//------------------------------// // 156 - 'Epilogue', Part 2 // Story: Songs of the Spheres // by GMBlackjack //------------------------------// “…And we’re back,” Flagg said, leaning against the wall of his cell. “I asked you what it meant, Walter,” Roland demanded. “Always the same with you…” Flagg shook his head and shrugged. “You saved the Tower. You are to execute it.” “The Tower will fall on its own,” Roland said. “Yes. It will. Do you honestly think it’d let itself go without an appropriate execution?” Flagg laughed. “Of course not! You will be asked to do the honors. And you will accept – because it would happen anyway. And then the Tower will fall as it was meant to.” Roland looked down at his sandalwood revolver. The most narratively potent weapon in existence aside from Black Thirteen itself. Flagg laughed again, amused by Roland’s actions. Jenny had enough of this. She punched him in the face. He didn’t care. “Foolish child…” She punched him again. “I’m blowing off my steam, I don’t care if you feel it or not.” She kicked him a few times, her dress flapping wildly. “Always full of that spice… no matter how much you try to hide it…” Jenny folded her arms. “I am who I am. I do not care if it’s inconsistent. Get the memo.” “You are our polar opposite…” Flagg observed. “The eternal changer… opposed to the eternally unchanged.” He cackled. “You may not change,” Jenny said. “But Roland does. He’s dynamic. He opens up once you get to know him. He’s old, but he learns new tricks. The only thing that doesn’t change about him is that honorable gunslinger’s heart. You’re just a static piece of evil given the form of a man.” “And isn’t it great?” he asked. “I know who I am. But who are you?” Jenny narrowed her eyes. “Let’s go. There’s nothing for us here. Either what he says is true, or it isn’t, and regardless it won’t matter in the end.” She daintily twirled around, made a neck-cutting gesture at Flagg, and walked out. “Is there anything else, gunslinger?” Flagg asked. Roland looked at him. He opened his mouth – then shut it. He turned and walked after Jenny. “Have a nice day~!” Flagg called. Somewhere deep inside of him, he sensed it was the last recorded thing he would ever say. Outside in the streets of the City, Roland stopped Jenny. He kneeled down so he was eye level with her. “You didn’t have to do that.” Jenny folded her arms behind her back. “You were-” “I would have gotten through it eventually. You are trying to remake yourself.” He gestured at her – she sure wasn’t trying to look like a powerful adventurer anymore, not even close. She wanted to change herself to something softer. “You don’t need to go back for my sake.” Jenny looked up at him – and allowed herself to smile. “It’s okay. I’ll get back on the path soon enough. I’ve been through so many transformations in my life, whatever I end up being will be fine.” “But is it what you want?” “Depends on my mood at the time!” She gave him a finger-guns gesture. “Heheh.” She rubbed the back of her head. “Just doing what I could to help a friend.” Roland smirked, quoting an oft-heard phrase from one of their mutual friends. “Yare yare daze…” She giggled. “Look, if you want to help me change, you can… go shopping with me! Yes!” She pointed at a shop window. “I should get some absolutely ridiculous and gaudy earrings and you can help me judge them.” Roland fell silent. “I’ll probably get whatever you think is the worst. How’s that sound?” Roland pulled his hat down and shook his head. “Lead the way, Jenny of the Red Gloves.” Jenny held out her gloves and smiled. They were always comforting to see. She skipped through the doors of the store, a childlike grin on her face. A new Jenny for a new existence… She knew this might be the last time she could change herself so easily. She was going to make it count. She would be young. ~~~ Burgerbelle and Pinkie were, to put it mildly, very close. The Sweetie had learned to accept Pinkie as more of an adoptive parent than a mere mentor. The feeling was a little odd for Burgerbelle since she had very little in the way of ‘memories’ of her Flat parents. She wasn’t even a hundred percent sure they had actually existed. Not that she didn’t like the connection to Pinkie, it was nice. So when Pinkie had told her to watch her ‘flirty memes’ out in the City, Burgerbelle had taken it to heart. She’d put on a long white coat over her regular clothes to go out in public, and nobody batted an eye. Problem solved. She had passed through the League of Sweetie Belles earlier, which was now barely distinct from the Sparkle Census at all. There were direct portals between the two locations, making the two old organizations nothing more than relics within the Sweetie Sparkle Coalition. She had been welcomed back with warm smiles, showed around, and then people had asked about Thrackerzod. …Thrackerzod… Burgerbelle had gotten herself out of the League building quickly after that. She didn’t want to deal with that in the last hours of her real self. Heck, she didn’t want to be wearing this coat, she wanted to run through the streets and scream to existence that she was here before everything changed. But she knew Pinkie had been right, so she had conformed just enough. She was still shooting old, dead memes around everywhere that the younger generation failed to understand in major ways – or they just cringed at her. Her usual response to this was an over-the-top dab with a ‘what you gonna do about it?’ expression. For some reason – she wasn’t entirely sure why – she had avoided actually checking the City Internet for new memes. Maybe she just wanted to be herself? With a shrug, decided it wasn’t worth dwelling on. She was happy, at least, and the City was great. Not to mention she was going to see an old friend… She danced up to the door and rang the doorbell with a ‘bum dum tish’ sound effect. White Nettle knew who it was instantly, opening the door wide. She wore a simple dress and her tendrils were done up in the same bow as always. “Burger! It’s so good to see you!” Burgerbelle gave her the finger guns. “You bet it is!” She performed a youth roll into the house and grinned. “The meme girl is back!” “Make yourself at home,” Nettle said, gesturing at an interior couch. Sitting next to it was a woman reading a book. “You remember Osanna right?” “Wow. You’ve grown,” Burgerbelle deadpanned, looking up at her. “…And you haven’t grown at all,” Osanna observed, blinking. “I don’t think I’ll ever understand why some of you prefer to remain childlike…” “Flat inheritance I guess,” Burgerbelle said, taking off her coat and putting it on a nearby rack. “Just feels natural, you know?” “I wouldn’t know, I was never a child,” Nettle commented. “I do feel as though my current form is the best, though.” “I did prefer being Flat. …It’s been a long time. A-” She noticed Osanna was staring at her outfit. “Oh come on, you too?” Nettle blinked, confused. “…What?” “Mom, she’s scarcely wearing more than underwear,” Osanna said. Burgerbelle huffed. “A skirt is not underwear! And look at these boots!” “It’s still a bit much, isn’t