The Disappearance of Yuna: Sanubia Desert
After coming into contact with Sin at the bottom of the frozen lake and losing consciousness, Tidus awakens next in the blistering heat of a scorching desert. Initially alone, he is soon joined by his companions—Auron, Lulu, Wakka, Kimahri, and Rikku. However, Yuna is nowhere to be found. The guardians are disheartened and dejected at losing their summoner. At this moment, Rikku begins to speak, informing them that there is an Al Bhed Home nearby where Yuna should be. Despite Wakka's obvious disapproval, he reluctantly agrees to follow Rikku, and they set off towards the Al Bhed Home.
Home Under Attack: Al Bhed Home ①
After crossing the vast desert, Tidus and his companions finally arrive at the Al Bhed Home, only to be greeted by the sight of the place under heavy attack from a myriad of fiends. Despite the Al Bhed fighting back with their machina weapons, they are vastly outnumbered and fall one after another. Before Rikku's eyes, a young man named Keyakku dies, uttering the words "Yevon" and "Guado" with his last breath. At that moment, Rikku's father, Cid, appears. Realizing that the Guado are targeting summoners, Cid urges Tidus and the others to infiltrate Home to rescue Yuna and the remaining Al Bhed.
The group navigates through the severely damaged Home, with even Wakka, who detests the Al Bhed, left speechless by the devastation. Cid leads the group to the underground, believing Yuna to be in the "Summoner's Room" located there.
While leading the group, Rikku begins to explain the reason behind the summoner abductions, despite her sorrow for her destroyed homeland. The Al Bhed are trying to protect the summoners to prevent them from dying. While the group shows some understanding, Tidus remains confused, insisting that summoners wouldn't die if their guardians did their job properly. His companions' silent response only increases Tidus's anxiety.
Lamentation: Al Bhed Home ②
Upon reaching the summoner's room, the group is confronted with a horrific scene. Walls and pillars are collapsed, rubble is scattered everywhere, and numerous Al Bhed bodies are piled up. The room shows signs of a fierce battle between the Guado and the Al Bhed, but Yuna is not there. The remaining summoners, Dona and Isaaru, speak with sorrowful expressions, recounting how the Al Bhed sacrificed themselves to protect them.
While Dona and Isaaru perform the sending for the fallen Al Bhed, a young boy named Pacce innocently asks, "Hey, um, what’s “sacrificed”? The Al Bhed said summoners were being ‘sacrificed.’ That summoners shouldn’t have to do a pilgrimage…" Tidus, unsure of what to say, answers, "Why couldn’t they trust guardians to protect the summoners? The Al Bhed had no right stopping their pilgrimage!" However, he himself is confused and troubled by this revelation. Rikku, unable to contain her emotions any longer, expresses her distress, emphasizing the danger and the heavy burden placed on summoners.
Interrupting Tidus's bewildered words, Rikku reveals the harsh truth. "The pilgrimages have to stop! If they don’t, and they get to Zanarkand… They might defeat Sin. Yunie could…but then she… Yunie will die, you know? You know, don’t you? Summoners journey to get the Final Aeon. Yuna told you, didn’t she? With the Final Aeon, she can beat Sin. But then…but then… If she calls it, the Final Aeon’s going to kill her! Even if she defeats Sin, it will kill Yunie too, you know!" The realization strikes Tidus hard. He had been oblivious to the true nature of their journey, the familiar expressions Yuna sometimes showed, and the strong bonds among the group—all now made sense. He had been the only one unaware of the true stakes involved. Every fragment of the pilgrimage now had a deeper meaning and connection.
Overwhelmed by anger and frustration, Tidus expresses his rage and determination. “I can’t let her die! I’ll find her!” (Translation: "I have to save Yuna. I will save her!")
A 1000-Year Flight: The Airship ①
The remaining survivors from the Al Bhed Home are evacuated to an underground machina. The crew begins the escape operation immediately. However, Tidus, consumed with thoughts of Yuna, cannot stay still. Demanding to know Yuna's location, Tidus confronts Cid with intense urgency. Initially skeptical, Cid is moved by Tidus' earnest determination. Just then, the airship trembles violently. The ancient flying machina, the airship, takes off into the sky for the first time in 1000 years.
The airship's first mission is to destroy the irreparably damaged Al Bhed Home, along with the fiends attacking it. As the Al Bhed silently mourn and pray, a solemn atmosphere envelops the ship.
