Pacce... At least, that's what they say. The temple's falling apart with all four maesters gone. They're afraid of riots, so they're turning everyone away. With our brother in the middle..."

"What's up with Isaaru?"

"They came crying to him to stay in Bevelle, protect the temple and all that. And you know our brother. It's not in him to refuse."

”So... your brother and that Shelinda lady are in charge of Yevon now...?”
*shrug* “Yep... pretty much... somehow...”
*stink face* “Good luck with that...”

"Oh, I guess our pilgrimage is done, then, huh?"

"Of course not! Geez...”

“Oh yeah... You didn't hear? Pilgrimages are kinda done now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Yeah, me and my friends killed that Yunalesca lady up in Zanarkand at the end. No more Final Aeons.”
“What... But... What about Sin?!”
“Did you... like... not see the whole airship battle against Sin thing?”
“What...? I just arrived in town to help my brother. I...”
“...Yeah dude. You should like maybe ask around for recent events. You missed some real crazy crap earlier today!”
“...I'm just gonna stick to my job.”

“Long story short... You'll only find trouble in Bevelle. I'd stay out for your own safety."

We can talk to the pair one more time before departing.

“I just can't believe it. I mean, the Al Bhed helped us out!"

”Lot of weird rumors lately. Like right where you're standing, Seymour murdered that Maester Kinoc guy and used him to make a big fruity suit of armor. Then my friends and I killed him again. All that. Right where your feet are!”
“...Now you're just making stuff up.”

"Wait all you want. Bevelle's gates are closed."

“And... he's says he's sorry, too."

”Not sure why?”
“He tried to kill her.”
“Pfft... Naw. That doesn't sound like my brother.”

"I heard something funny the other day. If a flying ship sings, we're supposed to sing along! And they say that will beat Sin!"

“Okay, kid. You and your brother REALLY need to catch up on current events here.”

And that's a wrap on Bevelle. Our last stop in the Pilgrimage reunion tour takes us, of course, back to the Calm Lands for one closing romp. Wouldn't have it any other way.

Our first stop is back to the doubly abandoned Remiem Temple to speak with the Fayth of Ozzie, Slash, and Flea. Heck, we barely even acknowledged they had a Chamber of the Fayth. It's worth noting that they're the only Fayth that do not get their own unique Song of Prayer track.

Music: Hymn of the Fayth

Real loose dress code for the Magus Sisters Fayth, huh?

“Why did we stay on in Spira? We had forgotten for so long. We had forgotten to move forward. We had forgotten to change.”

Anyway, have a Defense Sphere! That's it. No additional loot from the two optional aeon chambers.

The final destination of our meet and greet with the Fayth takes us back to the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth to go chat up the least used aeon from my playthrough for the LP: Good old PayToWin's unreliable ass.

Music: Song of Prayer ~ Bodyguard

“Spira will not forget its reality, nor the one who saved it. Run, dream; run on. Pass beyond the waking, and walk into the daylight.

And heck, have a Strength Sphere while you're at it! Now get the hell out of my office unless you've got more gil to spend.

And that concludes all the optional scenes in Final Fantasy X. We're purely on the fast track to main plot and the ending here on out. Man... we're almost done with this goddamn game!

As I said, Sin serves no function at present but floating in the sky and providing a gate-keeping service for the party to finally get off their asses and jump into his belly.