FADE IN
The scene begins with faded images of TIDUS. Most familiar from FFX. Mostly they're just of him smiling or laughing, sometimes pouting. Nothing too special. After about 3-7 seconds, the FEMALE NARRATOR begins to speak. Meanwhile, the images continue to dance in blurry color across the screen.
FEMALE NARRATOR
(soft spoken, almost nostalgic)
It's been two years since you left my life. Since then, I have become High Summoner of Spira. I'd like to think you'd be proud… happy for me. Even though, heh, people tend to say I don't act like a High Summoner anymore. Though, somehow, I think if you were here, you'd like that.
The images take on a striking grey tone color scheme, the images now include YUNA.
FEMALE NARRATOR
You taught me to think beyond the teachings of Yevon. You made me feel confident enough to take on the world. To follow my own path. Do what will make me happy… But… to be honest…
The grey scheme volumes up to full, vivid color. What we see is something familiar: The first kiss Tidus and Yuna shared, in the water. As it plays, a short, nervous LAUGH escapes the narrator.
FEMALE NARRATOR
(nervous laughter)
…its been very hard to be happy without you.
BLACK OUT
FADE IN
The scene returns in a few seconds, the moment the narrator begins to speak. An image of KIMAHRI appears, in blurred colors. Draped in blue and black robes, he is seen walking for the BESAID TEMPLE. At this point, the CAMERA is fixed BEHIND him, as he enters BESAID VILLAGE.
FEMALE NARRATOR
About six months ago, Kimahri came to me. I was happy, because I hadn't seen him for so long, you know?
Kimahri enters the temple, and approaches HIGH SUMMONER YUNA. She is praying at the foot of a statue of her father, Lord Braska. At this point, she doesn't look incredibly different. Besides, of course, a long tail of hair trailing down her back, from the rest of her hair that's as short, if not a bit shorter, as it always was. That and the large bow of her outfit is now absent as well. She rises to her feet when she realizes he's there, and turns to her former guardian.
FEMALE NARRATOR
You wouldn't believe what he had with him!
Kimahri holds out a blue memory sphere. Yuna looks surprised before taking it in her hands with obvious reluctance, and then making her way to a back room of the temple.
FADE OUT
The narrator continues.
FEMALE NARRATOR
When I watched that sphere… it revitalized… rekindled everything I had lost when I lost you. Feelings… I thought were dead to me… Feelings I never would have had had I never met you.
FADE IN
Yuna runs from the back room, the sphere in hand, and a smile on her face. She jumps into Kimahri's arms, embracing him. Kimahri returns the hug. CLOSE IN on his reciprocating smile.
FEMALE NARRATOR
"If we ever get separated… Just whistle, and I'll come running."
The camera PANS LEFT, and as it does, the SCENE CHANGES.
EXTERIOR: BESAID VILLAGE – NIGHT
Yuna stands near a fire in the center of town, still clutching the sphere. Before her sit LULU and WAKKA. Yuna excitedly talks to them, obvious by her hopping and waving her arms around. Kimahri watches on in the background.
FEMALE NARRATOR
Is… this you… whistling for me? Is this sphere… you trying to call for me?
FADE OUT
The narrator continues.
FEMALE NARRATOR
For so long I hoped to hear you whistle, just outside my bedroom window. Many nights, I stayed awake, waiting… listening. But it never came. Eventually, I gave up hope that you were alive.
(light laugh)
You are calling for me though, I know it. I hear you whistling. I will find you. Please, hang on a little longer… I promise… I'm coming.
FADE IN
EXTERIOR: LUCA STADIUM – AFTERNOON
Welcome to the new LUCA.
In only two years, it has apparently become "machina central". To FFX veterans, it may even remind them a bit of Zanarkand.
Outside LUCA STADIUM, we can hear a concert that's blasting vocal techno MUSIC. Obviously, it's within the stadium, as are the roaring CHEERS of a concert audience. Currently, the main focus of the camera is on the MAIN STADIUM STAIRCASE.
The camera slowly ZOOMS OUT from the stadium staircase. It stops when a shadowed male body flies past the camera view and smacks face first into a wall with a sickening CRACK. A shadowed female figure soon sprints past our view, followed shortly after by a smaller female figure.
A voice is heard, that sounds like the narrator in the prior scene, but its clarity is hindered, like it's speaking on a RADIO. The voice sounds impatient.
RADIO VOICE
(irritated)
Are you in yet?
CUT TO
ENTERIOR: LUCA STADIUM HALLS – Leading to locker rooms and various other areas.
The camera view as switched to a low spot near the floor. A pair of yellow and brown combat boots comes into view. The camera MOVES UPWARDS to show brown shorts, and then one piece, yellow dive suit with short sleeves, obviously on the body of a female. Eventually, we see the female wearing a set of goggles with red, glowing lenses. Her massive amount of blonde hair is braided and beaded and twisted and clipped and piled and… you get the idea.
She raises her hand to a silver device on her left ear.
FEMALE #1
(whispered)
Gimme a break! Doin' the best we can here!
