• Member Since 17th Jul, 2012
  • offline last seen 6 hours ago

BlackRoseRaven


Deadhorse.

T
Source

This story is a sequel to The Hermit's Tale


Everything must end, and sometimes when you attempt to escape this fate, you instead fulfill that unavoidable destiny. Everything ends, and this is the end of Luna's long struggle to save everything she's ever cared about.
Tenth and final story in the Blooming Moon Chronicles/99 Worlds Saga.

Chapters (103)
Comments ( 391 )

well this certainly makes my day better after waking up sick

And so it begins. And starting off in Ginnungagap, that is something I'd have never expected. I have a feeling that this will unfold in quite an epic way... wait, that's something else I'm feeling. Hang on...
...
...
There we go, found it. And now my hands are shaking in anticipation.

3170184

Thanks. For now, a little bit of anticipation: I haven't actually finished the story yet, but I figured I should post something and let people know what it was all about. It should be done within the week and everything else will start going up then.
Also, thanks very much for the fave.

3170194

Seriously hoping I live up to that and more then once I get posting in earnest.
Thanks very much for the fave, too.

3170586

Really super hoping I don't screw it up.
Thanks kindly for the fave as well.

3171078
I've been reading your stories since six broken ponies and moonrise, and you haven't screwed one up yet, and you're welcome.

Finally, the Grand Finale. I don't know if I should be happy or sad, so I'll be both. You have made the Best Series on this site I've ever read. Your honestly the best writer on this site.:moustache::rainbowdetermined2::fluttercry::yay::pinkiesad2:

Can't wait to start reading this...

Love your writing so much, Happy to see you post this sad to see it come to an end.

3172195

Thanks very much. I'm really just crazy, though, that's all. It's just a pleasure to know people are enjoying my stories, long and weird as they can often get. I hope this one proves as enjoyable as the others, though, and there is quite a way to go, so... once I finish it and start posting the actual chapters in a few days, there'll still be quite a bit to enjoy for a while yet.
Thanks again, and the fave is much appreciated as well.

3172212

Thank you very much, and for the fave. I hope this story proves just as good a read as the rest of my writing has.

Comment posted by zero588 deleted Sep 8th, 2013

There's always some douche just hating on an epic story because their writing sucks.

3172959

Well, this story is kind of crazy and it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. Besides, it's fun in a weird, self-deprecating sort of way to guess how many dislikes I'll accumulate while posting up a story. I'm sure this one'll get a good few considering the length and craziness and Innocence and everything else, but that's okay. I try not to pay too much attention to the likes or the dislikes: it's enough for me that even a few people are enjoying these long, crazy stories in this weird alternate universe I've cobbled together. I always do appreciate the support, though.

3173896

I seriously think there's just that one guy who follows you to only dislike your Stories.:twilightangry2:

3177730

Don't worry, Draconequus just be crazy anyway.
Thanks very much for the fave.

Huzzah! More Draconequus! I've always enjoyed the way you write them, even if at times (such as now) I have trouble following them. Positively looking forward to reading this as it comes out!

3180794

Thanks very much. I should start posting in... three, fourish days, assuming nothing horrible happens. I hope it proves enjoyable, since there's much craziness to be had and it's going to be very long. Very very long.
Thanks for the fave as well.

3181385
Many readers often get tired/frustrated when a story becomes continually crazier and longer (exp: Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons), I however relish them. I shall patiently wait for when you're ready.

>>BlackRoseRaven

considering the length and craziness and Innocence and everything else

Hmm do i spot a capital I on Innocence?:pinkiegasp:
What could that be about....? hmm:duck:

3184183

She'll be introduced right away in Chapter One. She's a little. Odd. With quite the odd family.
Thanks very much for the fave.

A good sixteen year time skip, huh? Innocence all grown up, mostly, at least.

This is an interesting start. Let's see where the second chapter takes us.

This started out deceptively chipper and upbeat. I'm waiting for the characters to start dropping like flies when you begin the ascent to the climax, whereupon, since this is the "last" (seeing as that worked so well the last time you said that) story, either everyone dies, or they actually manage to get that travelling heroes thing to happen and they travel and have adventures...

But seeing as one of the achievements you posted said about beginning at the end with death, chances are everyone I know is going to die; It'll be just like Harry Potter, except with less villains lacking prominent facial anatomy.

Interesting first few chapters. There isn't much to comment on because not much has happened yet, but so far, I like Innocence. In a few chapters let's see where this really goes. Still well written though, and a good enough of an opening to lead into something greater and more interesting.

perhaps I should call myself the soulstone pony. Soulstony. I am a soulstonicorn.”

