Kilika Temple
-Families that had been torn apart reunite.
-Barthello is weeping as he doesn’t see Dona.
-Then a single red balloon floats up in the distance. Barthello seems to think of that as his signal. He runs towards the village.
-This is so wonderful to see. Really festive atmosphere amidst all the reunions.
-hahahah one of these guys has super meta dialogue. “It’s funny, though. I feel like I’m just saying the same stuff I’ve been saying all day… Hey, tell me: have I just been talking about the same things over and over again? What? I already asked you that?” XD
-A monk thinks that happy days are here again, and “Lord Zaon and Lady Yunalesca would surely share in our joy.” …about that.
(Though speaking less snarkily, I think Yunalesca would’ve been happy. She didn’t have any hope of defeating Sin, but it’s not like she was pro-Sin. She was just doing what she could for Spira under false assumptions.)
-An interesting question. Someone wants a statue of Yuna, but would it be her as high summoner or her now? High Summoner Yuna saved Spira from Sin, but it seems that Gullwing Yuna may have saved Spira from itself.
I approve.
-Beneath the temple, found Cat’s Bell. Was hopin it’d be a companion accessory to Cat Nip, but it just grants HP Stroll.
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Kilika Village
-Barthello is sitting outside Dona’s house, saying he won’t move until Dona forgives her. Dude. If she’s not forgiving you yet, don’t just sit outside her door. (I’m sure this’ll all work out, but still not a fan of this tactic.)
lol never change, dona
-Something I’m noticing about all these “Episode Concludeds” is that they aren’t, like, fully done. There’s some thread left hanging. Besaid is concluded, but Wakka hasn’t thought of a name for his kid. Moonflow is concluded, but Tobli’s show is merely okay. Kilika has concluded, but Dona and Barthello are still on the outs.
Gagazet may be the exception. The Ronso story feels pretty tied up, but I wouldn’t be shocked if there’s some final meeting with the Guado.
This tells me that either we’ll see all this wrapped up in a post-Vegnagun conclusion, or that there is still more to go.
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Cactuar Nation
-I return Chiapa to his mom.
-Erio is next.
“Two brothers, my friends, to a spring went we.
I got to see snow… what rhymes with we?”
-Erio must be the hot spring cactuar.
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Mt. Gagazet
-uhhh. The cactuar’s not here. Not in the spring. I was SURE it would be.
-Went back to the ship and checked the commsphere. He’s not back.
-Yeah. I’m pretty confused.
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Macalania Woods
-So onto the other snowy place.
-I don’t see a lot of Guado walking around here anymore.
-Ah! The Guado returned to Guadosalam, and were accompanied by others who lived in Macalania.
-There’s a sense that the woods are fading.
PAINE: “At least… we have our memories.”
-The Macalania Agency is open for business. Let’s head down to the lake.
-Never mind. I can’t go down there. Invisible wall. So what the hell is up with Erio? Maybe Erio is somewhere else on Gagazet. After all, when I saw him through the CommSphere, he scampered away.
-Science time! What’ll happen if I use my damage limit break accessory with Cat Nip? …aw. Still does 9999.
-We arrive at the lake where Yuna had that moment with Tidus, and she asks for some time alone.
-She lets out a loud whistle.
-Episode complete. Got the Ray of Hope garment grid. It raises luck, and each of four node switches raises luck by another 30. (...still not entirely sure what luck does. Maybe it increases the critical hit chance.)
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Mt. Gagazet
-More wandering.
-I’ll admit to feeling a bit frustrated right now. I was SO SURE it was the hot springs, or at least around the hot springs, and I’m not seeing a cactuar anywhere. The worst part is my only other idea was Lake Macalania, and I struck out there.
*20 minutes later*
-Found him.
-I was backtracking down the main mountain, and he was just… there. Boo. The clue made me think he was by the springs, so I feel a bit misled, but I suppose that was just his starting point. He said he liked snow, and that was clue enough to not have me waste time in the ruins up top.
-lol erio made friends with a pair of gemini
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Bikanel Desert
-Dropped off Erio.
-Bartschella is my next target.
“My daughter simply adores money. She left the desert in search of a ‘man of means’ – whatever that is. It turns out our ‘man of means’ isn’t quite what you’d expect, hoho! Managed to save up quite a bundle. Turns out it’s a former summoner! Don’t get caught green-handed, Bartschella!”
-There aren’t that many former summoners that jump out to me. Dona’s possible but unlikely. Isaaru seems more likely.
To Zanarkand!
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Zanarkand Ruins
-The place is quiet. No more Tourist Trap Zanarkand.
-Yuna is really having trouble dealing with the knowledge that this is all her past,.
-She wants to protect this place. Episode complete.
-As much as X-2 is a joyous and fun game, so much of its language and themes seem focused on dealing with grief. On trying to move on, and the challenges around it. On how there’s no quick answer, and so much of grief seems to be just about sitting with it.
I love that about X-2.
-lol this area is flooded with monkeys
-Maechen is here. AND OFFERS TO TELL ME ABOUT VEGNAGUN, HELL YES
-It was constructed during the Machina War, but never used.
-It responded to hostility, but couldn’t tell friend from foe. A weapon of indiscriminate slaughter.
-The Gullwings ask where Maechen learned so much. He just says “I forget.” I wonder if this is the game teasingly ignoring how Maechen is such a great exposition dump just because, or if it’s something more sinister, like, “MAECHEN IS SECRETLY TREMA’S GHOST” or something.
-But even in this answer, Maechen strikes that note of dealing with the past. He does so quite beautifully.
-People are connected, and connected through stories.
-lolol “Time to make like a sphere and roll.” See ya, Maechen.
-One of the “fabulous” women at the dome’s entrance says Isaaru closed the place down. Hopefully he’s still inside.
-I see him, with some monkeys. No cactuar though.
-He’s determined to protect these ruins. Just like Yuna. “If no one is watching, this place may shift too with the sands of time.”
-So if the cactuar isn’t here, and probably not with Dona (much as I’d love a queer relationship between a lady cactuar and Dona), maybe Rin? I didn’t think he was ever a summoner, but I can’t rememember 100%. And he’s definitely wealthy.
(Incidentally, I’m not wild about the designers making one of the few female cactuar gatekeepers into a gold digger.)
-Tried going into the dome itself, but Isaaru closed it up.
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Next time: Continuing the search for Bartschella. First Kilika to see if she is in fact with Dona, and if not then perhaps Luca in case Rin is still there.
