Epilogue 2/2: Vesper
A little while later.
Vesper stared across a vast gulf, hovering in the air on a pair of membranous wings. Before her was a terrible vortex of stormy sky, where gale winds lifted chunks of rock as big as houses and flung them like toys. The desert landscape beneath it was scoured clean, with huge gaps and craters that suggested a sustained bombardment. Vesper adjusted the goggles over her eyes, keeping out the moisture as best she could.
The wind howled, but she kept herself still in the air. At least around her, the Dreamlands remained stable—she was an island in a sea of destruction. When rocks came closer to her, they dissolved to dust, because she did not will them here.
"We don't have enough time," Pale Light said, glancing once more through the metal astrolabe in one hoof. It was only one of many instruments he could summon—this one looked across to the world she'd come from. The awake world, but not her only one. She had three, actually. "It's well past sunrise now. You will wake up any second."
When she'd been less skilled, she would've had to shout to be heard through conditions like this. But these days, Vesper just didn't let the roaring thunder get in with its full strength, and she muffled the wind until it was something manageable. Even so, she was no Princess Luna. She couldn't keep the Dreaming from touching her completely. Yet.
"We could try to bend time a little further," she said, touching down reluctantly on the edge of a ridge. It looked out over that vast valley, rough black rock with patches of stubborn lichen and moss clinging where they could. But there was precious little place for them to find purchase. "The princess spends years of time every night, doesn't she?"
"The princess does," Pale agreed. He touched down beside her, hooves splashing in the mud. He followed her to the edge, but didn't step over it. "You will need years of physical practice to do likewise. Perhaps in time, if you are dedicated. Likely not. Most cannot coexist in two times at once."
She grinned. "Saying it like that is just going to make me more focused." She squinted down through the storm, trying to see her goal through all that wind and water. This far out, it was easy to dissolve the protective magic's attempt to kill her. But when she went in closer, it would be harder. Near the center, it would be impossible.
Somewhere in all that was a library, the one Pale had been looking for after all this time. If only she could figure out how to get inside without getting her dream-self killed again. "Tomorrow night. We can track it now, that's a step. We'll get through."
"Maybe." The bat touched her shoulder with one hoof, meeting her eyes. "There's no need to exhaust yourself on my behalf, Vesper. I am timeless, and you have a whole lifetime ahead of you. Take your time."
How long a lifetime that would be was another detail Vesper was still getting her head around. She really needed to push on that a little harder with Blake. Was having free reign of Earth really worth everything Equestria could give them?
"I'm not exhausted, Pale. I need a chase. That's why I came to Equestria in the first place, and it's why I'll be the first one to get inside that library."
He chuckled, releasing her shoulder. His eyes lingered on her belly for a moment, though she couldn't imagine why. "We'll see. Those priorities might shift for the next few years. Try and remember me when you have other dreams on your mind, alright? It would be a shame to let your talent go to waste. Legacy needs ponies like you."
She tilted her head to one side. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Something loud banged through her ears, echoing from one world and into the next. She groaned, and found her body laying in an oversized bed.
She looked up, but of course Blake wasn't there. The light of full day streamed in through a crack in the blinds, but not onto her face. Despite Vesper's reminder that she could be woken up "if anything important happened" Blake almost always just left her here, to wake when she was ready. Stars bless that horse.
She might even love him. That would take a little more time to be sure about. She wasn't ready to rush in or anything.
Their bedroom aboard the Bright Hawk was greatly transformed since their desperate trek across Equestria. There were a proper number of passengers this time, and a whole cargo of weapons and scientific equipment. But Blake was the captain, and it wouldn't be right for him to be crammed in a crew berth barely wider than a cot.
Theirs was double-sized, with a proper Equestrian bed taking up most of the far wall. The room was a mix of worlds now—there were color portraits of the two of them together on the walls, in this world and the one they'd come from. There was a laptop on the desk, and a mini-fridge in a corner well stocked with energy drinks.
Being the only bat around a crew of day ponies took a steady supply of energy drinks to keep her going, lest war erupt. She probably would've cracked open one of them now, if she didn’t hear another distant rumble. This time she was awake enough not to mistake it for another crash of dream-thunder. She recognized the sound; that was a cannonfire. Far away, maybe, but the whistle of metal told her it was on the way.
She hesitated by the mirror and their open wardrobe just long enough to grab a cap to cover up her unruly mane. It was true that over half the creatures on this ship were still human, and dressed religiously every day regardless of local custom. But this was another aspect where practicality was the clear victor over tradition.
The new captain's quarters was on the reconstructed top-deck, so she didn't have to climb up the stairs. Just a few steps down the hall, and she was out into the chaos.
The deck of the Bright Hawk still looked very much the way it had during most of their adventure across Equestria, other than the repairs. And the solar panels covered with textured plexiglass. Or the giant transmission antenna that ran up the mast. There were practical limitations to what could be brought across, but they'd sure pushed them with this ship. And what they couldn't bring, they could buy.
She could always find her friends, because they weren't completely overdressed. Besides, the scientists, international observers, and bureaucrats were fleeing in panic.