Best line ever

3195300

Thanks kindly. It starts a little slow so I can kind of. Cover a few of the things that weren't covered if people didn't read Hermit's Tale. I'm glad it's still interesting, and it should give a pretty decent overview of things before the fun really gets started.

3195106

This is definitely the last one in this series. Definitely. I swear. Really.
Probably.
But here's hopin' it's a good ride right up until the end, then. There's like. Ninety six chapters until we get there, so. There's quite a trip along the way, at least.

3196680

That's good, because I didn't read Hermits tale. I've tried like three times, and I can't get into it, for more than one reason, but the biggest was I really didn't like Kvasir that much, and I don't like these stories from a first person perspective, either. I like them from the third.

That being said, you're done with this story now, right? Do you have anything else planned now that Blooming Moon is over?

3196845

Not a whole lot. Ideas are floating around, sort of, but there's nothing concrete. The most I'll probably be focusing on in the next while is just fixing stuff up in Glory Be. After that, I'm not sure.

I second the motion for Luna and Scrivy to have more children!!

So Sin's friend is either Gordon Freeman or deals with desiccation of radioactive isotopes?

I am now finding it much easier to picture Antares as an adult now. Never in a million years would I think he would turn out to be so... Luna-ish, but I definitely think it suits him.
Add on top of that is talent of understanding others. That there is one potent mix.:trollestia:

3199367

That would probably have terrifying consequences, considering how the scale of crazy seems to just keep increasing with every kid they have.

3200280

I think one my favorite parts about this story is that I finally get to write with a really fun Antares. Not mopey Antares or righteous Antares. But the Antares I always kind of envisioned. I am glad it's proving enjoyable.

Eyup, Luna-ish behaviour and a talent for understanding. A potent mix indeed.

Also:

The stallion smiled nervously, and Cowlick rolled her eyes before saying moodily: “You do that again, sport, and I'm gonna fire you. There are guns and security turrets and now an angry head floating or wheeling her way around these halls.

That! I completely forgot about that!

Those two points aside, this chapter really pulled at the few heart strings I have left. I mean, I knew the others - RD, AJ, Pinkie, Fluttershy and the rest - would get old eventually, but actually reading it happening now is still a little shocking. Deep down you know that all good things must come to an end, but you just can't deny the large part of you that longs to keep on letting the good times roll.
I'm getting the feeling that when Spike and Rarity come into this my heart will probably finally die.

Avalon's sure changed. (Smooth transition... very smooth) I suppose I was expecting her to stay more or less the same, not that she and her friends and family would drift apart. I may not have expected it but I should have seen it coming, that and how she's suddenly concerned with making the most of her life while she's still alive as well. The adults that she was around while growing up are all old, her mom's going to be passing away soon, and she's the only mortal left in the group they once had seeing as how the others - Rusty and Prestige - died quite some time ago and Meadowlark is off who knows where. That's quite a bit for one small Pegasus to take in.

3200658

The fact you used "let the good times roll" in there. Let's just say that particular phrase gets used a lot waaay down the road.
But yeah. Avalon's had it rough. Going from first in line to basically... being left behind by everyone, and the rest of the little incidents here and there... plus there's the whole "mortal" thing to contend with, in a world filled with supers. I'm glad that whole sense of that comes across well, although I ended up omitting the whole Thunderbolt subplot. But Ava still ends up being pretty important. She's kind of my Nightwing. But angrier.
It's probably pretty clear by now but. Yes. Many heartstrings will be tugged this story. That's part of why I tried to give it. A gentle kind of start. Help make it a little more bearable along the way there.

And here I almost forgot about the disembodied evilestia head. Silly me.

An enjoyable start to towards tying up loose ends. It really is awesome to see how well you have been handling the growth of each character. To see the older characters winding up their stories and the younger characters settling into theirs, all while the ageless remain steady throughout out all even growing more comfortable with themselves. To be able to write such depth of character and actually allow them to grow and change really demonstrates how far you've come from Moonrise.

