Shaking off the last vestiges of Sin's toxin, Tidus awakened. Strange sensations assaulted his body as he reluctantly opened his eyes to be greeted by the piercing light of the noon sun. Somehow, he was floating in a small pool, surrounded by mountains of shifting sand. Staggering about in the blistering heat, he looked for any sign of his friends.
After reuniting with his friends, Tidus finds out that he is on the remote island of Bikanel, home of the Al-Bhed. Now, I've always wondered if this series of events is an homage to Final Fantasy IV. In FFX, Tidus washes up in an oasis on an island, surrounded by sand dunes... and fights giant birds called Zus. In FFIV, Cecil washes up on an island, surrounded by a sandy beach... and fights giant birds called Zus. It's hard to say whether this is purposeful, but I like to think so.
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| He fights them on the beach too... I'll get the appropriate screen cap when I play FFIV. |
Zus are a staple enemy, appearing many times in the series. The etymology appears to stem from Mesopotamian lore. From Encyclopedia Mythica: "In Sumero-Akkadian mythology, Zu is a divine storm-bird and the personification of the southern wind and the thunder clouds." That's a pretty self-explanatory association for this one.
The storyline continues to heat up on Bikanel, as this is where Tidus, who has been blissfully unaware up to this point, finds out something key to the summoner's pilgrimage. The summoner sacrifices themselves at the end of the journey in order to defeat sin. Summoning the "Final Aeon" spells the end of the summoner. Tidus is understandably upset, and sides with the Al-Bhed in their quest to end the pilgrimages, thinking that it is simply leading lambs to slaughter for a hopeless cause. The Yevonites believe the sacrifice is worthwhile, if only for a temporary respite from Sin.
Tidus found his companions spread out in the dunes, and they reunited to head for the Al-Bhed home. However, they would only find it if their only somewhat reliable guide, Rikku, could remember where it was! After some twists and turns, they arrived at what the Al-Bhed had named "Home", however, sirens blared and smoke filled the air. Home was under attack!
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| This is a semi-secret room in home that has a chest requiring a code to open. It's a neat addition that I didn't remember from my other playthroughs. |
The guardians rescue the summoner's that the Al-Bhed had abducted (albeit to save their lives), but Yuna is not among them. In the end, Home ends up being destroyed, from aboard another Final Fantasy staple... the airship! Getting an airship to travel the world is one of the most exciting points in any Final Fantasy game, which I believe is possible in all of them. The airship is one of the few Final Fantasy tropes that goes back to the original. Even staples like the chocobo riding birds and airship engineer "Cid" didn't enter the picture until Final Fantasy 2. Speaking of Cid, he is an Al-Bhed, and the captain of the airship in FFX.
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| The airship docked at Luca. |
Since FF2, each game has had a character, usually some sort of engineer, named Cid, who is responsible for getting the party their airship, and often doing modifications on it. Okay, yes, you with your hand up in the back, FF6 has a Cid, but he is not tied to the airship in that game. Exceptions do exist. One of the "tropes" of Final Fantasy is that each game takes place in it's own world, with all new characters. However, their are many recurring themes and names that tie them together. Airships, Cids, and chocobos being a few of them. One notable change in this game is that the airship is not directly controllable by the player. This is, most likely, a necessary evil of not having a walkable "overland map" as their was in previous games. While this design choice may have helped make the world feel more tied together while traveling on foot, the absence of the real time flight is a bummer.
Yes again, you, in the back, I know, after Final Fantasy X many exceptions to the unique world started popping up. X was the first game to have a direct sequel, X-2 (Talk about confusing numbering conventions), and FF XII takes place in the same world as previous games Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy Tactics. After the gate opened, the flood spewed through, and there are now prequels and sequels to FFVII, FFIV, and more. Not to mention the remakes... These are all subjects to be discussed over time though, lest I explode the minds of the uninitiated.
Fleeing from the overrun Home, the guardians now fly the salvage airship to Bevelle. What danger awaits them? Will they be able to save Yuna from the clutches of the dark Seymour? Find out next time... on This Bard's Tales!
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