“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
-Sydney Carton, A Tale of Two Cities
The Gate. It had no other name and for many such a simplistic title would have been seen as a grave insult to something so majestic and wonderful. It was a shining jewel in a world already full of amazing and awe-inspiring things. To call it the Gate was to call Canterlot a town or to call Princess Celestia a mere pony of little interest.
Of course, there were not many to know of its existence, let alone its name. The Gate was a well kept secret in Equestria, known only to a small few throughout the millennia that had passed since the first ponies had arrived on the shores of that land. None knew how it had come into being nor did they begin to comprehend how this magnificent structure truly worked. It was a riddle waiting to be unwrapped… coyly hiding its secrets till the day came that one would unlock its mysteries.
A barrier of energy, the Gate severed as both a doorway and a wall to a fantastical world so foreign to what was known by ponykind that a mere glimpse of it would have driven even the most prolific of thinkers to spend the rest of their days attempting to capture just a percentage of its scope. For the Gate led to the world of the Abstracts, they themselves a strange race created by the thoughts and dreams of living creatures. It was these ideas that flowed through the Gate, the magics within it transforming them from shapeless desire into the manifestation of thought and the representatives and inspirers of great ideals.
Of course, there were some that whispered the Gate was so much more. Rumors of other worlds and other paths had reached the princesses’ ears and they had worked hard to keep them under wraps.
Normally, the Gate was unseen, one of its first lines of defense. It would be small, as clear as a gentle breeze, and draw in the thoughts and feelings of those all throughout the land with as gentle of a touch as a mother stroke her newborn’s head. Twilight Sparkle, so connected to the abstract Faith, had felt the pull and nearly been mistakenly dragged through the Gate before her brother had broken her from her trance.
In times of need, however, when great forces and even greater desires rolled through the lands, the Gate was revealed in all its glory, so that the abstracts and the ponies to meet together in great waves and join forces against a common threat. Sharped like a half disc, it stood 20 feet tall and 30 feet across. The edges, rather than being smooth, were like the lapping waves of the sea, churning about as the glowing white magic that made up its form pulsed.
Princess Luna, upon seeing it during the first battle with Discord, when the six elements of harmony had rushed forth to heed their call, had thought it looked like the path to the Elysian Fields and nearly ran through it in hopes of being reunited with those that had been taken from them.
The Gate had been always protected by the ancient castle of the Everfree, followed by the forest itself. It had been Celestia and Luna who had enchanted the forest and filled ponies with dread about entering it... not that much dread was needed, as the ponies already feared that unnatural forest that had stood with its mysterious creatures since before the founding of Equestria.
The Gate had been a secret and a path to a fantastic world. Never had it been threatened; not even Discord had dared to attack it. He had not feared it, per say, but he had respected its strength and merely decided to find his fun elsewhere. The same was true of Nightmare Moon and so many others. All had honored the Gate and made no move against it.
But now... the madmare Doubt had commited the greatest of sins: she had dared to corrupt the Gate and was using it to bring about the end of all things.
With chaos magic so foul it turned the stomachs of even the most vile, Doubt had attacked the Gate the moment it had responded to the call of the oblivious Faith, who hadn't realized he was stepping into Doubt's trap. The spirit of chaos had lashed out with her spells and caused the very foundation of the Gate to change, disrupting its magic and turning it from a portal to another world into a churning maelstrom that devouring all in its path with a gluttonous abandon.
Even as it lashed out at the forest that had been its home and protector, the Gate called upon the abstracts and those that were connected to them, sensing the thoughts and feelings that made up their very DNA and attempting to draw them towards its maw. The ponies fought and bucked, digging their hooves into the ground in an attempt to provide themselves some form of purchase. They had no idea what was happening on the other side but their concern for the abstracts was put on hold in their fight for their own lives.
The strongest of them managed better and worked to aid the weaker. Twilight and Trixie, along with the princesses, formed a magical net that Honesty and Big Macintosh took up and began to drag away from the maw. Rainbow's horn burned so hot it threatened to explode as she pulled a screaming Scootaloo away from a lashing tendril that had nearly cut her in half; the blue mare had begun to curse as she fought to save the filly that looked up to her. Faith let out a bellow as he drove his wings into the ground, using them to drag himself inch by inch away from the vortex while also shoving Fluttershy back with his forehead, the mare sobbing in pain as the suction became almost too great.