The Arranged Wedding: The Airship ②
Yuna's exact location remains unknown. While a search is initiated, opinions on what to do next are divided. Auron insists on respecting Yuna's resolve, while Cid prioritizes her life, suggesting she abandon her pilgrimage if necessary. Ultimately, the group agrees to Cid's plan. Finally, Yuna's location is revealed: she appears on a sphere monitor, dressed in a pure white wedding gown, with Seymour—presumed dead at Macalania Temple—standing beside her as her groom.
The scene shocks the group. Questions arise about why Seymour, now an unsent, can freely appear in the temple and why the wedding is happening. Realizing the urgency, Cid challenges Tidus' resolve, to which Tidus confidently replies, “What’s the matter, gramps? You scared? Yuna’s there, so we go and get her! And that’s all!”
Receiving Tidus's determination, Cid orders his brother to set the course. "Set course to Bevelle! Full speed ahead!"
"Roger!"
Infiltrating the Palace of Bevelle: The Airship ③
The airship's current location was quite far from Bevelle. Just when they thought they had time to prepare, a sudden impact shook the airship. Fiends that had attacked Home had infiltrated the airship. Just as Cid was about to blow up the whole ship, Tidus and his companions rushed to deal with the intruders. Ensuring the safety of the crew and clearing the airship of fiends, they noticed a huge flying dragon through the window. It was Evrae, the guardian of Bevelle, the symbol of Bevelle’s tight security. Tidus and his group engaged in a fierce battle on the deck, eventually defeating the formidable guardian.
While Tidus and his companions fought Evrae, Yuna and Seymour's wedding proceeded. The grand and elegant ceremony, sponsored by Yevon, seemed to be full of happiness. However, the bride's grim expression and the solemn appearance of the warrior monks surrounding them hint at the false nature of the ceremony. Just as the bride and groom are about to step to the top of the tower to take their marriage vows, a vast number of pyreflies from Evrae's dissipating body descended upon the attendees, marking the conclusion of the battle above. Recognizing the threat, Kinoc ordered the guards to begin firing at the airship. However, the airship pushed through, anchoring itself to the palace. Tidus and his team descended via wires, acrobatically dodging gunfire.
False Bride: Bevelle Temple ①
To rescue Yuna, Tidus and his party barged into the wedding ceremony. They took down the temple guards one by one and rushed to the top where Yuna was waiting, but their advance was halted there. In front of them stood Kinoc, and behind them were more temple guards, pushing the group into a desperate situation. Yuna didn't miss the opportunity when everyone's attention was on the intruders. She slowly approached Seymour to perform the Sending. However, Seymour does not show any sign of being upset.
“You would play at marriage just for a chance to send me?” (Translation: “You would go so far as to play the role of a false bride to send me to the Farplane?”)
With a determined gaze at the ever-calm Seymour, Yuna began the Sending. At that moment, Grand Maester Mika intervened. He pointed to the surrounded Tidus and his party, putting their lives on the line. Accept Seymour or condemn her comrades—the choice was clear. There was no way Yuna could betray her friends. As Seymour looked at the resigned Yuna with satisfaction, he seized her lips in a kiss in front of Tidus and the others. Yuna clenched her fists to contain her rage and endured the humiliation. Painfully feeling her emotions, Tidus' eyes burned with rage.
Just as the kiss ended, Seymour coldly ordered the execution of Tidus and his friends, breaking his earlier promise. The group found themselves in peril once more. As the guns aimed at them were about to fire, Yuna's sharp voice rang out. She hinted that she would throw herself off if they did not drop their weapons, slowly retreating towards the edge of the tower. Glaring at the soothing Seymour, she wiped her mouth and smiled softly at her worried companions.
“Don’t worry. I can fly…Believe.”
As soon as she said that, Yuna leapt from the tower. The bride fell in an instant, and a dazzling light enveloped the area, taking the form of the summoned aeon Valefor, who caught the summoner in mid-air. As the astonished onlookers watched, Yuna, along with Valefor, slowly descended.
The Boy Seen Once Before: Bevelle Temple ②
Tidus and his friends managed to escape the ceremony hall while everyone was distracted by Yuna's movements. Their destination was the Chamber of the Fayth in Bevelle Temple—where they hoped to reunite with Yuna.
Upon entering one of the corridors leading to the Cloister of Trials, they saw something that should be impossible. Mechanical transport devices, an entrance sealed with machina... The very machina forbidden by Yevon's teachings were being used in the heart of Yevon's main temple. Wakka, who had continued to firmly believe in the teachings despite being pursued by the temple, couldn't hide his anger at this unexpected betrayal.
