Epilogue
Velvet Sparkle and the Queen in Stone
By Tundara
Epilogue
Velvet woke to the distant bells of Sparkledale’s temple tolling over the fields, as they’d done every day for the past week to mark the loss of one of the nation’s heroes.
Stifling a yawn, she squirmed out from between Comet and Glitterdust. Sitting down at her vanity, she began to brush her mane. Her ear twitched, and the slightest hint of a frown played at one corner of her lips.
The manor was so quiet.
Empty.
With the departures of the princesses, so too their guards had left, creating a hole that had yet to be filled. The loss of the little clinks of armour, the crinkle of their cotton undercoats, and the slight noise of their breathing created a void that danced just along the fringes of awareness, much as their presence had done before.
While Celestia and Luna once more resumed their thrones, Cadence, Shining, and Tyr were due to return to the Crystal City within the week. Preparations needed to be made for the Summer Sun Celebration in both nations, and Cadence had a truly massive heap of paperwork and affairs to settle once she was back in her nation.
Star, naturally, was back in the dorms at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, no doubt retelling the story of all the magic she’d seen during Season recess. Whisper had elected to stay in Canterlot with Limelight while she settled into her new role as an aide to the Madam Speaker of the House of Ladies. No sooner had they packed their bags than Pennant received orders to report to the Princess Celestia as the ship’s Second Lieutenant. Such a position almost guaranteed her receiving a promotion in the next year.
Through all this, Velvet stood idle. Following the funeral, nopony sought to do anything but give her space.
After all the activity of the past month, it was strange to have nothing to do.
The first hints of noise came from the foals’ rooms, followed shortly after by Miss Darning’s voice as she prepared them for the carriage ride into town for school. Sometimes Velvet regretted departing from tradition and not hiring a governess. No more so when the laughter and little squabbles faded and was followed by the clop of hooves as they departed.
She joined Glitterdust and Comet for breakfast, and little was said. Comet made a few comments about the continued failure of his hoofball team. Glitterdust spoke of inviting a friend from Manehatten to visit. Otherwise they ate in silence.
For a little while Velvet turned her attention to working on her grimoire. Without the weight of impending doom resting on her withers, she’d decided to give it far greater detail and depth. Enchantment was layered atop enchantment, allowing entire chapters to rearrange themselves, turning what was at first glance a book of little more than a hundred pages into a limitless repository for her knowledge.
The ring of the doorbell reached her up in the study, but she did not move, intent on the spell formula in front of her.
She didn’t even raise her head when Mr. Cane knocked on the door.
“Ma’am, there is someone here to speak with you.” There was an odd quiver to his voice that made her pause. “She waits in the library.”
Setting aside her quill, Velvet stood and set off at an easy pace, wondering who had called to visit. Coming into the entrance hall she found several of the staff had created or found excuses to be near the library. Flowers were re-arranged in their urns, pictures were being dusted, and Mr. Halfpint was giving the long mirror a thorough inspection for the minutest speck of dust, his ear cocked towards the door where Mrs. Hardtack stood vigil, rough and rigid as ever.
“Ma’am, you may wish to brace yourself,” she cautioned as Velvet picked up the pace in her stride.
Ignoring their antics, she put the staff out of thought and stepped into the library. Her greetings faltered, barely formed, in her mouth as she saw a short, off-white halla standing next to the window. The sunlight made her magenta and pink mane shine, and danced off the gold tags dangling from her short, blunt antlers. At the sound of the door opening, the halla turned around, a constrained, nervous grin on her broad features that pulled at the corners of light brown eyes.
“Mother,” she said, “It be good to meet you.”
The End of Velvet Sparkle and the Queen in Stone.
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- Tundara · 28k words · 172 7 · 2.8k views
- Tundara · 4.4k words · 210 7 · 3.4k views
- Tundara · 94k words · 120 5 · 2.1k views
- Honey Mead · 55k words · 122 5 · 2.3k views
- Tundara · 1.3k words · 184 7 · 2.1k views
- Tundara · 137k words · 151 8 · 2.4k views
- CvBrony · 7.8k words · 372 5 · 4.5k views
- CvBrony · 28k words · 631 11 · 11k views
Stats
Page generated in 0.162 seconds
Total duration
900 users online
1,854,906 hits today, 2,707,512 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Epilogue? oh noes :o
7503088
And marked 'Complete', now, too!
7503106 One of the best stories if not the best story featuring Velvet, really enjoyed it
7503111
Thank you.
It always makes me glad to hear that people like the stories I write.