RADIO VOICE
Speed it up, Rikku. I'm not the only one getting impatient. The boys are ready to slam their heads into walls up here.
Female #1, now identified as RIKKU, gives a grin.
RIKKU
Don't talk to me, talk to Paine. I just wanted to blow that platform out from under the woman. She's the one that wanted to make this sneaky and lavish.
RADIO VOICE
(laughs a little)
Don't let her hear you talk like that. You know she'll get upset.
The young woman ahead of Rikku, PAINE, peers around a corner, half-revealing her black leather and red attire. By the look on her face, it's obvious she isn't happy.
PAINE
(hisses)
Move it!!
Break to the first chance of game play. Rikku is to simply run to Paine. Paine will run down the corridor, and Rikku is to follow. Once they get to a set of double doors and go through, cut scene and FMV graphics will take over again.
INTERIOR: LUCA STADIUM – MAIN AREA
Paine observes their immediate surroundings. Rikku looks preoccupied with the shiny performance in the middle, taking place over the Blitzball machina we've all seen before. Paine nudged Rikku back to attention with her elbow.
PAINE
(hissing)
Scout from the third balcony up there.
She juts a finger toward an emergency ladder leading to a balcony three tiers up from where they stand.
PAINE
And I'll be down here, working to open the stadium cover for the 'ship. You watch my back.
Rikku's eyes are still fixed on the third tier balcony.
RIKKU
(whining)
The nosebleed section?!
PAINE
Shut up. We need to secure this for Yuna. I'm sure she's nervous about the jump.
RIKKU
(laughs out, but quickly suppresses)
Yunie doesn't fear jumping off anything, believe me. I speak from first-hand experience.
Paine stares at her awkwardly a moment, before turning and dashing into the concert crowds.
Game play again, allowing Rikku to climb to the third tier; this is to give notice to the player that these characters will perform varying out-of-battle functions. When she reaches the top, FMV.
The camera, which starts behind Rikku's left shoulder, ZOOMS FORWARD to the center of the stadium.
There, we see the entertainment side of the machina that supports Luca and the world now. On a bright platform, a woman looking very similar to Yuna stands after completing part of the concert. She wears a red-yellow ensemble, consisting of a frilly shirt, tank top and boots. Red and yellow high lights, as well as makeup, are prominent.
With an upward motion with her hand, white and blue lights blast up around her, and soon enough, she's in blues, purples and whites; she is of the same body design. This transformation cues the beginning of the game's main theme song, with a base guitar solo opening.
CUT TO:
Paine is crouched by a wall. She has cracked a few panels open to expose a console with which she diligently works. The provided WIDE SHOT shows there is a command center above it.
CUT TO:
Rikku is on the third tier still, a hand to the goggles over her eyes. Her fingers periodically toggle a switch on the top of the headpiece as she HUMS to the musc. By this time, "Yuna" has begun to sing.
RIKKU
(humming)
SWITCH TO – RIKKU 1st PERSON
From this view, we are shown that Rikku's goggles are acting as infrared binoculars that she's using to watch Paine's back.
CUT TO:
Paine slices a silver wire and reconnects it to a green one previously sliced. A small grin passes over her lips. She turns to look overhead.
ANGLE ON STADIUM ROOF
The roof has begun to spread open, the exact event Paine was trying to trigger.
PAINE
(off screen)
Got it.
MAN
(also off screen)
Hey, you! What're you doing?!
ANGLE ON PAINE
It's no mystery, as the camera first shows Paine adjusting her sights on the speak, and then it WHIRL-PANS to him, that it's a stadium guard. WHIRL-PANNING back, Paine looks rather unconcerned. At this point, she has her sword in her hands that was previously unseen (as is so traditional in FF games). Her very tiny grin from before darkens before her expression sobers.
PAINE
Playtime.
She charges, bracing the sword on her right shoulder.
CUT TO:
So caught up in Paine's situation because she couldn't warn Paine, when a hand grabs Rikku's shoulder, she lets out a short, if not dramatic, SCREAM—
RIKKU
(shrieks)
--before whirling around and decking the stadium guard that grabbed her right in the nose. He stumbled back, bracing his nose as two more guard join him. Rikku lets out a panicked whine.
RIKKU
(whining)
Oooooh no!
Meanwhile, she slides on two knuckle gauntlets. One seems to glow from heat; the other sparks of electricity.
RIKKU
This isn't good at all!
(whimpers)
Don't make me hurt you!
She wags her finger at them.
ANGLE ON STADIUM GUARDS
Despite the one with the broken nose, the guards don't look concerned.
The camera view SHOOTS OUT past the guards, around past Rikku and then over the crowds of people, who have erupted into intense cheers and are pointing upwards, outside the now open DOME.
The camera continues it's RAPID MOVEMENT to the glowing performance platform, passing several hovering instrumentalists on the way. In a split second, upon the view approach to "Yuna", a thick metal cable crashes into the platform and hooks onto it. "Yuna" takes a few steps back, but manages to keep with her song.
ANGLE UP ON CABLE
The camera view slides upwards, towards the Al Bhed airship we all remember from FFX, where the cable is connected.