As expected of Yevon's central temple, breaking through Bevelle's trials was the most difficult thing they had ever faced. Somehow managing to make it through, they reached the antechamber, where Tidus put his hand on the door to the Chamber of the Fayth. Rules didn't matter; all that mattered was Yuna's safety—Tidus said; Kimahri silently agreed, and together they forced the door open.
And sure enough, Yuna was there, still in her wedding dress, praying fervently. When Tidus noticed the strange child floating in front of her, he couldn't help but cry out. It was the enigmatic boy he had seen many times in his hometown of Zanarkand. Auron explained to the astonished Tidus that this child was a Fayth—a poor deceased being that grants summoners the power of aeons.
The exchange ended. Yuna, having received the Fayth, collapsed. As Tidus picked her up to leave the room, Rikku called out a warning. Before they knew it, they were completely surrounded by Kinoc and his warrior monks. Seeing the group's desperate expressions, Kinoc gave a triumphant smile.
The Truth of Yevon: Bevelle Temple ③
Captured in the Cloister of Trials, Yuna and her companions were to be put on trial. In the high courtroom before the four Maesters of Yevon, the charges against Yuna were read out one after another. She was accused of harming Maester Seymour, conspiring with the Al Bhed, and causing unrest. When questioned about her intent to rebel, Yuna revealed that Seymour had murdered his father and argued that he was the true traitor. She also added that he, being an unsent, needed to be sent to the Farplane. Maester Mika stepped forward in place of the shaken Kelk Ronso and laughed fearlessly upon hearing her sincere plea.
“Send the dead…hmm? You would have to send me, too.”
His body became transparent, and pyreflies started to drift around him. Mika was also unsent. The Grand Maester of Yevon, who forbids the undead, was undead himself... As the incredulous party looked on, the Maesters began to explain. It was the terrifying logic of death.
"Only the power of death truly commands in Spira. Resisting its power is futile."
Yuna desperately argued against Mika's acceptance of death. “I am on a pilgrimage to stop the death that Sin brings. Are you… Are you telling me that, too, is futile? Grand Maester Mika, I am not alone! All the people who have opposed Sin… Their battles, their sacrifices– were they all in vain?” Yuna tearfully pleaded, but Mika responded coldly. "Sin cannot be truly defeated…Yet the courage of those who fight gives the people hope."
The truth of Yevon was a cycle without resolution. And Yuna, who could not accept this, was condemned as a "traitor."
A Spiral of Death: Bevelle Temple ④
Officially branded as "traitors," the group was detained for a while until their punishment was decided. Tidus, confined in the same cell as Auron, muttered resignedly. "It's always someone dying or being killed in Spira..." In response to his own words, Auron said, "Spira is trapped in the spiral of death. A spiral of death that endlessly repeats."
Eventually, the "punishment" for Tidus and his companions was decided. They were divided into two groups: one was thrown into underground passages called the "Via Purifico," and the other into waterways called the "Aquaeductus Purifico."* Both were rumored to be penitentiary grounds in name only, where once you entered, you didn't come out alive.
Meanwhile, the three Maesters, excluding Kelk, were engaged in a secret discussion about the traitors. Seymour proposed pardoning Yuna, but Mika was not interested.
"She has disturbed the order of Yevon. She cannot be allowed to live."
Nodding with Mika's words, Seymour volunteered to take care of Yuna himself. Kinoc informed him that he would accompany him as his watchdog. "Very well. As you wish..." Seymour's voice sounded somewhat cold.
An Unexpected Assassin: Bevelle Temple⑤
Tidus, Wakka, and Rikku—thrown into the Aquaeductus Purifico—fortunately, were all skilled swimmers. When they realized their other companions were not there, they began swimming towards the exit.
On the other hand, Yuna, thrown into the Via Purifico, wandered while trying to find a way out, occasionally meeting up with Auron and the others. She finally reaches a path that seems to lead to the outside, but there she finds Isaaru, a summoner with whom she once shared the same ideals. Seeing Yuna, Isaaru grimaced with anguish. Eliminate the traitors - that was the order given to him by the Temple. Even if his opponent was Yuna, no matter how many doubts he had, he couldn't defy the Temple. "Your aeons against mine!" As if to put an end to his own hesitation, Isaaru challenges Yuna to a fight. Yuna was forced to fight back with her aeons, and the intense battle between summoners began. As the battle of summons dragged on, the tide began to turn. Exhausted first, Isaaru collapsed on the ground. Sitting with a thud, Isaaru pointed the way to the exit. Sensing his feelings, Yuna silently bowed her head and hurried in the direction he pointed.