And through it all... Doubt laughed.
"This is how it ends, Faith!" Doubt called out over the wanton destruction. She had dug in, unaffected by the pull now that she was no longer an abstract, and merely had to avoid the thrashing magic. "This is how Equestria meets its end: the very Gate that is supposed to be its protector destroys it... and you, its noble savior, were the cause of all of this. Once again... it all falls on you... your fault... only you! All you touch turns to ashes and the last thing you will know is that you killed them all!"
Faith, swallowed, shutting his eyes for a moment before he looked up at Twilight. She stared at him and for a moment the world fell away and all was forgotten. There was no Gate. There was no war. No Queens or battles or alicorns or grand speeches. It was just the two of them, alone in a void of their own making. From the moment Twilight had taken her first breath Faith had been with her… and for the silver abstract his life had only truly begun when he laid eyes on her.
Countless words passed between them in that moment. Twilight, for the first time in her existence, saw how Faith looked upon the world: a moment lasting a thousand lifetimes… and a thousand lifetimes occurring in a single blink of an eye.
She didn’t want it to end… because she knew in her heart what was to come.
“I love you all,” Faith said softly, breaking his gaze from her and letting his eyes drift to each of them, taking them all in, drinking in their visage and committing them to memory.
“FAITH!” Twilight screamed, the cry being brought up by the rest as Faith ripped his wings free from the ground and surrendered himself to the pull of the Gate. “FAITH!”
The silver alicorn twisted around, driving his left hoof down and using the push to bring himself just to the left of the Gate. He could feel the heat of the magic burning his coat and smell the cooking ozone as he rocketed towards oblivion.
But he wasn’t done… not just yet.
Doubt’s eyes widened as Faith slammed into her, his right foreleg pressed against her throat as he brought his back hooves down onto the ground, shoving the madmare with all his strength.
“Is this what you wanted?” Faith screamed as he forced Doubt to take a step back. “Life dealt you a bad hand so instead of trying to do better you want to destroy everything?!?”
“Yes,” Doubt screamed, struggling to roll Faith off of her and send him plummeting into the Gate’s deadly grasp. “A thousand times yes! I suffered and so too must the world! Everything is going to feel my pain!”
“You’re not insane,” Faith snarled as he pushed her back once more. “Calling you insane is an insult to all crazy ponies out there!” He grit his teeth and drove his foreleg harder into her neck. “You could have been wonderful. You could have taken all the bad that happened to you and used it to fuel yourself, to better yourself and become something more!”
“Like you?” Doubt snarled, grabbing onto his wings and, with a violent tug, ripped them from his back. The silver abstract screamed as they were tossed into the vortex, blood gushing from the gaping wounds. “Faith, looking down his nose at me once again! You act like it would have been so easy!”
“It was for me!” Faith shouted, despite the pain.
“I’m not you,” Doubt said, punching him in the side.
“Believe me… I see that clearly.”
Doubt reached up and grasped his horn, forcing his face towards hers, not letting his eyes break her stare. “You want some final speech to make this all come together, don’t you? Oh, the logical little thief wants to understand why I have behaved so badly.” Doubt slammed her left leg down, nearly breaking Faith’s ankle. “You want me to reveal my motivates, my desires, and what drove me to this dark path. You are looking for the piece that will make you understand me and how I could so easily seek to kill all of existence.” She leaned in close, her lips almost touching his, a tear falling from her eye. “And… perhaps… for me to see the error of my ways… to see the madness for what it is and realize just how badly I have hurt the world, your friends, and… you. You… so like me… who should have been my ally and my lover and my companion… the one I have hurt so. You seek a moment… just one… when I have the chance to wipe away all the evil I have done and be redeemed.” Doubt pressed her lips to his, rewarding him with a tender kiss.
Then… she snapped his horn from his forehead.
“Sorry,” Doubt said, Faith’s blood coating her lips as it ran down the abstract’s face. “No answers… no grand gestures… no final redemption. There are none, Faith. I just want all to suffer … end of story. End of YOUR story.”
