Conclusion
Ghost Lights
Conclusion
Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,
If you're reading this, it means that Azure Sky gave you a copy of this account I've written of our time together at the Seawall, as I promised her I would to help her explain things, and that you've come to the end of the story. This tale is as thick as a large novel, I know, and I apologize for its length. It covers more ground than I realized it would when I started writing weeks ago while I was still on leave. I hope it's not too much and that I haven't wasted more valuable time than necessary, but I felt as if everything here needed to be said for the story to be true and whole. Nothing less would be honest or right.
I also know that you and Azure Sky probably have a great deal to discuss about some of the things it reveals. She and I both know that some of what she's done, if perhaps not necessarily explicitly forbidden, nonetheless may not meet with your approval, exactly. I can only hope that this can be forgiven in light of why it was necessary. When I think about how to explain that, I find myself returning full circle at last to the question I opened my introduction with:
What's it like being a guard for Princess Twilight?
Looking back on it now, I'm amazed by how life-changing the experience has been.
Although that answer is very different from the picture I painted when I began this narrative of it being something mundane, both are equally true. The difference has proven to be, as I said then, simply a matter of perspective - of a pony recognizing when they're in the middle of a good story. Very often it's only in looking backwards after the fact that we realize the full significance of what's happened. If I hadn't been assigned to your guard, I would have never been part of this particular tale. That would be an immense loss for me. I would have never found a friend and a sister in Azure Sky, and I would have never become who I am now. I also like to think that the inverse is true, that I helped her become what she is.
For all that, I imagine that there's a question that's going to be asked: do the results justify how Azure and I got here? Was the magic that Azure Sky used while we were out there the right thing to do? And did I do the right thing by being complicit in that, teaching her how to fly and letting her take the risks she did? A story like this is complex and hard to summarize accurately without oversimplification, to quantify into a single definitive answer concerning whether it was worth it. All I can do is make my best attempt.
If all of these events and where they led us were distilled down to a single final grain of the most essential truth about their meaning, the one thing I would say is this: what we experienced and accomplished together, and what we both learned, has made our lives better.
Yes, it was worth it.
It's been an extraordinary six months. Thank you for sending us out there together. It was something we both needed. In many ways, we both came home far better ponies than when we left.
Without this, I might not have ever had the courage to get on with acknowledging the way I feel about Bright Bloom. I also wouldn't have been able to just be honest with my mother and finally heal old injuries and reach out to close the distance between us.
Because of this, I watched a wonderful unicorn named Rarity get her daughter back. Azure is blessed now with three parents - a birth mother, and a surrogate mother, and a father of sorts, all of whom love her. Few ponies are so fortunate.
Most importantly of all, Azure Sky was able to discover how to find out who she is and what direction she wants. If nothing else, the one most important thing that should be remembered is this: her transformations were not merely about flying or about being a pegasus. As I've realized, flying is only the means to some other end. This was, at the heart of it all, a search for freedom. Choosing to learn to fly was her way of learning how to choose things for herself. As she always has as a student, she excelled. She learned that her path can truly be her own, not one she's merely pulled helplessly along. She left a scared filly, and came home a capable mare. She knows that she no longer needs to fear ghost lights leading her astray in the dark as she once did.
That alone makes all of this worth having done, many times over. A feather in the wind that I shed once by mere happenstance years ago led her away to the Seawall, but she found her own way home. I can't begin to describe how proud I am of her.
I hope that you'll feel the same way, and that coming to share a deeper understanding of each other through this will bring you and your student closer than ever before.
Your loyal subject and faithful guard always,
Sunburst
The End
Wow! It's finally done!
I finished writing a 108,000 word novel. After the better part of a year, I can say that. I finished writing a novel!
This has to be in the handful of top few accomplishments I'm most proud of in my life. I even made every weekly update on time, with two exceptions, but because the initial new story post was two parts instead of one, and I managed to publish chapter 39 on a Thursday and then finish up two days later on a Saturday, it averages out to exactly the one-part-per-week schedule I wanted.
And what a journey it's been. Sunburst and Azure Sky sure got a lot done and made a lot of important discoveries, and I feel like I discovered a lot of things right along with them. Many of the essential concepts and themes to explore here were drawn from things in my own life. Some of them were pleasant, and some were difficult, but writing this made me a better person. That's one of the criteria by which I judge this to have been a success.
As Sunburst said, it was worth it.
