Fintan's Story: His Vow

Finale: VS Aodh

| Prologue/Introduction | | Table of Contents | Profiles | Non-Gamer Primer |

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Open on Grand Festival Hub

Fintan, Ciara, and Eamon are standing together.

Ciara: Fintan, you seem different today. 

Fintan: In what way?

Ciara: You remind me of your old self. You’re about to face Aodh, but you seem calm. Not filled with anger.

Eamon: I was wondering if that was just me. But, I have to ask to something.

Eamon: It’s being kept quiet, but my sources tell me a known bandit was killed here last night, likely by a Lunan sword. Was that…

Fintan: He wouldn’t have been the first person like that I’ve killed since I lost the throne, but it wasn’t me. Though I think I can find better solutions to dealing with the likes of that than reducing them all to ash now, even without the crown.

Eamon: So, that was you. The lone merciless swordsman people spoke of. Before I came here I didn’t think it could be you.

Fintan: It didn’t feel like me. After the Bloody Day, life felt like an endless nightmare, fluid and unreal. It feels as though I’ve woken up for the first time in years. 

Fintan: I had a vision last night that made me realize some important things. And I’m going to make Aodh realize them too.

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Exploration Start

Up next is the final battle, so there’s nothing bothering to get in your way now. But you have some optional last conversations, and of course can take as much time to practice as you want.

Eamon: That vision you mentioned last night, what was it?

Fintan: It was your father. 

Eamon: I thought so. You weren’t the only one to see him that night, and that cut on the bandit looked familiar. 

Eamon: What are you planning on doing after this? The day you were fighting for is here.

Fintan: It depends on what happens. And I’m sure I know what that will be now. I won’t return to Lunis immediately, but I can’t avoid it. And I don’t want to abandon you again. 

Eamon: I’d gladly receive you as a guest,

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Ciara: I don’t know who to root for now that it’s down to you and Aodh.

Fintan: You don’t need to pick a side.

Ciara: After everything you really are back to normal. I’m relieved. 

Fintan: That’s… fair. I did act unkindly to you. I’m sorry.

Ciara: I’m just grateful we can talk again. Things can’t go back to how they were on your pilgrimage, I know that. But we don’t have to abandon everything from the past, like our friendship.

Fintan: The three of us will always carry the memories of those days.

Ciara: Whatever you do next, you know you can find me at Nisha’s library. Of course I wouldn’t complain about another journey sometime.

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Walakea: You’ve truly accepted it now.

Fintan: What do you mean?

Walakea: Before you had the look of someone who merely wasn’t dead. Now you look alive, like a proper immortal.

Fintan: And it’s time I start viewing the future like an immortal too.

Walakea: I take it you have plans. But will he accept them?

Fintan: We’ll see.

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Exploration End

Transition to the Arena

Fintan and Aodh stand at opposite ends of the screen.

Aodh: Fintan, I’m not running away anymore. After all this time, I finally learned to use more than brute force. That’s why I came here.

Aodh: I’ll never forget or be forgiven for the Bloody Day, and I don’t deserve to. Once I’m finished here, I’ll return to the mountains in isolation and never make trouble for anyone again. There’s nothing more I can do.

Fintan: If you truly want to show you’ve mastered your power, face me in your true form.

Aodh: It’s too dangerous. No, if this is what it takes to make things right.

Aodh transforms in a flash of light. 

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Battle Start

This is not a normal battle between fighters, this is a full on boss battle. In his dragon form Aodh takes up a good chunk of the stage and suffers no hitstun from attacks. On the other hand, he has only a small selection of attacks that all leave him wide open if you know how to get around them.

Attack 1: Aodh sends out three large fireballs that can be jumped over. The first and last fireballs are closest to the ground, but the second is up high enough to catch careless jumps. You want to move forward around them so you can make the most of the opening afterwards, blocking them will push you to the edge and make it hard to get close enough in time.

Attack 2: Parts of the ground light on fire, dealing damage if you step in it. 

Once Aodh is down to half health, he will combine the first two attacks, meaning you need to navigate the fire on the ground and the fireballs at the same time. Sometimes you might need to do a quick step or run in the other direction to make sure you don’t land in fire after jumping over a fireball.

Attack 3: A basic yet fast claw swipe, has noticeable build up but can still catch you off guard. Block this and you’ll be able to retaliate

Attack 4: First Aodh rises up into the air, then he flies across the screen, lands at the other end of the stage, and turns around. This cannot be blocked, but it’s more about him moving around the stage then attacking, just don’t jump when you see him take off. 

While this all sounds simple, the damage you suffer from a mistake is high, so you might lose the first few attempts where you’re still getting a feel for what’s going on. But once you learn the patterns it’s a simple matter to stay on top of things and bring Aodh down.

Battle End

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Aodh remains in his true form. 

Fintan: So, it’s over now. 

Fintan: I wanted to hate you ever since the Bloody Day, I told myself I did. It was easier than the alternative, simpler. And I didn’t want to forget that day, I was terrified I’d forget my sons, that I’d forget Doran. Pain kept the memory fresh.

Fintan: But, maybe I don’t need pain and anger to remember. You remember them too, and so does Ciara and Eamon. And you were in pain too. I knew full well you were terrified of being alone, exactly where I left you. I’m sorry.

Aodh: You shouldn’t apologize to me. I was selfish. All I thought about was how other people made me feel, not how they felt.

Fintan: I should have noticed your own feelings. All this time I took you for granted. I was so focused on being a good king I couldn’t be anything else, you saw that when nobody else did. 

Fintan: But enough about the past. You won’t be alone any longer. We can go anywhere together.

Aodh: Even after everything that’s happened, why? How can you still stand me?

Fintan: Because there’s something you said that I never responded to. And I’m finally ready to answer.

Fintan: I love you.

Story END

Boss Battle Mode unlocked: challenge powerful enemies.

True Form Aodh can now be fought in Boss Battle Mode.

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Note from the Author: This whole project started as an epilogue to the still yet to be published story of Aodh and Fintan, so it’s nice to have both sides of that done now. It would have been fitting to post this on Valentine’s Day, but three days of posts in a row would be a bit much.

With the completion of this story, Battles Beneath the Stars is now 50% complete, seven stories written, seven stories yet to come. As usual there will be a poll to determine whose story exactly comes next, which will be posted two weeks from now.

Any feedback on the work or sharing it amongst friends is appreciated.

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| Prologue/Introduction | Table of Contents | Profiles | Non-Gamer Primer |