“Not… not quite,” Faith said, battling through the pain. “One… one final chapter to go.” He gave Doubt a shove and the spirit of chaos let out a yelp when she stumbled back another few feet, the heat of the destabilized vortex burning her back. “We caused this… the Gate opened because of my power and it is destroying everything because of yours. But tell me, Doubt… what if my power isn’t there to keep it open? What if you aren’t around to continue corrupting it?”
Doubt drove her taloned hand into his side. “You… you’ll die with me, Faith!”
“I know,” Faith said, smiling as he began the final push. He saw her words for what they truly were: a final gamble by one who had suddenly seen the flaw in her plan. It was easy to want death… it was quite enough to finally face it. “Come on now, darling… now is not the time for fear… that comes-“
Faith let out a weak gurgle, eyes widening in shock. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak. His mouth silently opened and closed, no words passing his lips. It wasn’t from anything Doubt had done, nor was it the power of the vortex. No… Faith had lost his breath because a noose had fallen around his neck. Doubt and him, for one moment, shared an almost comical stare before Faith was yanked away from the madmare.
Twilight, Trixie and the Princesses caught the silver abstract, holding him tight as the bleeding stallion stared in shock at the scene before him. Rarity lay at his feet, smaller now and less powerful, looking bewildered as Spike reached out and grabbed her, keeping her from being sucked into the Gate. Doubt still stood there, was still being shoved back… but now it was a crystal alicorn mare with jewel-studded wings who was pressing her back.
“Generosity?” Faith whispered, staring at the new abstract who’d taken his place.
“You were right, Spike!” the diamond-coated alicorn cried out as she shoved Doubt back, the spirit of chaos screaming in outrage. “I was being selfish… and I was keeping Rarity from you all because I didn’t want to let her go. Just like I refused to help you, dear brother, because I wanted to believe you weren’t special. I refused to see the truth… but now I do… and I know what I can give… to make all of this right.”
“Generosity!” Faith, Honesty, and Kindness cried out.
“This… this is such a lovely world, Doubt,” Generosity said, her wings flapping as she channeled every bit of her strength into moving forward. “I have only been a part of it a short time, even shorter when you think of how long my vision was clouded. But even in that short time, I have come to realize something important: ponies are better than us. Not because of their power or their strength or their intelligence… these don’t make them our betters.”
Her horn glowed, releasing a cloud-like bloom of energy, and she could hear her siblings gasp when the spell took the shape of Loyalty and Laughter… not as they had died but as they should have been. The two phantoms took a hold of Doubt’s arms and pulled them away from Generosity, allowing the mare to push the spirit of chaos closer to the Gate. For one brief moment Loyalty and Laughter looked upon the rest and smiled sadly, silently apologizing for all that had happened.
“They are better than us because despite all their limitations… they live. They live… these strange, silly, sad, wonderful lives. We’ve never lived, Doubt… neither of us. We were too busy thinking ourselves above them and making plans and playing our pathetic mind games to see we were lower than them… no more than stones under their hooves.” Generosity smiled as the tears fell. “I see now… I see why Faith chose to stay, even after he remembered. I don’t want to go either… but I have to.
“It is for this reason… for their capacity to LIVE… that I give my final gift.” Generosity took a breath before locked hard eyes with Doubt, who, for the first time since her transformation… was completely and utterly sane.
And she knew only fear.
“I give my LIFE… in trade for theirs.”
And with that, Generosity drove herself and Doubt into the Gate.
The world exploded with light and the gathered ponies slammed their eyes shut and pressed their forelegs against their faces. It was blinding and painful and hot and horrid…
…and so utterly beautiful.
Then there was a cool darkness and a gentle thrum… and they all opened their eyes to see the Gate restored, its energy stable and its magic no longer causing such wanton destruction. And from within they heard voices… a thousand voices speaking together as one. They said no words but they all understood. It was the abstracts, those without forms or bodies… wondering if they were needed. They called to Faith, the one that had made the summons, if only by accident, asking if their world was in danger.
It was Twilight who spoke at long last. “No… no… we are protected.”
A slight trill filled the air, like a happy tune played upon a flute… and the Gate disappeared, quiet once more and waiting for the time it was needed to open again.
“Is… is it over?” Apple Bloom whispered as the forest grew quiet once again.
