Epilogue
One year has passed since the events that took place in the throne room. The press had a hayday with it. The hero who came from another world, and gave them so many things had sacrificed himself to bind an ancient evil forever, the same evil that caused the Nightmare Moon crisis barely six years ago. Nightshade's statue had been moved to where all the other statues go, the royal garden. The statue of Nightshade, kneeling, with arms stretched wide and wings forward, to embrace something that wasn't there, and a stone sword in the ground next to him. He was placed in the front of the garden, a place of honour, to be seen by all who passed through so they might recognize him.
The statue sat on a pedestal, with a plaque at the base. The plaque read.
"Here stands Nightshade, friend to all. He came from a world far worse, but made ours far better. Gave his life to forever bind the ancient Nightmare, standing watch forever, guarding us from it's return. May his rest be peaceful."
Celestia, Luna, Lyra, Twilight, Spike, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Trixie, Big Mac, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Zecora, all stood before the memorial, on the one year anniversary of his 'death'.
They each walked up, said a few words, and walked away.
"He gave is life to save mine, that I may continue to raise the sun and give this world warmth." Celestia said calmly.
"He gave his life to save mine, that I may continue to raise the moon and watch over their sleep." Luna cried. "He destroyed the evil which I myself could not overcome."
"He wrote me a book, and shared his knowledge with the world." Said Twilight, putting 'Forest Survival: A Guide to the Everfree' on the pedestal.
"He gave us enough money to fix up Granny Smith, giving us some easy work just for an excuse to do it." Applejack said, placing an apple pie by the statue. "I'll never forget ya."
"He had excellent fashion sense, and never complained when I chased him with scissors. " Rarity cried, leaving his old cloak on the pedestal.
"He ruined my life, and then gave me a better one to replace it." Trixie said, leaving the plaque of the newly founded 'Trottingham Shade and Shy's Sugar Shack'
"Ah pranked him, and he never got me back." Said Big Mac, leaving nothing but a manly tear.
"He was the only one who could keep up with me." Rainbow Dash sighed, leaving behind her Wonderbolt pin, the one she got when she finally joined them 6 months ago.
"He gave me maple syrup!" Pinkie exclaimed, leaving a bottle of the sweet substance behind as she walked away.
"He saved my life, took me in when I had nowhere to go, taught me to fly, and brought me closer with my idol. He became my dad." Scootaloo said crying, leaving behind a bottle with a cloud shaped into the word 'dad' inside.
"He taught me to be my own pony." Sweeite Belle said, leaving her signed microphone.
"He discovered my talent, and helped me to grow." Said Applebloom, leaving her favorite paintbrush
"I taught him much, he taught me some, twas not for long, but I had fun." Said Zecora Leaving pressed Nightshade flower.
"He became my brother, and made me a hunk." Said the now even bigger Spike, leaving one of his scales behind as he chased after Rarity.
Now all that remained at the memorial, with all the various objects sitting on the pedestal, were Lyra and Fluttershy. For a time, they just sat in silence, before Lyra finally spoke up.
"He gave his life to spare mine, he saved me from myself, and the world from my mistake." Lyra said. She didn't leave just yet though. "I was so jealous of you, I couldn't see what was happening to me, and because of that, he was taken from both of us. Even though everyone has forgiven me, I still haven't forgiven myself."
"He came to me, and even though I hurt him when we first met, he didn't bear a grudge. He made me the happiest I've ever been. I fell in love. He showed me the world through his eyes. He always cared, and was always kind, even if he was a little timid. He was a lot like me, but he was able to stand up and fight for what's right." Fluttershy said. She took out a dream catcher, one that matched the one he had given her.
"It was hard to make, but I wanted him to have it. Wherever he is, I want him to be safe, and although it is just a silly superstitious thing, he gave me his, to show how much he cared." Fluttershy took the dream catcher, and hung it around his neck, giving him a hug as she did so.
"He gave me one, back when I was all messed up. It held Nightmare at bay, but I was so poisoned, I threw it out. If I had kept it, this never would have happened. He gave me a gift, and I threw it out because I wanted him to like me." Lyra began to cry, Fluttershy put her wing over the sobbing unicorn.
"Because of me, he's gone. We'll never see him again, we'll never talk again. And you, you'll never hold him again. He loved you, as much as any stallion could love any mare, and you loved him back, and I..... I took him away from you. I don't know if I could ever forgive myself for that. I even wish that you hadn't forgiven me for it." She said, walking away.
Once Fluttershy was all alone with the statue of Nightshade, she began to sing, ever so slowly and softly, as this was a song of tears, not of joy.
Somewhere
beyond the sea
Somewhere waiting for me
My lover stands on golden sands
and watches the ships
go sailling.
Somewhere
beyond the sea
he's there, watching for me
If I could fly
like birds on high
straight into his arms
I'd go sailing.