I still think you used something of a Deus Ex cop-out with regard to Velvet's spell to break the Fostering curse. Unless of course, the entire element about the Fostering turning sour was largely due to Tyr's own feelings and resentments. She herself was rejecting it somehow and only by attaining closure with regard to her birth parents did she somehow come to realize her own sphere.
Of course that itself would in theory break the Fostering curse, so that's fine, but there's still the issue of the Thane. You'd think they wouldn't make mistakes or some such.... I don't know, hard to express.
Also curious if Sateen's death was no accident. It's implied, but there's precious little to go on.
An excellent story, and one I have thoroughly enjoyed. I am almost sad to see it completed.
I take it that the funeral was for Rarity?
That was a really good read. When does the next one start?
Am I correct in assuming some time in the next few chapters of Myths and Birthrights we'll see this plot thread continue? I'm hoping it'l be the next one(which would make sense- last chapter of this references events from the previous chapter of Myths, and there's not a terribly long gap between these two events, a week unless that first line is meant to mislead us), as this is an event I've been looking forward to for a while. Got a little annoyed when I thought you were going to kill Velvet off just before her daughter got to meet her, I'll tell you that much.
7503401
It did certainly grow out of hand, with the home life being the more interesting story by far (I blame your excellent world building regarding the Sparkle family), but I'm glad I stuck to the end.
7503401
I came far too close to having Velvet die at the end, being honest.
I don't know if Velvet and River will pick up in Myths or not. I'm trying to cut down on the number of characters being followed (and doing an amazingly horrendous job) in the second book. River doesn't really have a place or role at the moment. I wont say never, but it is somewhat of a lower possibility at this precise juncture.
The issue becomes tying everything back in to Twilight, who is /supposed/ to be the main character in Myths. I just keep allowing myself to be sidetracked.
7503207
Sateen's death was meant to be a prelude to an attack on Sparkle Manor by diamond dogs, lead by the ghost of their former King who'd been possessing Whisper. Yes, that was going to be a thing for a while and was only averted at the last minute. Star falling into the river was also part of this. In the initial version she came across a conspiracy and was chased into the river. It was as terrible as it sounds and got cut. As a result, the fire and loss of Sateen and her family became just a 'random event of life'. A 'tragedies happen sometimes'. And got brushed off a bit too much as the story attempted to course-correct back onto Tyr's illness and the flash-backs.
As for Deus Ex cop-outs, there was a scene that was brought over from Myths where Tyr spoke with Faust. It was meant to be revealed that it was Faust herself who was the root cause of the Fostering failing, that she was plucking the strands of the Weave in order to create certain events and conditions. Tyr was just an unfortunate, but necessary, pawn. I didn't like introducing Faust so late into the story, and the explanation has as many holes as some good Swiss cheese.
Its a bit humorous though, if you think about it. Everything in the setting is a deus-ex, since the majority of characters are gods.
Why the Fostering spell went wrong is never explained now, and I think it is better for it. I doubt any reason or explanation could have ever fully satisfied. It is enough that it was warped and twisted. The 'Why' is (mostly) immaterial to the story being told.
7503512
A part of me would love to further expand the Sparkles and delve deeper into things. At the same time, I don't see what else there is left to explore. The well is mostly tapped and drained, as it were. For what was meant to merely be brackets around the flash-backs, the manor turned out far, far better than I'd ever anticipated or expected.
7503216
Yes, the funeral mentioned was for Rarity. I've been a little out of sorts since posting the chapter. It is really weird having it complete. I really glad to see so many people having enjoyed it.
7503321
Thanks! I'm not planing a direct follow-up to this story. There is the Rariad that I'm currently focusing on, a couple little one-shots with a young adult Luna, and there is the start of the second book for the main story. I'm a bit like a wanderer in a beautiful forest confronted by too many paths. I want to walk them all. Velvet and the rest of House Sparkle will almost certainly make brief appearances elsewhere, but I doubt I will do anything focusing on them. At least for the foreseeable future.
7503547
I think you have to show at least that scene- it marks a natural end point to the scenes you've already given us featuring River, and I doubt I'm the only one waiting to see what the outcome of this encounter will be. I think you could easily use it to set up that she's not doing anything exciting now, so she doesn't need to be a focal point, while also setting up where she'll later encounter Twilight- that was part of her goal, after all. I'll understand if you want to hold back on it, but I think more than a few people will be disappointed if you do.
Also- I understand the temptation to hurt characters. It's how you learn about them, after all. Sure, no real learning about Velvet would come, but you could learn more about almost every other character present- and many not- from the aftermath. I think I remember a quote somewhere about how good writing involves coming up with a character, putting your all into them, investing a piece of yourself in them, and then torturing them incessantly until a good story pops out.
