The End of Equestria
By JafrotheUnknown
Celestia sat alone in her prison. As she sat, she wept. Indeed, she wept, but it was not for herself. She wept for all of her subjects. She wept for her sister and Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash and the other Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, for not even the magic they wielded contained the might needed to spare Equestria from this destruction.
It began but a week before...
* * * * * * *
Day One
Zecora had traveled to Ponyville carrying a warning for the townsfolk. Zecora was speaking of the current state of unrest that gripped the fauna of the Everfree Forest. The animals had recently become quite violent. However, this was not the average territorial violence, this savagery was fueled by a fear that forcing all of the forests inhabitants to the very edge of their homes. Accompanied by Twilight, the poetic zebra sought audience to inform the great diarchs of the impending peril.
As they approached the castle, they were chauffeured into a large room by the royal guards. The grand audience hall was loosely packed with all sorts of Equestria's inhabitants; from the average ponies to the exotic zebras (and even a few of the noble gryphons) all were treated as equals and given time to speak with their majesties. And crowning the room was a giant throne, flanked on both sides by the royal sisters. Thankfully, the majority of the problems faced by these guests were handled efficiently by the benevolent leaders and soon Twilight and Zecora were admitted to speak with Celestia and her sister. As they neared the throne, Twilight and Zecora dropped into a quick, but reverent, curtsy.
"Thank you. Now, Twilight, Zecora, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Celestia asked merrily.
"I have some urgent news today, to which the two of you I must relay," explained Zecora.
"Well, then please state to us the information thou hast brought to us," interjected Luna.
Zecora cleared her throat and steadily began to recite her account.
"The animals of the Everfree have diminished my generosity. I have been threatened every day, and so to you I've made my way. Should no aid come to Ponyville, I fear the future shall be ill. Though this danger is not fraught with malice, its claws will so bereave this palace. So if you will consider the plea I have brought unto your majesty, many lives will be saved; the road to safety shall be paved," Zecora replied solemnly.
A quizzical expression passed the faces of both Celestia and Luna.
"I think what she is trying to say is that something really really really not good is happening in the Everfree Forest and we think that you should do something about it," Twilight inserted hurriedly, "That is, if you think that it is worth your time, your majesty," she added.
"Twilight, you know that I value your intuition quite highly, so of course I am willing to focus some of my attention to this predicament that has appeared. I will send a team of guards into the forest as soon as you leave here," said Celestia.
"And thank you Zecora for bringing this dire news to us." Luna stated, casting a sideways glance to her sister, who's face quickly flushed with embarrassment.
"Yes, thank you Zecora, please forgive me. It was not my intention to disregard your contribution."
"Truly Celestia, you are forgiven, do not worry yourself, not even a smidgen."
Twilight and Zecora soon took their leave of the palace. As they traveled they saw a flight of guards headed in the direction of the strange wood. With calm minds and hopeful hearts, the friends traveled quickly back to Ponyville and the safety of Twilight’s tree-house.
Meanwhile in the bedchamber of the royal palace, Celestia was pacing restlessly. Her thoughts were scattered among many different cases, foremost being of the Everfree and of the past:
Mere weeks ago, she had been busy studying the arcanum of Alicorn magic. While in the grandly stuffed libraries of the palace, she stumbled upon an old, dusty novel that promised her anything she could ever want. It contained spells that, at a severe cost to herself, would allow her to solve all of the problems currently facing certain parts of Equestria: the famine in the southern lands of the zebras, the harsh winters in the far north, and many more. These spells would allow her to harness the radiant energies of the very sun that she patronizes. She could transfer some of the heat that was killing the southern crops and move them off to the north. She could envelope the world in a protective shell of her power during the day while still allowing Luna her power over the night. However, these spells also required one other reagent, a fetish that is exceedingly rare--the antlers of a Draconequus. As Celestia was glancing through the end of the text, one footnote caught her eye, "Should the user of this spell be threatened during the incantation, the fetish shall be transformed in to a phylactery--in this case being a field of negative energy. Thus rendering any harm negligible." She had read it through once and disregarded it with a bored sigh.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Luna who entered the room and swiftly enchanted the doorway with a barrier that stops all noise from leaving.
"Sister, the guards that were dispatched have not sent a messenger yet. It has been two hours since we have had any sort of contact with them. I fear that the situation we are in is much worse than we had thought previously."