“I think it is,” Luna said.
Overheard the cheers began to ring out, and soon all that were gathered in that clearing began to hug each other and laugh and cry. Applejack wrapped her forelegs around Big Mac, Celestia and Luna laid their heads against each others, and Cadence and Shining embraced and filled the Everfree with a pink glow of love. Up above they heard some cheers and they looked up in time to see Derpy dip the Doctor and deliver a tail-curling kiss. Flim and Flam fired off the cannons and IronWill pumped his fist and roared in delight.
Only three did not join in.
Twilight and her friends, along with Trixie and Spike, broke away from the crowd and joined Faith, Honesty and Kindness. The three abstracts, the last of their family, stood on the spot where Generosity had been, looking down at it with tears in their eyes and smiles on their lips. Their sister had died there, not as a monster but as a sane mare once more, doing as she always wanted: giving of herself.
“She always loved to make grand exits,” Faith said, laughing weakly. He didn’t resist when Kindness reached over and for the first time in a thousand years hugged him. He looked skyward and smiled. “Her spirit moves on… to join with the greatest heroes of Equestria… and now, in their grand company… she shall feel no shame.”
“Faith…” Twilight said, walking up to him. Kindness backed away and Faith looked at Twilight in confusion as she smiled… then punched him hard in the face. Before he could fall Twilight grabbed him and planted a kiss on him. “That’s for doing something so stupid!”
Trixie nodded, bumping Twilight aside and kissing the lord of the gray… then belting him as well. “And that is for kissing Doubt!”
“I didn’t want to kiss her,” Faith weakly protested.
“Sure,” Rainbow teased, hovering above him. She leaned down and summoned a cloth, which she with surprising tenderness used to begin cleaning his wounds. “We all know what dirty fantasies you stallions have.”
“What fantasies?” Faith said in genuine confusion. The others stared at him, waiting for the joke, but he just continued to look on blankly. “Why are you all staring at me like that?”
Honesty glanced at Applejack and shrugged. “He fell before I could give him that little talk.”
“What talk? What is everyone laughing about?” Faith asked, perturbed by how they all seemed to be taking great joy at his expense. Even Fluttershy was giggling… though only after Kindness leaned in and whispered a quick explanation.
“So… what now?” Spike asked as the laughter grew quiet. The others looked at him and the baby dragon shrugged. “I mean… the war is over. The Queens are gone-“ he gave all the ponies and abstracts a hard look and they all bashfully nodded, “-are gone and there is no more Doubt… unless she is ready to spring a trap on us right now!” The others jumped and Spike looked about with wide eyes, earning some curious looks from the princesses and the rest of the rebellion. “Ok… so she’s gone for good. But all those places are still destroyed and ponies are going to have questions… so what do we do now?”
The others shuffled uneasily, trying to think of something to say. Indeed, the way Spike painted it… the path before them was littered with hurdles.
Faith, his body aching, took a step forward. He’d sacrificed much of his magic and now stood at Twilight and Trixie’s height, his wings and horn torn away and needs time to grow back. The two mares stood beside him as he looked up at the trees, the sun shining down upon them as Doubt’s chaos storm was blown away.
“We honor Generosity’s final wish,” Faith said.
“And that is?” Fluttershy asked.
“We live.”
Thus ends the war (and what to call it, fans? The War of the Abstracts? The War of the Five Queens? The Elements War?) and thus ends Doubt. I know some will be disappointed that Doubt didn't have any grand reason for what she did but that is EXACTLY what I wanted... a villain without reason. Without purpose. A mad mare who tried to end all of existance purely because she was angry her own lot.
Doubt was always a mirror image of Faith. She was what he could have become, had he simply stopped caring. But that is what makes Faith so special... unlike all the other abstracts, he lived. Even as he died over a thousand years he lived each day by his own honor and his own rules. And that is why he found redemption... and why Doubt never could. She had styled herself as his opposite and in the end that meant she could never rise back up. She always had to fall, deeper and deeper.
Doubt, to me, represents also the worst kind of monsters: those that act without reason. She is a serial killer who kills because she wants to. There is no need or drive or purpose to her actions. She isn't Hitler or Charles Manson or even Son of Sam. She is merely an insane beast that decided, after looking at her ruined life, to make others suffer.
