"Final Fantasy X: The Final Fight for Spira"

Part 4: "Kilika: Challenges Begin"

The Celsius -- Between Besaid Island and Kilika Port

It was only a small distance between Besaid and Kilika -- in fact, just enough for Brother to call for and hold a strategy session.

Brother: "We're in super doo-doo!"

Brother was in one of his usual panics.

Paine: "You said that. What's up, fearless leader?"

Shinra: "A significant energy flux was seen over Kilika Port. Another was witnessed over Kilika Woods. And the largest one appeared to be right at Kilika Temple."

Tidus: "So what are we waiting for? Let's get to the temple!!"

Yuna: "Not so fast! The port town is in trouble. Let's secure that first!!"

Kilika Port

Yuna wasn't kidding.

The summoners were sending fiends left and right to destroy Kilika Port in one fell swoop, as Sin had the first time Yuna had shown up.

Just as the Celsius found a spot to safely land and the party got to the port, Dona met them.

Dona: "You took your sweet time."

Yuna: "Sorry, Dona."

"How's it going?"

Dona: "Not well. Barthello and the others are doing what they can. Clear this place, so we can check for damage."

Tidus: "Leave it to us."

And, with that, the seven set off. There was no time to lose.

But it was immediately apparent that something was wrong.

Shinra had to try to repair the Dark Knight sphere after its use in Besaid, and Wakka was getting tired from having to continue to fight on what was becoming a very long day.

Paine was now reduced to the role of healer, and Kimhari had to lance as many as he could find, gaining some of the abilities of the fallen.

Leave it to Rikku, though, who was known to steal various materials and craft them into weapons of mass fiend destruction.

What she didn't get was dispatched by Yuna and her new friend Valefor.

Cheers erupted from the Kilika citizens as they saw the High Summoner Yuna in her familiar trappings of summoning the aeon of wind and sound, Valefor.

Tidus was also helping out where he could. Many of the fiends, though, were water elementals, so Lulu had to take care of what he could not.

The seven battled their way through the port town and began to turn the tide in favor of the citizens of Kilika, as they were finally able to eject the last of the fiends out of the city.

Once the forces of Kilika were finally able to close the gates, the party slumped.

Tidus: "What is going on? It was a lot easier in Besaid."

Lulu: "The forces of Dark Yevon aren't playing around."

Paine: "What, you expected us to be allowed to walk right to Major Numerous' door?"

Rikku: "No, but it was good to see Valefor on our side again."

Yuna: "And it felt good. An old friend is back where it belongs!"

Kimhari: "Kimhari glad to see Yuna happy."

Yuna: "Thank you, Kimhari. It was so hard to lose them."

Paine: "Why? You had your other friends…"

Yuna: "I know. But these were my friends too, and, as I said when you and Rikku helped me fight Vegnagun, I lost them, and felt I lost in order to win."

Yuna then looked around to take stock of the situation.

Wakka was still out of breath. Yep, out of shape. Especially with the speed of some of these wolves, he was tossing the ball around…

Wakka: "Hey, can we rest??"

Yuna held up a hand to check with the forces at the gate. It sounded like she was going to have to check to see if the gate was secure, and could keep the port town safe so they could rest.

It turned out everything was secure, as the fiends appeared to be retreating from the town.

The crowd cheered as the forces of Kilika were able to station themselves in the town, so that people could repair the damage.

Barthello appeared the happiest of all. He and Dona embraced upon reunion, if you can believe that!

Rikku beamed: "See, I knew she cared about him."

Paine replied: "Seriously!"

The town quickly prepared a place for the party to rest -- while all planned their next move.

Two Days Later…

Surprisingly, it appeared as if Kilika Island was in a degree of peace. It appeared as if Dark Yevon was awaiting the party's next move, as the walls of Kilika Port held and allowed the party to rest.

Tidus: "So, we have to bust in and defeat Dark Ifrit now, right?"

Paine: "I don't think it's going to be that easy."

Rikku: "Why not?"

Brother: "It appears as if the fiends have all retreated to the inside of Kilika Temple."

Shinra: "Repairs on the sphere are complete. However, the Trainer sphere now needs repair."

Paine: "Why are the spheres breaking now?"

Shinra: "I'm just a kid."

Rikku giggled and said: "Figures."

Kimhari: "Kimhari sense a surprise waiting for us in the woods."