But Blake was just outside. He didn't dress like a pirate, as much as he probably wanted to—but he had a long coat in old-fashioned naval blue, matching the local style. There wasn't much underneath, that would just be too formal for a pony.
He wasn't one yet, technically. But if he came along with the Bright Hawk for a third trip, that would probably be the end of it.
Too bad he seemed to be having so much fun. "Vesper, you're just in time! We finally lured them out." He pointed off the deck with one hoof, and she followed his gaze.
Sure enough, the Eagle’s Talon was visible out there in the distance, a menacing bulbus shadow against the horizon. They clearly recognized the Bright Hawk, or else they'd grown a lot bolder in attacking random ships that grew too close to the Equestrian border. "You know how long Equestria's been waiting for this. Time to nip a thorn from their side."
Vesper brushed up against him, then hurried up the steps to the helm. They had already come to a stop, sails down and all engines cut. The bait was working, because the Eagle’s Talon seemed to be accelerating, making for them with eager haste.
"Captain Hodges," snapped a voice. A pegasus wearing a military uniform—but none native to Equestria. He saluted, foreleg and wing moving together. At least they were practical enough to leave openings. "Civilians are all below. You should prepare to give the signal to Equestria now. We can't risk one of those cannonballs landing."
Blake nodded once. "They aren't aiming for us, I don't think. It's just to keep us in place. They don't want their kill getting too far away."
He followed Vesper up to the helm. Ryan stood beside it now, though they weren't actually going anywhere. The deck looked so empty with everyone below.
"You sure you don't want to just summon a rocket or something and send them all to hell?" he asked. "You know they deserve it."
She nodded absently. She didn't actually know the limits of her magic, though she shuddered to think of what calling so much power from the Dreaming would do. It wasn't the explosion that frightened her, it was using magic to kill. "Positive. This is Equestria, so we do it the Equestrian way."
"Technically these are the Badlands," Ryan countered. "But sure. I don't think any of those scientists expected us to actually get attacked. Probably didn't even read that part of the release."
"Equestria explained the risks, I was there," Blake said. "They didn't consider the chance of a successful attack very high. That's why we have ten scientists and four marines, and not the other way around." He nudged Vesper in the rear with one hoof, gently. He wasn't trying to be distracting this time. "Better dial them up, bat. You know they don't actually have to get here... griffons can fly."
"Yeah, yeah." She pushed him back with a wing, then closed her eyes. This would probably be a little easier on her if she had drained an energy drink. Why couldn't the stupid pirates just attack at night like normal people?
Vesper dreamed—she dreamed of a rune in the sky overhead, one drawn by Princess Luna herself. It was only smoke—thank the stars Vesper didn't have to power this herself. Each complex shape was easily as far across as the entire Bright Hawk, with a faint internal glow. Soon there was an entire circle of them, two dozen characters that appeared beside them in the air.
Her legs began to shake, her mind wavering under the incredible focus required. In its way, bringing so much into the physical was as hard as piercing the protective spells around the ancient sanctums of the Dreaming. But that was exactly why she was so prepared. Equestria could've sent their own warmage to remain aboard the Bright Hawk, but they hadn't.
Or rather, they considered Vesper their representative. She could aspire to few honors as great.
Finally, the diagram was complete. She felt the instant it happened, and Princess Luna's Alicorn magic flowed across the divide between waking and dreaming. A single peal of thunder cracked through the air, and the space inside the diagram shifted. The sky beyond wasn't the cloudless blue of the desert—it was gray, with distant cities built of the same fluffy material. It wasn't just a sky, though—there was a fleet formation on that side.
A huge zeppelin passed through the opening, a rigid-bodied craft with sun and moon markings along the sides. It took ten full seconds to transit, at least a hundred meters in length. It flew away from them, directly at the pirate ship.
The Eagle’s Talon didn't seem so big anymore, not compared to that. Its cannons fired madly, this time directly at the airship. They slowed as they passed through the air, and a brief flash of blue echoed around the vessel. They dropped to the ground moments later, tumbling out of sight. It wasn't much of a fight after that.
Vesper waited until the battle was over to bring out the camera, securing the Steadicam rig onto her shoulder the way she might've done for any number of videos.
"What do you think, Blake?" she asked, angling up at him from the side. Even Vesper, about as “native” now as it was possible to go, didn't like the idea of her junk preserved on some EU DFI recording somewhere. But all she had to do was film from the side or the front, and that wasn't much of a problem. "We could get some footage of that Equestrian warship flying off."
"They're never gonna let us post any of it," he said. "There's no telling when they make Equestria public. Might be never."
"Might be," she agreed. "But could you pose for me anyway? Just like that... don't want a reflection off your scales."
Vesper could scarcely imagine where her life had gone. But now that she was here, she couldn't dream of anything better.
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Nice, that was a good story.
This was a very good story, I enjoyed every part of it from beginning to Tracy aka Sparkgap making an appearance to the very end.
I do wonder what's in store next for Blake and his friends?
I was not ready for it to end.
Good end.