It's far
beyond the stars
It's near
beyond the moon
I know
With out a doubt
My heart
will lead me there soon
Somewhere
Beyond the shore
We'll kiss
just like before
Happy as can be
beyond the sea
and never again
I'll go
sailing.
Once the song had ended, Fluttershy turned back to see all those who she thought had left, standing behind her, tears in their eyes. Her friends gave her a hug, and the princesses turned away, not wanting to be seen having lost their composure. It started to rain. At first, a single drop fell, landing in his stone eye, and rolling down his cheek, as if the statue itself were crying. Then it began to pour. The rest of the group headed inside the palace, while Fluttershy sat atop the pedestal, the stone wings protecting her from the rain. She reached up, gave him a kiss, and said.
"Happy Birthday"
THE END
OMG SO SAD. Yes, he 'died' ON HIS BIRTHDAY a year ago to save them all. I figured that each pony leaving a little something on the pedestal his statue is standing on was fitting, a little something from each of their lives, a reminder of all he had done for them. Kind of a funeral march. Are you all crying? Good, then I've done my job. Great, now I'm crying too. I'm going to let you all sob for the next while, while I take a break to gather my idea's for the sequel. Don't un-track just because it's over though. When I'm ready to start the next story, I'll put an update in here telling you all it's name, just in case you can't find it. It's been an awesome ride, full of laughs, d'aww, and the shedding of manly, (and maybe not so manly) tears. I just hope the next one is as good as this one.
Already told you crazy ponies, there IS going to be a sequel. I'm just making you wait for it! Mostly because I have to gather my thoughts, write some of em down and all that, but also because I like torturing you.
holy fucking shit dude, your the THIRD writer to make me cry...........
you must either be god himself,
or just a reallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreally excellent writer
I felt that the part where you described the ponies actions as "Pony: What pony does" was a little awkward and pretty jarring.
I think that if you changed that part you could make this chapter better.
Fucking manly tears... I'm gonna go punch a wall or something. Maybe I'll do some welding or blow something up. Leave me alone! All of you!
.... Sequel! Now! Why isnt it up yet?! Like i said earlier, if Nightshade dosent come back, immah be pissed!
232777 Yeah, reading it, I thought so too, I've changed it now. I also completely forgot Spike! So, I added him in too. Now you get to read it and cry again!
Almost cried, congratulations. Only things that can do that are Titanic, My little Dashie and Letters From Iwo Jima. It's too bad the court of existence has not denied Nightmares existence, and i'm very sure that God would NEVER deny anythings existence, if it had already existed, but I don't know, he might.
just gonna ask can I have a spoiler
NO! No spoilers! You must now wait, with sadness in your hearts! Okay, think of it this way. I told you I needed time to gather my ideas. Now take into account that I had almost everything in this entire story thought up inside of a week, and it took me two weeks to write, start to finish. I actually thought of the end scene first, with the whole 'for those who come after' and then thought up the Trixie scene to give it meaning. Since I'd be doing a sequel, I have to build off of the existing story, and the existing relationships, so it might take me a little longer to gather my wits.
2 weeks-1 month before I start writing the next one. Or, before I start POSTING the next one. I may very well write what I've got beforehand, then give it to you a little at a time. It's a sequel, it's going to be harder to write and make good than the original, so it WILL take more time.
Also, I'm glad you're all crying. Just means that you're human, but not the 'typical' human outlined in the story. Let's face it, we're constantly bombarded with commericals about children in africa, and animals in shelters. Eventually we become indifferent to the suffering of others. It's good to have a cry now and then, just to make sure we're still alive on the inside.
google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/walkseva/ManlyTearsHaveBeenShed.jpg&imgrefurl=http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/walkseva/%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DManlyTearsHaveBeenShed.jpg%26newest%3D1&h=527&w=608&sz=47&tbnid=iR5p9UYw0OZ3PM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=104&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmanly%2Btears%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=manly+tears&docid=DJIOlifuzUrpoM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=FRxAT-mUM8qu0QWjoa2PDw&sqi=2&ved=0CEEQ9QEwBQ&dur=3474 by big mac
im listeining to Paradise right now and i feel a little depressed
He has no mouth, and he must scream.
Bittersweet ending is bittersweet.
And now, to wait for the sequel!
Fuck you. Because I don't like to cry.
SPOILER: dream catcher, that is all
Manly tears were shed the day
Dude! Loved this fic! 5/5
Also, what's the name of that song in the end? Or did you write the lyrics yourself?
233159 The song is Beyond the Sea, by Frank Sinatra, I changed the gender though, so instead of 'her' it was 'his' since Fluttershy was singing about him, instead of him singing about her.
232886 I'm going to cut you. But still. Live long and prosper.
@ BlackWing
Thanks!
