Aodh Chapter 6

VS ??: Old Promises

William F. Edwards

Aug 14, 2022

Open on Lunan Throne Room (Infernal Nightmare)

Aodh is at the center of the screen, looking to the left and right.

Aodh: (This dream again. Wait, no, this feels different.)

Doran appears out of nowhere, standing next to Aodh.

Aodh: Doran?

Doran: Aodh, why are you running?

Aodh: I can’t face him. I failed to protect you, and I killed Fintan’s children. Fighting Eamon is too risky.

Doran: Enough with the excuses. This isn’t like you.

Doran: Aodh, I can no longer be by my son’s side, by Fintan’s side, by Ciara’s side. So don’t you dare waste the fact that you can.

Aodh: But, after everything I did…

Doran: It’s your responsibility to make things right. You’re not omnipotent Aodh. My death is the fault of the assassin who killed me, not yours. I died confident you’d guard Fintan and watch over Eamon in my stead.

Doran: Maybe this will knock some sense into you.

Doran draws his sword. Battle music starts.

Aodh: What are you doing? I can’t fight you.

Doran: You don’t have a choice here.

Battle Start

This fight has the gimmick of starting Doran with full meter, which he will immediately use on a super move, so don’t let yourself get caught.

After that Doran is going to do his best to position himself as inconveniently as possible. He’ll fall back when you approach and approach when you try to retreat, and he’s smart enough to get out of the corner once he’s there. Plus he can fire an arrow at you if you’re too far away.

Your next few opponents will use a similar fighting style, so try to get a feel for it here. Focus on baiting out attacks and then punishing them. Fireballs will be important here for trying to maintain control of the battle, you’ll win any projectile collisions.

The stage is simple and you’ve already fought on it before, so you can put all of your focus on Doran until you’ve won.

Battle End

Doran: Now do you see? You defended yourself from me without lethal force. What happened on that blood stained day won’t repeat, so stop letting it control you.

Doran begins to glow

Aodh: What’s going on?

Doran: It looks like my time here is up.

Doran: Aodh, I’m sorry I never got to say farewell. I wish I could have had one more meal cooked by you.

Aodh: Wait! Don’t go!

Doran: Don’t hide yourself away any longer Aodh. You know what you must do.

Doran: Farewell, my friend. My soul will always watch over you from the moon.

Transition to Hollow Mountains

Aodh is lying prone on the floor, he gets up.

Aodh: (Doran, I understand. Guess I’ll have to use telepathy for this.)

Aodh: [Hákon, I’m coming back and finishing tournament.]

Hákon: [I hoped you would, so I was saving your disqualification for the last possible moment. If you hurry you can make it in time.]

Aodh changes to his true form and flies off-screen.

Transition to Grand Festival Hub

Ciara is at the center of the screen. Aodh runs in from the left.

Aodh: I’m back.

Ciara: Aodh, what happened?

Aodh: Doesn’t matter now. I’m here, and I’m not running away again.

Ciara: I had just given up on seeing you again. How can I trust things will be different this time?

Aodh: I’ll show it to you in the arena. Which I need to get to.

Exploration Start

This is the final exploration section, once you talk to Eamon you’ll be thrown into the final two fights of the story. Instead of eavesdropping, you have some optional side conversations. There are no obstacles, just a straight path forward.

Hákon: You know you really caused a scene when you left. Some people have been trying to use it against me and the other tournament organizers, so thanks for coming back.

Aodh: Sorry about that, I was only thinking of myself again.

Hákon: Huh? No comment about how you didn’t do this for me? Can we finally get along?

Aodh: You should already know I didn’t come back for you, so I don’t need to say it. We’re still not friends.

Nisha: I hope you’re not going right back to the mountains after this.

Aodh: No. Well, maybe, but only because I don’t know what I’m doing after the tournament. Not because I’m hiding away from people.

Nisha: If you need a place to stay, there’s room for you at the Forest Library. Fintan also sounded interested in the school when I told him about it.

Aodh: I’ll think about it.

Hyperion: I’m happy you came back. Hiding away from the world isn’t worth it. Though it did help me realize how important being around other people is.

Aodh: Guess I just keep repeating every mistake you made, only worse.

Hyperion: At least now you’ve run out of big ones to repeat.

Aodh: And hopefully I’ll stop making mistakes that get written down as history.

Exploration End

Eamon: Uncle, I was starting to think you wouldn’t come, even after they told me you were.

Aodh: I’m sorry I spent so much time avoiding you. I’m here now though.

Eamon: There were so many things I wanted to yell at you, but now that we’re finally together again, I don’t feel like saying any of them.

Aodh: I probably deserve to hear all of them. Let’s get this tournament out of the way, then we can really talk.

Eamon: Alright then. I’ll show you my strength and my frustration.

Transition to Lunan Throne Room

Aodh and Eamon are at their starting positions for the fight. The throne room looks similar to how it appeared in Aodh’s nightmare, but all the signs of ruin and death are gone. A chandelier hangs above the fighters.

Battle Start

Eamon has the same fighting style as Doran, but all of his attacks are stronger when hit at close range. Getting close won’t be a problem this time, instead the struggle is making space for your own attacks. You want to be more cautious than when facing Doran, your mistakes will cost you more.

This stage has only one difference from its Infernal Nightmare version, a chandelier that damages fighters on contact. Aerial movement is more restricted because of it, but launcher follow ups under the chandelier can add on more damage than they usually get.

Keeping Eamon at a distance will be easier thanks to the chandelier, since it makes jumping over fireballs more difficult. At the same time, it also makes jumping over his arrows more difficult too.

Make use of your experience against Doran and this shouldn’t be too difficult of a fight.

Battle End

Eamon is standing at the part of the stage with the throne behind it, Aodh is to his left.

Aodh: Are you okay? I held back enough, right?

Eamon: I’m fine.

Eamon: You know, this loss might do some damage to me politically, but I’ll gladly pay that price. I missed you.

Aodh: Sorry for forcing you to take up the crown. It’s my fault you have to put up with all that. If you want to get away from it, I’ll make it happen.

Eamon: Being a king isn’t as terrible as you make it sound. I didn’t like it at first, but my family owes a lot to Lunis. I’m proud to be Fintan’s successor, to do my part in creating a peaceful kingdom.

Aodh: I never got what any of you saw in Lunis. Still, as long as you’re king, I’ll protect it. And maybe I can visit your court, without burning someones hair.

Eamon: You could stay there if you want. But for now, I think I need to join the audience. Good luck in the grand finals.

The illusion of the Lunan Throne Room fades away, revealing the Grand Festival Arena. Eamon walks off stage to the right. Fintan walks on stage from the right.

Fintan: Aodh, it’s time.

The arena changes again. It takes the form of the Hollow Mountains, with the same slanted terrain from the scenes on the actual location. The background shows a night sky with a clear view of the full moon. Fintan is standing on the higher ground, Aodh on the lower ground.

Chapter End

Author’s Note

I hope you liked this double feature. Things are looking up for Aodh, but there’s one last thing he needs to do in the finale. I got emotional while writing the scene with Doran, but it’s easy for authors to get that way about their own characters. How did you, the reader, feel while reading this chapter?

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