//------------------------------//
// Ending it All 
// Story: Continuing the Dream 
// by Blue Breeze 
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Author's Note: Here it is, everyone, the final chapter to 'Continuing the Dream'. I'd like to thank all of you for sticking with me this long and giving me the motivation to continue this story. Without you guys, I would've given up on this story a long time ago, both the OC's and regular viewers alike. It actually feels very surreal to be ending it like this, but hey, that's what the sequel is for, right? I hope to see you guys when that comes out as well. Now, as I've said for over a hundred times now, on with the story.

Well, it's been a little less than a week since we got back to Ponyville. I decided it would be best not to just immediately rush back to the forest and decided it'd be smart if I just took a bit of a break for a few days. Don't wanna go doing something crazy right after all that.

Anyway, tonight's the night I plan to end it all(yep, I did it again). After eight long years of starting this whole thing, I plan to end my business at the Everfree Forest and find the true secret behind its weather.

Has anyone kept count of how many times I've said this? I know it's starting to sound REALLY corny and repetitive. Some would also say I'm sounding overconfident about it, but there's a difference between being confident and being determined. I don't even care if I have to stay in there all night; I'm not leaving until I get an answer to this.

Right now I'm just about to leave work and head off to the coffee shop to hang out with the others for a bit. Yep, back to this old routine. I actually kinda missed it.

I punch out for work, a big smile on my face. "Oh, I am feeling good today!" 

"Don't go getting ahead of yourself, Blue." Drax says. 

"Yeah, I can't believe how happy you are about this." Zeph says. 

Still smiling, I turn to them. "How can I not be? I'm finally gonna end this Everfree Forest junk and hopefully not have to deal with anything else from there again."

Although, with my luck I probably still will. 

Dash comes up to me and kisses me on the cheek. "You better hope so, because if you die, I'm gonna kill you. And I mean that."

I chuckle a bit. "No worries, Dash. I'll be fine." 

"How many times have you said that now?" 

I shrug. "Beats me." I give her a kiss before I walk off. "See you guys later. You too, Sunny."

"I'm going to hold you to that." she says. 

I chuckle again. I'm glad that, even if they are still slightly worried, even my friends are taking this whole Everfree Forest business as a joke now. It makes things so much easier on me that they don't worry so much anymore.

But enough about me and my boring life, I(hooray for contradicting myself) leave the office, a bit of a spring in my step as I walk. I make my way down the colorful streets of town to The Coffee and Cream Cafe.

I open the doors a bit hard, making everypony inside look at me as I come in. I ignore the stares as I walk up to Vine and Ice hanging out at the front like they normally used to do.

"I am feeling good! In fact, coffee's on me!" 

"Sweet!" Vine says. 

"Oh, wait." I say as I remember something. I reach behind me and grab my wallet. I open it up to see what I thought was true. "Never mind, I forgot that I don't have that much money."

Vine's expression drops as she goes back to sipping her coffee. "You are so lame."

"Oh well. Ice, one cappuccino for me anyway." 

"Sure thing, Blue." he turns around and starts filling up a cup for me. "So, why are you so happy, Blue?" he asks as he sets the cup down in front of me.

I pick up the cup and take a sip. "Didn't I tell you? I plan to finish up my business at the Everfree Forest tonight."

"Well, good for you. I was getting tired of you going in and bringing something crazy back every time. No offense, Vine."

"None taken." she says. "So, you're that certain of yourself, Blue?" 

"You bet. I don't care how long it takes. I'll stay out all night long if I have to."

"Well, good luck with that. But I'll be busy tonight, so don't expect me to come and save you if something goes wrong."

I raise an eyebrow at her. "What are you busy doing?" 

"Just a little work I'm doing. It's a secret." she gives a sly grin. 

I think on it for a moment, but knowing that it's Vine, I figure its best left unknown for now. I'm too busy to think on that anyway. I quickly take my coffee and chug it, finishing it off. I don't recommend trying to chug hot stuff, but I'm too excited to care right now.

"Woah, thirsty much?" Ice asks sarcastically. 

"Sorry, guys, but I gotta go. I'll see later." 

"Okay, just don't die!" Ice calls out as I leave. 

"You got it!" I quickly call back as I exit out the front door. 

Vine looks at Ice. "So, you really think he's gonna do it?" 

"Knowing how Blue is, yeah, I think he will." 

"Yeah, I think he will too. Let's just hope he can do it without an explosion." 

Her hopes are too high. 

I hurriedly rush down the streets of Ponyville, paying no mind to anything at the moment except getting this done with. I get home a few minutes later and immediately head inside.

Lyall wakes up from a nap he was having and looks at me sleepily. 

I pet him as I walk up. "Sorry to wake you up buddy, you go back to sleep." 