7503606
Huh, and here this whole time I was assuming it was Celestia's fault because it was a spell designed to be used on newborns that she cast on a century old foal instead. Y'know, her connection to the different kinds of magic were too strong to be properly rerouted or some such thing. Your magic system is complicated enough to allow for that, after all.
Dang, to be honest... I never expected this story to be finished.
But... Now that it is done, I am very happy I stuck around for it.
That ending though... Huh, not what I expected at all. Good stuff!
7503667
I quickly want to point out that I've had many different reasons why the Fostering 'went bad' over the years. Celestia miss-casting the ritual (it was meant to be done by 3 ponies, after-all), Faust doing it on purpose, Leviathan, Whisper possessed by King Selim, and so on and so on. Right now, there is no definitive reason why the Fostering went wrong. I've tried so many different times to bring the reason to light, and it always fell flatter than if my feet were duct taped together and I was trying to race in the Olympics.
Personally, I rather like having something that is a mystery even to me. It keeps my own interest going in the stories and setting.
7503949
and I appreciate that you haven't fallen to the same disease tolkein did, I don't want to need a glossary and wiki to figure out what event characters are referencing at what points in the story.
On that note- I have a lot of respect for how seamlessly you can pull different ideas together over the course of months or years to create a cogent narrative from them, even as that narrative shifts in your mind. It takes a lot of effort to make that work, especially without heavy editing of your previous chapters- there's a reason commercial authors don't release books episodically, after all. That, and it takes a calm mind to recognise that sometimes a plot thread can be left hanging because nothing was actually built on it- like you said, sometimes things just happen, and they're more important in how they affect the people we're focusing on than in what caused it.
Anyways, that's probably enough time deep throating your ego for the night.
Have a good one, I'm personally seriously looking forward to the next chapter of Myths.
I'm glad this story is now finished. It was nice to see River meeting her mother.
I doubt that it's a coincidence that Honey Mead finished the Castle Canterlot recently.
7504845
Actually, it is just a coincidence that we both wrapped up stories around the same time.
7505549
When I started the story, I thought that people wouldn't care for the family life stuff. It was so much slower paced and pretty much just them sitting around the first few chapters. Seeing how much people have liked that side of things has been one of the highlights of writing this story.
Great story. Looking forward to more Myths and Birthrights.
WHAT?! You can't just end a story on such a momentous occasion! This deserves more!
Happy endings are the best endings looking forward to Twilight meeting her half sister river in myths and birthrights
three and a half years, has it really been that long?
This was a good ending, for a good story.
And now we can get back to the Applebloom and Zecora show!
Could it really be over three years? I guess time flies when someone is absorbed.
It was a great reading, and ended nicely. But you can't just leave us wanting to see what will happen in the last scene. I hope we get to see the reunion in the main story. Or in a one-shot, where you could just pour all the feeling without that being a deviation of the big story.
Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to comment!
7510848
That's one idea. I'm going to hold off to see if it'll fit into the second or third chapter of Myths' next book. There is the seed of an idea growing, one with River as the POV character, that could work either as an Anthology or in the main story.
7510443
Funnily enough I've had an Apple Bloom and Luna story that's been simmering since last summer. It's very low priority owing to length, complexity, and everything else that is in want of attention. Tentative title was/is 'The Hour of the Moon'. There is a rather humorous scene with Apple Bloom using transfiguration magic she learned from Zecora to tease someone.
7509717
I don't know how much focus their (Twilight and River) meeting will get. That is one of the things to figure out before putting any continuation of River and Velvet's meeting in either the main story or the anthology.
7509175
I tentatively agree, but I also just like the abruptness and allowing readers imaginations to run wild with the possibilities of what came next. I've been learning I don't have to explain or show every little thing that happens. I certainly try to show readers as much as I can though. It is still a strong possibility of the meeting being written. Probably a short, bittersweet style story or segment of a chapter. Only time will tell.
7507725
Thanks! I'm looking forward to getting the first chapter of the Rariad out. I'm also plodding along with a story of how Luna got her sword, Tamashi. The prologue and first chapters of the second book of the main story are coming together nicely as well. So many things on the go... I wish I was a bit faster, or more dedicated. I waste a lot of time watching videos on youtube or grinding in Warframe/video game of the week.
7512940
No, you're right, the wording is off. Or the tenses, as the case may be. I'll tidy it up. Thanks.
7503547
Oh no, Tundara.You don't get to make awesome and cute reunion between River and Velvet and not follow through
That aside this is easily the best side story I have ever read. Rarely does side stories even come close to being as good as the main one, but you somehow made it just as interesting as Myths!