And again, awesome story! I'm definitely looking forward to Book 2 or sequel of Monster. And i also wanna say two that i think that you have a really great talent of writing detailed stories with plentiful chapters at breakneck, skull-shattering speeds! Not sucking up, Just telling you what i think. Anyway, Great job, i really enjoyed reading this. I'm not hinting this, but I hope that oneday, you'll decide to write a Conversion Bureau fic. That would be so Cataclysmic! Again not hinting.
233284 Are you trying to tell me to write something? I don't understand. Also, what is the conversion bureau? Iv'e seen a bunch of em around, but never read them....
233308
This nearly made me cry.
And because of that, I thank you.
I'm still human.
@ Blackwing
No, sorry about that, i'm not telling you nor making you write anything. i'm just saying that i like your style of writing and would love to see your own flavor added to the CB series, if you decide to create one. No not making you write anything. Sorry for the misunderstanding. :)
oh, and i copied and pasted this, info about the CB Series.
"The Conversion Bureau is an as-of-this-moment unresolved tale about how ponies come to Earth to offer humans a choice: continue to live in their rundown rapidly-going-to-hell Earth, or become a pony and move to Equestria.
The original has been criticized as being very misanthropic and quick to jump on the “all humans are bastards” bandwagon without building or elaborating on the mechanics of it all - some of these criticisms find their mark - but the premise itself is an intriguing one. What if you could become a pony? What if you were given another roll of the dice - a single roll - to come out as a pony? Be it Earth, Pegasus or Unicorn pony, you would forever lose your thumbs and leave the human race. You’d be given a new life with new hopes and dreams in Equestria.
1. Would you take it?
2. Would you reject it?
3. Would you fight it?
4. Would you understand it, or refuse and be unable to comprehend?
All of these questions and more are being answered by ponies who have read not only the original but the horde of spinoffs. Some take the original universe as-is and fit within it’s relatively loose guidelines. Others add their own spin. Some are humans becoming ponies, some are ponies moving back to Earth. Some refuse outright, some cannot take the gift. Some end badly, some end gloriously."
Also read this whenever you get a chance: The Conversion Bureau - First Contact
It's what got me hooked on the series in the first place.
233507 Wow, you totally didn't get the sarcasm in my statement. I figured you were asking me to write something. I don't think I'll do a conversion bureau though, since many other's HAVE done it, and I like to keep things fresh.
Manly teras, man. Manly tears!
I'll wait patiently form the sequal, because of only one simple reason..... Good story!
Ok I'm gonna level with you guys. Normally I would say some thing along the lines of "Manly tears were shed today." but in all honesty they weren't manly at all! I balled my eyes out, be it because my over active imagination makes me hear voices every time i read something(including FCKIN MATH QUESTIONS!!) but when I heard Fluttershy Singing..I,,I just lost it. Then she says it was his fcking birthday!!!?!?!? That did it. Good Job, you have earned my respect as a writer and my loyalty as a fan.
great ending man
although i wish it could have ended on a more happier note, still i would not this change it for anything
you my good sir have mad writing skills
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Oh, I'm having so much fun writing the sequel, I've got 2 chapters already, Firebolt is a main character. Oh, it's so much fun!
Oh, what's that? You can't read it because I haven't submitted it yet? Oh, well that's too bad! I guess you'll all have to wait. lalalalala.
Nooooooooooo! You bastard! Now I'm going to go cry myself to sleep.
By the way. Listen to -My Immortal- by Evanescence for the ultimate in sad.
Many a manly tear. Very well written sir. You have my thanks.
MANLY TEARS WERE SHED THAT DAY
And thus the journey comes to an end, and boy did I enjoy every single moment of it, Celestiadamn college work for making me read this late, but man I’m just a sucker for bittersweet endings (we all are a little masoquist in the inside).
I cannot thank you enough for this.
I'll admit it, this fic had me laughing the entire time I was reading it. For a Marty Stu, Nightshade was very good, but there is no denying that he was a Marty Stu.
I have not cried I
manly fucking tears dude. seriously
I had to read this really fast so the words couldn't sink in. I nearly cried just skimming over it, though. I'm going to read this chapter again tomorrow so I can properly cry my fucking eyes out.
I…can't find those damn onions…there hiding from me
God Dammit, just God Dammit BlackWing... WHY MUST YOU BE SUCH A GOOD WRITER!!! *breaks down crying*
So, this pretty much ends with him getting a fate worse than death?
"I have no mouth, and I must scream."
...How the hell did I get through that unscathed?
...Damn. Being up at 2:00 A.M. gives you emotional armor to boot.
i2.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/002/796/447px-Manlytears3.jpg
I am totally shedding non-manly tears right now.
233080 lol I caught that too!
This story made me bawww.
10/10 !
You sir, are fucking awesome!
Delightful read, had a little something for everyone. Besides a few spelling errors and places where it didn't flow smoothly, it was a very good first story. Looking forward to the others!
So what I'm a little late but I hope your proud of yourself you made me cry like a little bitch
Fucking bitch Lyra didnt leave anything
Sorry, you just made me sad. No one can make me cry.