Lyall just looks at me strangely as I immediately start packing up my gear for the trip to the forest. This time I'm way too excited for a nap, so I just right going with everything else.

After grabbing my notes and making a batch of chimicherrychongas for food, I give Lyall one last pet. "Wish me luck."

I shut the door as I walk out. Lyall just looks at the door before shaking his head and going back to sleep. 'I'll never understand Blue.'

With my bags ready, my mind in the game, and my will to end this strong, I march through Ponyville, this not rushing and with a much more determined look on my face.

As you can guess, I go straight through the town as I did before. 

I reach the outskirts of town and get by Fluttershy's cottage to see Rhino and Fluttershy hanging out together. Angel is on Fluttershy's back and Specter is sitting on Rhino's head.

"Hey, Blue. What's going on?" Rhino asks as he sees me walking by. 

"Oh, just heading back to the forest." I answer. 

"Well, good luck. Don't be afraid to stop by if you need anything." 

"And, if you don't mind, maybe bringing back any hurt animals you find like before." Fluttershy says. "If that's okay with you that is."

"Sure thing, see you guys." 

The four of them wave me off as I continue my trot into the forest. Well, here we go.

I get inside the forest and hastily get out my notes. I begin looking around, trying to find any kind of plant life that may have some kind of significance.

I honestly don't know why Vine finds plants so interesting. This is bucking boring! I look at bushes, trees, flowers, even the freaking grass! Nothing!

What adds to the boringness of all this is how nothing even bothers trying to come out and attack me. I know I may be jinxing myself by saying that, but I don't care at this point.

I stop in my tracks. "Ugh, I need something to calm my nerves." I say to myself. I go lie under a tree as I put my notes away and take out a chimicherrychonga. "Ah, this should do the trick."

As I go in to take a bite, I suddenly hear very loud breathing coming from behind me. I freeze as I can feel the breathing on my back. I duck down as a huge, blue paw swipes through and decimates the tree I was lying by.

I quickly jump out of the way and turn around to see a big, angry, and hungry looking Ursa Minor standing over a destroyed tree trunk. He takes a step forward, stepping on my bag.

I suddenly feel something inside me snap. "My notes and chimicherrychongas!" I say through gritted teeth. I flare my wings as I start to crack all of my joints. "Okay, screw running away this time! It's time to put my new wings in action! You, you big tub of blue lard, are going down!"

This thing is going to pay. 

(Final Boss Battle: Ursa Minor. BEGIN!

The ursa comes rushing towards me like a charging bull, ready to do what it did to my bag to me. It takes a swipe at me, but I dodge and hop on its arm. I run up the arm until I get behind its head and hit it hard with a charged up buck, making it hit the ground face first.

I hop off its back as it slides a bit and land back on the ground. The ursa starts getting angry as it gets the idea to grab a tree, rip its roots from the ground, and throw it at me. I don't notice the tree as it flies into me and sends me crashing right into another one.

I get up from the crash, a bit sore, but not so hurt I can't fight. I look at the tree next to me and get my own idea. I charge my wings and use them to cut it off. I start pushing the tree towards the ursa to angle it better. As the tree starts falling towards the ursa’s direction, I quickly get behind it and give it a strong buck, shooting it off like arrow.

The ursa, being so large, isn't fast enough to move out of the way as the tree punctures its chest a bit, making purple blood come out of the new wound. The ursa reels back in pain, but does not fall over. I quickly fly in to give it a Double Hurricane Hoof to try to push it over, but it doesn't go quite as planned. It makes its mark, but while falling over, the ursa grabs me and slams me down with it.

I shakily try getting up from the attack, the ursa doing the same. We both glare at each other, both of us thinking the same thing: I'm going to kill this blue prick.

The ursa makes the first move as it lunges at me. I quickly duck by its head as I run around its underside. The ursa keeps moving around, but I continue to stay under it where it can't get me. Luckily it's too dumb to think of crushing me with its weight or standing up on its back legs.

I start to continuously punch it all around its torso with Hurricane Hooves, making the ursa cringe in pain at every blow. I decide to go a bit lower down (not the balls) and give it a strong buck to one of its legs. The ursa rolls onto its back as it grabs at its knee in pain.

Just as I wanted. You guys can tell where this is going. 

I flare my wings as I fly up into the air, very high up. I close my wings as I reach a high enough altitude and charge my hooves as I start spinning downward. As I reach the ursa, I deliver a devastating blow to its gut, making it cough up a bunch of blood. The ursa's body goes limp as it falls unconscious from the pain.

And that's what happens when I get mad. 

(End battle music) 

With my new biggest problem taken care of, I look over at my other new biggest problem. That ursa completely destroyed all my notes and food. Buck starting all over again like before, I'm gonna go see someone I know has the answer: a certain zebra who knows everything about the forest.