Intentionally unlearned E
ngquestrian, I expect.Congratulations on a plot well-crafted. Really, it hardly need be in the MLP canon…and, clearly is not, what with Discord not having broken the Sigil of opposition with his day/night meddling in recent memory.
I liked the halla culture, and am curious about Sombra's tale.
I'm very glad that there's a story that will continue from that, because otherwise
.
edit:7510979
please?
please don't
7531241
Right now I am up to my eyeballs in the second draft of Part 1 of the Rariad. I've pretty much abandoned the idea to do a Sombra-centric story. I'd like to use him in other places though, when appropriate.
Discord din't break the sigil, but his powers are very 'wonky' and don't follow any established rules. I still strongly feel the show erred greatly bringing him back, as much as I love John de Lancey's voice. That's not really here or there though with Myths since I've kept him in his statue and have 0 interest in bringing him into the story. There is a great deal of backstory around Discord and the Quus, however, which will, some day, be revealed. I'm wandering though...
Thanks for the comment, and poorly learned Equestrian is fun.
7531525
I thought the simulday/night was first time. I guess it was later?
It's a shame that I only now got around to finishing this. It was wonderfully done!
When you asked for ideas on Twilight's siblings all those years ago (January 16th, 2014 to be exact), that was my reply. I'm both honored and grateful that you made him a part of Ioka. Thank you.
As for the Epilogue, it feels like a Marvel post credit scene. Velvet's story is well and done, but there's enough to hint at more. When River becomes relevant in Myths again, I'd like to see this scene continue. Otherwise, it can wait for the moment. If nothing else, perhaps it can be a one-shot within Anthologiae.
7503606 In my opinion, I think the Fostering spell failing goes back to Tyr. If you think about it, every other time it was cast (to our knowledge), it was done well before the subject was aware of their own nature. Twilight grew up thinking she was just a normal unicorn. I assume Celestia, Cadance, and Luna had similar experiences. Tyr knew something was wrong, so her body was rejecting the spell subconsciously. It could be compared to how organ transplants go. Even if everything goes well, the host's body knows something isn't normal, and may reject the transplant, even at the cost of his own life.
It's sad to finally reach the end of this epic story after so long.
Velvet's adventure was quite a ride and I genuinely taught that she was going to die during the ritual spell. And that ending, I look forward to when Myths reaches that part. Well done, I really enjoyed reading Velvet Sparkle and the Queen in Stone!
I'll end this comment with all Norway's themes from Civilization VI:
7905488
Original intention was for her to die in the ritual. Well, there were a lot of original intentions or plot-ideas that got abandoned through the course of writing. It was right near the last minute it got changed. For several reasons it became better to simply tease, have the tension build, then pull back.
7905655 Which is good because as much as I enjoy bittersweet endings I prefer happy ones, especially when they are earned like in this story. Also interesting to see young Velvet becoming a 'villain protagonist' near the end.
7905704
My intention with Young Velvet was for her to be a Victorious Villain, which was difficult to convey as she wouldn't portray herself as the villain. Not explicitly, though she does, towards the end, go more and more that way. But, if you just look at the onset of the adventure, it is a small group of fanatics seeking to wake an elder-evil on the thinnest of premises. On the other hand, it's difficult to fault Velvet, she is trying to save the life of her daughter.
I think, with a second draft, tightening up the various discarded plot threads, and clarifying the character arcs, there is a good story within Queen in Stone. Even as rough and disjointed as it is in places, the major characters all go through changes and make difficult decisions to cement those changes. Well, perhaps not Growler. But, certainly Velvet, Sylph, and Sombra.
Rereading this story is difficult as there are so many glaring issues visible with hindsight.
8381930
That is one of the nicest compliments I've received. Tolkien is a big inspiration for my writing, which must show.
8382028
It kinda does... but I'm not the best to answer that. I was exposed to the movies first, and adored them. I tried picking up The Hobbit too in order to see both sides of the story: book and film. I found his writing to be absolutely stunning... but very hard to access. It became really hard to keep track of the characters since I felt some of the differences between them are best conveyed visually, which made crowd scenes less confusing 'cause I had a hard time telling who was talking and when at times. But it's impossible to deny that Tolkien wrote good shit, even if there were a lot of lineage drops at times. I can't keep track of all the family trees in there, 'cause those are insane, but I can totally respect him for planning that much out.
I'm still gonna read one Tolkien book before I die.
At least both the movies and the books have lovely scenery porn. That's the real reason to get into them. The scenery porn.
