Huh... I always pictured Silverspeak having more of a green hue.
I admit that ending this trilogy in heaven leaves me... conflicted. Most of it involves my personal feelings on religion and its meaning to me at this point in my personal journey, but that's another matter. I'd rather the point of conficting feelings focus more on the fact that it's over for them now.
I've been following this series since the third act of Nightfall, and the series has always held a particular place in my soft spot for MLP Fanfiction. I still feel that Silverspeak kept getting beat down more than he deserved after the first book, and I still yearn for a simpler, happier version of events to take place then. Of course, wouldn't we all, especially him? Maybe that's the real point of the story that you want to get across, that even when shit keeps coming at you, even when it gets progressively worse, you still keep moving forward and try to do better, in the hopes that one day, it will all finally be nothing but happiness, as illustrated by the last 30 years of his life and passing on to the great beyond.
I've refrained from commenting after the halfway point in Sunfall because I felt my thoughts were too jumbled up to be coherent during the events of those chapters, so I waited until now. Thus, I'll say more specific pieces on earlier chapters now: - Mangus is a fuckwad, it's still ridiculous that Silverspeak had to keep fighting him out of some weird twisted fate, and I'm certain he's burning in the pony version of hell. - I enjoyed Chrysalis's redemption (which I'm 90% sure will happen in the show before it ends), but I'm still trying to figure out what her thought process was in deciding to give up her old ways, and how and why the changelings would accept her back as a co-ruler of all things. Hm? - I wish we could've seen the conversation Silverspeak would have with Luna regarding his role in spilling the base's location and the moon's destruction. I can't think of where that would be placed or mentioned in the way you've written the rest of the story, but still. Also, did the Elements restore the moon? - I was initially surprised to find out how quickly Canterlot was rebuilt, what with the palace, neighborhoods, carnival, and even the nobility. But as I thought about it, it would make sense that ponies would be overeager to rebuild what was lost. For all we know, Manehattan has all of its skyscrapers back. - I wonder how long it took for other nations to gain back their sovereignty. In the way the war played out, I was wondering if any of the other non-pony species had gone extinct (or at least endangered). On a related note, I know that the Mane 6 are dead, as well as Thorax and Chrysalis (I always thought changeling royalty had longer life span), so is the Crystal Empire royalty dead as well, meaning Cadance, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart? - Did Ember die on the moon or survive? - I do hope that Silverspeak got to have social time with the Princesses. Just sayin'.
Anyways, regardless of mixed feelings about certain things, I really did enjoy this trilogy, so thank you for all of this, and may Silverspeak and Beakbreaker enjoy peace. Good luck on your other writing endeavors.
Well, so it ends. Been a wonderful journey with Silverspeak and I regard this series as one of the greatest on this site and among the best I've ever read. Can't wait to see what new stories you make, or if any.
9682645 Thank you, Ryukan! I'm glad you've enjoyed this series, and followed it to the very end. I'm glad it was worth the journey!
I do have a few other stories I'd like to do (including a sequel to 'Princess Celestia is Replaced by an Ohio-class Submarine'), but they'll all be much shorter, and hopefully not take six years to complete.
I'm glad you enjoyed the series overall, Forrest, and that you stayed with it all the way to the end, though in hindsight I agree that Silverspeak got roughed up perhaps a bit too much. But from a writer's perspective, it's easier to put characters through hell if you know they'll eventually get to heaven. Now, on to your questions/observations:
*I tried to keep the ending chapter as non-religious as possible, wanting to make it a generic, 'the great beyond' scenario without any religious overtones.
*Personally, I felt the trilogy was about Silverspeak learning that using his talents to help others was what would would bring him happiness, not just getting one specific object or goal (becoming an alicorn), but I like reading other people's interpretations on themes and motifs.
*Mangus isn't in a good place, and it's going to be a very, very long time before he's allowed to try another life, but only after he's been turned inside out, scrubbed raw, and forced to relieve all the misery he inflicted on others to have it burned into his spirit that, hey, being a racist is bad, m'kay?
*Realizing that she had been a parasite and that everyone would celebrate her death helped Chrysalis' mind and make her realize that friendship is better than being a would-be conquerer. I imagine that she'd be accepted back into the changelings, but she'd start out pretty low on the totem pole and work her way up to prove that she was sincere in wanting to be good, which she was.