What a great ending. A bummer it is ending, but it was a fun ride.
Can't end the story without a bang. But what a bang it was. A fun ride through and through.
And so it is over... wonder if we will see another story set in this shared setting.
Now we get to insist on a sequel based on that.
Great way to resolve both a lingering issue and the story as a whole. Appropriately enough, there's still a lot to explore in this particular Equestria. Regardless of whether you show us more of it, thank you for one heck of a tour.
Did Vesper and Luna just drag a whole freaking warship through the Dreaming? I think TDR's gonna sue someone.
11101907
Is it really an Ending of the story though?
It feels like it is more the end of the Beginning.
Now they have free reign to explore, and REALLY start their adventure!
"Or rather, they considered Vesper their representative. She could aspire to few honors as great."
Nice!
----
Typo:
bulbus > bulbous
So Long, Forbidden Places!
And Thanks For The Fish!
That was a good story. I hope there's going to be more to this series. Judging by 'Fine Print' things don't go public anytime soon.
Still feel bad for Janet though. She tried so hard but it wasn't quite enough.
Nice! I liked. Here's to hoping for a sequel.
It's been a awesome ride, I've enjoyed this story immensely
Such a nice ending and a great final line.
Glad I had this story to read during the adventurous year that was 2021.
Happy 2022, Starscribe, and everyone else on Fimfiction!
Eh. It was a great story, and totally loved Ryan and kaelynn. But Blake and Vesper, especially their relationship, I just didn't like as much.
Vesper was very interesting in the whole Dream Powers bit, and exploring the Dream World. But since that isn't the focus of the story, we didn't get to explore that more.
Blake, was interesting in the very beginning. When he was the leader, taking control, and making the plans and choices on what to do to survive. But over time, he just had less and less of a role, more of a 4th wheel, and seemingly at the end, only existed so Vesper had a Boyfriend too.
Which brings me to the hate I feel for their relationship. Especially with Lines, such as:
And even WORSE is the line in this chapter:
She fucking PRESSURED and practically DRUGGED HIM with her scent, his Instincts he can't fight would take over for, into having SEX with her! 'Might' love him, She was OBSESSED with him the ENTIRE fucking story! This is what I mean by having a HEAVILY Toxic Relationship between the two. She is literally leading him on, and forcing him into sex using his body's instincts against him, to get what SHE wants, and now admits she might not even love him, and wants to 'Take it Slow'?!
Truely, their relationship is the #1 thing I hate about this story. Everything else was good, entertaining, and interesting. But any side plot with Vesper and Blake interacting alone or or Vesper thinking about Blake, was fucking Toxic and hated every line of it.
This was a good ending for the story. They fianlly can deal with the pirates that have been causing them trouble and now Galena can return without having to fear them as well.
awesome ending to this story. grate righting team.
I hope Vesper and Blake were interested in being parents.
Great strategy. I was imagining cloaked escorts ships but this works even better since there's less chance the pirates could figure out the trap ahead of time.
Nice ending closing off the pirate plot thread like this. Big mistake on their part to hold that grudge.
Thank you for writing this
Thank you for a wonderful story! Man, it hurt to see "Epilogue" up there.
It's been a wild and wonderful ride, and I've really really enjoyed this story. Beautiful job, Star. I really hope that this gets continued at some point, we've got to see their relationship continue :>
Great story! One of my favorites of yours. I hope some day you'll do a sequel, or another related story.
My brain hurts. It's 5:00 AM
Good story!
It was an amazing story. I hope there would be at least a another story that is a sequel to this or at least quick-short-multiple stories from the perspective and thoughts of the other humans.
this story was amazing. would really love a sequel story (maybe an anthology) but it doesn't need it necessarily.
Don’t read much for this fandom anymore, but thought of this fic and just HAD to come back for it and catch up. Crazy to think I’ve been reading your stuff for like, what, eight years now? But it’s only gotten better. This was a wonderful fic! Thanks for writing as always
Another great story!
I loved it all and wasn't ready for it to end.
👍🏽
I may eventually catch up on your great stories. I really enjoyed this one. The mix of characters was a ton of fun and offered a lot of different and equally amazing viewpoints.
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Yes and no. It was an obscure reference to a series of books, Spellsinger by A.D.Foster. Spellsinger would be an epic level of bard, because by singing a good song one can cause an effect of Greater Wish.
11377093
For sea and land ship, but that's correct. Tacking leverages resistance of less mobile medium. Unless airships use some odd magic which creates some dense pillow under the hull as a support which is not affected by wind.
I come back here every so often. This story will always have a special place in my heart.
I am quite mixed about this story, in a good way but I still can't help have butterflies in the pit of my stomach as I read about Ryan and Jordan's transformations into their new equestrian selves. It just felt so strange how Jordan accepted Vesper as her new identity and gave me shivers each time. I know why it did it for me, it was because of how these people felt as humans compared to ponies or Equestrians. Vesper and Ryan found themselves. Every scene at the Changeling embassy was what made me realise how well these characters worked for me, and how nice it was for them to find their place in their new homeland. A sequel would be greatly appreciated!