And yes, your writing is great! And so is the scenery porn! I've been looking to delve into Myths and Birthrights properly after reading most of the side stories and because that incomplete tag is taunting. Also, I don't think I can get through the 200k of reading as fast as I can write it.
The artist who illustrates and provides cover art for the majority of your stories is doing a fabulous job too. I don't usually see art that compliments the story it's used for so nicely.
8444794
They don't/aren't. They are a mixed-race subset, not their own species. I use them as I would any half-dragon in Dungeons and Dragons.
8445014
Ah, but then how do they repopulate? What would have led to the tradition?
This is a pretty incredible story in every respect. Ideas for about world building, characterization, plotting, framing, etc. and you managed to execute with prose that makes the story easy to fall into. I noticed a lot of Tolkien inspiration and you've done a good job of capturing that feeling of wonder in his writing. This is easily among the best stories out of the 10,000s of thousands on this site.
I really love this story and am glad to have finished it as I've finished most of the other side stories and a good deal of the anthology. The world building is unique and wonderful. You've used some familiar tropes but not tired ones. The characters shine true, and so does their adventure. The magic is fantastical. I just love this, and you'll likely see me and my comments around Myths sooner too, when I'm not writing something of my own, of course...
And then there's Sombra and your version. I love him. I love this dragon hybrid kirin Sombra and he fucking died why. Why must most good Sombra incarnations die? Lots of reasons, I guess. But I really loved how he felt like an anti-hero type and an intelligent, eccentric, and isolated companion to Velvet with his own goals. He was a character, and I'd love to read a story just about what was unsaid about him, if anything like that ever popped up. I'd also be glad to read about him in the Rarity story that I notice unfolding, where it's clearly hinted he might show.
My only question is to the herd-based society that you've pictured here. Just how do the complex herd dynamic and married ponies work in this universe? Are there arranged marriages too? Are there no monogamous ponies besides Cadance and Shining? I've only been able to piece together so much, but I can gather some, having seen this done in some fantasy lit. and other genres before.
But thank you very much for writing this!
8531752
Thanks for the many comments here and on the other stories! I'm a bit jet-lagged at the moment, so my answers may be a tad nonsensical at this time.
The herd dynamics; There are more monogamous partners than just Shining and Cadence. Though they've yet to re-appear since the series underwent its rewrite, another couple were Blueblood and Sapphire Shores. I've always also figured that Applejack's parents were monogamous as well, though this has yet to be decided on one way or the other.
Arranged marriages happen, usually among the nobility. Velvet's first wife, Whisper, was such a marriage, as it brought with it a large dowry and political connections to stabilize the House's financial troubles it entered after Velvet's parents disappeared on their expedition into the north.
On Sombra; I'm really pleased to see people enjoy this take on him. I always felt he had so much potential to be an interesting anti-hero.
8537548
Ah, so everyone is married to Velvet in her herd rather than one another?
8537587
No, they are all married together. So Whisper is married to Glitter. They marry into the herd, and the herd marries to newcomers.
8538026
Ah, so then it isn't just about the head of the herd and what the matriarch or patriarch wants.
I really enjoyed reading this story, and am happy I finally got around to finishing it after reading about half of it a few years back. I have to be a bit of a weirdo, though, and say that I would have liked to see more halla! Not just for the halla themselves (although as I said on Myths itself, I actually really like seeing and learning about them), but because I feel that there's a lot of context to Velvet's actions and behavior that's missing from the story-as-it-stands. I am interested in the present-day stuff, but it seems that a lot of what you might call her formative experiences are glossed over a bit quickly here. I understand why, and yet...
YES!!!!! i was hoping this story would end like this
. tho i may have been hoping to read velvets reaction.
This was a great story to come across, it was such a exciting and entertaining ride and I loved the ending.
9865871
Thanks! I think it was the perfect place to end the story.
Fantastic read all throughout! I was really gripped by the adventure tale and it was nice to see the family segments in between for a breather and change of pace.
I think my favorite aspect was the reminders that this was a story told and not a reflection of truth, so the brief segment where Velvet tried to show the truth was all the better for it. Seeing the monster in action.
Hero. Villain. Selfish Mare... the Sorceress.
I read Book 1 of Myths and Birthrights before starting this and I think that was about the perfect place, as the ritual takes place at the end of Book 1 anyway. Looks like it was Faust's intervention that changed the ritual to spare Velvet, and I'll bet the specifics are around Faust borrowing energy/emotion from Leviathan to help seal her
Hoping to see more River in Book 2. Poor Mountain, we hardly knew ye.