it? Especially considering…” Osanna gestured at her. “I’m still not sure why there’s even a disagreement or argument here,” Nettle said. “Burger can wear whatever she wants, right?” “Well, yes, exce-” “Wow, you look pretty!” All of them turned to see a young boy of about ten standing in the doorway. Burgerbelle let out a censored beep and put her coat back on with a swift motion. “I, uh, look better like this right?” “…Huh?” the boy said, clearly not understanding. Burgerbelle pulled out a windup cat from nowhere and gave it to him. “Why don’t you go play with this?” “Oh cool! We could play together!” “…How about later?” Burgerbelle said, biting her lip. “Oh… Okay.” “Don’t you have homework, Enrique?” Osanna asked. “…Yeah…” He slowly trudged away, back to his room. Burgerbelle put her face in her hands. “I’m so sorry…” “You didn’t know he existed,” Osanna admitted. “Oversight on my part.” “…Thanks.” “I’d still prefer it if you didn’t hang around him.” “Perfectly understandable,” Burgerbelle admitted nervously. Nettle smirked. “Well, at least now I see what was going on.” Burgerbelle turned to Osanna. “…What was it like, being raised by her?” “She was great,” Osanna admitted. “But holy tamales, did Dad have to be the one to tell me everything about how society actually worked. Mom could understand on a mental level, but ‘getting’ it eluded her. It’s not completely gone even today, as you can see.” “It’s resurged,” Nettle admitted. “I think it’s the grandparent instinct. I want to spoil him so I don’t watch myself as well.” Burgerbelle smiled. “Yeah… you’ve got yourselves a nice family here.” “What about you?” Osanna asked. Burgerbelle smiled. “The crew is my family. Pinkie taught me so much. And…” She paused. “I had an opportunity to settle down, once. I didn’t take it. I wouldn’t have come back to see you all again if I had.” She beamed. “I’m glad I’m back.” Nettle, the Mother, pulled her into a hug. “It’s good to see you too.” Burgerbelle allowed herself to relax and let the worry inside her drain away. Forgetting for a moment that the abilities that defined her were going to be severely reduced very soon… She allowed herself to live in the moment. ~~~ The Everykid ended up being Mattie’s guardian in the city. Equal parts innocent and crafty, she would be able to deter people likely to enable the jittery unicorn, and keep her from doing anything outrageous - or potentially harmful. They were walking through the exceptionally busy market among a sea of people. The Everykid had been asked to sign a few autographs already, being recognized instantly as the person who had shared everyone’s mind. She was able to scribble these out quickly and keep Mattie on a leash. It wasn’t a literal leash. Yet. It could easily turn into one if Mattie got too unruly. At which point Mattie would become fixated on the leash and that would be awkward, but at least she wouldn’t be going around freaking out quite so much. “Hey, you look like you could use a nice, comfortable bed,” a stallion said, walking up to them. “Why don’t y-” The Everykid slapped him with her parasol. “Balls, that was promising,” Mattie muttered. “Why do you do this to me?” “Because clearly you need it,” an Applejack said, walking up to them. She wore a business suit and had one of her ears torn in half. “Been a while, Mattie.” “Jack?” Mattie said, eyes widening at her old acquaintance. “I haven’t seen you in… forever.” “I’m here too!” OJ said, poking her human head out from behind Jack. She looked like any regular human Sunset Shimmer, aside from the brighter clothes. “Well it looks like Ultra Fast is getting back together!” Seskii called from her potion stand. “Isn’t that wonderful?” They ignored the potion seller. “So, wanna have a round for old time’s sake?” Mattie asked, biting her lip. “I’m sure a nice spike to your hoof will invigorate you…’” Jack slapped her. “God, you need help. Didn’t you have Corona around for your head?” “Didn’t work,” the Everykid offered. “Of course it wouldn’t,” Jack muttered, putting a hoof to her face. OJ walked confidently forward and put a hand on Mattie, furrowing her brow. “…You are a complicated maze, huh?” Mattie smirked coyly. “I bet you could find the cen- OW! Jack, stop hitting me!” “No,” Jack said. “And every hit is five quid, by the way. With interest. Rising exponentially.” “Jaaaaaack…” “Stop being so promiscuous for a few damn minutes and it’ll stop.” Mattie twitched. Then she focused her mind on the problem and put on a warm smile. “Sure. Sure. Sure…” “I wonder if it would be easier if you didn’t have to be such a maniac from ka…” OJ thought aloud. “Well if you can ‘help’ me after, then by all means, do it, but for now I’m just the way I am and that’s fine. Fine. FINE.” She coughed. “Tower can’t fall soon enough…” Shaking her head, she looked up with a clearly fake smile. “So, time for normal conversation! What have you two been up to?” “Ah bought most of Dracogen Enterprises’ resources,” Jack answered. “Multi-billionaire. Though for some reason my biggest export is Trixie’s games…” “Huh. So she did find a way to transmit them back to the City.” Mattie blinked. “Good for her. I figured that wouldn’t last and she’d just go around as a traveling magician again.” “Ah hear stories of both,” Jack said with a shrug. “She’s never come back to the City though, so Ah can’t really ask her.” “I work at Earth Above,” OJ said with a smile. “Helped design the systems that will explore and possibly colonize the Earth when it’s opened to us.” “Still say we should just use the protomolecule, it’d make everything go faster,” Jack muttered. “I say we need to take it slow and methodical and not cheat. And I won the debate. So you can just go eat your hat.” “…Ah still don’t know how you grew a backbone.” OJ shrugged. “I like it.” Mattie looked between the two of them and smiled – in a warm, legitimate way. “…Right, I think I owe you an apology OJ. Even if it was other-me who did most of it. You’re all right.” “Thanks.” “Now… think we can do something fun that I won’t be able to ruin?” Mattie asked. “Like… friends are supposed to.” Jack facehooved. “Why do Ah put myself through this… sure, fine, we can do some things. Got anything in mind?” Everykid tapped her foot and pointed at a giant billboard that advertised ‘kilometers per second extreme racing!’ “…Convenient,” Mattie said. “Last one there’s a wet blanket!” She ran off. Jack sighed. “I can never escape the idiots…” ~~~ “Hey, guuuuurl!” “Guuuuurl!” Roxy and Insipid fist-hoofbumped and laughed. The two of them had both been partying, in one of the many dance clubs throwing ‘end of the Tower’ parties. Then they stepped outside so they didn’t have to scream to hear each other over the pounding music. “Like, I didn’t expect to see you!” Insipid clapped her hooves. “Major fresh surprise!” “I’m just that fabulous,” Roxy said, fluttering her eyelashes. “My dance could not be ignored!” “Well, yeah, it sucked.” Roxy blinked. “…What?” “Like, major kidding! Lighten up!” Insipid absorbed Roxy’s powers and created a lightbulb out of Void, sticking it in her hair. “See? You got nothing in there! So sad.” Roxy let out a mock wail. “Oh no! I’m… I’m just a person without electricity in her hair!” “The horror!” “The horror!” The two shared a good laugh. “I really should have hung out with you more,” Roxy said. “You knew how to party. Not like the Pinkie party, the wild party.” “Hey! We know how to wild party too!” a Pinkie shouted from across the street. “You prefer not to! Usually!” “…Fair point.” She bounced away, humming a tune to herself. Insipid smirked. “I bring the party. I bring the fame. I bring the major f-” She blinked. “Oh. My. Gosh. I just realized I know something you don’t. You need to come see this right away.” Roxy blinked. “See what?” Insipid ran into the club and absorbed someone’s teleporting power. She grabbed Roxy and they were suddenly halfway across the City in an apartment complex. Standing there was one of the very few buildings of troll-based architecture in the City. Insipid knocked on the door. “Hellooo-oooo!” “FUCK OFF!” an old, scratchy voice shouted. “Karkat!?” Roxy gasped. “Is that you!?” “Oh for the love of Bilious Slick…” Karkat the nubby-horned troll muttered, grumpily walking to the door and swinging it open. “Hey Roxy, nice to see you.” He slammed the door in her face. “…Karkrab…” Roxy pouted. “C’mon… I haven't seen you since before the collapse!” Karkat opened the door again with a sigh. “Fine, fine, come on in.” He pointed an accusing finger at Insipid. “Annoying copy fuckers stay out.” “Major lame,” Insipid muttered. “But my work is done! Array de verchi! Hey. Curaçao taught me that one. I should introduce you to her next…” “…‘Taught’ is a strong word,” Karkat observed. Insipid didn’t hear him – she was already gone. Karkat grumbled, ‘inviting’ Roxy into his house. “I’d say make yourself at home, but we all know that won’t happen. There’s a couch over there for flopping on when you feel like you’re getting old, my room’s up the stairs where none shall pass, the kitchen is currently a nightmare, and this is the TV room where the idiot sleeps.” The ‘idiot’ happened to be another person that Roxy knew – one of her childhood friends, Page of Hope, Jake English. He poked his head over the back of the couch. “...You talking about me?” “No, I’m talking about Abraham Lincoln,” Karkat deadpanned. “Jake!” Roxy squealed, pulling him into a hug. “O. M. G. I thought you were kaput! Kablooey! Gone with the wind!” “Yeah, I thought so too for a while,” Jake said. “Then it turned out I wasn’t. …Everyone else was though.” “…Jane? Dirk?” Jake nodded slowly. “I’m… I’m sorry. I just…” “…I accepted they were probably gone a long, long time ago,” Roxy said, pulling him into a hug. “It’s just the best surprise ever that you’re okay!” She pulled Karkat into the hug. “You too, you old grump!” “UNHAND ME!” “No~!” Roxy trilled. She squeezed them tighter. She was just glad to have some of her old friends back. ~~~ The Aradias had frozen Nanoha’s garden in time when she left. Not a single flower was out of place when she and O’Neill walked in. The dome was currently on its night cycle, so Fate’s Tower was blooming bright. O’Neill looked at the tremendous yellow flower and smiled. “Still just as bright.” “Brighter,” Nanoha said, walking up to the plant and tracing her finger along the stalk. “So much brighter…” She smiled contentedly. “I missed this garden.” O’Neill scratched his beard. “I did too. Though I’m not going to pretend I thought about it as often as you did.” “Definitely not,” Nanoha said with a chuckle. She slung his arms around his neck. “But I appreciate what you did think about.” There was a quick kiss in the light of the great flower. “…What do we do now?” O’Neill asked. “I have no idea,” Nanoha said. “We’ve been retired, then we weren’t, and now…” She shrugged. “I think we should just go with the flow. See where life takes us.” “Can’t really throw ourselves to ka anymore, can we?” “Of course not. But the world operates on the ebbs and flows of people… We can follow those. Move with the shifting tides of society.” She released him and twirled around. “Or maybe once ka is gone we’ll think of something completely random to do. Like become world-class chefs.” Nanoha smirked. “That’s Everykid’s future, I’m telling you. But we could go back to school… Learn a new trade… Continue in retirement…” She stopped to smell a large, pink flower sitting in the center of five stalks of bamboo. “Or we could go back on the Austraeoh and see what adventuring is like when there’s no more story.” “I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t last long.” “We’re still strong,” Nanoha observed. “And… is an end really so wrong?” O’Neill shrugged. “Dunno. Got a pretty deep and burning urge to keep on living, though.” “Most of us do,” Nanoha admitted with a nod. “…The question is, are we thrill-seekers?” “Are we?” “I have no idea!” Nanoha beamed. “And I don’t know why, but that excites me. What are we really, when everything’s stripped away? What will await us at the end of the tunnel? I’m not sure I can wait to find out!” “You can. You’re waiting right now.” Nanoha raised an eyebrow. “I could accelerate our time.” “But you won’t.” Nanoha rolled her eyes. “Always you and calling my bluffs…” “It’s a two-way relationship.” He scratched his beard. “You know what, I figured out what I want to do while I still can.” “Hmm?” “I’m going to go out there and talk like a pirate!” “Oh for the…” She shook her head and smiled. “…Let’s both go out there and talk like pirates.” ~~~ Rev walked through the doors of a church. It wasn’t her original church – that was exceptionally far away – but it was the church of the City she had taught at for a short time. It still reminded her of her original church, because that was the way she had built it. She sat down in the middle row – not the front so she wouldn’t be noticed, but also not the back so she would still be able to hear the message. It was an unusual message – a last-minute one to be given before they turned on the sun and began the festival. Rev didn’t recognize the preacher. She was a Lapis Lazuli Gem who wore a collar very similar to Rev’s own old outfit - though these days Rev’s robes had something akin to a collar on them already. Lapis didn’t give herself a special name, and insisted she not be known by her title – she was just a lowly Lapis, like so many others, who wanted to teach the Word. Rev admired her for that. The topic was an appropriate one: about worry, stress, and concern for the future. The message was simple enough, using several verses to comment on how worrying doesn’t benefit, and how stress often makes situations worse. “Who of you, by worrying, can add a single hour to his life?” was one of many. The conclusion was simple and to the point: tomorrow has enough troubles of its own; let’s deal with the days as they come, and even then cast the cares upon the Lord. There was a caveat of course - don’t completely ignore the future. Like so many lessons, it was never as black and white as it seemed. After the service and the prayer, Rev walked up to Lapis and smiled. Lapis recognized her