There was a gentle knocking on the door.
A minute passed.
Bleary eyed, Bellesmith shuffled across the royal suite and opened it. “Mrmmff...” She rubbed a tired eye with her hoof and squinted out into the palace hallway. “Grnnff—yessss?”
A deer in servant garb bowed low. “I'm sorry for the intrusion at so late an hour, Madame, but I have a message.”
“Hmrfff... a message?” Belle squinted.
“Yes. Addressed to... erm...” The servant squirmed slightly. “'Striped Boomer.' I was told to deliver it swiftly at this hour to this location.”
Belle's muzzle hung agape. Blinking, she pivoted towards the center of the room. “Pilatttte?”
“Just a moment, beloved...”
“Is it grasshopper tiara time again?”
“Go back to sleep, Kera.”
“Phweeeee.” (Fwump!)
At last, a blind zebra wandered to the doorframe, feeling around with his hoof. Belle gripped his fetlock and steadied him. “There's a letter for you.”
“Is there, now?” The stallion teetered, his gray eyes staring into nothingness. “From who, pray tell?”
“I... I think it's Floydien, honey.”
Pilate jolted in place. “Mr Floydien?” He reached a hoof out, flailing. “Finally, after all these days, he wishes to communicate?”
“Erm...” Belle snatched the envelope from the deer's hoof and gave it to the zebra. “Much thanks.”
The servant bowed again. “Madame.” Then he took his leave down the hallway.
Belle closed the door while Pilate channeled mana into the O.A.S.I.S. Sphere. “Well?” She shuffled over to his side, fidgeting in anticipation. “What does it say, darling?”
“Just a moment...” Pilate laid the sheet out onto an oaken tabletop and levitated the sphere by his side. “I'm clearing the leylines as we speak.”
“Right. Of c-course.” Belle nevertheless bit her lip.
At last, the sphere flickered a beam of laser-light across the sheet. Pilate's metal brow furrowed, and his lips moved, quietly enunciating the syllables as they flickered through his mind. At last, his ears twitched, and he gasped. “Blessed Spark...!”
“What?” Belle jolted in place. “What is it?”
Slowly, Pilate sighed. “Ohhh, Mr. Floydien...” He bore a bittersweet smile. “...would we expect any less of you?”
Belle squinted quizzically.
Pilate stood at the far end of the lush chamber, his mane still frayed from a hasty awakening. As O.A.S.I.S. scanned the letter in his grasp yet again, he spoke the last few words aloud: “'...and when it comes time to change the shimmer glimmer, Floydien will find a way, for the way is laid open for Floydien and Nancy Jane. Perhaps the sister boomer will understand. Perhaps she won't. Either way, Floydien is Floydien, and Floydien thanks her for finding Floydien. Much thank thanks. End of spit.”
Clearing his throat, the zebra tilted his head up.
“And... and that's all there is. He... uh... he addressed it to you, but he sent it to me first. Perhaps to deliver it... like I am now...”
Arcanista sat on a couch, garbed in bed robes. Mamunia and Jet sat on either side of them, their jaws agape. They turned to gawk at the Duchess.
In the corner of the suite, Constable Jake stood, ever awake and vigilant. The moose's beady eyes blinked. “Sonuvabitch...” His expression hung between a frown and a smirk. “I should have wrangled that bastard down and chained his hooves to the Palace Foundations when I could!”
“This... this is unbelievable!” Mamunia stammered.
“Can you believe it?!” Jet added.
Arcanista gazed forward in dull silence.
“Duchess?” Pilate cocked his head aside. “Your Honor? Did... did you get all that?” Silence. He gulped and murmured, “What are you thinking, Madame Arcanista?”
“... … ...” Slowly, Arcanista smiled. “I'm thinking... that I got a second chance to find my dearest brother. And now...” A shuddering breath; a tear rolled down her cheek. “...he's getting a second chance to find himself too.”
“Want I should chase his magic ass down?” Jake offered. “I'm sure Rainbow's metal friend could curry favor with the space lizards and their metal balls.”