Wakka: "And we know that Kimhari's 'sense' is usually eerily correct."

Lulu: "So we proceed -- but with caution, everyone…"

At that, the group exited and bought supplies from the town merchants (they'd have been given them, but the rebuilding of a fair degree of damage of the port town required payment for the supplies).

With a great cheer, the denizens of Kilika thanked the group by presenting Paine with something she gave them after the assault on Yamadoki Tower: The Kilika Festival Sphere.

Paine thanked the crowd, and the seven went off into…

Kilika Woods

It was quiet again. Monkeys and birds chirped in the trees, but, other than that, all was quiet.

Too quiet.

But that didn't stop Rikku from charging forward…

Only to get caught in the center by a Lord Ochu. She came back with a snap of one of the tentacles of the great plant. She was either knocked out or dead, but they didn't know which.

Yuna (after a Phoenix Down): "Don't rush in like that!!"

Rikku (dazed): "Huh?? Wha happened??"

Lulu: "You gave it the initiative…"

Kimhari: "Kimhari smell something…"

Wakka: "Son of a shoopuf!! It's poisoned the entire field."

Wakka was right, as they all felt queasy, so they had to fire potions off in all directions, especially to Rikku, to keep everyone alive.

Finally, Paine said: "Enough of this!! Yuna, with me!!"

Yuna: "Got it. Keep everyone safe 'til we get back."

So, as the third Gullwing sat and recuperated, the two went forward and revealed their game plan to each other.

Paine: "I distract it, and you get your 'friend' to blast it!"

Yuna: "Right!!"

Paine set up the Festivalgoer sphere she received while Yuna began to summon Valefor. Paine set off a spectacular set of fireworks to keep the Ochu busy, and hurt it marginally.

Then, she got out of the way as Valefor flew into the field. About the only entity immune to the poisoning of the center of Kilika Wood, Valefor reared back and threw it's Energy Ray, literally vaporizing the Lord Ochu with a line of energy which did the boss massive damage.

As the pyreflies dissipated, so did the poison over and around the center of the wood. It was immediately agreed that the entire party should retreat back to Kilika Port for a night of rest and to recoup their supplies before continuing the assault on Kilika Temple.

The Next Day

Lulu: "And that's why I said 'with caution', Rikku!!"

Lulu was scolding Rikku, and so was Paine.

Paine: "Yes, you cost us only one Phoenix Down, but a number of potions and antidotes needed to be put around the party as well, since you gave the Lord Ochu initiative."

Rikku: "Aw poopy…"

Wakka: "It's all right. We're safe, and we're ready to go to the temple today."

Kimhari: "We had better start now. Kimhari sense they are going to have obstacles for us to surmount."

Tidus: "So, what are we waiting for??"

Dona (walking in): "Barthello and some of the others to check to see if everything is all right, at least to the foot of the Pilgrimage Steps. Follow them and watch for any other fiends in the woods."

Yuna: "Got it! Let's go."

Kilika Woods: The Pilgrimage Steps

As it turned out, Kilika Woods was now clean as a whistle.

That is, until they got as far as Barthello and his crew were willing to go.

So, the party sat at the foot of the Kilika Pilgrimage Steps.

Lulu and Paine were jokingly holding back Rikku, but there was one serious overtone:

Lulu and Paine reminded all that there was something at the top waiting for them on both trips through the Kilika Woods -- a Sinspawn during the fight for the Eternal Calm, and a mech sent from the New Yevon protectors of the Kilika Temple during the beginnings of the fight to save Spira from Vegnagun.

So the group, weapons drawn, walked up the steps slowly. Yuna, Tidus, and Kimhari were in the front. The rest stood behind them, with Wakka taking up the rear.

And they were not disappointed. In fact, the skies darkened as another Dark Yevon Summoner came forward.

Dark Yevon Summoner: "You've allowed us to prepare too long, fools. We are ready for you, and we are ready to kill you, even as you have taken one fayth for your own."

At that, Wakka knocked him out with one shot. But, then, an unsent summoner replaced it.

Unsent Dark Yevon Summoner: "You are truly a fool. We do not fear our death, yours, or that of the entire breadth of Spira."

"But we are ready for you. Should you pass the trial in the temple, you will roast truly in the fires of Hell itself."

And the unsent summoner quickly strode up the stairs, and a Defender replaced him.