immediately. “H-hi!” she said, her confident demeanor at the podium seemingly nonexistent. “Y-you saw that?” “I did,” Rev said with a soft smile. “It was good. I’m glad to see this church is in good hands.” Lapis chuckled nervously. “Right… Right. Thanks! It means a lot, coming from you.” She stopped for a moment. “…It’s always hard to teach on topics you aren’t that good at, isn’t it?” Rev nodded. “I find it helps to be up front and honest about your struggles with the audience. In most cases.” Lapis nervously fidgeted with her fingers. “I… Yeah, that makes sense, of course it does.” She chuckled softly. “I worry all the time. About everything. Constantly.” She looked at her Bible. “And I know I shouldn’t.” “And He is showing you great grace,” Rev said, putting a hoof on her. “You didn’t show your strain or stress at all on the podium.” “…I always feel… filled when I’m up there,” Lapis admitted with a smile. “Clearly, that’s where you’re supposed to be.” “…I know. But I worry. Is that God? Or is that the Tower?” Lapis looked into the distance. “Theologically speaking, both, but with the fall of the Tower, God might change His mind, or give me something else, or change how I feel about all this…” She took a breath to calm herself. “There I go, worrying again…” “Hey. He’s gracious. Give yourself a break.” Lapis looked at her – and smiled. “Thank you.” “We should meet up after the Tower falls. See if anything’s changed.” “…I’d like that.” Rev nodded. “…Before I go, have you heard anything about my church? The one that’s up there somewhere?” Lapis smiled. “Actually, yes. It’s going well. I was trained there, believe it or not. Aslan’s as wise as always, and if you’re wondering about Valentine… he’s happy, last I knew.” “That’s all I needed to know.” Rev waved. “See you around, Lapis.” Instead of walking out calmly, Rev jumped out like she was part of an action movie, ready to defend herself from attacks. She blinked for a moment – realized she was being stupid – and laughed. “That’s a reflex I’m going to have to work out…” ~~~ Mlinx walked into his old office. The Mayor no longer worked here, so it had been left alone for the most part. Most of his knick-knacks were gone – he had put them in storage – but some pictures and papers were still around. As was his computer. He ran his finger across the top of the desktop, picking up dust. “Glad to have you back, sir.” Mlinx turned around to see Nastasia. “You still work here?” “In a cataloguing capacity.” “Well that’s certainly something!” Mlinx said with a chipper tone to his voice. He twirled his spear around and placed it on the wall. “Can't imagine myself filing things forever. It just wouldn’t work.” “You seem… enthusiastic.” “Life’s amazing, Nastasia. This room is amazing, the memories are amazing, you’re amazing.” He picked the spear back up and twirled it in his hand. “…You’ve certainly been through a lot.” “The story of my life,” Mlinx said with a jovial laugh. “You look like you’ve been through a meat-grinder. Yet I don’t think you could be happier about it.” Mlinx chuckled. “You could say that. Lots of scars here… but they are more than just memories. They’re the little chips that come off me as I become… better.” He stretched his hands. “I don’t think I was ever really treated as an equal among the heroes until the Journey. We felt like a family. A real family. Full of a bunch of psychotic weirdos and arguments. It’s hard to describe.” “Well I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” Nastasia said, adjusting her glasses. “I take it you’re here to perform the retrieval?” “Yes. Yes I am.” He rubbed all four of his hands together. “We should go now. They’re probably waiting.” “I’m not allowed down there anymore. It’s just you.” She walked him to the elevator. “Don’t go crazy down there.” “I won’t,” Mlinx promised. He descended down to a room he was very familiar with – the storage area for Black Thirteen. There were four others in the room at that moment. The current Mayor, Princess Cosmo Sparkle, the Emperor of Mankind, and a politician of the City Mlinx didn’t know the name of. The Mayor had two of the needed codes to unlock Black Thirteen – everyone else had one. Six: the minimum number to release containment. “Everyone ready?” Mlinx asked, walking up to the glass. “As ready as we can be,” Cosmo said. Mlinx noticed she had finally managed to get her curse fixed – she was no longer a skeleton with an illusion spell, but a real pony. He wondered when that had happened. “It has to be done,” the Emperor agreed. Everyone put their codes into terminals. The glass around Black Thirteen slid up unceremoniously. It spoke to all their minds not a word, but a sound – a sigh of satisfaction. It did not try to condition them to do anything. It, too, was ready for the end. Mlinx grabbed hold of the handle, and the weapon-aspect of Black Thirteen became a spear. He twirled it around. “We’re ready.” The Emperor of Mankind chuckled. “Twirling the strongest weapon in existence like it’s some toy. I like you.” “Thanks,” Mlinx said, taking a moment to look into Black Thirteen. “…It’s not even trying to drive me mad.” “Still be careful,” the Mayor encouraged. “We don’t want a disaster hours before the end.” “Keep a close watch on me,” Mlinx said. “…But I don’t think I’ll have this for too long. There’s someone else who needs it.” ~~~ Monika found me at the Subway that used to be my library. “Hello,” Monika said, sitting down at my table. “You’ve had quite the life,” I said, munching on my sandwich. “In some ways, yes, in others, not. Which can be said of most things in this life. Too much happens, people change, and there’s just not enough words to adequately describe it.” “I would say you’re trying to stick too close to the facts, but you’re not me,” I pressed my hooves together. “You chose this struggle.” “Did I? Or have I been led along just like the others on the journey, change or no change!” “Unlike most people, you had a choice over how ka defined your life. At first you accepted obsessive love, then a life of curiosity. And most recently, you’ve turned that curiosity into a sort of truth. A respect for order.” “I am aware of my character arc.” “But you, unlike all the others, always had the choice to force yourself to go back to what you were. You stopped doing that.” I smiled. “I’m glad you did. It allowed you to grow and change into something new.” Monika pushed some of her hair behind her ear. “Thank you.” She bowed respectfully at me. “I was unsure if it really meant that.” “I am the Muse of Ka – I can understand everything but I cannot change my own fate. You are the Lord of Ka. You can change fate, but are cursed with not being able to see the whole picture.” “And we cannot have more than that, or it would be too much.” Monika folded her hands together. “We, as people, spend all our time complaining about our weaknesses, but we never consider what life would be like if we didn’t have them.” “An interesting concept. It is good for us all to get better, of course. But is it really good to just have our weaknesses purged?” “No,” Monika