Final Fantasy

From the darkness above the city, smoke-like tendrils descended. It looked, to those who saw it, like the Lifestream, but corroded and evil. The people in Edge looked up and took notice of this new danger. Elsewhere in Edge, Bora and Luhan watched from the window of the apartment above Hyorin's bar. Luhan raised a hand to his forehead, as pain surged through the Geostigma infection. Bora looked at him in concern, wishing she could do something to help him. Then suddenly, she felt something... a sense of love and comfort. Something telling her to be brave and not worry, because everything would be alright. Something... or someone... very familiar. "Is it her?" she gasped. Images of the pool in the church, and a familiar figure flashed momentarily before her eyes. *~*~*~*~* In Midgar, Taeyang fought against Daesung tirelessly. He knew he could not lose this battle, for to do so would mean the end of the world. Daesung goaded him at every turn, attacking then retreating as if it were all a game to him. He drove Taeyang into the remains of a crumbling. As their swords clashed, Daesung spoke. "Mmm... Where did you find this strength?" "I'm not about to tell you!" Taeyang declared, throwing him back. He followed after him, finding himself outside on the rooftops once more, but Daesung was nowhere in sight. Suddenly, a massive piece of debris crashed down from higher up on the building heading straight towards him. He had mere second to leap out of the way, and when he turned around, Daesung was there again, sword singing in the air as it came at him. Taeyang only just blocked it in time, but recovered enough to swing mightily, bands of energy ripping the ground to shreds as he brought the blade down. Daesung was too fast to be caught be the attack, though. He dodged easily, taking to the air, and coming to rest on another building opposite the one he'd attacked Taeyang on. Daesung's legendary strength, and two great strokes of the Masamune, cleaved the vast sheet of concrete and sent it tumbling downwards toward Taeyang. Taeyang leapt out of the way, and Daesung attacked in mid-air. "I've thought of a wonderful present for you," Daesung said, egging him on, "Shall I give you despair?" Taeyang didn't answer, only continued his onslaught of blows. In the end, Daesung had the upper hand, and sent Taeyang hurtling downward. But Taeyang was not about to give in. He drove his sword into the wall of a building, halting his decent, and perched on it, trying to anticipate where Daesung's next attack would come from. He didn't have to wait long. High above him, Daesung gazed down at him. "On your knees," he said, "I want you to beg for forgiveness." The topmost portion of the building collapsed then, and Daesung readied himself, already knowing that it was coming, for he'd been the cause of it. The Masamune sliced easily through the concrete, and Daesung vanished into the cloud of debris. Farther down, Taeyang too, prepared for the incoming avalanche. He pressed down on the hilt of his sword, and it separated into two blades. Taking one in each hand, he push off, away from the building in a freefall, as the debris rained down on him, cutting through it as it did so. And suddenly, there was Daesung, blade ready, emerging from the midst of the avalanche. He attacked, and Taeyang parried again and again. The two men landed briefly on piece of the falling rooftop, clashing swords until it tilted to far for either of them to keep their footing. They leapt to the next available surface and then the next and the next, pausing only to find purchase upon the moving battlefield. At last, Taeyang retreated into the cover of the debris, emerging on the other side of the falling mass, and touching down on a rooftop. He staggered, the battle having taken a toll on his strength, but he didn't have long to rest, for Daesung was soon upon him. And so the battle continued, but now Daesung had the upper hand. Taeyang was quickly becoming exhausted. A misstep on Taeyang's part gave Daesung the chance to send him sprawling to the ground. Taeyang struggled to get up, but Daesung was relentless, tossing Taeyang into the air like a rag doll, and slamming him into a vertical slab of concrete. Taeyang gasped in pain as unforgiving steel impaled his shoulder, pinning him to the slab. "Tell me what you cherish most," Daesung demanded, looking down on him. Taeyang grimaced and laid his hand on the blade of the Masamune near his shoulder. "Give me the pleasure of taking it away," said Daesung. In an instant, fury welled up inside of Taeyang. Images... memories... or the people he cared about, the people he loved, filled his mind, and he found a new strength. He seized the blade that impaled him and pulled it out, much to Daesung's surprise, planting it firmly back in the slab once he was clear of it. In an instant, he was on his feet again, ready to continue. Daesung yanked the blade from the stone, and readied himself once more. "I pity you," Taeyang said calmly, "You just don't get it at all." Daesung snorted in contempt and charged. The two men launched themselves into the air. "There's not a thing I don't cherish!" Taeyang shouted, and raised his sword. The weapon took on a powerful glow, and separated into it's component blades, each of which took up a position hovering around Daesung. Taeyang struck with the blade that still remained him his hand, rocketing past Daesung and seizing the next sword. This, too, he thrust into Daesung, moving past him again, and taking up the next blade. Over and over, he pummeled him, until the last blow from the last sword had made contact. Taeyang landed on the rooftop below, the swords raining down in a circle around him and lodging firmly in the concrete. The final one he caught himself. "Stay where you belong," he said, looking up at Daesung, "In my memories." Daesung gazed down at him, knowing he had lost. A single black wing extended from his back. "I will never be a memory," he replied coldly, and wrapped the wing around his body. The wing disintegrated, and when it was gone, so was Daesung. In his place, was the form of GD. Abandoned by Daesung, he fell to Taeyang's level, weakened and injured. He staggered to his feet, and made one last attempt against Taeyang, but he simply didn't have the strength. He stumbled, and fell into Taeyang's arms. On instinct, Taeyang held him as he lay dying. "Brother..." G Dragon moaned. Taeyang looked down at him, in pity. 'GD?' Soyou' voice spoke, though only the dying man could hear it. He looked up as a gentle rain began to fall. 'You don't have to fight any longer,' the voice told him. "Mother?" GD asked, "Is that you?" 'Everyone's waiting,' she said, 'If you're ready...' G Dragon nodded, and lifted a hand to the sky, wrapping his fingers around and invisible outstretched hand. His body vanished in a flurry of life energy, as he at last returned to the planet.

Notes

Thanks to ffrepublic!