Part 97: Episode LXXXVII: Steel My Will

Who's up from an abrupt switch from endless steppes straight to a rocky mountain range. It kind of feels like it would have made a lot more sense to go from the Thunder Plains to the Calm Lands then the Macalania region. Instead of having two plains regions separated by a snow area then proceeded by another snowy area region distribution wise. Bevelle still would have broken the two areas up just like Guadosalam did for the Moonflow and Thunder Plains.

But who am I to question fantasy geography at this stage in the game? That's like bringing up that I sure didn't see any mountain range next to Zanarkand in the prologue...



Welcome to Mt. Gagazet. Much like how The Calm Lands decided to dish out the entirety of Lulu's meager back story, this location will be doing the same for Kimahri. For the record, Rikku's back story was entirely done in Bikanel Island and Wakka tapped out after getting past his racism for the Al Bhed.

After this section, you could have a pile of rocks fall on top of everyone in the party except Tidus, Yuna, and Auron while barely changing any of the plot to come.






Music: People of the North Pole



So Biran is here. Remember Biran and his pal Yenke who got into a bar fight with Kimahri way back in Luca? I think they might have shown up as well around the Moonflow to taunt Kimahri about his summoner charge getting kidnapped by the Al Bhed just before... well that exact thing happened.

Also more pressingly, remember how Kimahri has cat nipple mustaches?



Biran's flashy anime entrance was mostly to distract the party while the former Maester Kelk Ronso got off his old cat ass and strolled over to the confrontation.







The rest of the generic Ronso NPCs have also appeared to stop Yuna and the Pilgrimage Pals. All... two of them and their palette swaps. Pay no attention to that Ronso clipping into the mountain or the one resting one of its feet on thin air! The Ronso ways are not for human understanding.



"Gagazet is Ronso land, sacred mountain of Yevon. The mountain will not bear the footsteps of infidels!"
"Enemy of Yevon is enemy of Ronso! Leave, traitors!"
"I have cast aside Yevon! I follow the temple no more!"
"Then you will die by those words!"
"So be it. Yevon has warped the teachings and betrayed us all!"



"Nothing but a bunch of low-down tricksters, eh?"
*shakes fist* "Yeah! Yeah!"
”And ghosts! Half those dudes are dead guys. Seymour like ate that fatty maester guy and turned into like a double dead guy!”
*shakes fist* "Yeah! Yeah!"
”And they've got more machina stored up than us Al Bhed have. Mostly because our Home exploded...”
“...”
“Thanks to Yevon being jerks!”
"Yeah! Yeah!"





Kimahri has heard enough of his people's hmm... honestly kind of reasonable just telling everyone to take a hike given they're wanted for about two dozen murders of Yevon members at this point.





”Sup?”






“Have you not also turned your back on Bevelle?"
”Surely you found Seymour's account of the fate of Maester Kinoc suspicious.”
“Much about that incident is suspect. How Maester Kinoc and his entourage fell and were sent... yet Maester Seymour survived the encounter went with unsatisfactory answers.”
“...Yes.”
*rubs neck*
_{”Guys, we REALLY dropped the ball on that one...”}
"But still, you guard Gagazet as a Ronso, not a maester. Yuna is much the same."



“Let Biran rend them asunder!"
”Biran make them squeal like stuck bandersnatch.”
“Do not like the sound or implication of that, sir.”



”Flee command FAIL!”





“Lost to the temple, hated the people, yet you continue your pilgrimage?! Everything lost! What do you fight for?"


Music: Yuna's Theme



“The people long for the Calm. I can give it to them. It's all I can give. Defeating Sin, ending pain... this I can do."
”I must! I have to... There... was no Plan B if the pilgrimage didn't work out. To be honest, this is all I have got...”



”That would be the implication of continuing my pilgrimage, yes.”
“All Ronso know this.”
*nods*
*grumble*
_{”We really need to get on that thinking up an alternative thing!”
“...Working on it! Kinda. Sorta... Thinking about it at how it would be cool if something happened at least.”
“Not the same thing!”}
*shrug*



And on that day Kelk Ronso's heart grew three sizes at the heartfelt words of Yuna staying the course when she's already 90% done and at a point Yevon support would have zero impact on the rest of her journey regardless.



“Summoner Yuna, your will is stronger than steel. Tempered steel that even the mightiest Ronso could not hope to bend.”
”Not even Sin's beams could melt your steel will.”
“Yuna, we bow to your will! Now go!



And with that, our entire conflict with the Ronso Yevon loyalty beef is squashed as soon as it started.



Yuna bows and gives thanks, Auron nods in approval, Lulu wipes away some sweat from her brow, and Rikku gives a rude gesture like she's shooing away a cat. Meanwhile, Wakka and Tidus have gotten into a fist fight in the background for some reason. Check the video. Tidus is just going to town wailing on Wakka's balls out of nowhere. Weirdos.

Music ends...



Now that things have been sorted out, Tidus is once more given the opportunity to have a one-on-one chat with the party while they take another zoning out and wall texture staring break.