I think Antares is the best depiction of this. To be honest I really did not care for him in Absolution. I stood by him as a character because he was the key to the story, and he was only just getting fleshed out. Still, he felt flat, more like a simple chess piece with a messiah complex. Synthesis, began the shaping of his character towards what he is in Glory Be. By the end of synthesis, I could really begin to see that his "flatness" came, not from lack of inspiration on your part, but more of a natural blandness resulting from his inexperience and simple, concrete view of the worlds. Glory Be has seen him truly mature into his own person just as any son or daughter might. He retains qualities of his parents (for better or worse) yet is comfortable with his actions, mistakes, and responsibilities. Antares as a character has really grown on me. Plus, it cracks me up to see the nervous, reserved colt grow up to be like his mother in personality. I only shudder to think on what horrors he has yet to see before this story ends.

At the mention of Moonrise, I am reminded of something that has bugged me in both Synthesis and Glory Be. As you wrote Moonrise, you began to use "the male" or "the female" quite often. This was addressed in the comments and I never really saw it again in the series. It seems that it has mutated and begun to crop up in these last two stories. You have begun using "Smiled despite himself/herself" quite often. It's certainly not an error that ruins the story for me, but it does happen often enough that I have finally remembered to mention it. Otherwise, I love the chapters so far and eagerly await the upcoming month of releases!

Very NMH2 Margaret vibe from the Whistler...that or the Pied Piper, same thing in theory I guess?

3201735

I appreciate that a lot, thank you. And yes, repetition is probably my worst enemy. You'll find every now and then I have a tendency to lock onto a word or phrase and I'll just use it over and over again. It's a really bad habit and it's a pain for me to weed out by myself, so it's a good thing, really, when people point out where I've been repetitive descriptor-wise. And male and female I tend to use naturally. I know it sounds weird to people, but it's a habit: for me it's just a man/woman equivalent. Also there's laziness. It's easier and faster to write than "charcoal earth pony" when Scrivy is often the only dude around.
I'm very glad Antares is becoming more... well, everything. I always had this particular vision for him, but I never. Got to doing that until this story, because he had to grow up and he was kind of a lame kid. So I'm glad that it gets to be rewarding to the people who've stuck by to see him finally kinda finding himself. I believe faith should be rewarded in writing.
Thanks again. I appreciate it and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story. It's quite a journey yet.

3204481

That works well. "The Whistler" is actually a song by Demons & Wizards, from their self-titled album. I was having a hell of a time coming up for the name of the assassin and then I listened to this song. And it worked very well for him, so. I ended up just naming him after it/

I'm still crossing my fingers for wyrmlestia! :pinkiehappy:q

well Monkshood sure does have a poisonous personality, sure hope there's a wedding in his future...

Aargh, I'm late to the party! Oh well - on the upside, that meant I just had a dozen chapters of goodness to go through when sitting down to read. And I must say, I have certainly missed this cast and the expansive universe you have created.

The timeskip was a bit longer than I expected, but on a second thought that's to be expected if Innocence is going to play a major role here, as she needed to be old enough to meaningfully participate in what is to come. Speaking of Sin, I kinda feel sorry for her - after all this time I thought she would have made at least some friends among Ponyville's populace, but I guess she is just too different and the little Twon ain't quite what it used to be either, what with it slowly expanding over time. Being alone in a crowd is never fun, especially with how cruel children can be, and she has been exposed to that all her life. It's no wonder she can be a bit bitter and considers herself a 'freak' in the kinda-genuine sense, and that she can have a bit of a temper.

And honestly, I have a feeling that Twilight isn't making things easier either - from what I have seen of her parenting thus far, I'm ... not impressed. It's no wonder Sin gets along so much better with Luna, and from where I'm seeing Twilight doesn't have much of a right to feel offended about that, as it's mostly her own fault, with how naggy and 'straight' she is trying to be. Considering how Sin is pretty much a social outcast who probably feels like she is being figuratively crushed from all sides whenever she is out in a crowd, having the ability to simply unwind and be 'free' is simply crucial for her.

Luna gives her that and thus provides Sin some of the emotional relaxation and outlet that she badly needs, while Twilight is so focused on doing things by-the-book (which, admittedly, is a very Twilight thing to do) that she has put way too much emphasis on being the "proper" mother, instead of the mother that her child actually "needs". She wants to do things her way, while seemingly missing that no two individuals are the same, and what worked with Antares might not necessarily work with Sin. Now that's a pretty amusing thought - Antares pretty much had a better working relationship with Twilight and didn't get along all too well with his birth parents after they got back, while it's pretty much reversed here. All in all, I'm looking towards to where this journey takes Sin and whether Twilight will realize what she is doing wrong in regards to her daughter somewhere along the way.

