FFX - Script - Village of the Cactuars
The following chronicles the entire "Village of the Cactuars" subquest/mini-game on Bikanel Island, which you can do once you obtain the Airship towards the end of the game.
[Head to the eastern side of Sanubia Desert - West, and you'll see a stone with an image of a Cactuar on it. In the background is an area with cactuses; a fierce sandstorm protects the entrances to there. When you approach the rock...]
"There's writing on the stone."
= Song of the Gatekeeper =
"10 little gatekeepers play in the sand."
"Tomay's gone. Gone to fetch the water."
"Be back soon."
Village of the Cactuars
-Using spheres to control the sands, the Cactuars defend their village. They are the Gatekeepers."
-Present all 10 of the spheres they bear to the stone altar, and the way to the village will open."
[Tomay's at the water near the start. Approach it]
Tomay
-Duties: Fetching water. Takes his time and, as a result, is often left behind.
-A little dim.
[A little tutorial on what's coming up]
Way of the Gatekeepers I
-It may look like fun and games, but the Gatekeepers are a proud race of warriors.
-While they dislike combat, they will turn and face any enemy that takes their back.
Way of the Gatekeepers II
-Should you fail to sneak up on them they will realize they have over-estimated their enemy and depart in disgust.
Way of the Gatekeepers III
-Sneak up on cactuars when their backs are turned to confront them. It's better that way, believe me.
[You get 3 chances to sneak up on Tomay. Succeed, and get Tomay's sphere! Fail, and get the Sphere del Perdedor!]
Spheres
-Fail to catch the gatekeeper unaware, and you'll obtain the Sphere del Perdedor!
-Best the gatekeeper and obtain his personalized sphere!
-Collect lots of spheres to receive an award at the village.
[Return to the stone altar and place the sphere in it]
"Writing appears when the sphere is set into the stone!"
"9 little gatekeepers play in the sand."
"Rovivea's gone walkabout."
"Be back soon."
[Rovivea's moving in circles around a treasure chest on the western side of Sanubia Desert - East]
Rovivea
-Has no patience for certain dim-witted friends.
-Not a progressive thinker.
[Another game of sneaking. Win, and get Rovivea's sphere, lose and you get the Sphere del Perdedor. Return to the stone altar and put it in]
"Writing appears when the sphere is set into the stone!"
"8 little gatekeepers play in the sand."
"Little Chava likes big numbers."
"Be back soon."
[Head over to the near the start of Sanubia Desert - West, and the sign in Al Bhed that says "20% Off All Travel Agency Goods!". Chava shouts "20!" and appears]
Chava
-Recently learned to count to 50.
-A little needy.
-Attention deficit.
[Another game of sneaking. Beat him, and get Chava's sphere; lose and get the Sphere del Perdedor. Return to the stone altar and put it in]
"Writing appears when the sphere is set into the stone!"
"7 little gatekeepers play in the sand."
"Alek and Aloja play tag in the ruins of men."
"Be back soon."
[Head over to the upper-left side of Sanubia Desert - Central. Big buildings, destroyed and submerged in sand, are there. Two Cactuars are moving back and forth]
Alek and Aloja
-Two brothers, rarely separated
-They move as one, their closeness a paragon of brother.
[Another game of sneaking, vs. the two of them. They turn at exactly the same time, so no worries. If you succeed, you need to fight both of them, though. Win, and get the Alek and Aloja's sphere; lose and get the Sphere del Perdedor. Return to the stone altar and put the sphere in it]
"Writing appears when the sphere is set into the stone!"
"5 little gatekeepers play in the sand."
"Vachella seeks the shining blue."
"Be back soon."
[Head to the save point in Sanubia Desert - East. Save your game; after you're done saving, Vachella will appear!]
Vachella
-Loves new things.
-Hard on others, easy on self.
-Stingy.
[Time for another game with Vachella. Vachella turns OFTEN, so be careful. Win to get Vachella's Sphere; lose to get the Sphere del Perdedor]
"Writing appears when the sphere is set into the stone!"
"4 little gatekeepers play in the sand."
"O, Robeya's stuck inside."
"Be back soon."
[Check the far west side of Sanubia Desert - Central, southwest of the save point. A chest will be there; whether you opened it before or not, it'll be there. Open it and the Cactuar, Robeya, will be sitting there]
Robeya
-A real needle brain.