My readers, of course, need to get some credit here too. Each and every week, I looked forward to giving all of you a new chapter to enjoy and I was always excited to see what comments people would have. The interaction and community is part of what kept me writing. Thanks for being part of that, all of you!
... So I guess that just leaves the question of what's next.
Well, I'm not sure, to be honest. I've been so focused on finishing this story that I haven't given a whole lot of thought to making a final decision about what I want to write after it. I think, actually, that I'm going to be more of a reader than a writer for a couple weeks or so while I think about that. I've read very little while I was working on this and I have a big Read It Later stack built up that I'm looking forward to having some time to work through. I also think that doing more reading will help make me a better writer, so there's that. I'm sure that before too long one I'll have the urge to write again, though.
I suppose we'll just have to see what it ends up being.
Alright, so that's it.
Thanks for reading, everyone, and I'll see you next time. 
- Winston
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Aww, I was hoping to see the discussion with the princess happen.
Absolutely loved this. Simply fantastic.
What a fantastic story! I loved seeing this update every week or so. It was just a lovely atmospheric story that dealt with the themes and characters really well. It is just as good a story as its predecessor, which is a tough sell for sequels.
I look forward to seeing what you come up with next, and maybe you'll even put up any notable thoughts you have on the fics you read over your break? Maybe?
It's over? It's over!
Of course we all knew we were just about there, but it's still bittersweet when a wonderful story ends. I was touched by the closure you brought to Sunburst's story, though I also truly wish we'd gotten to learn how the conversation between Azure and Twilight went.
Congratulations on your brand-new novel!
And thank you for a beautiful nine months. I've loved your writing since First, and I'll keep on following you wherever you go.
Hard to imagine a year has passed since this started. Thanks for the ride, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I really would have liked to see the actual conversation between Azure and Twilight, but of course the story doesn't need it. Have fun reading stuff ^^
That certainly was an enjoyable read. I am glad Azure and Sunburst got closure at the end.
The ending did have a slightly disturbing undercurrent to it though:
The new freedom is certainly well and good and all, but there never was any mention of direction and purpose. It seems that Azure and Sunburst are aimlessly adrift with narry a sign post or a goal to work towards. Endlessly orbiting their tiny islands of routine familiarity because they do not know of anything else. In the words of Metallica, "How can I be lost, if I've got nowhere to go?".
Maybe I am reading too much into this?
Sometimes the best kinds of stories aren't quick, and action packed. Sometimes a slow examination of the spirit through the iris of memory and perspective can make the loudest statements.
After all, what is the world but a reflection of Truth, as defined by the warm soul of it's beholder.
This was a great story, with interesting characters, well described and beautiful scenery for the mind's eye, and a moral worth recounting.
Thank you so much for writing and posting. I apologize for not being a more active responding participant, but I have so many on the go at once that the "incomplete" tag can seem as daunting as the seawall itself.
I hope to see more of your works in the future (should you care to grace us with them), and potentially a return to familiar characters or places. Truly, it feels like the seawall itself may as well be a character. One who invites introspection and the deep examination of ones true self through the medium of peace and feelings of timelessness
~Shaiden
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What a trip this has been! And 108K words, wow! Congrats, Winston, and bravo on a magnificent story! Simply fantastic!
6167347 Now that you mention it, that would make for an interesting side-story 1-shot. *hint hint* ;)
This story was something else.
The pace... Or writing, storytelling, scenemaking - you get my point.
It was all so naturally paced, I sometimes found myself being surprised at how fluently - if that's the right word - everything progressed.
I mean, during a dialogue, which was in itself slow and careful because of the topic discussed, we followed Sunburst's thoughts away from the topic at hand and instead focused on a little crab making its way through life. Small things like that made it all so... again, natural.
Stretching for something, maybe some of the dialogue did feel a bit too deep or philosophical to be daily speech, but; it wasn't unmotivated. Azure was a scholar, good at talking about what she knew with academical words, and Sunburst had a lot on her mind, which often came out when she talked... If that makes sense.
This was a very pleasant read and a great continuation of Seashell.
Fav'd and thumb'd.
M
Found this on my readthrough, in Chapter 34:
No offense.
6209184 Thanks for the comments and the correction. It's fixed now.
Really glad you liked the story.