I remember passing Zecora's hut on my way over here, so with tired breaths, I start retracing my steps through the forest. I come up to the hut a short time later and knock on the front door.

The door is answered by the familiar zebra. "Blue Breeze? My, you look quite tired. I do admit, your persistence is to be admired."

I sigh. "Zecora, you told me the weather is caused by the plants. Please, just tell what plant it is. I can't keep doing this."

She frowns. "Well, the weather is caused by a cloud of blue smoke that comes from the plant you may know as Poison Joke."

My ears and eyes perk up at hearing that. "The Poison Joke?" I facehoof. "Of course it'd be the plant I forgot the name of! It was so simple! Thanks, Zecora!" I quickly dash off to go find some Poison Joke.

(I would insert a Zecora bit here, but writing in rhymes is a big pain. Trust me.) 

Okay, now I'm REALLY excited. 

I find a small patch of the blue flower and take a position a good bit away from it. I observe it closely, but nothing happens.

I wait for about half an hour, but nothing happens. I actually start getting frustrated. I growl. That zebra better not have lied to me, or I'll-"

I stop myself as I see the Poison Joke start shaking. After a moment, it puffs out a vibrant, blue gas that goes up into the air before fading after a moment.

Yes! It all makes sense now! Oh, I love that zebra. But there's still something I don't get, where did the Poison Joke come from? And I think I know somepony with the answer to that.

I grab a stick and stab a bit of Poison Joke so that I can carry it with me and not be affected by it. I examine it closely. "A certain green mare has some explaining to do."

I take to the skies to quickly escape the forest, trying as much as possible not to get attacked again. I fly towards Vine's house, seeking my answer.

I land as I see the house and walk up to the front door. I start furiously tapping on the door.

"I'm coming! I'm coming! Hold your flank!" I hear Vine's voice. The door opens to the olive mare. "Blue? What's wrong?"

"I need you to tell me the story behind the Poison Joke." I say. 

She starts getting nervous. "S-Story? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't you lie to me, Lutin. I'm desperate right now." 

"I seriously have no idea what you mean." 

"Maybe THIS will change your mind." I say as I bring out the stick with the Poison Joke on it.

She yelps before taking a step back. "Hey, be careful with that thing." 

I walk closer, making her move back more. "Then tell me!" 

"Never!" 

"Tell me!" 

"No!" 

"TELL ME!" 

"ALRIGHT, FINE!" she finally agrees. She sighs. "The Poison Joke was made by my clan a long time ago. They eventually thought it was too dangerous, so they just chose a random forest to put it in, which just so happened to be the Everfree."

"Really? Why'd they make it? And why couldn't you just tell me that?" 

"I'm not the first troll in my family." she says with pride. "Also, it was supposed to be a secret."

I think it over for a minute. "It all makes sense..." I start beaming as I suddenly pull Vine into a hug and dance around. "IT ALL MAKES SENSE! I FINALLY DID IT!"

"Did what?! Also, put me down!" she demands. 

I stop as I set her down and nervously chuckle. "I found out the whole mystery behind the forest's weather."

"Really? What is it?" 

"Turns out Poison Joke shoots gas upwards that evaporates into the air." 

"Really? Hmm, I'm surprised I never thought about that." 

"Yeah, but the point is I DID IT!" 

"Great. So, what are you gonna do now?" 

I stop as I think about it. "I... I don't really know. I've never thought about it. This has been my entire thing over the past eight years."

"Well, don't sweat it too much. I'm sure you'll think of something." 

"Yeah..." I start making my way to the door. 

"Night, Blue." Vine says. 

"Yeah, good night." I say as I exit. 

I toss the stick away as I get outside and start heading home. I start to think over what my next plan really is. It's been so long, I never had to think of one.

I get home and open the door. I look around to see no one's home. Guess they all went off on dates for the night. I trot upstairs and make my way to the bedroom. I get there to find Lyall waiting for me on my bed.

He wakes up and wags his tail as he sees me come in. "Hey, Lyall." I say tiredly. He moves over as I get on the bed. "Well, I did it."

He gives a look that I read as "Oh?". 

"Yep. Only, I'm not sure what to do now. This has been my entire focus for eight years. I never thought of anything else." I tap my chin as I think it over. Lyall licks me in an attempt to cheer me up and I chuckle. "Hehe, you're right, boy. I shouldn't worry over it. I guess all there is left to do is just see where life takes me from here. Whether it be a mountain, a freezing tundra, godly foes, or the apocalypse itself, I'm ready for whatever life throws at me... except maybe chimicherrychongas no longer being made."

To be continued... in the next story. 

Author's Note: And that is the end of 'Continuing the Dream'. I hope you enjoyed it(which you probably would have to, to get this far) and I hope to see you all in the sequel, 'Life Goes On'. Until then, I'll be seeing you guys around.