Seymour's Ambition: Bevelle Palace⑥ / Highbridge①
While two summoners were locked in a deadly battle on the Via Purifico, Tidus and his companions in the Aquaeductus Purifico were also fighting against the temple's assailants. The remains of the sacred beast Evrae, whom they fought on the airship, was now called Evrae Altana. After a fierce battle, they defeated it, and the exit was just around the corner.
At the Highbridge, a long bridge connecting Bevelle to the outside world, the seven of them successfully reunited. However, their joy of reunion was short-lived as new pursuers appeared. Leading a group emitting an eerie atmosphere were Seymour and Kinoc, but there was something odd about Kinoc’s behavior. He had already died at Seymour's hands. "I have saved him," Seymour began speaking to the stunned group.
“Death is a sweet slumber. All the pain of life is gently swept away…” he said. (Translation:"Death brings solace, the only means of salvation.)
Following that logic, his desire was to destroy all life in Spira. And Yuna was an essential tool for him to achieve that.
Extending his hand to Yuna as if inviting her, Seymour continued, "Come, Lady Yuna. Come with me to Zanarkand, the lost city of the dead. With death on our side, we will save Spira, and for this…I will take from you your strength, Yuna, your life, and become the next Sin. I will destroy Spira! I will save it!"
The group stood there, not understanding the meaning of his words. Suddenly, Kimahri leaped forward and struck Seymour with all his might... but Seymour remained unfazed.
"Very well. I will give you your death. You seem to want it so."
As Seymour spoke, the bodies of the soldiers accompanying him disintegrated into pyreflies in an instant. Absorbing that power, Seymour transformed into a grotesque form - Seymour Natus. "Run! Protect Yuna!!"
Sensing the danger, Kimahri tried to shield Yuna and the others to let them escape. Understanding his intentions, Auron forcefully urged the group to run. But Yuna couldn't leave Kimahri behind. Protecting the summoner was all that mattered. Hearing Auron’s words of encouragement, Tidus shouted in agreement. Guardians protect the summoner. No matter where the summoner goes or what they do. So...! With determined looks, Yuna and Tidus returned to Kimahri. Wakka, Lulu, and even Auron followed them as they ran across the bridge. United in spirit, the group confronted the monstrous Seymour head-on and challenged him to battle.
At the Sacred Spring: In the Macalania Woods ②
After defeating Seymour, Tidus and his companions successfully escaped to the Macalania Woods that night. However, Yuna, who had been blatantly betrayed by the Yevon Temple she had believed in for years, was so visibly distressed that it was pitiful to see her.
Alone by the sacred spring, Yuna stood forlorn. Every word that came out of her mouth sounded weak and twisted, which was unimaginable from her usual strong-willed self. Tidus told her to stop trying so hard, and apologized, telling her that he had learned the truth about summoners. But her lonely demeanor did not change.
In an effort to cheer up the despondent Yuna, Tidus boldly suggested they stop their pilgrimage and go to Zanarkand. He brought up cheerful topics, and Yuna's expression gradually brightened. What should we do when we go to Zanarkand? Watching the Blitzball game, watching the ocean before dawn... Tidus went on dreamily. Tears spilled from Yuna's eyes.
“I can’t. I just can’t! I can’t go!”
It was the first time Yuna had shown such vulnerability, having kept her feelings suppressed until now. Overflowing with pent-up emotions, she cried uncontrollably. Tidus instinctively put his arms around her shoulders, silencing her trembling lips with his. Yuna's heart melted into his infinitely gentle kiss. In the mystical spring that sparkled like stars, the two embraced and kissed many times as if to confirm their feelings for each other.
Sitting by the edge of the spring, they quietly talked. The pilgrimage would continue - that was the path Yuna chose, liberating her heart. When Tidus announced his decision to accompany her, she smiled.
“Stay with me until the end. Please.”
“Not until the end… Always.”
Returning to their friends, Yuna declared they would continue the pilgrimage. Her calm demeanor, without going into detail, dispelled everyone's worries. Embracing their new resolve, the night quietly passed.
Fields of Doubt: Calm Lands
Going north from Macalania Woods, the group found themselves on the Calm Lands. It's said to be the place where previous high summoners brought about the Calm. It is a vast expanse of land where many summoners have gotten lost and despaired. However, Yuna no longer had any doubts. Watching her, Tidus vowed once again: he will never let her die, he would find a way.