We meet these people every day. They are the haters and the negatives and the downers. They don't do it for some reason... they do it because they enjoy watching others suffer, fail... endure pain like them.
Generosity's sacrifice was important. So many thought Faith was going to die but I knew that wouldn't be the case. It had to be her, one of the worst of the abstracts in terms of falling into darkness, deciding to give the world a final gift: a chance to live. Generosity died so Equestria could go on... so her FAMILY could go on. There is a quote I thought about using for this chapter but decided not to, as it would give things away. I saw someone post it on a Doctor Who video on youtube:
Everybody has that one moment in their lives that they can be redeemed for all the evil they have done.
This was Generosity's moment... and to a degree Laughter and Loyalty's. Through that mare, the elements redeemed themselves and did what they were born to do.
I have mentioned before that I believe J.R.R. Tolkien was right... that sometimes there needs to be a Eucatastrophe. The opposite of a catastrophe... it is a sudden turn from bad to good, when all things go right suddenly and the light beats back the dark. That happened here.
Could I have done a long, drawn out battle with blood and spells and Faith piercing Doubt with his horn? Yes... but I didn't want to tell that story. This is what I wanted to tell.
A final note about this chapter:yes, I continued the joke I set up about 10 chapters back that Faith, for all his wisdom, doesn't understand what sex is. It is something that makes me smile and humanizes Faith a bit (or ponizes?).
So we come to the end of Volume 2... but don't worry, there is still a little bit more too go...
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Yay, more!
2592983 I assume all that remains is an epilogue to show how Equestria was rebuilt and what became of the abstracts.
The war of Doubt. Since it revolved all around Doubt, and through most it, the people were shrouded with Doubt....
What about . . . The Battle of Belief. This was a battle for morals, for what everyone believed in. For who thought they were right and who was wrong.
MORE
A fitting end to the war. I love this story! You have taken us for quite a ride defender2222. Thank yous.
This ending felt... right. Thank you for a wonderful story
Well... that was... uh... fast. I didn't expect them to solve the doomsday door problem so quickly.
Meh. I didn't like it. But other people do, so that's fine. BUT WHAT DO I KNOW? I'M TASTELESS!
You made it pretty obvious someone on the good guy's side was going to die. I knew it wasn't going to be Faith, because you love the character too much, and you set up that love triangle (which, in retrospect, I think the plot could've survived without) that pretty much guaranteed his survival. Rule of epic drama, someone on the good guys has to die, especially if they convert from the bad guy's side.
I disagree with Generosity's sacrifice. Martyrdom, while admirable, technically is the ultimate act of loyalty, not generosity. The ultimate act of generosity would be to simply never stop giving/serving/helping others, but I'm just nitpicking.
SO I assume that the next chapter will deal with aftermath, what becomes of the new alicorned main six, who's the new abstracts of laughter and generosity (unless going through the gate makes them cease to exist), rebuilding the kingdom, quenching the rebellions of those still brainwashed, etc.
2593407
I would disagree, as I feel the greatest act of generosity is to give ones life for their country and their cause. I can see where you are going with Loyalty, but I view it as the ultimate gift and thus Generosity's final, grand act.
And yes, the final chapter will reveal how Equestria deals with the fallout of all of this.
Rarity becomes generosity or sweetie belle will.
2593419
Cool. Tweak's reading this now, I'll try and keep him on a leash when he reviews it this time.
Damn it, I don't know what to say!
Ah, well, great chapter.
-SS
2593419
Does it count as Fourth Wall breaking that Faith informed us that there would be one more chapter in the story?
Seriously. I want to know.
Anyway, great story. I've been following this from the beginning of Faith and Doubt and I'll be sad to see it end.
Write on,
Legion
Is that a Song of Fire and Ice/Game of Thrones reference I spy?
You should tell Blackjack that. I think she desperately needs to hear that.
Well let me tell ya. This is not what I though I was getting when I read the first story. I have mixed feelings. The whole alicornication of the world, the whole war and well... hamfist phylosophy and corny dialogue just felt... forced. I mean I see the jokes and even when you lampshaded this but still, it felt into quite a generic war fic. Kinda reminds me of other fics like Ponies Make War.