-Likes cramped spaces.
-Check out his great collection!
[Another sneaking game with Robeya, except this time, there's 3 treasure chests that can be opened! They contain a Shining Gem, two Shadow Gems, and a Blessed Gem. Beat Robeya to get Robeya's sphere; lose and get the Sphere del Perdedor. Return to the stone altar and put it in]
"Writing appears when the sphere is set into the stone!"
"3 little gatekeepers play in the sand."
"A fiery inscription--The lord of the hole is gone. Isrra thinks."
"Be back soon."
[Leave the Sanubia Desert - West screen and return. Check the quicksand whirlpool on the left to find Isrra running in circles inside it]
Isrra
-The philosopher about town. Today, he digs holes. Again.
-A cautious sort.
[Another sneaking game, vs. Isrra. When he turns around, he stays turned around for LONG periods of time. So, it's important to get as close to him as much as possible before he turns. You'll either get Isrra's sphere or the Sphere del Perdedor; whichever one you get, return to the stone altar and put it in]
"Writing appears when the sphere is set into the stone!"
"2 little gatekeepers play in the sand."
"Much curious Elio has left on a journey."
"Be back soon."
[Return to the save sphere at the Oasis. Elio will be standing there, and suddenly vanish. A shot of the airship, flying above, is shown. Use the save sphere to board the airship, and go to the deck. Elio will be standing on the edge, looking outward. He'll turn around and see that Tidus is there]
Elio
-To see what lies beyond the sands, he travels far to distant lands.
-Hyper-reactive and a bad poet.
[Another sneaking game. Boy, they weren't joking when they said he was hyper-reactive. He turns around often, as the airship tilts left and right. If you catch him, he slips and falls off of the airship; no battle occurs. He drifts down, and out of sight. You receive his Elio sphere! I presume that, if you fail to reach him in time after 3 chances, you get the Sphere del Perdedor. Anyhow, return to Bikanel Island and to the stone altar, putting whichever sphere you got into it]
"Writing appears when the sphere is set into the stone!"
"1 little gatekeeper plays in the sand."
"Flaile is always behind."
"Be back soon."
[Suddenly, Flaile's head pops up; he's behind Tidus]
Flaile
-The guy you never invite but he always shows up anyway.
-Cheeky.
[The final sneaking game, and perhaps the toughest. When he says "Needletime!" and when he turns around are two entirely different times, so you need to be focused on him as he turns around, rather than when he says "Needletime!". Definitely the trickiest one. Defeat him and get Flaile's sphere; lose and get the Sphere del Perdedor. Turn around and put it in the stone altar. Note that Flaile's sphere is red, instead of green like the other ones]
"Writing appears when the sphere is set into the stone!"
[A different-angled close-up of the stone altar is shown. The green spheres, glowing, surround the Cactuar image, while the red sphere is placed in the Cactuar image's mouth]
"There's writing on the stone."
"10 little gatekeepers play in the sand."
"Tomay's gone. Gone to fetch the water."
"Gone for good."
[A sphere stops glowing]
"9 little gatekeepers play in the sand."
"Rovivea's gone walkabout."
"Gone for good."
[A sphere stops glowing]
"8 little gatekeepers play in the sand."
"Little Chava likes big numbers."
"Gone for good."
[A sphere stops glowing]
"7 little gatekeepers play in the sand."
"Alex and Aloja play tag in the ruins of men."
"Gone for good."
[2 spheres stop glowing]
"5 little gatekeepers play in the sand."
"Vachella seeks the shining blue."
"Gone for good."
[A sphere stops glowing]
"4 little gatekeepers play in the sand."
"O, Robeya's stuck inside."
"Gone for good."
[A sphere stops glowing]
"2 little gatekeepers play in the sand."
"Much-curious Elio has left on a journey."
"Gone for good."
[A sphere stops glowing]
"1 little gatekeeper plays in the sand."
"Flaile is always behind."
"Gone for good."
[The red sphere stops glowing; nothing else is glowing]
"10 little gatekeepers play in the sand."
"Nobody's here. The sand is gone."
[The camera angle turns back to normal; the wild sandstorm to the Village of the Cactuars is gone! Now you can go in there, have lots of Cactuar random battles, get the Mercury Sigil, and receive a special prize depending on how many Gatekeeper spheres you got]