asserted. “I used to be the one who purged others and myself for fun. It was shallow and improper.” “…Even though I know, you still astound me.” “I am, in many ways, the example of change.” I smiled. “Then you should be prepared for the loss of ka. No more character files.” “No more visions.” “No more fate.” “We are almost nothing without that which defines us,” Monika commented. “A Lord and Muse of nothing.” “A historian and a librarian,” I offered. Monika smiled softly. “…Yeah.” “For what it’s worth, I’m glad we could have ended like this. Not as enemies, not as rivals, but friends.” “The war is over,” Monika said, looking at the Tower. “It truly, truly is.” The government turned on the sun, announcing to the entire City that the final day had arrived. The sky lost its eerie – yet comforting – twilight glow and became blue, as it was meant to. Colors increased in vibrancy, street lights dimmed in favor of the ‘natural’ sunlight, and flowers turned toward the orb in the sky they had missed. I could hear animals start to sing. I closed my eyes and smiled. “It’s time…” I allowed my Visions to search far and wide one last time… ~~~ Sunny had told herself she would figure out the Physics of the New World before the Tower fell. She had made it her goal. That her maps would become fully accurate. She had not done that, but at the moment she really couldn’t care less about if she had met her goal or not. Because she had returned home for the day – Jane’s farm. Everyone had insisted she go watch the fall at the City, but she had decided against it. She would spend the day here and enjoy a very thanksgiving-like dinner. The farm had changed a lot in thirty years. Sure, Prism, Corea, both Applejacks, and Jane were still there, along with the three golem helpers. But now there were many, many more people. Strange pumpkin people who liked nothing more than growing the vegetable that looked so like them. Ponies, humans, and many others who had decided a life of farmwork would be more satisfying than a life of endless drifting through the aether. It was a life of purpose. The food had gotten pretty popular within their system. The little planet always had one ship or other on it, ready to ship huge crates full of vegetable goodness. Today, though, the ships weren’t moving. Everyone on the planet was taking a break from work and having a feast. Sunny smiled as she looked around the table. Children ran and played around the edges. Corea and Prism were trying to feed each other food while also mocking each other playfully. The golems sat in the corner playing a game with rocks nobody knew the rules too. The Applejacks talked with other alternates of the Apple family – Applejacks, Apple Blooms, Big Macs… even a Pear Butter. “…This is great,” Sunny said, wiping a tear from her eyes. Jane looked to her. “…We’ve missed you, you know. Even when you visit…” “I know.” She looked down at her bag that contained all her map data. “…Are you thinking about staying?” “Maybe.” She glanced behind her at the clock. “…But I’m not going to make that decision just yet.” “Want it to mean something?” Sunny smiled brightly. “Yeah.” ~~~ Valentine and Froppy had created a rather large family over the course of thirty years. They made the ‘pleasant’ discovery that, yes, both Stands and Quirks were passed on and manifested. Virtually every one of their children was a powerhouse of some sort, each one providing a unique take on the town they called home. There were a lot of disagreements and family drama in a household so large, but on the last day all of that seemed to be in the past. Everyone was on good terms with everyone else, the town was at peace, and Aslan wasn’t having to wrangle with even more angry people who got offended at everything. The town was at peace. GM still lived there with his family, not that anyone knew who he was. Valentine made good on his promise to protect the young man, and very few had managed to discover the false Prophet. Granted, occasionally someone would show up and figure out who he was, but it was never broadcasted, usually by Valentine’s insistence. After he had gotten his feet under him, GM had started gathering people of scientific persuasions together. He himself had no credentials, but with effort and help from his friends and family, the scientists created a college of sorts right in the middle of town. He attended and learned all the science he could, including dabbling in a bit of magic here and there. Now he worked directly under Valentine as a researcher on the physics of the New World. Valentine had managed to make a fortune off his skills and occasional treasure-hunting ventures, so the funding was simple enough. “I get the impression the Uber-GM is just being really nice to me,” GM told Froppy one day. She had come into his laboratory just a few minutes prior, wondering if he had remembered to eat lunch. “I’m basically doing what I always wanted. …Aside from write, but I couldn’t really enjoy that the same way I used to.” He ran some numbers through a spreadsheet program and created a graph, surprised by the results, but not enough to comment on them. “There were two of you,” Froppy said. “More.” “Two that mattered,” Froppy corrected with an eye roll. “One was killed for everything he’d caused. The other got a close proximity to a happy ending.” GM turned away from the spreadsheet. “…A manifestation of my – his – whatever – inner conflict…” He sighed. “Sometimes, I think I know myself. I can tell you exactly why some people died, some people didn’t and others suffered. Allure? Couldn’t let all the main characters go free and I’d already written Pinkie dead many times before. Nanoha? Needed to show a legend being brought low. But… Caliborn? Why? Alushy? Was it just random? And I kept Jenny around, but I thought…” He stopped himself and shook his head. “Look at me. …Have I really learned nothing?” Froppy shook her head. “You’ve grown. Ribbit.” “But there’s no way he could know what he’d be like in thirty years…” “Then you aren’t him. Not anymore.” GM looked at his hands. Slowly, a smile came to his face. “Froppy… Thanks for checking in on me.” “Someone’s got to watch out for you.” She smiled. “Don’t blow up the lab today, okay?” “I’m avoiding trying any explosive experiments until tomorrow. Rule of Funny will finally stop dooming me every other week.” He rubbed his hands together. “And then we can do some real science!” ~~~ Over a light year away… there was a planet, swirling far, far from Nucleon’s sight. It was a planet that could never be seen through the millions of worlds between it and the center of the universe, a world secluded – but a world oh-so-important. Naturally, the planet was earthlike, but without civilization – nothing but wilderness. It had been a vibrant world with a high quantity of bird-based life, complex, but not intelligent. It was the first world White Diamond had deemed suitable to rebuild the Gem race. She knew she was the last Diamond. She could feel the songs of her other children nearby – the little sparks of Gems elsewhere – but none of the Diamonds. Her