As they traversed the vast plains and attempted to cross a bridge over a valley, someone called out to them. Two Guado, Seymour's loyal followers, were waiting for them. Even if it meant killing them, it was Seymour's command to bring Yuna back. Saying so, the two unleashed a massive machina weapon, Defender X. But even that was no match for Tidus and his friends who were united in determination. After defeating Defender X, the group continued further north toward the sacred Mt. Gagazet.
[Optional Event] - Father Zuke
While resting at the travel agency in the center of the Calm Lands, a man visited them. He was Zuke, the person Lulu and Wakka had once guarded. A monk of Bevelle, Zuke informed the group about the recent situation at the temple. Yuna and her companions were sentenced to execution as the culprits behind Kinoc's assassination. Following Kinoc's death, Kelk resigned as the Grand Maester, and unrest was spreading within the temple... As a member of the temple, he tells Yuna and the others, who are being pursued, out of consideration for Lulu.
"I hope you can make it to the end this time. It's for your sake more than anything," he said before leaving. Lulu watched him walk away for a long time.
[Optional Event] - Lulu’s Past
Ahead is a massive fissure in the Calm Lands, the aftermath of the battle between the High Summoner Gandof and Sin. At the bottom of the valley, which had become a den of fiends, there was an eerie cave entrance. Here was where a Fayth statue resided - with a solemn expression, Lulu led the group into the cave. This cave was where the first summoner Lulu guarded, Lady Ginnem, met her end. The Fayth statue here seemed to have been stolen from a temple in the past. The thief's sentiment of not wanting to kill the summoner with the Final Summoning was painfully understood by Tidus and the others.
With mixed feelings, the group ventured deeper. Suddenly, pyreflies gathered, blocking their path. And there appeared Ginnem, now turned into an unsent. She had already lost her human consciousness and didn't respond to Lulu’s calls. Realizing that releasing Ginnem’s obsession was her final duty as her guardian, the grief stricken Lulu confronted Ginnem with her companions. After defeating the aeon Yojimbo, and witnessing Ginnem’s departure to the Farplane, Lulu was finally able to leave the bitter memories of the past behind.
Footnotes:
*BA: As far as I know, in the International version of FFX, the underwater section of the Via Purifico is not given another name apart from its above ground counterpart. The given name for it in the Ultimania Omega is 浄罪の水路 (jōzai no mizuyō), or Waterway of Purification. I felt the Latin Aquaeductus would be the best approximation in the seeming absence of a canon name in the International version.
Bikanel Island:
Yuna had been captured by a separate unit of Guado attackers and taken away to Bevelle. She never set foot in the Al Bhed Home.
Attacking Home was not just to cause chaos and destroy the Al Bhed. Seymour issued such orders to the Guado because he feared that other summoners going to Zanarkand or defeating Sin would disrupt his plans.
Rikku’s poor directions in the Sanubia Desert leads the Ultimania Omega editor to wonder if she actually knew how to get to Home.
The Airship:
Originally, the Hymn of the Fayth was a song from Zanarkand, resisting Bevelle's rule. After the establishment of the Yevon religion and Bevelle's dominance, the Al Bhed have continued to sing it as a symbol of resistance against Yevon. In other words, the Al Bhed are the original custodians of the Hymn of the Fayth. However, now this song has been incorporated into the teachings of the temples. Therefore, for devout followers like Wakka, who have always believed in the teachings, it must have been surprising to see the Al Bhed singing the Hymn of the Fayth.
Even when fiends invade the airship, Rin remains unchanged while Cid immediately springs into action. Rin, who is remarkably calm to the point of being too calm, manages to restrain Cid, who tends to be reckless. This balance between the dynamic chief Cid and the serene Rin seems to keep the Al Bhed tribe well-organized. In fact, there are opinions within the tribe that everything will be fine as long as Rin is with Cid.
Bevelle/Highbridge:
The passage used by Tidus and the others to get to the Cloister of Trials is called the "Monk's Passage," as indicated by the map name, and it's a passage used only by those familiar with the inner workings of the temple. Separate passages without machina are provided for the summoners and their guardians.
The notes suggest that Seymour did have some real feelings for Yuna and saw her as more than a tool.
It is possible that Seymour was able to turn the Guado into pyreflies because 1) he has always been a skilled Guado summoner, 2) being an unsent summoner may afford him special abilities, and 3) the Guado were willing sacrifices.
Cavern of the Stolen Fayth:
Yojimbo’s Fayth statue was stolen because the thieves hoped that would prevent people from receiving enough training to obtain the Final Summoning.