*I did consider having Luna meet with Silverspeak before he met Celestia, but I imagine such a meeting took place shortly afterwords. Luna would definitly not be happy, but as time went on, she would understand that Silverspeak had been put in a very difficult position, and that he had done his best to make up for it. And yes, the Elements did restore the Moon.
*When it comes to construction and rebuilding, ponies have a big advantage over us in that they have magic to help build things, so I imagine they could get entire cities back up within two or three years of furious, around-the-clock work.
*I don't see any non-pony species as going extinct, but most were critically endangered. In the thirty years since the end of the war, they are making a comeback, though, just slowly.
*Because this trilogy ends roughly 155 years after the events of 'Friendship is Magic,' (it begins 50 years after, and ends with Silverspeak's death at 105) Celestia, Luna, Spike, and Discord are the only show characters who are still alive; the Crystal Empire is still around, but ruled by Shining and Cadence's descendants.
*I was initially uncertain about what happened to Ember, but in my view, she did die on the Moon.
*Because of his position as their chief speech-writer, Silverspeak got to spend a lot of time with Celestia and Luna throughout the years, and they became very good friends, along with Beakbreaker.
Hope that helps clear up things. And again, thank you for staying with the series, and for your well wishes on future work.
So, using SuecideSheep's music in the last chapters is something I appriciate.
So, wow. This is the end, finally. Was kindda hestiant to read it right away but personally when they reached the Royal Castle I thought they will ask the Sisters to encase them in stone as a lesson to future generations. It still could happen depending if the magic of the elements still persists.
Now I am imagining a Black Mirror type ending where the camera pulls out and we see a cheap, plastic electronic alicorn toy hooked up in a test station with the words "SIMULATION PASSED" blinking on the console before an anonymous pair of hooves picks it up and places it in a blister pack for shipping and then the camera pulls further back and we see a massive assembly line processing countless copies of the toy...
All silly joking aside, this has been quite the ride. Over all, I would say I enjoyed this story. Thank you for writing it!
I remember back when the first Monster Below was still unfinished. It was the first fanfic a friend of mine and I had ever discussed at length. Looking back that far today, I had forgotten how long ago this tale began. For me, the original holds the title as the best of the trio, and a physical copy sits happily upon my bookshelf, but it does feel good to finally see the end. Thanks for taking us all along for the journey.
9684818 Yep, it's the end. And I'm glad you liked the music!
With regards to encasing them in stone, that's not going to happen now that Silverspeak and Beakbreaker are gone, but Celestia will use them both as examples of how individuals can positively influence society, even if some of them make serious mistakes along the way.
9685552 You're very welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it! And that idea about it all being a simulation... well, it's an interesting one, I'll grant you that!
*Sorry for the late reply, BTW. Had a lot of things I've been working on that distracted me.*
9694774 I know... where on earth did those six years go?!
I agree with you that the first story is the best. The other two can't touch it or reach its level, but I'm glad that you still hung around long enough to see the ending. It's a joy to know that there are people who stuck around this long to see all three stories through to the very end.
Ha. I was just joking about the endless rolling fields of the great pasture beyond in my previous comment, since that's my own headcanon for the pony afterlife, but it's amusing to see that's how you're writing it here too.
Anyways, I've got to head off to bed now, but I'll leave a longer comment tomorrow after I read through the commentary on my thoughts of the story and the series as a whole.
On that note, is that the first art of Silverspeak and Beakbreaker in full colour? I seem to remember the other ending pictures that the background is in colour, but not the two lovers themselves. If that was intentional, well done, considering they're now at peace. Somehow I imagined Silverspeak to have a more greyish hue.
9716274 Actually, this is the second time they've shown up in full color (this was the first), but this is the first time they've both appeared in a picture where everything was in color.; when doing the first story, I liked the idea of all the illustrations being in black and white, with the last-chapter images being partially colored, and the last one being fully-colored.
What a ride this has been! Thank you so much for sharing this story with us all.
Huh... I always pictured Silverspeak having more of a green hue.
I admit that ending this trilogy in heaven leaves me... conflicted. Most of it involves my personal feelings on religion and its meaning to me at this point in my personal journey, but that's another matter. I'd rather the point of conficting feelings focus more on the fact that it's over for them now.