Quite a good story, feels like it really needs the slice of life tag though. You created some very good oc characters who were interesting to follow and what little of the mane6 we saw were mostly done pretty well. Rarity felt a bit off but then again, we are used to seeing her with her friends, clients and sister. I would imagine she would behave a bit differently with her daughter who she has a strained relationship with. Although I was hoping that sunburst would have a moment when seeing Rarity of suddenly being attracted to some pony and have to stop herself from drooling.
The transformation plot was a bit strange and didn't quite feel right for me, although it did have some great moments. It just seemed strange to have them changing races like that, pretty much casually. The seawall was also strange. I mean its kind of odd to expect the two guards going there to walk there and back, I would expect like a chariot or something, then again I've never been military. I also kind of wish that Azure didn't seem to like sea wall as much as Sunburst did, you had Sunburst show us a list of names, I'm assuming going back about 100 years and hers was the only repeat. You have this strange habit of giving enough detail about things to make me question them.
Tonight I started reading Ghost Lights. And finished it, because once again your writing was too powerful to turn away from.
Some authors excel at writing pulse-pounding action, some at heart-tugging romance, while others are best at building worlds. You excel at describing what it is to be, to exist, to live.
In anyone else's hands this story would have been boring: two characters are isolated for six months and keep to themselves. There is no disaster, no villain. But again you crafted a story so engaging it doesn't need one. Nopony saves the world, nopony needs to; they grew. Your stories may be about pastel colored magical horses but they are more real than anything else I've read, because at their core they are about people. Regardless of having horns or wings, your characters, and their struggles and lessons, are relevant to anyone.
As always, whatever words I can cobble together feel inadequate so I apologize for that. But once again, your writing is exceptionally vivid, bringing your settings and characters to life and making them feel so very real. Thank you for sharing their journey.
This story is perfect; I can't think of a single significant issue anywhere.
The closest thing is the carrots they didn't seem to tell the next shift about (but it would logically have been omitted ), and how carrots are only orange today because dutch farmers bred yellow and red carrots to match their national color (but that's hasbro's problem, and it's not like they couldn't have the carrots we know today). Carrot-based fun fact brought to you via the Apple iPhone and the History Channel.
I'm rather late on this, to be honest, but I'm very glad I finally read those last two chapters sitting in my unread chapters list. This story was absolutely fantastic, both in content and execution, character and plot and grammar and all. I'm definitely looking forward to more from you.
6288824 I actually learned a lot about carrots, both wild and domesticated, while I was researching them for this story. They're more interesting than most people would realize! And yes, the orange ones were originally bred by Dutch farmers, but there's a big range of other colors they can be grown in. You're right that I did omit them telling their reliefs about the patch of wild carrots, it's something that would have happened "off screen" due to length and pacing considerations. Good catch.
6324155 I demand cyan blue carrots!
Wait. That's your sequel story; Rainbow Dash Colored Carrot R&D (RDCCRD)!
But a magical project is one thing that could be a plausible starting point for a sequel, as is the budding romance, or it could be something completely different (or an effect of said project). #FifthPrincessBestPrincess
Anyways, thanks for the compliment. It's always nice to see a well-researched author, and as an editor myself I try to spot issues and/or where there's room for improvement, but, in this case, there wasn't really anything where there was any flaw.
6325202 Unfortunately, blue is (currently) impossible because the pigments responsible for the color are compounds in the carotene family, which are reddish. The closest carrots get to blue is maybe a sort of red-purple (which isn't very close at all).
If you're willing to be just a little bit unscrupulous, though, there's always food dye!
And yeah, there's a few different open ends here for sequels. I haven't really decided which one(s) I'm going to pursue yet...
6336604 That lack of frequent reference to being a mare is actually deliberate—both because in real life I think most people don't constantly think about and refer to their own gender identity, and for other reasons that should become more clear in later chapters of this story.
6336679
For some reason I didn't get a notification when you responded. Odd.
I come back here to say "yeah, I get it now" after finishing. I still think a reminder now and again wouldn't hurt (especially at the beginning of the story). It wasn't so bad in Ghost Lights, but in Seashell there are only one or two references to her gender, which I must have forgotten about because it was still a surprise to "re-learn" that she is a mare in Ghostlights.
I need to commend your writing abilities. Being able to make a story like this entertaining is a demonstration of excellence. If anyone were to try to describe this story to me, my only thought would have been "Boooring!". Seriously, you put a couple relatively boring OC's (a recluse guard and a shut-in student) in one of the most boring locations you could think of with equally boring jobs where literally nothing happens or changes. Yet you make it work.