Of course people thumb me down when I don't praise and lvoe a story and point out it's flaws. No story is perfect, people, get over it.
damn, I thought you were going to pull a downer ending.
sure, people would have been pissed but it would have been the ballsiest thing ever.
(this is ok too, though)
Boy, lots of explanation in that first comment of yours. I mean, it's obvious. It became to me when you pulled out that "some just want to watch the world burn" quote way back in some chapter. All the explanation I needed: Doubt is crazy, wants to destroy everything, no motive besides that. Easy.
I also have an issue with Generosity giving her life. I have been brought up to believe that one of the most irresponsible things you can do is to give your life in a martyr-like fashion. For if everyone would do that, there would be nobody to continue the life cycle.
I can understand someone giving their life so their loved ones can continue to live, though this is also not that great, what with children not having father/mother around.
Plus, in her case, it is quite an excuse to not be generous anymore. You can't give anything if you are dead. Unless you set things in a certain fashion before that. Well, in a way... she DID know that someone will take her place... then again she abandoned her family. Not that generous if you ask me.
Well, the entire idea of dying for country/flag/ideals is revolting for me. Those are items/abstracts, they mean absolutely nothing without those who created them. Die for other people? Okay, I suppose I get it even if it's still not a good idea. Die for not really well-defined country/higher cause? A waste of life.
Oh well, different cultures, I suppose. Feel free to disagree. And do note, please, that this is not meant to offend anyone, especially those gone from this world. It is not my way to spit on The Dead. I just have a different view on certain aspects of the world.
Have a nice day!
Whew, I think I caught a bad case of Arc Fatigue
But new chapters, woot
I WANT MOAR WITH A SEQUEL ON TOP!!!
Any comment about Discord´s final fate? is he still alive, inside the statue?
So the last of the 3 First Abstracts gave her life so that Equestria may live on... what a way to go...
Makes me wonder though, who will be the next Generosity?
Last tidbit though before everything is all hunky dory. What about the golden eyes thing?
Hmm... Not the War of the Elements (at this point, those are playthings), not the abstract war, because all but one were pretty much pawns or cannon fodder, and not the war of the five queens (again, pretty much pieces in play)
Me thinks it should be called the uultimate showdown... Ok, I'm kidding. I'll edit when I think of a name.
Edit: I just realized that a name for this conflict... Has two roles. It must fit in the story and (not a requirement) but the readers would like it if it sounded cool. I mean, a conflict of concepts sounds awesome to me, but would the ponies call it that? They're more likely to say something like "The chaos event" or, "The queen's rule" based on what scarred them the most. As peaceful a peaceful people (you aren't far enough into your own AU to claim otherwise) they probably wouldn't call it a war in order to spare the next generations.
2594361
I never came out and directly said it, but the golden eyes were Scootaloo's power coming into being. She was having flare ups of power and thus affecting the others. Once she ascended she gained control and thus no more golden eyes.
...I had a feeling that would happen.
Oh well, Generosity, you shan't be forgotten.
Hopefully, the new Abstracts will do a good job.
Awaiting further releases.
Defender you sir are truly a great writer and I have a feeling that I will read this story many a time
I have to say that last mintue twist was something I didn't expect coming into the story at the last moment.
I must say you surprised me with this update and the ending of the final battle, but now I wonder how does Rarity feel now that Generosity is gone from her mind ?
Faith now only has kindness and honesty to lean on...still it must be tough being a family of Abstracts, but I wonder what will they do now that the fight is over and Equestria is safe ?
Nice moments through out this chapter, I especially enjoyed Rainbow's attempt at keeping Scootaloo from being puled away.
Please enjoy keep up the good work upon such a great tale like this one.
So wait doubt gets both trixie and twilight?
as awesome as ever!
Just becasue I'm trying to keep tabs on who is transformed into what..Rarity and Fluttershy are still alicorns..just not all tall, regal, and (as) powerful due to the separation from their abstracts, yeah?
Poor Faith..having to regrow all that..then being punched twice..then being made fun of
2594229
The only difference between Generosity and a martyr is the fact that she took out Doubt in the process. A martyr is someone who will die to fuel the rebellion and become a symbol. Generosity kind of ended it all. Giving her life to finish the war wouldn't be irresponsible.