I've been following this series since the third act of Nightfall, and the series has always held a particular place in my soft spot for MLP Fanfiction. I still feel that Silverspeak kept getting beat down more than he deserved after the first book, and I still yearn for a simpler, happier version of events to take place then. Of course, wouldn't we all, especially him? Maybe that's the real point of the story that you want to get across, that even when shit keeps coming at you, even when it gets progressively worse, you still keep moving forward and try to do better, in the hopes that one day, it will all finally be nothing but happiness, as illustrated by the last 30 years of his life and passing on to the great beyond.
I've refrained from commenting after the halfway point in Sunfall because I felt my thoughts were too jumbled up to be coherent during the events of those chapters, so I waited until now. Thus, I'll say more specific pieces on earlier chapters now:
- Mangus is a fuckwad, it's still ridiculous that Silverspeak had to keep fighting him out of some weird twisted fate, and I'm certain he's burning in the pony version of hell.
- I enjoyed Chrysalis's redemption (which I'm 90% sure will happen in the show before it ends), but I'm still trying to figure out what her thought process was in deciding to give up her old ways, and how and why the changelings would accept her back as a co-ruler of all things. Hm?
- I wish we could've seen the conversation Silverspeak would have with Luna regarding his role in spilling the base's location and the moon's destruction. I can't think of where that would be placed or mentioned in the way you've written the rest of the story, but still. Also, did the Elements restore the moon?
- I was initially surprised to find out how quickly Canterlot was rebuilt, what with the palace, neighborhoods, carnival, and even the nobility. But as I thought about it, it would make sense that ponies would be overeager to rebuild what was lost. For all we know, Manehattan has all of its skyscrapers back.
- I wonder how long it took for other nations to gain back their sovereignty. In the way the war played out, I was wondering if any of the other non-pony species had gone extinct (or at least endangered). On a related note, I know that the Mane 6 are dead, as well as Thorax and Chrysalis (I always thought changeling royalty had longer life span), so is the Crystal Empire royalty dead as well, meaning Cadance, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart?
- Did Ember die on the moon or survive?
- I do hope that Silverspeak got to have social time with the Princesses. Just sayin'.
Anyways, regardless of mixed feelings about certain things, I really did enjoy this trilogy, so thank you for all of this, and may Silverspeak and Beakbreaker enjoy peace. Good luck on your other writing endeavors.
And here comes my tears... damn it...
Well, so it ends. Been a wonderful journey with Silverspeak and I regard this series as one of the greatest on this site and among the best I've ever read. Can't wait to see what new stories you make, or if any.
Final Rating: 10/10
9679990
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
9680127
It's always hard when something we enjoy comes to an end. But I like the saying, 'Don't be sad it's over; be grateful that it happened.'
9682645
Thank you, Ryukan! I'm glad you've enjoyed this series, and followed it to the very end. I'm glad it was worth the journey!
I do have a few other stories I'd like to do (including a sequel to 'Princess Celestia is Replaced by an Ohio-class Submarine'), but they'll all be much shorter, and hopefully not take six years to complete.
9682955
Yeah, I know... don't know where the down-vote came from though...
9680019
I'm glad you enjoyed the series overall, Forrest, and that you stayed with it all the way to the end, though in hindsight I agree that Silverspeak got roughed up perhaps a bit too much. But from a writer's perspective, it's easier to put characters through hell if you know they'll eventually get to heaven. Now, on to your questions/observations:
*I tried to keep the ending chapter as non-religious as possible, wanting to make it a generic, 'the great beyond' scenario without any religious overtones.
*Personally, I felt the trilogy was about Silverspeak learning that using his talents to help others was what would would bring him happiness, not just getting one specific object or goal (becoming an alicorn), but I like reading other people's interpretations on themes and motifs.
*Mangus isn't in a good place, and it's going to be a very, very long time before he's allowed to try another life, but only after he's been turned inside out, scrubbed raw, and forced to relieve all the misery he inflicted on others to have it burned into his spirit that, hey, being a racist is bad, m'kay?
*Realizing that she had been a parasite and that everyone would celebrate her death helped Chrysalis' mind and make her realize that friendship is better than being a would-be conquerer. I imagine that she'd be accepted back into the changelings, but she'd start out pretty low on the totem pole and work her way up to prove that she was sincere in wanting to be good, which she was.