I'd like to throw my two bits onto the pile here and agree that, by all rights, this should have been a boring story. I'm used to my exposition and character development happening in-between gunshots, while the deep, personal exploration happens while characters are reloading. To have a story where (arguably) nothing major actually happens over 100,000 words is... ambitious. I say that because, in my opinion, writing 200+ pages of explosions and steaminess is a -safe bet.- Even if it isn't well-written, those kinds of stories draw attention. Writing a story like this, where the characters breathe and live and grow in subtle, nuanced ways... It's a whole lot less flashy. And a whole lot harder to write.
Maybe it's fair to say that nothing major happened in this story. That didn't stop me from grinning like an idiot at certain parts, or tearing up over other parts, or cheering out loud and pumping my fist in the air during one specific scene with a rose (you know the one). You are a masterful writer, Winston, and this story in particular is a vastly underrated gem. Thank you so much for writing, and I thank GMP for reccomending I read your stuff.
And now, like Sunburst, I miss the Seawall too.
/)
You can has review!
Oh this was such a beautiful story! There is no doubt in my mind that you are one of the very best artists in this entire bloody fandom! And it's always so good to find a story on fimfic that has an interesting, non-adventure plot, and doesn't water it down with mind controlling demons and the like.
By the by, if you aren't a professional writer already, then hurry up and become one so I can buy all your novels.
6575116 Thank you! I'm not a professional writer, but thanks for your vote of confidence. I've thought about trying my hand at it, although I kind of think original fiction might be a little less of a strength for me than pony fanfics.
This was beautiful. Thank you for the ride :)
Do you have any recommendations for stories in a similar vein? I'm in an introspective space after reading this, and after giving myself some time to think on it I'd like to come back to something equally as meaningful.
6604468 Thank you very much.
One of my favorites in the introspection department at the moment would be a thing entitled Hey Jealousy, by Ruirik. It's kind of short and maybe a bit on the sad side, but I enjoyed it.
6604733
Thanks for the recommendation! I'll check it out.
I really enjoyed reading this. Thanks for writing it!
6649876 You're welcome!
6582244
Having an established world and characters probably makes writing easier, but do not sell yourself short. Your works are far beyond simple fanfiction; you use, and adapt, the world and characters to tell your own stories. Ponies are the framework upon which you build, but what you construct is yours. And regardless of a different foundation, any stories you tell would be just as deep and evocative as the ones you post here. Creating a new world would be a challenge, to be sure, but your writing would still thrive in it.
A very pleasant read. It was nice to read slowly, over time, the same as the characters were experiencing it. These two were good for each other, and not because they did anything special, but just because they accepted each other and themselves.
Wonderful.
I spent a few hours today, reading this instead of preparing a report for work. So if I get in trouble, I'm blaming you.
That was an amazing story. That part where Sunburst became an earth pony, and felt how much her mother loved her, made me teary-eyed -- and it's been a few years since anything did that to me.
I do wish I could have directly seen Azure's conversation with Twilight and Dash about her research and her future, but perhaps it's better that we can all imagine how it went. I'd like to think Twilight encouraged that use of the transformation spell, to promote understanding between the tribes.
I know it's most likely impractical, but if you ever decide to have this printed as a physical novel, do let me know. Not only would I buy a copy in a heartbeat, I'd even be willing to contribute financially to help make that happen.
This was delightful. I very much enjoyed reading it, thank you!
After rereading this I can only conclude I was away from the wall too long. I forgot how good this story was. Then again, probably like the Seawall, you shouldn't visit it too often.
Reading it in one sitting is also a different experience then one update at a time. Still not sure what the deal with the memorial/shrine in the prequel is though. Not Rarity or Fluttershy, so that leaves AJ and Pinkie. Although I also wonder about Scootaloo.
Hi,
Your story has been accepted by Story Standards. You can read the entire review at this link. http://www.fimfiction.net/group/204912/story-standards/thread/304672/accepted-ghost-lights-by-winston
I have to say, I've enjoyed reading this story more than I have any other for quite some time. Very well done.
7946514 Thanks!
7887662
The memorial stone is explained in Scent of Roses, though be aware that that story is more emotional and darker than this one. Both it and the prequel First are worth reading though, even if they're tougher to experience.
As always with a great story, some readers want to know: what happens next? Well don't worry, I've got you covered!