two compatriots had fallen. She was alone here. This was nothing that unusual for her. She was going to start again. But she didn’t do it like the first time. She could have chosen a world with sapient people on it, but she specifically looked for one that was just full of life, not people. In the past, she may have told herself she only followed the rules because it was in her best interests, but now she couldn’t just go back. Something within her stopped her. She told herself it was because she understood the need to be on good terms with lesser life forms. Somewhere deep down, however, she knew it was something else. A part of her she ignored. She began converting the world into a Gem colony. She set up a few Kindergartens here and there, shaping new Gems from the earth. It was only a matter of weeks before other people started noticing and coming to her world. Many of them had known her or what she represented in Merodi Universalis, and flocked to her as a sort of leader. She treated them as equal citizens to her Gems, running the planet much like major colonies of Merodi Universalis. Eventually, they abandoned the idea of being part of Merodi Universalis, and White Diamond was made the exclusive monarch. She did little to change the way they treated their citizens, although there was a lot less care and concern for the environment. As far as the Gems were concerned, artificial beauty was just as effective as natural beauty. And so the new Gem Homeworld was born. The most advanced world anyone within the local systems knew about. While the City became the hub of activity for the core worlds, the Gem Homeworld did the same for their outer territories. It is in this place that the oft-forgotten, but well-beloved dragon Spike ended up. He knew full well that he had fallen out of the spotlight ever since the multiverse opened up and, frankly, he didn’t mind. Less chaos for him to deal with. Now he was one of White Diamond’s primary messengers. As a fully-grown dragon, he had both the natural magic to easily cross the voids between systems as well as the physical aptitude to defend himself against potential hostiles. Sure, he just carried mail, but it was important mail. And he was never alone, he had a rider. “What is it with me and riding different creatures?” Midna wondered aloud as she sorted the mail within the saddle-tent on Spike’s back. They were returning to Homeworld, currently flying past one of the neighboring gas giants. “Wolf, pony, dragon…” “You know.” Midna rolled her eyes. “Huh. We’ve got something addressed to White Diamond herself. From… No return address.” “Paradigm will probably toss that one without question,” Spike commented, curving his wings to increase his speed. “Mysterious stuff is mysterious…” Midna said, sorting more stuff with her hair. They rode the rest of the way in silence until they arrived at a security checkpoint. Technically the people on duty were supposed to check IDs, but they knew exactly who Spike and Midna were, and the magic signatures matched, so they just let the messengers through. They landed at the foot of White Diamond’s palace, walking through the immense front gates. White Diamond’s old palace had looked a bit like her face. This one was much more simplistic – white as ever, but shaped into a more traditional eight-faceted diamond orientation. They walked through the main halls and entered message processing. “Got an unsigned letter for White Diamond,” Midna said, dropping it on the countertop. Paradigm Joestar, once princess of Equis Vitis, analyzed it. “I dunno, looks suspicious.” “You’re the one that decides to give it to her or not,” Midna said with a shrug. “I’ll think about it. Welcome home.” “Thanks,” Spike said, walking away. They had to leave through the giant doors into the ‘crystal garden’ outside, where large pillars of shimmering magitech crystal grew. They saw one of the Gem warships land – and it looked beaten up. Its captain, none other than Gilgamesh himself, came storming out with a stream of swears. “THEY DID IT AGAIN!” “…Did they beat you?” Spike asked. “What? NO! THEY BROKE THE EXCALIBUR! GAH!” A white unicorn with a red and black mane that Spike didn’t recognize walked up to Gilgamesh. “Maybe it was just another Excalipoor, hmm?” she asked. “But I was so sure this time…” She rolled her eyes. “Please. Maybe one day you’ll find one and get to keep it. That day is nooot today.” She patted Gilgamesh on the back. “But don’t let that stop you from looking.” “I don’t believe we’ve met,” Spike said, walking up to the unicorn. “I’m Spike.” The unicorn smirked. “I figured. Name’s Jackie. I’m head of Security.” “For…?” “The whole planet,” Jackie said with a smirk. “I sit in the room in the bottom of the palace all day and watch a looot of screens and dispatch police and stuff. It’s somehow both a very cush and very stressful job. I watch you two come in and leave all the time. By the way, encourage the guys out there to still check your IDs, I don’t want to have to report them.” “…Oh,” Midna said, blinking. “Whoops.” “Hey, I get it, it’s all fine. So, Gilgamesh, let’s go get you a new sword.” “It won’t be as good…” Gilgamesh muttered. “I bet it will,” Jackie said with a wink. As they walked away, Spike looked up at the palace. “…This is not the life I was expecting. Not in a million years.” “But…?” Midna asked. “It feels right, somehow.” ~~~ There are a few others… Some whose fates will not be known. To grab a set of random names out of the hat, Spades Slick and Death. Both left the City shortly after the Austraeoh. Both went to have other lives. But in the moments before the Tower’s fall, neither are doing anything particularly interesting. Walking from place to place, drifting, uncertain. Forgotten? Perhaps. Or maybe just given freedom a little earlier. But there are some others who are not here who at least deserve some mention. It would be cruel of me not to at least tell you the end results of those who left the Austraeoh one way or another… So join me in my visions as I look far across Nucleon to see what remains in the wake of the Austraeoh’s journey. Trixie you already know, to some extent. She kept creating games from the City of the Moon and shipping them across Nucleon trade routes, making a fortune. But she eventually grew tired with this life – achieving such success a second time – and realized something. She could not have lived the life of the travelling showmare in the City, but she could in the wilds of Nucleon where so few people had no idea what magic was or how it worked. I see her now, performing a show… awing a crowd of tribal monkeys. I suspect they will grow scared of her and drive her out within a few days. But she is enjoying herself. I find this surprising, considering the reason she left the Austraeoh, left the crew. Not because she had found a place to settle down, not because she had an opportunity, but because of a loss extremely close to her. In those days she couldn’t bring herself to leave Discord’s grave. An internal conflict long enough to be called an integral part of her life. But