CUT TO:
EXTERIOR: LUCA STADIUM
A better, brief view of the airship over the open stadium.
CUT TO:
INTERIOR/EXTERIOR: AIRSHIP CABLE
As the camera returns to the cable, a figure joined to the cable blurs past.
ANGLE ON FIGURE
It's Yuna. She has on a black harness that's hooked to the cable as she drops at full speed. One hand clutches a metal device that is connected to the cord—it's a clamp to help her slow down and keep from hurting herself on the cord. The other hand clutches what appears to be a summon staff, minus the traditional ornamental decoration at the top. (Think: decorated bo staff.)
This isn't the Yuna we remember from FFX, or from the earlier flashbacks. She now wears a white, short sleeved blouse that buttons up to just under her breasts. Under that is a form-fitting deep pink top. This white-pink scheme is consistent through her full wardrobe (save the black boots and waist gunholsters). She has on shorts, and a ruffle waist wrap that drapes to her left, possibly to her ankle.
CUT TO:
Rikku, whom we can only see the upper half of at this point, is hopping up and down as she watches Yuna's descent.
RIKKU
WOOHOO! Make that witch pay, Yunie!!
The camera SCALES OUT to show Rikku is actually sitting on a heap of guards, all of whom are unconscious.
CUT TO:
Paine is also watching, her foot resting atop the chest of an unconscious guard. She mutters to herself as she watches.
PAINE
(muttering)
That's right, just as you practiced…
CUT TO:
Yuna clamps her hand around the cable break. Sparks fly as it slows her down considerably. When she's able to, she releases the harness and drops from the cable, to the performance platform. She twirls the summon staff and tucks it under an arm, and behind her back, going into a bo-fighting stance. She holds out her free left hand towards "Yuna".
YUNA
Give it back, Leblanc!
"Yuna" doesn't respond. She simply continuous her performance; she acts like this is all part of the act. Aggravated, Yuna takes a step towards her.
YUNA
(aggravated)
It's my sphere, so give it back!
With another step, the platform CRACKS.
ANGLE ON CABLE HOOK ON PLATFORM
Here we see that the cord's hook has created too much damage to the hovering platform. The stress is causing it to start to break.
ANGLE ON ALL PERSONS ON PLATFORM
Yuna lunges forward regardless and grabs a circular pendant around "Yuna's" neck and yanks. As it breaks, a blue light blasts around "Yuna", and soon her true form is exposed: we now see blonde whack-job, LEBLANC.
CUT TO:
A WIDE VIEW of the stage and surrounding audience.
The platform is twisting and bending, about to fall. Dancers on the platform bail by leaping to safety on the hovering instrumentalists' machina. The people in the audience begin to SCREAM in terror. By now, the platform's lights have died.
CLOSE IN ON PLATFORM
LeBlanc looks ready to bail herself. But of course not before she has her say.
LEBLANC
See what you did, you prissy nut?!
YUNA
What?! You took my sphere—impersonated me! We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you!
LEBLANC
And they say I talk a lot!
CLOSE IN on Yuna's ear, where an earpiece like the one Rikku has is. This time, Rikku is the one speaking in the hindered radio-sound.
RIKKU
Less talk and more high tailing, Yunie!!!!
Yuna waves her hands at LeBlanc as if to dismiss her. She turns and runs for the cable, but just before she can reach it, the platform shatters under her. Yuna lets out a YELP as she falls clear through.
YUNA
(yelps)
CUT TO:
Rikku has made her way to Paine. When they witness Yuna falling through before the platform falls with her, Rikku SCREAMS out in shock.
RIKKU
(cries out)
YUNIE!!!
Paine's face is stern and somber.
PAINE
Back to the airship.
RIKKU
Whaaat?! But—But Yunie—
Paine watches LeBlanc bailing from the last piece of platform before it crashes down into the darkness below.
PAINE
All that rubble will surely knock out the power down below. It'll be dark and dangerous. Back to the ship. We need equipment.
RIKKU
Oooooh…
(worried)
Okay… B-But—
PAINE
No questions. Lets go.
CUT TO:
INTERIOR: LUCA STADIUM LOWER LEVELS
The lower levels of Luca Stadium are disastrous after all of the platform crashing into them, along with anything else the rubble knocked loose along the way. Some things SPARK, SMOKE or SMOLDER.
Over in a clearing of the material chaos, Yuna lays in a heap. She MOANS as she comes to and sits up.
YUNA
(tired moan)
Yuna looks around and winces as she feels a cut on her forehead spread a little from facial movements. She wipes a bit of the blood off her forehead before struggling to her feet. She looks upwards.
ANGLING WITH her eyes, one can see, in deep shadows, just vague outlines of the dangers she passed as she fell—catwalks, tubes, Blitzball spherepool machina.
YUNA – INTERNAL
How in the world did I survive that…?
She drops her head and glances around the dark area she stands in. It's hard to see anything at all.
YUNA – INTERNAL
No use in just standing here. Rikku'll be worried, so will Brother. My radio frequency won't work this low down. Guess it's off I go…
Enter first real mainstream game play, YUNA-SOLO.