*I did consider having Luna meet with Silverspeak before he met Celestia, but I imagine such a meeting took place shortly afterwords. Luna would definitly not be happy, but as time went on, she would understand that Silverspeak had been put in a very difficult position, and that he had done his best to make up for it. And yes, the Elements did restore the Moon.
*When it comes to construction and rebuilding, ponies have a big advantage over us in that they have magic to help build things, so I imagine they could get entire cities back up within two or three years of furious, around-the-clock work.
*I don't see any non-pony species as going extinct, but most were critically endangered. In the thirty years since the end of the war, they are making a comeback, though, just slowly.
*Because this trilogy ends roughly 155 years after the events of 'Friendship is Magic,' (it begins 50 years after, and ends with Silverspeak's death at 105) Celestia, Luna, Spike, and Discord are the only show characters who are still alive; the Crystal Empire is still around, but ruled by Shining and Cadence's descendants.
*I was initially uncertain about what happened to Ember, but in my view, she did die on the Moon.
*Because of his position as their chief speech-writer, Silverspeak got to spend a lot of time with Celestia and Luna throughout the years, and they became very good friends, along with Beakbreaker.
Hope that helps clear up things. And again, thank you for staying with the series, and for your well wishes on future work.
So, using SuecideSheep's music in the last chapters is something I appriciate.
So, wow. This is the end, finally. Was kindda hestiant to read it right away but personally when they reached the Royal Castle I thought they will ask the Sisters to encase them in stone as a lesson to future generations. It still could happen depending if the magic of the elements still persists.
Now I am imagining a Black Mirror type ending where the camera pulls out and we see a cheap, plastic electronic alicorn toy hooked up in a test station with the words "SIMULATION PASSED" blinking on the console before an anonymous pair of hooves picks it up and places it in a blister pack for shipping and then the camera pulls further back and we see a massive assembly line processing countless copies of the toy...
All silly joking aside, this has been quite the ride. Over all, I would say I enjoyed this story. Thank you for writing it!
Its over. Im sad. Can't say more.
Lovely Story. I said my pieces in the last Chapter.
9593158
Now that its actually done I don't really have anything to add to this
Ya still managed to make shed a tear at the end
Thanks for all of this
I remember back when the first Monster Below was still unfinished. It was the first fanfic a friend of mine and I had ever discussed at length. Looking back that far today, I had forgotten how long ago this tale began. For me, the original holds the title as the best of the trio, and a physical copy sits happily upon my bookshelf, but it does feel good to finally see the end. Thanks for taking us all along for the journey.
9684818
Yep, it's the end. And I'm glad you liked the music!
With regards to encasing them in stone, that's not going to happen now that Silverspeak and Beakbreaker are gone, but Celestia will use them both as examples of how individuals can positively influence society, even if some of them make serious mistakes along the way.
*Sorry for the late reply, BTW.*
9685552
You're very welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it! And that idea about it all being a simulation... well, it's an interesting one, I'll grant you that!
*Sorry for the late reply, BTW. Had a lot of things I've been working on that distracted me.*
9686545
Aw, don't be sad that it's over. Be grateful that it happened.
9686739
You're very welcome! It was a pleasure to write, and I'm glad it moved you that much. That's the highest complement any author can get.
9694774
I know... where on earth did those six years go?!
I agree with you that the first story is the best. The other two can't touch it or reach its level, but I'm glad that you still hung around long enough to see the ending. It's a joy to know that there are people who stuck around this long to see all three stories through to the very end.
Ha. I was just joking about the endless rolling fields of the great pasture beyond in my previous comment, since that's my own headcanon for the pony afterlife, but it's amusing to see that's how you're writing it here too.
Anyways, I've got to head off to bed now, but I'll leave a longer comment tomorrow after I read through the commentary on my thoughts of the story and the series as a whole.
On that note, is that the first art of Silverspeak and Beakbreaker in full colour? I seem to remember the other ending pictures that the background is in colour, but not the two lovers themselves. If that was intentional, well done, considering they're now at peace. Somehow I imagined Silverspeak to have a more greyish hue.
9716274
Actually, this is the second time they've shown up in full color (this was the first), but this is the first time they've both appeared in a picture where everything was in color.; when doing the first story, I liked the idea of all the illustrations being in black and white, with the last-chapter images being partially colored, and the last one being fully-colored.