"Zanarkand's on the other side, huh?"
"Yeah... your home, ya?"
"As if you believed me."
"Maybe I do.”
”Yevon is run by a buncha unsent maniacs. A maester absorbed another maester and turned into—I dunno even what that was. The Al Bhed seems to be kinda alright folk when you get to know them. I'm just kinda rolling with what happens here on out, ya? But Zanarkand...”
“The one on the other side here's probably just a pile of rubble, ya? But somewhere out there is your Zanarkand. Somewhere, ya? Yeah, you'll be home soon enough!"
"I... hope you're right."
”I mean... I guess there could be more than one place named Zanarkand. There was like five places named 'Macalania' whatever...”
"Yeah! Cheer up! Let's do this!"



”Still nope.”
"I... there's just so little time. I don't know."
”So question... You regretting going with shorts for this whole journey as much as I am?”
“I don't have time to think about that right now. Mostly because I'll probably freeze to death if I don't keep worrying and moving.”
“...”
"Ugh... This is a toughie..."



"What is?"
"Yevon is in turmoil. Mika tries to keep it whole, but it crumbles around him."
"Look, I couldn't care less what happens to Yevon."
”Maybe don't keep around psychotic jerks with evil theme music following them around on staff and this wouldn't happen.”
"Because you are not of this world. To those who truly believe in the teachings... a time of much pain is coming."
”Outside of Sin popping up and killing everyone occasionally?”
“...There is that as well.”
"Ten years ago, I looked up at Gagazet from where we stand now."
"My old man say anything?"
"I do not remember. All I could think of was how... how I might keep Braska alive."
”Pretty much fully tuned him out by this point, huh?”
“...Perhaps.”
"Your duties as guardian will soon end."
”Trying way too hard to sound ominous. 3/10...”
*glare*



"Stronger, huh? I'd say it's more like she's driven, don't you think?"
"That's why she's strong. She's still pressing forward. When weak people are driven they can't go far before they break. She keeps going forward, because she is strong. Yuna has grown strong. And I... All I can do is try and keep up with her."
”Don't sweat it. We'll make it. No way you're gonna strike out three pilgrimages in a ro—“
*glare*
"Let's get ready for the climb."



"I wonder what they're up to? Eh, it's probably nothing!"
"Biran is hero of Ronso. Yenke is powerful warrior."
"Great... I hope we don't have to fight them."
"Kimahri must fight. Kimahri must win."
”Totally gonna have to fight them, aren't we?”
"The sacred Gagazet. First time Kimahri climbs."
”Isn't this where like the Ronso guys live? Do you all have... like a village or do you just kinda hang out on this slope?”
“No Ronso village. Only Mt. Gagazet.”
“...So just the slope hangout huh? Alright...”



Yuna isn't up for much in the way of chat. What with the whole looming final battle of Sin and dying thing in her near future. Funny that. Kelk Ronso also has a bit to say before we depart.



“Small voice, small frame, but a will that towers over Gagazet's peak. The path to the sacred heights is steep, and lined with the dens of fiends. Strong guardians, be prepared, and guard your summoner well. Guard your summoner with all your heart."
”Oh don't worry. I know all about guarding Yuna's peaks.” *finger snap*
“I do not follow.”
“Urgh... Human joke. Don't worry about it.”



There are a couple of nameless, unvoiced Ronso that have decided to slide down the ancestral Ronso hill hangout to divulge the entirety of Kimahri's backstory. Turns out Kimahri got into a fight with Biran ten years ago in an adolescent test of strength and he got his ass handed to him. Kimahri was kind of a sore loser about the whole thing and refused to admit defeat so Biran broke his horn off. Kimahri then left Mt. Gagazet and eventually fell in with being Yuna's guardian.

The end. That is all of Kimahri's backstory.





And that is a wrap for the base of Mt. Gagazet. There's one final shop selling basic supplies here if there is any need to stock up before the end game journey. But I think we're okay. Let's press onward.




Music: People of the North Pole







C'mon Tidus. You didn't think you were going to get through the Ronso hometown without a boss fight against the two reoccurring antagonistic Ronso characters in the game, did you?



"Summoner may pass. Guardians may pass. Kimahri not pass! Kimahri shame Ronso brothers. Kimahri forget his birth."
”Kimahri not write. Kimahri not send presents to Ronso brothers for Life Day. Kimahri the worst!”
"Forget his people, forget his mountain. Little Ronso! Weakling Ronso!"
”Small Ronso sit on beach. Work on tan. Still blue. Still hornless!”
"Mountain hate the weak, hate the small. If you will climb..."



Kimahri is using pronouns. Shit is getting real up in Mt. Gagazet.



"Think you will win? You not forget who took your horn! Never forget!"
”Biran take horn, hang above where Biran take turdydump.”
“Biran see Kimahri's horn. Become great summoner! Grand summon powerful turdydumps. Shake all of Mt. Gagazet!”
_{”Kimahri not need to know of this.”}
"Kimahri never beat brother Biran! Never win!"



“Why you!”
”Kimahri has been waiting to take that horn of yours and st—“





“Kimahri problem.”









You know what Final Fantasy X was missing so far? If you answered with “a forced solo boss fight where you can only use a single character. And with character is the worst in the game!”, step right up to a career in anything but video game design, you weird asshole.







Alright, despite Biran and Kimahri having beef, the sidekick Yenke is also throwing down in this Ronso grudge match. That's fine. You've got this Kimahri... You've got this! I even had the foresight to go fill up your Overdrive gauge before you even started to throw down.

Game time, Kimahri! Just go ahead and open up with a strong offensive now, while you have the initiative!



Nailed it!






Video: Episode 87 Highlight Reel





Mt. Gagazet Concept Art