//------------------------------//
// HER JOURNEY CONTINUES (EPILOGUE) - revised 
// Story: Iris Rising: Dreamfall (retcon planned) 
// by hujan86 
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One Month Earlier…
Compared to the majestic Canterlot Royal Castle, Prince Umbra’s finish-repaired home is considerably humble. Surrounded by apple orchards, the palace is laid out in simple rectangular. The hallmark of its design is the gambrel roof with crow-stepped gables at each side and all-red painting. From Dash’s point of view, its construction resembled a country barn/stable with architectural elements taken from of an 18th-century Dutch church.

The terms whereby Zach is to be released from his service as the royal bodyguard once the war is over have been honored. Prince Umbra planned to monetarily reward him. However, tempted as Zach is by the overly generous amount, the Godslayer Corps’ Code of Conduct prevented him from accepting it.
Zach attempted to decline the reward without offending the prince through an overly dramatic speech. “To indulge in materialism, I cannot! For I must uphold my guild’s code of chivalry! The thrill of adventuring! The spiritual satisfaction of crushing evildoers! Warm hospitality from the local folks! That is what a noble knight-errant truly seeks in their wandering journey!”
Like Prince Umbra, the guards present in throne room were moved by his ongoing speech.
“Such honor and nobility he possesses, Your Highness,” one guard whispered to the prince.
“Yes,” Umbra whispered back. “He is indeed a true knight in shining armor.” 
Not taken by what she considered a cheesy speech, Dash rolled her eyes.

Later, Dash and Zach joined Umbra for lunch in the dining hall. The two guests were impressed over the apple cuisines before them- apple cider donuts, glazed apple muffins, apple streusel cake, peanut butter apple bars, apple cinnamon bread, salted caramel apple pie and the list goes on and on… Given this and the apple farms Dash saw on the way to Appleloosa, it occurred to her that the capital of the Southern Kingdom was named as such for a reason.
“Wow,” Zach said, “this is exactly how Flim and Flam described the buffet of their dreams.”
“Yea,” Dash agreed, “too bad for them.”

“Over there!” Zach said, pointing at the Catgirl coming in over the lunar mountains.
Dash placed her gaze in the same direction of Zach’s pointing hand.
“Hey,” Zach had noticed the uncertain look on her face, “you still worried about Twilight Sparkle coming back?”
He was right about her apprehensiveness, but Dash decided to put it behind her. With Princess Luna’s help, she was confident her friend Sunset Shimmer will do the right thing if Twilight Sparkle does indeed return. 
“Nah,” Dash unobtrusively waved a hand at him, “Sunset Shimmer got this.”
The Catgirl now hovered nearby with its gravity lift activated. As they made their way towards the gravity lift, Dash wondered what is in store for her next. She felt really good for contributing to the Godslayers’ victory in this universe. But now she could not help being nervous. There was the matter of Fortepiano still hostile towards her. And Zach had hinted that there are others aboard the Catgirl. Whether they will react unfavorably to her presence like Fortepiano, looks like she is about find out.
Unbeknownst to Dash, this world is only a stopping point, not the end of her journey as a Godslayer. Although non-premediated, it all began back in her homeworld, the moment her life was saved by Gazleen Perris. And where she will be going next, not only it sets her on a path where she must come to grips with her past mistakes and put things right, it will also lead her to the final showdown against the Sinned Godus. 
Thus, her journey continues…