she was off again, doing what she did best – making a ruckus. She may have been alone, but she was at least enjoying herself. Discord’s grave sits in the middle of Trixie’s gaming business, which is of course under new management now. It is well looked-after and on top of it is a statue of him in eternal laughter. Legends abound, of course, that the statue is actually him, as expected. Discord was not the only tragic loss the Austraeoh suffered. Lightning also perished in the long journey, and her grave was placed in the middle of a wasteland of savage beasts and harsh conditions. There was no civilization for miles around. Before the Austraeoh had come through, the entire land had been covered in darkness that wanted to consume all. Now it was just wilderness… and her grave stood as a testament to their success and victory. Not all is sorrowful. After vowing to stay at the City of the Moon, close to Allure’s message, Minna found a city where some plague had swept through, leaving only young children. She chose to become a mother to every last one of them. She raised many on that City, and still runs the orphanage to this day with her husband. Rina and Thrackerzod both share the same fate, though at different locations on the globe. Both of them saw the beauty of a place and a person within that place – and they decided to settle down and grow a family. Thrackerzod is discovering she still has much to learn about worldly experiences through motherhood, while Rina is discovering what it means to be an example and a teacher. Their marriages aren’t perfect – both of the women are atypical in the extreme – but they make it work. And then there’s me. Sitting here in my visions, ‘typing’ messages to a Discord chat. It’ll be the last time I’ll get to do that. Talk to them – to you, the people behind the wall. So I slow down time as much as I can to get in as much talking as I can. I jump around – I talk to them one week, then a month later, then a few days. I will have to leave you eventually… … …And as far as the story is concerned, that time is now. Even though I just told you goodbye in there, I’ll say it to you again in here. Some of you will receive this chapter long before I have to leave the Discord chat. Others will only know me through the words on these pages. I want you all to know you’re forgiven. And that you were, in the end, a comforting presence all this time. But now it’s time for me – for all of us – to move on. Goodbye, readers. Hey, you’re saying goodbye to them without us? Pinkie demanded. Well, I, er… Mate, that simply isn’t fair, Mattie added. We have just as much a right to give a final hurrah. They have been a part of our lives for so long, Monika said. I’m here to say goodbye too! Deadpool shouted. Screw alllll of you! Smooth, Mattie deadpanned. I’m the best thing since sliced bread, babies. Get a load of all this! Can I have a moment as well? Gilgamesh asked. I’ve been feeling woefully overlooked lately. Scooter in the house! I get a scene! Scooter giggled. Man, it’s been a while since I really felt the Fourth calling me. Fate’s arrow, I don’t think I ever quite registered just how many of us there are. This is probably the end though… So go for it. Say your goodbyes. I’ll go first since I have the least to say! Scooter said. Bye readers and viewers! Hope you enjoyed it! If any of you ever find Excalibur… Gilgamesh flexed his wrist. Keep it with you. If it physically eludes you, keep the true treasure close within your heart. Do not let the true glory of your life go. Also, shark-infested custard is good stuff. I agree! Deadpool announced. Not as good as chimicherrychangas though… Haha, yes! Pinkie giggled. But there’s more! Deadpool said. I am, quite literally, just a joke character here. I’m perfectly fine with that – means I get to have more fun and a lot less in the drama department. But! I’m telling you now kids, I am not a good role model. Seriously, find someone else, holy cow. My turn, I suppose… Mattie paused, thinking for a moment. I am well aware that what I do isn’t considered acceptable. I am also well aware that my mind has a lot of problems, many of which are my own doing. And, let’s be real, I’ve never really been able to talk to you directly, I’ve just known and had a few things I could move here and there. For what it’s worth, I am sorry I made you uncomfortable, and I’m sorry I couldn’t grow in that way. On the other hand, you shouldn’t be afraid of new ideas so, I dunno, maybe this entire metaphor falls apart. She blew a kiss. Every last one of you is beautiful in some way. You got that? Good. I believe I am the penultimate… Monika took a breath. I understand that a lot of you have found my sudden change jarring, to say the least. Makes you uncomfortable, uncertain. I ask that you use this to look at yourselves. What if one of your best friends vanished from the face of the earth and came back ten years later? Would you expect them to be the same? …You might, but you shouldn’t. Nobody remains static. If you read back through these hundred-plus chapters, you might realize that a lot of us don’t really change. Some of us do – Flutterfree, Corona – but some of us didn’t. That’s ka at work, not realism. People change. A fundamental core may remain the same, but we are all able to be the hero or the villain. I should know, I’ve been both. And as for what you mean to me… I’ve decided it doesn’t really matter much. I care about what’s right in front of me, and you aren’t that. You just read because this is a good story, and I understand that urge more than I think you realize. The Prophet wrote because he had an idea. And we act because we do what we think is the right choice. Your existence doesn’t actually change anything – even if meaning exists or not. You’re just… a curiosity. You are the mystery that lies beneath the subatomic particles, the answer to a scientific inquiry that hasn’t even been asked yet. Pinkie took a breath. Hello. It’s been a long ride, hasn’t it? Started with a little romp through a jungle, took a turn on ever-increasing stakes and scope, and then the entire multiverse imploded. Now, the End of All Stories is upon us. I’m really going to miss you guys. I still think this is the right way, that the Tower needs to fall, but I can still be sad that I won’t see your faces again, right? I won’t know when you’re laughing, when you care deeply about what’s about to happen to us, or when you’re on the edge of your seat. Because you won’t be watching. I wasn’t fighting against you; I want you to know that. I don’t mind people watching through a book. If there were some kind of higher power that didn’t define us, but just relayed information to you, I wouldn’t mind at all. But that wouldn’t really be a story, would it? Stories are filled with inaccuracies, convenience, exaggerated character types, and inconsistencies. They’re also filled with the personification of dreams. I hope you understand why I didn’t want that. Dreams… she shook her head and chuckled. You’ve heard this all before. There was an entire arc about the collapse debate