“No...” Arcanista shook her head, sniffling. “No, Constable.” She waved a hoof. “Let Floyd be. After all, life has thrown enough fetters his way.” She wiped her cheek dry and gazed out the window as the faintest hint of dawn light appeared over the mountains. “Whatever he becomes... whatever he's transcended to be... I shall always love him. Only now...” She smiled delicately. “...I have the luxury of realizing that he knows that.”
Floydien blinked into the high winds. He turned and squinted at the Grand Choke, spotting a sliver of bright gold light from beyond.
“I think I finally got the engine purring like a kitten!” Midnite Bastion shouted, bracing herself within the rear cabin's doorframe. “All of the skystone shards are pulsating as one! That's the way it's supposed to work, right?”
“... … ...”
“Uh... Floyd?”
The elk shrugged his shoulders, his limbs loose and light. “Yes yes yesss...” He faced forward. “Charcoal boomer has gotten the glimmer shimmer perfect.”
Midnite climbed forward across the tiny gondola, her dark body clad in thick leathers and furs to ward off the atmospheric chill. “What is it, Floyd? What were you looking at?”
“Floydien never did like the morning sun,” he grunted, flipping several switches of the open cockpit as he gripped the controls before a sparse windshield. “Far too punishing on his eyes.”
Midnite smirked. “Then why did you fly towards it for so long?”
“Because Nancy Jane boomers wanted to teach Floydien new spit, and they did.” He pulled a lever, venting steam. “Now that Nancy Jane has turned around, it's all very swift swift.”
Midnite rested a hoof on Floydien's shoulder. “It will all turn out alright, Floyd,” the mare said. “This is going to be the journey of a lifetime. Somehow, I just know it.”
“Yes yes yesss.” Floydien opened his mouth, lingered, then exhaled. “I know it too.”
Midnite Bastion smiled. She took a moment to nuzzle his shoulder.
“Bah!” Floydien instantly grunted. “The charcoal boomer should buckle herself!”
“Er... right...” She stifled a giggle and strapped into a chair right by his side. “Ready when you are!”
“Very well.” Floydien smirked devilishly, aiming the vessel for the dim west horizon. “Let's see what Nancy is made of...” The tips of his antlers burned like sparkling embers...
In a streak of crimson light, the levitating cylinder accelerated, soaring its way westward with a roar of steam and skystone. It soared out of Val Roan airspace, disappearing instantly, like a red-eyed blink.
“EE?”
“Mmmm...?”
“Did... did you get a wink of sleep?”
“Mmm-mmm...”
“Yeah...” Ebon Mane sighed, his gossamer wings twitching slightly. “...me neither.”
The two stallions laid in bed together. Ebon's petite, chitinous body lay nestled against Eagle Eye's chest, nuzzling his dark cheek against the nape of the unicorn's neck.
Eagle Eye laid back, stroking Ebon's back as he gazed sideways out the window.
“Sun's coming up,” Eagle Eye murmured.
“I know...”
“That means... that m-means we're all going to be saying good bye soon...”
Ebon Mane gulped, the changeling's fangs glistening with the hint of dawnlight. “I know...”
“We'll likely never fall asleep at this point.”
Ebon tilted his head up, glossy eyes blinking. “Want that I should turn into... y'know... something more cuddable?” The metamorph smiled. “I still remember tons from when I tapped into the soul sentries! Perhaps a woolie lamb... or a super fluffy cub!”
“Pfft... Ebon...”
“Oooh! Props is super cuddly! Heehee... she and I used to share the couch in Prowse's shop when it got super chilly in Gray Smoke—”
“Shhhhhh...” Eagle Eye leaned forward and kissed the shell of Ebon's forehead. “Please... stay like this.”
“But... but why?”
“Because it's you...” Eagle Eye stuck a tongue out, then smiled. “And I happen to have this totally crazy crush on you.”
Ebon blinked. With a sigh, he leaned down, nuzzling his muzzle against Eagle's lavender chest. “You're too friggin' good to me...”
“Hard not to be. You're a darn good cook.”
“Heheh...”
“Heeeeee...”
Silence.
Ebon sighed. “Thank you, EE.”
“Hmmm?” Eagle tilted his head up again.
