Fipp: And here is the final chapter!
Also, on Friday I managed to beat FFIV on my phone, and only today did I manage to beat each characters individual final bosses in 'Birth by Sleep'.
Redemption of the General
Garland looked around the charred and scarred remains of the Edge of Madness, letting the current situation sink it.
He had always been in the Cycle. Sometime he won. Sometime he lost.
But always-
"Look what popped up."
The sudden voice caught Garland's attention, having him turn around to looked toward Chaos' throne.
Sitting upon the stone throne, was a man dressed in black leather, his hands folded together with his chin resting on them.
Garland knew this man as General Douglas Hein
Hein glared at Garland for several moments, before he stood up and strode to the large knight.
"Seems you ended up in this damned place as well. Such a shame," said Hein, shaking his head. "Whatever the reason you've found yourself here, enjoy yourself." This was part was said with bitterness as he walked past Garland, and down the stairs.
000
Garland walked across the charred land of Chaos' domain, and it was in these lands that he found a counterpart of himself (1), and the Emperor.
He managed to defeat both of them when they came at him.
000
The Redemption of the General 2-5: Another time, another place. The General makes a grand proclamation.
000
"And what ill-fate has brought you here?" Hein asked. "I can tell you had no intention of being here to begin with, but yet you still find yourself in this literal hellhole. But I supposes, that it doesn't matter just how you got here, but that you ended up here, to this place were those who have failed in the Cycle end up here."
As he continued on, Garland faced the Cloud of Darkness, Golbez, and Exdeath.
000
Redemption of the General 3-5: The past cannot be undone, the title was won for one goal, and past tragedies hold heavily on his heart.
000
"Many years ago, I lost everything I held dear, to forces I couldn't hope to combat at the time. Do you know what it's like, people around you, dropping dead for seemingly no reason? Feeling as though something was tearing your very soul from your body?"
Soon to stand in Garland's way was Kefka, Sephiroth, and Ultimecia.
000
Redemption of the General 4-5: The past holds him, strangling him, he does what he believes is right, only to fall into further despair.
000
"It wasn't too long ago that I was engaged in battle. The woman I was to fight seemed so optimistic, even when she learned the truth, knew of her own fate-to-be. She chose to let it happen, and have hope.
"I'm different. I will not just sit around and let others do my work for me. I will work towards my own goal, regardless of costs."
Garland next fought Kuja, Jecht, and Nag'molada.
000
Redemption of the General 5-5: Can there be mercy, even for one's self?
000
"You're almost there. Go."
Garland finished off Vayne, and Dysley, and continued on his way.
000
The large knight stepped forward, entering the throne of Chaos.
Sitting where he first encountered him, was Hein.
"So you make it this far." Hein glared at Garland. "You've made it far, but I'm afraid this is where you stop." Hein then stood up, and drew a pistol from his coat and pointed it at Garland. "Because I mark the end of your journey."
000
"Out of my way, knight," Hein said, lifting his pistol into the air, before pointing it at his opponent.
Garland, dragging his massive weapon behind him, then charged at Hein, but the latter simply began to fire at him, unleashing numerous rounds at the knight, who was forced to stagger beneath the countless bullets.
Seeing Garland preoccupied for the moment, Hein quickly put away the pistol away, only to draw an assault rifle. Instead of shooting it at Garland, he pointed it into the air, and fired off a flare from the muzzle.
The flare, upon reaching a high enough altitude, it exploded, and began to rain down a half-dozen smaller flares on the battlefield, one of which landed on Garland, then exploding when it came into contact with him.
The large knight was tossed into the air, but quickly recomposed himself in the air and swung his sword downward, detaching the blade from the hilt, connected via a chain, having it fly in the same direction. The large blade collided with Hein, sending him into the air, leaving him open for Garland to fly at him, strike him with his sword, having him crash to the stone below.
Garland then rushed down, intending to crush Hein, but the General quickly rolled out of the way, leaving the knight to crash into nothing. When Hein jumped back up and fired the rifle at him, knocking him back, and onto one of the other flares that had landed on the ground from earlier, causing another explosion.
Seeing Garland thrown into the air, Hein raised his arm, before quickly swinging it down, summoning a large laser from above to rain down on Garland, crashing him back to the ground.
But the Knight was quick to jump back up, and split his sword in two, and summoned numerous fiery spikes that flew towards Hein, but the man quickly rolled out of the way, only to be skewered on the lance-form of Garland's sword as he rushed forward, and then to have its hammer-form slammed down on him. He then proceeded to swing around, savagely beating him with its separated form, before knocking him back into one of the invisible walls that surrounded him.
When Hein landed on the ground, he quickly lifted up the rifle and pointed at the charging Garland, but instead of firing bullets, a small cube was fired, and upon hitting Garland, it exploded into a massive mound of thick, green gel which heavily restricted the knight's movements.
Hein, with another signaling another hand sign in the air, summoned one more laser from above, this was in the form of numerous bolts of energy that rained down from the sky and atop Garland.
With this attack, the gel around Garland quickly melted away. He was about to rush forward and begin to counterattack Hein, but the General was in front of the knight, and quickly slashed at him several times with a combat knife he had had in his possession, and skillfully maneuvered behind him, only to shoot in the in the back with the pistol.
Garland managed to quickly recovered from this attack and spun around and heaved his sword, now in its axe-form, and swung down on Hein-
But an bright light shot off of Hein, causing Garland to stumble backward. When he stood back up he saw that Hein was surrounded in a dull-orange shield (2).
Garland made for another swing, but his sword bounced off the shield, and Hein shot him point-blank in the chest, sending him back.
The General then brought out his rifle again and shot at Garland, casting off another gel pack that quickly swallowed the knight. Hein then rushed forward and stabbed at Garland, and sent him into the air, only to shoot at him several times with the pistol.
As soon as Garland hit the ground again, Hein made another hand gesture, having another laser from the sky slice across the field, only violently explode in its wake, catching Garland in the blast.
"This is the end for you!" Hein snapped, shooting at Garland and sending him back.
A holographic screen then appeared in front of him, and carefully, but quickly, he began to press numerous of the interactive buttons. The whole screen then flashed red.
"All systems go." Hein slammed his hand onto the screen, and a massive beam of energy, one that dwarfed the previous ones, fired down from above, and right at Garland.
"You should have yielded."
Hein landed back on the ground, and pointed the rifle at Garland and fired, but Garland swung his sword, creating two large cyclones in front of him, protecting him from the attacks.
Garland then rushed forward and swung upwards, sending Hein into the air, and pointed his weapon at him. The blade then shot forward, tossing him upwards and into the sky. While in the air, Hein pointed his rifle down at Garland, firing down numerous flares that exploded upon impact with the ground.
Then through the smoke, Garland leapt up and swung his sword, striking Hein and sending him to the ground.
With Hein down for the moment, Garland threw his sword forward, water frothing from the blade as it snaked forward.
It then struck Hein, exploding into a geyser.
The shields around the General then shattered away.
000
Hein glared at Garland.
"Just because you win one fight, does not mean you'll win all of them. Just know this, that when it comes down to it, you will most likely fail at what you whished to accomplish, and we may meet utter failure."
He turned around, and began to walk away.
Not even bothering to see where he would go, Garland turned away, and began to way down the stairs.
"But you can't let your loss stop you. It is sometimes, in our grief, in our rage, in our self-loathing, does our resolve become even stronger."
(1) Very little surprised Garland these days.
(2) The same technology used to protect Barrier Cities.
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Mrfipp