2592983
I'm not sure, but I think the term is equinizes.
Not the ending I was expecting... or at least not who I thought would die... this is why I love you author!
2594502 Might have been a good thing to answer, even given how small it was compared to everything else.
I had a feeling Faith's blood family would survive while the adopted family wouldn't. I can't say I saw that coming though; how Generosity die that is.
I--... sorry I can't form many thoughts right now since I'm drunk (light-weight, and half a bottle of whiskey). Anyways, the main thing I love about "Faith and Doubt" and "The Abundance" is that you throw constant "curve balls" as they're called. Many a twist with perfect sense. Every new revelation has a build-up. Nothing is out of left-field yet is always subtle.
I have to ask... have you considered writing a novel? Because I would read it. No question asked.
PS Faith has two girlfriends... lucky bastard.
You know...the one thing I hate is something called 'plot armor'. And as good as this story is...why is Faith protected by it? How many times was Faith ready to die? How many times would he have sacrificed himself? And he STILL gets another one to jump in his place when he absolutely needed to go?
Unrelated to this: Generosity and chaos died? Sounds like hard times are ahead. Will the abstracts reform? After all, did they really die when they touched the Gate? Nopony could really say that they actually saw what was happening there...and not rising to a cheap bait would be something a sane Doubt (or one that wants to live) would do.
Besides these two points though, your story was fantastic, 2594502. Even if there is one chapter (or two) to wrap it up, I'll say that this is over. I find something funny: Nearly anytime you showed overwhelming odds against one side, you tipped the scales quite easily the other way.
- Giant army and control of the land for the Queens? How about we destroy a queen and take her home with her? Or flee with all the important prisoners?
- A small army is confronted by Laughter? Laughter nearly wins until she goes too far.
- There is only 'one queen and Doubtence' left? They still prove to be a credible threat that nearly destroys the world.
There are more examples but these are the one that stuck out the most to me. There are a lot of anlogies too: First the resistance was small and insignificant until they got Faith. Then they grew and grew, gaining Loyalty and Honesty and became a credible threat. But only after adding Laughter and Kindness and convincing Generosity to join them, only then did they beat the chaos. Elements of Harmony indeed.
2599290
Both are dead. Chaos will be covered, but Generosity's mantle will be passed on to a new bearer, jsut as Loyalty's was passed to Scootaloo
2599563
That's just the thing: The Gate sounds like this law-bending, reality-changing thing. Even when corrupted it feels more like that beings caught in there will simply be lost and not dead to me.
Of course, if the author states their death, they are dead. I'm just wondering, that's all.
The Story is Awesome!!!
This was definitely the best ending for this story. However, Generosity's sacrifice did surprise me a bit. As soon as Faith said that line about his own power, I though he would have Twilight blast him with magic or something to shut down the gate, and then end Doubt somehow. However, after the canon ending, I realized that the only way to stop such a destructive force was to either a) get rid of the energy that powered it or b) put something into the energy so that it equalizes the two energies and everything is neutral. Generosity's sacrifice did both, shutting down Doubt as well as adding an opposing power. This is a recurring theme, how everything need to be equal.
Anyway, this is by far the best series I've ever read, however the God Squad is a close second. Fantastic job, defender2222.
I would have to agree with some others here, I totally did not expect Generosity to sacrifice herself to save all of Equestria and the World of the Abstracts. Once again defender, you have officially thrown a curve ball at me.
Great ending and a great story. I look forward to the final chapter of "The Abundance" and see how Equestria is faring after all of the ensuing chaos.
~ Super-Brony12
P.S. What happened to Discord? Is he truly dead (thanks to Doubt) or is still around somewhere?
Did not expect for such a thing but it was nice for the Abstracts to have redeemed themselves.
2592983 Abstraction, Elements, and the number five? You want a word for all of that? Quintessence .
Doubt drove her taloned hand into his side. “You… you’ll die with me, Faith!”
“I know,” Faith said,
Dr who reference anyone
I got major 'Doctor Who' vibes from this chapter.
You are one sly, sneaky, complete loveable bastard.
Come here and give me a hug...
Please?
The ending of this chapter made me think of this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkP_pEhCp20
Mainly the speech.