"Azure," Twilight began, using her Serious Voice, "as your teacher, I am very impressed that you were able to create and cast a spell of such complexity." Azure nodded dully, examining the marble tiles beneath her while waiting for the other horseshoe to drop. "However—" Azure winced "—I am very concerned about your—"
A rainbow-topped cyan blur burst into Azure's vision, cutting off her mentor. "Woah, you can fly?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "That's awesome! C'mon, kid, show me what you can do!"
Twilight struck the marble indignantly with a forehoof. "Captain Dash!" she yelled. Azure and Rainbow both winced. "This is serious!"
"C'mon, kiddo!" Rainbow Dash called, suddenly perched in an open window. "She can't lecture what she can't catch!"
Azure's face lit up right before her horn, filling the room with a bright flash. Before the other two occupants could react, they were left coughing in a cloud of cyan and white feathers.
Twilight stomped a forehoof again. Had there been a mirror, she might have seen the need for lessons from Luna in making royal indignation frightening rather than slightly cute. "Guards!" she yelled.
"Yes, Princess?" the other pony responded.
"After them!" Twilight yelled, scowling at the sky outside the window. (She really did need those lessons.)
"As you wish, Princess," Sunburst replied with a salute, and took off after the errant pair.
Two silent seconds passed. Twilight blinked. "No! I meant stop them... dammit."
Don't blame me, it's the lack of sleep's fault.
Coming back about two and a half years after I posted my original comment, I realise that I wasn't able to put into words what this story did for me, so I didn't even try. I just wanted to leave something here, something that the author could see. Looking back, it was nowhere near enough.
I stayed up for an entire night reading this story. I stayed up the day after I'd finished it, thinking, thinking, thinking. I can't remember if I cried or not. I said I did, but that could just be me trying to get my feelings out in shorthand. Maybe I didn't cry, but I couldn't stop thinking about it, no matter how much I tried.
This story changed my life. I truly, truly don't think I would have been the same person who made the same decisions over these intervening two years if I hadn't read it. So much has changed. I don't know if I can, or should, or want to ascribe it all to this singular piece of fiction. Maybe I'll leave it at an anecdote.
I used to be a certain way. I grew older. I stopped being that way. I was nihilistic. I didn't even know who I was. Truth be told, this story did not help with that. But it reminded me exactly who I wanted to be.
When Azure figure out the distance to the tower, something in my head just clicked. When she decided she wanted to change, and that she could change, something sparked. I can't point to any one part of this story and say that that is what wrenched its way into my head. But if you forced my hand, that's where I would point.
This story is the reason I constantly try to to figure out how far away something is. Perhaps not as accurately or ingeniously as the characters in this story. But each and every single time I've done it, it's been a single, tiny step towards who I now know I want to be.
Life hasn't been sunshine and rainbows. The date on my original comment should leave no question as to what kind of hell the intervening years have been. But despite the pain, the loss, despite everything, I know where I have to go and who I have to be. I know, now. That boon is indescribable.
I kicked myself out of a massive rut this year. Moved in with some friends. Made concrete plans for the future. Started volunteering at schools to teach kids fun science. Took up stargazing.
Two and a half years ago, I would have been annoyed if somebody asked me to point a telescope. If I'd been passed up for what I considered the "better" tasks. If I wasn't the smartest person in the room. I've changed. I've changed so much, and I'm happy that I've grown enough to look back and recognize what a journey it's been.
I'm sorry for clogging up this comments section like this. Maybe I should have left it at "I'm not ashamed to say I cried. Godspeed, dear author." The story is incredible, for the record. It rubs possibly every itch I have - isolation, a focus on nature and natural surroundings, introspection, low fantasy, fallen civilizations, unexplained phenomenon. I love it, love it, love it so much, and thank you for writing it.
But back to spilling my heart out.
Sometimes, a smarmy voice in the back of my head tells me that I've grown complacent. That the things I'll do aren't of any use to me. That I'll never be who I wanted to be.
Who I wanted to be has changed. Maybe I don't want wings anymore. Maybe I'm fine on the ground, gazing up at the stars.
I still have a ways to go. I'll change again and again. Remake myself a couple more times, at least. Regress, perhaps. Who knows? I'm not ready to come back to the Seawall yet. But I'm close. I can't ask for anything more. And I can't wait.
Once more - thank you.
October 25th, 2022