Speaking of Sin, something that just has to be asked - since Sin is using illusion magic to conceal her true appearance, why isn't Twilight doing the same? She obviously isn't comfortable with showing off her Lich-ness and wears that damnable sweater to conceal her stitches ... so why doesn't she simply use illusions and/or polymorph to conceal those facts about herself that she is already taking precautions to keep hidden? If Sin can maintain the spell, Twilight can probably manage that in her sleep with her horn tied behind her back. (And failing that for some mysterious reason, why isn't she using a purple thread to stitch hers wounds together? That seems like an elementary step to take, instead of using black one that will obviously stick out like a sore thumb against her coat).

That aside, wow, it sure was a strange feeling to see the mane 6 as old, hampered by their age and potentially approaching the end of their lives. Somehow, I wasn't quite prepared for that, but it sure serves as a remainder as to just how much time has passed since this epic journey started. And, I feel, has a nice synergy with the suggestion supplied by Nightmare Moon that the gang are actually 'bored' and tired of looking after this world. Couple that with Ponyville evolving away from the quaint little sanctuary it has always been for the group, and one has to wonder ... after all of their friends and acquaintances pass away with time, what do our heroes have left that bind them there? They will always have each other, and there is a whole layer of reality to explore and cause mischief in. Especially with Celestia becoming more and more like the old Freya, one has to wonder whether in time the whole extended family won't simply pack up and leave. Perhaps not permanently, but it seems like they are slowly running out of things that bind them to Looking Glass World as their permanent residence. But perhaps I am getting ahead of myself here, just thinking out loud ...

Regardless, I am looking towards what the following meeting between Hel, Heaven and our little group shall reveal - I have a feeling together they might puzzle something out about the assassin and the disaster that seems to loom overhead (especially if Kismet has something to add as well), and thus get the ball rolling. I still have no idea what the overall threat is and what connection it has to Kvasir's disappearance, but I'm certainly eager to find out.

And there has to be some jumping between layers again! Twilight meeting with herself of some other layer and introducing Innocence as her daughter should be all sorts of hilarious ...

3217920

Nice to see you back and commenting. I very much appreciate it. And I'm glad the start's been interesting so far.
The big timeskip is part of the reason why I did Hermit's Tale: it kind of serves to cushion what happens in between. But in Looking Glass World, not a lot has happened since then. The few changes are mostly worked into the narrative of the first few chapters.
And well, yes, Twilight is not a fun-mom like Luna is. She's coming from a good place, but she does have a tendency to be a little overbearing and a little strict in large part because she focuses on Innocence's future, more than on the here-and-now. But the family relationship will be focused on quite a bit in this story, so. I won't say much more.
As to the polymorph/shapeshifting idea, the problem is Twilight's body. Her undead shell doesn't take very well to being polymorphed: in part because, well, she's undead, and in part because her body has a tendency to absorb magic thrown at it. Which is why illusions don't work very well to cover her, either. Any enchantments over her tend to get naturally absorbed as part of the network of energy running through her. And I do remember you mentioning purple thread before. I think a large part of that would just be ease of access: that, and Twilight may still not like the stares she gets as a Lich, but her sweater is worn more out of a kind of comfort thing than it is out of really trying to hide who she is. When she's with Luna and Scrivener, her attention is focused with them, not on what others might be thinking. Until Luna does something horribly embarrassing, anyway. Twilight has done some... I wouldn't call it growing up, but... well, it'll poke up now and then and you'll understand better through reading than me fumblingly trying to explain things.
Otherwise, thanks as always and I hope you enjoy the story. It's quite a journey, and there's going to be quite a few twists and turns right up until the last Act. With luck it'll all prove a worthwhile way to cap this series off.

Looks like twi and sin are finally getting some bonding in.

Welp, SIn's power is either to bring order or just nature manipulation...

I really hope the latter, since every time anyone in this series (Cough cough Celestia) tries to impose order bad things happened...

Okay... is it just me or is Innocence not going to be so "innocent" by the end of this story. By the way you've described her cutie-mark story and her character in general, seems to show that she is the tragic protagonist whose fatal flaw will influence the storm of chaos that the Draconequus are set in their seats with their popcorn and watching. I don't know it could just be me 0_0/

Anyway good story so far, I will be glued to my screen checking updates when I'm not studying for my Unit 3-4 Exams

I always enjoy it when Hectate brings her face to a hoof party! :pinkiehappy:

3223415

Innocence is definitely a focus point, I can admit that much, at least. Her journey is one of the biggest parts of this story, I think. But thanks very much, and I hope you continue to enjoy. There's quite a lot to go, and the real fun is only just getting started now.

Login or register to comment