Or, at least he was going to, when Tidus came down and repeatedly slashed him and flipped into the air, taking the ball from Lulu, nailed the Defender into a mass of mech-debris.

They quickly ran up the stairs and went through the temple grounds to the door of the temple. They quickly opened it, and saw another set of symbols.

Kilika Temple -- The Second Dark Trial

THE SUMMONER MUST CHOOSE TWO OTHERS

Wakka and Paine felt queasy and immediately walked out for "air".

Paine: "Two others, guys… It's down to Kimhari, Tidus, Rikku, and Lulu, guys…"

Rikku: "My turn. I want to redeem myself!!"

Yuna: "OK, Rikku. I have faith in you."

Paine: "That is very good to hear, Yuna."

Paine hugged Rikku as she prepared to go in.

Lulu: "I saw a lot of elementals in the area. I think I had better go."

Tidus: "Fine. Kimhari, let's watch the door…"

So, this time, Rikku and Lulu went into the Trial with Yuna.

And it was good for Lulu to go in. Stronger elementals and magic-based monsters awaited them this time. Blizzard-type spells went all over the place, especially to the walls of flame which obstructed the group's progress through the temple this time.

Fortunately for Lulu, Rikku was able to steal a number of Ethers to aid Lulu in regenerating lost magic points.

Lulu: "I thought these guys were reserved for the Thunder Plains, with thunder magic!!"

Yuna: "Well, Dark Yevon has formed similar fire ones, I guess…"

Rikku: "Less talk, more fight!!!"

And it was time for "more fight", as they reached the last room before their confrontation with Dark Ifrit. As before, they had to surmount a floor of flames, but, unlike the others before them, they couldn't just Blizzard the flames away.

So, Rikku cooked up a little something…

Rikku: "Guys, get out of the room. I'm going to try to create a vacuum…"

Lulu: "Just what are you doing??"

Rikku: "Gravity magic with a couple Dark Matters I stashed away…"

Yuna: "Why didn't you tell us this??"

Lulu: "Too early in the game. C'mon, Yuna…"

Sure enough, Rikku set her combination into motion and sprinted out the door just in time before the whole room appeared to collapse upon itself. When everything appeared to right itself, they opened the door.

And, sure as rain, the flames were out -- snuffed out by a lack of oxygen created by a gravity-magic vacuum.

With that, the Trials door opened and in came the rest of the group.

It was now time to face Dark Ifrit.

The Battle of Dark Ifrit

Of course, the flames that the three ladies felt were nothing compared to the "welcome" Dark Ifrit gave them. It floored the three ladies as soon as they came into the door. It knocked out Lulu, so Tidus tried to throw her a Phoenix Down.

The problem was that the Dark Yevon Summoner had sealed off the others.

Dark Yevon Summoner: "Only three may challenge at a time."

But that allowed Rikku to mix a healing concoction that not only healed the three, but revived Lulu.

So Yuna had to call in Valefor.

Now, fayth vs. fayth.

Aeon vs. aeon.

And the fight was very short. Although Valefor did some damage to Dark Ifrit, Dark Ifrit was able to Hellfire Valefor right out of the fight.

But this allowed the party to regroup, and Wakka came in and tried to hit the slot machine again.

This time, however, he missed, and was knocked back by a fireball. Not knocked out, but at least knocked down.

Rikku got up and mugged Dark Ifrit. She took some major damage in the counterattack, and the Dark Yevonites liked what they saw.

Yuna changed up with Tidus and Tidus Blitz-Aced Dark Ifrit to one knee. So the aeon prepared another Hellfire to take out the entire party.

Rikku then ordered the entire party out of the room, and took another Dark Matter and mixed it with what she had mugged from Dark Ifrit (what would turn out to be a Tetra Elemental)…

Rikku barely got out in time -- and, even then, it seemed that the entire temple was going to collapse on itself. In fact, it almost did. It took them weeks to repair the damage, but it did basically the trick.

When the party emerged from the antechamber, they saw the dark aeon fall to the ground -- and, as the pyreflies rose from the body, the Dark Yevon Summoner fell to the ground, dead as a doornail. What came out of his body came into Yuna's.

Yuna now had Ifrit as an ally. The party had to flee Kilika Temple quickly, and pretty much had to run all the way back to Kilika Port to keep from the destruction that not only Dark Ifrit, but the fight against him, did.

The party was finally able to catch their breath.