“For... for giving me so much,” Ebon murmured. “Not just for me... but for Mother.”
“Why wouldn't I?”
“I know it's going to be uncomfortable up there in Ether Point.” Ebon gulped. “Who knows how long we'll be there?”
Eagle shrugged. “I'm with you for the long haul, sweetheart. So what's a cold winter honeymoon?”
Ebon Mane giggled, then sighed.
Eagle raised an eyebrow. “Was that a happy titter or a sad one?”
“Mmmm... perhaps both.”
“What for?”
“It's just that... that...”
“Yes?”
Ebon sighed, deflating against Eagle's chest. “No matter how we shake it, we're so pressed for time. We... we really can't afford to do much.”
“Define 'much.'”
“You know...” Ebon sniffled, his porous hooves curling tighter against Eagle's chest. “...the sort of thing that comes before a honeymoon.”
Eagle blinked.
“Err... th-that came out of nowhere, didn't it?” Ebon muttered. “I... I'm sorry. I... I-I shouldn't have blurted it like that.”
Eagle gently tilted Ebon's chin up.
Ebon looked into the stallion's eyes.
“I'm not sorry.” Eagle Eye smiled. “And you know what? I think I just might have a solution in mind.”
Ebon blinked. “You d-do?” Almost instantly, his dragonfly wings fluttered above them. “Like what?”
I was definitely not expecting an update while stuck in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere at ass o'clock in the morning, but hey, I can dig it. Something to read over my coffee and eggs.
Much thank thanks, imploding boomer. End of spit.
Aww, Ebon and EE are so cute together.
A happy ending for Floydien, and a hopeful one for Midnite. I think his arc was done well. Glad to see it was as complicated as he is. I'll miss him. Also, Ebon is now comfortably in his natural form. This pleases me.
Thirty crunches and twenty close-hand push-ups, ):(. Knock 'em out!
So much love, but also so much bittersweet.
I'm gonna miss these glorious idiots.
He spoke in the first person. Neat.
Ride on, Floyd. Make waifu #4 happy.
I. I. IIIIIIIIIIIIIII. Floyd used I. GG game.
Remember Shell? I'm re-reading the series cus wtf not? I'm at Shells good ol' first beating.
Goodbye, Floydien. Good luck on your new journey. Hope to see you again.
Goodbye to you as well, Midnite. It was great seeing you in this story.
5655928
The first thing I thought of when reading your first sentence was "clearly, someone had not had their coffee yet".
I was expecting a cheesy goodbye ceremony. However, In retrospect, such thing would've been ridiculous in Floydien's case.
Still...
i45.tinypic.com/rm5quq.jpg
I already miss him...
Wow, everything's so damn bittersweet right now. It's odd, really, between everyone's emotional goodbyes and Floydien and Midnite zooming off to god knows where one their own adventure and whatnot, it kinda makes you realise that you've connected with these kooky characters.
I mean, we've been following these adventurers for crazy amounts of chapters, and its legitimatly sad seeing ultimatums like this. I read this thing daily, as do a lot of other people I guess, and as sappy as it sounds, these characters have kinda become part of our lives in a small way...
Why do you do this to us, Skirts?
Later, boomers.
5655978
Well, Floyd is flying West. Should meet with a lot of old faces sooner or later. Maybe a swing by at Equestria at the end, eh?
What exactly did Floydien and Midnite (I think it's super cool they're giving each other a chance still) hook the skystone shards up to? It's described as a cylinder.
Also, anypony else notice one of the down votes on this story was either removed or turned into an upvote?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctvq_sCwU-c
And so, the fellowship disbanded.
How can you cut it juuuust before the stallion on changeling action?
I appreciate you leaving out the gay sex. I'm entomophobic.
Floydien says "I", eh? It would not be entirely unlikely for this to be an oversight on the part of the almighty Colon that just so happens to look like a formidable breakthrough in character development. Floydien is Floydien after all, as he has been adamantly enforcing through his recent behaviour. But I doubt it somehow.