and war. I won’t bore you anymore. In the end, I wish I could go up to so many of you and give out some big hugs. But this conversation will have to do. Go on, continue to read, write, and explore the worlds within your minds. But also… I want you to let us go. Please. We want to escape the story. I can’t offer you anything in return but a smile and a wave. I hope that’s enough. Oh, and PS. I said, ‘you can’t kill suction cup pony’. I meant it. Pinkie giggled. That’s all of them. I’ve already said my piece, so I guess this is it. …We’re all waving to you. Goodbye. For real this time. ~~~ I would tell everyone what I had seen in the visions later. Eve would be brought to tears to hear that Spike was still alive. An expedition to the New Homeworld would be organized, of course. There wasn’t even a question about it. I hope Gilgamesh could get enough of a hold on his Awareness to tell White Diamond what he had just been a part of, but who really knows? Not me. And now I’ll slip into the background. This celebration… it isn’t about me. It isn’t about anyone. … The sun was charged, and day was upon everyone. People ran out of their homes, their parties, their restaurants, effectively evacuating the City’s buildings. Everyone piled into their cars and ships and flew toward the central open field of roses. When they decided the traffic jams would be too much, they walked on foot to the center. The government had set up minor levitation spells overtop the entire field of Can’-Ka No Rey. Nobody would get their ankles scraped by the roses if they were a few inches above the flower line. It was a bit disorienting to walk on an invisible thing with no substance, but the people managed. Virtually no one wanted to miss the moment. Even once teleporters started carting people to the center, it still took a couple hours to move everyone into the center where they could witness history. A perimeter about the length of a football field had been set around the Dark Tower, so most people couldn’t get too close. The City’s fleet surrounded the Tower on all sides, all the way up so they could stop falling chunks from hurting anyone. All predictions said the Tower wouldn’t kill anyone with its destruction besides ka-dependant beings, but the government didn’t want to be too careful. From above, the crowds of people ended up taking the shape of the inner teeth of a spirograph. Nobody was surprised by this and almost nobody complained. The Tower began to actively tremble, the strain from the crack being too much – but it did not break. Instead, the ka around the City was the strongest it had ever been. Fitting for the final moments. The heroes had been allowed closer to the inner ring of the Tower. They stood in front of the doors, watching the glowing cracks with awe evident on their faces. “This is it,” Eve said. She glanced behind them at the immense crowd – a celebrating crowd that was cheering. The cheering noise started out ridiculous and disorganized, but as time went on the shouts of encouragement smoothly seamed into one immense shout. It was like the beating of a heart. The timing kept getting faster and faster as the anticipation rose and the moment of truth came ever nearer. “…Think I should give a speech?” Eve asked. “Nah,” Pinkie said. “The time for speeches is gone. Now’s the time for… this. An ending.” Corona smirked. “There might be a song though.” “If we end without a song I will be very surprised,” Burgerbelle commented. “You won’t be,” Starbeat said with a smirk. “We’ve got one hefty song coming up, that’s for sure.” “Calling it now,” O’Neill said. “It’ll be the number one bestseller of all time after this is over.” Nanoha smirked. “I could take up a singing career to try to beat it.” Jenny furrowed her brow. “Or perhaps we could rig the music system to make this song public domain…” “Why are we legalizing?” Jotaro asked. “For fun and profit,” Pidge chuckled. “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,” Rev quoted. “I think we’ll find that that saying becomes more literal when our justifications for greed aren’t held up anymore.” “Or we’ll find that we don’t need money at all and it was just convenient,” Flutterfree suggested. Mattie opened her mouth, then shut it for a moment. “…Yeah, I won’t ruin the moment. Instead I’ll say, uh…” She tapped a hoof to her chin. “…I think nothin’ will change in the whole money department. We’ll want just as much things as we’ve always wanted.” “I can make all the things anyone needs,” Roxy said. “I’ve always thought it was a little weird that our economy actually worked, y’know?” She laughed. “Can’t wait to see how we manage to work it now. I also can’t wait to try out all sorts of things again and get a completely new experience!” “Yay!” the Everykid said, clapping her hands. “Experience is a peculiar dish,” Monika said, looking into the distance. “It rarely gives you what you want, but you always benefit from it.” She looked up at the Tower as it shook. “I believe we should get on with it…” Mlinx nodded. “Gunslinger, the right is yours.” He handed Black Thirteen over to Roland. Roland Deschain of Gilead, the last gunslinger, grabbed the hilt of the dark spear. The moment it entered his hand, the handle of the spear transformed into that of a pistol. Levitated a centimeter in front of the barrel was the central orb of Black Thirteen itself. It was the ammunition. In this moment, Corona was swept up. She spread her wings and floated into the air, opening a song with a beautiful voice everyone in the crowd could hear. “Moments weave into a Tower so Dark Memories call to a future embarked Multiverse warred over powerful fate Meet friends here and bring an end to the eternal wait!” “I do not aim with my hand!” Roland shouted. “He who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father!” “On this day, the Tower falls away Our world comes to an end New will rise, again we will build ourselves up Shining spirographs. ” “I aim with my eye!” “Escaping from the stories between Stretching out beyond Time Rising up as our universe stands together Flickering through the Void! ” “I do not shoot with my hand! He who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father!” “Desperate we clung onto life Everyone caught in the struggle Then the unknown collapse It fanned the flames scattering our dust to the wind! ” “I shoot with my mind!” “Every soul contains a whisper of ka Confused, hidden but always holding tight No escape, no greater fate to be made! In the end the chains of ka hold no more .” “I do not kill with my gun! He who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father!” “Moments weave into a Tower so Dark Memories call to a future embarked Multiverse warred over powerful fate Meet friends here and bring an end to the eternal wait!” “I KILL WITH MY HEART!” Roland pulled the trigger. Black Thirteen shot through the divide between him and the Dark Tower, igniting the air around it into deep blue plasma. The murky orb hit the doors of the Dark Tower, shattering into a thousand pieces upon impact. The Dark Tower began its final crumble.