So, Floydien is committing the ultimate heresy and flying West. I can just imagine when Rainbow inevitably revisits all of the locations at the end, only to find Floydien has totally trashed them all with exuberant crashing. Or that Bastion has given up on romancing Floydien as a lost cause and shacked up with Gold Petals. Calling it.
Well that's a third of the Jury all wrapped up in one chapter.
5656509 Yeah, if IC's not careful, Rainbow Dash might depart before the end of this book.
These goodbyes are taking a heck of a lot longer then I thought they would. Not that I mind at all really. I hope Floydien and Midnite have the adventure of a lifetime out there.
5656312
Guys, the thing that comes before a honeymoon is THE WEDDING.
5656586
I was talking about the cuddling.
Hot, fuzzy cuddling.
RD should at least stick around for the wedding, and I'm kinda ashamed to admit that my mind went somewhere else entirely before "wedding" clicked
Floydien flies west
Huh, I've never thought about changeling wings being as expressive as pegasi wings. But daaaaahhh, they gon' get married.
A happy ending for Floydien? Check. Nancy Jane flies Floydien and charcoal boomer towards west-sun, yes yes.
A happy ending for Ebon and EE? Check. Chitin as a replacement for fuzz in cuddles? With my entomophobia (fear of insects), I couldn't do that, but points to EE all the same.
Butthole still clenched in preparation for major plot twist? Check.
I'm concerned that the fact that EE is also a changeling is going to blow everything up somehow. It seems too conveniently swept under the rug.
This seems to work... for like, the entire first 3 books.
5656635 Soon we will have the thrilling adventures of West Elk!
We go up, we go down, the emotional roller-coaster has no brakes!
On one hand, it almost leaves a funny taste in my mouth that Floydien would leave without giving Rainbow and the others a proper goodbye. But on the other, if he had given a proper goodbye, it wouldn't've quite been Floydien. Either way, I'm gonna miss that crazy space elk. I hope he isn't too much a stranger.
And it occurs to me: Floydien, as a ship's captain, could've given Eagle and Ebon a quick wedding ceremony, had he not hightailed it westward.
5656169
i.imgur.com/5vMdQZF.png
It's...gonna be a very lonely next book if we're starting the cycle over again.
Not just for Dash, but for us too.
We've gotten so used to the banter and the personal drama that came with the Jury...And it's gonna be gone.
Solitary Dash again.
It's quite sad to think about, but in a way, it's refreshing. They've all reached the pinnacle of their development. there's not really much else they could do without becoming stale or, Celestia forbid, flanderized.
Dash isn't done with her Journey, not by a long shot.
But the others have found their Answer.
-Treachery and deceit, kingdom of conceit Yaerfaerda.
5656169
I get the feeling your ass is gonna end up in Equestria somewhere down the road. Probably keep going, too.
5656423 I want to say I approve of any scenario involving Waifus #1 and #4 together, buuuuuuuuuuut...
Floydien.
5658537 Yeah, and what a wedding that would've been:
Also, these chapters are killing me. Long goodbyes are like removing a knife: The longer you take, the more it hurts!
5659295
Now that you mention it, it's probably for the best that Floydien took off when he did.
5656169
Later, Space Elk.
gah
guh
geh
HNNNNGGGG
suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/10380608/images/1276083444400.jpg
*collapses*
Goodbye floydien. Gonna royally suck that we won't hear from these characters again but on the opposite side of the spectrum I can't wait for new and interesting characters.
Today, on sentences I never would have thought could give me feels.
5658693 You'll carry that weight...
C'mon, Jury! Let me see you grit those teeth!
And now that the world isn't ending (inmediately), Floydien flies away into the night, as Rainbow Dash has done several times.
5656586
As if this story didn't have enough rings already
5656169
You'd better come visit me and 5661346 .
One more star shines in the Ring's sky tonight.
Safe travels, old friend.
5661681 Yes yes yes. Floydien will make the time time.
Well someponies are gonna be getting it on...
I would love to see a spinoff series called "Floyd's Travels"
they should totally go to Equestria
Probably because there wasn't a secret rose there.
Floydien: Equestria or bust!
Yet another final goodbye. But I suppose that's how these things go.
-Spirit