"We must send another team after them. I refuse to lose anypony," Celestia stated, exasperated.
"I am sorry, but the hour is too late. To send any others at this time would only end up in tired guards at best, or lost at worst. Trying anything at this time would just be a waste."
At the last sentence, Celestia cast her gaze to the floor.
"Yes, Luna, I know you are right. I'm just... tired," said Celestia, dejected, "I feel that it is time to sleep now. We can deal with this in the morning. Good night, dear sister."
"And great rest to thou," returned Luna.
The sisters shared a quick, but loving, hug and Luna departed to her own quarters. Celestia moved to her bed and lay down; she spent the night tossing in a restless sleep.
* * * * * * *
Day Two
At dawn, two guards walk from the Everfree forest. Their eyes are hollow. Their armor is battered and bodies are bloodied. As they slowly limp towards Ponyville, one collapses under his own weight. The other turns to his brother in arms and explains that he is going to retrieve a doctor for the both of them. He explains that there is no need to worry and promises that everything will be okay just as soon as he can reach Ponyville. After the walking guard is out of sight, a new set of eyes appear within the darkness of the forest. The collapsed guard turns his head toward the hellish wood. He hears a snarl that sends a chill down his spine. As fear begins to grip him, he realizes that he was never meant to make it out of the forest. An hour later, a group of ponies accompanied by a doctor arrive at the edge of the forest and search. They return with a battered, blood-caked helmet.
* * *
There was a flash of light, followed by the sound of maniacal laughter.
"Hahahaha, thank you Celestia. One can get quite cramped when encased in stone for an extended period of time. Next time could you possibly exile me to a beach somewhere? A tan could do me quite well," Discord explained, grinning all the while.
"Enough of your games Discord. I do not have time for this. You already know what I want and I have upheld my part of the bargain. I suggest you hand them over before I decide that being encased in stone was too light of a punishment for one of your ilk," retorted Celestia, disgusted by the casual demeanor of her long time enemy.
"Why, my dear sweet Celestia, you are not one to make such barbarous, filthy lies. We both know that you are too good do anything of the sort. Besides, I'm getting tired of having these damned things. Always getting in the way and whatnot. I am actually thinking of acquiring a horn, possibly like yours. You are always at the height of fashion."
"This is no time for games, Discord!"
"Do you remember that time you colored your coat pink? You used to be so childish back then, so free-spirited, so... chaotic," his lips curled with the last line, "I enjoyed it quite thoroughly."
"Discord. I am giving you one last chance. Hold up the bargain now, or be forever banished from existence."
"Well, well, well then Miss Snooty. Here, have your prize and continue with your folly." Discord snapped his fingers and his antlers were transferred into Celestia's bag. "But be warned, things are not always as they seem. The road to destruction is paved with good intentions." While he was speaking, his body became translucent. All of it except his eyes and his mouth, which were frozen in a sneer.
"Discord, I am tired of your damned riddles. If I ever see you agai-"
"Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't continue that sentence if I were you, dearest. You may come to regret it later. If you do finish it, I might not come to aid you in your hour of need." Came a disembodied, ethereal voice.
Celestia laughed scornfully. As she turned to leave the garden, a ball of fire charged ruthlessly toward her.
* * *
Celestia was jolted from her nightmare by the sound of horns ringing all around the castle walls. This was a sound she had heard rarely, but every time she had, it haunted her. These horns were only sounded at the death of a royal guard. Within seconds she was up and galloping down the hall. As she ran into the throne room she nearly collided with Luna.
"Luna! What has happened‽ I heard the horns. Is it the guards?" Celestia said, mustering her strongest voice.
"We have received word from the missing guards," Luna stated solemnly. "Only one hath returned, and according to him, the others hath fallen to the monstrosities of the forest. He limped into Ponyville this morning and sent a party after another guard that he says walked out with him. I am saddened to say that all they found was a his half-helm."
Celestia’s face contorted into a look of horror after being subjected by such terrifying news.
"What in Equestria could have massacred an entire flight of royal guards?" she wondered fearfully. "Has this guard arrived back yet? Can I go speak with him?"
"Yes, dear sister. He arrived just a short while ago; he is resting in the hospital wing. I am sure he will have no misgivings about speaking with you."
The two shared a look of understanding as Celestia began her sad trek toward the room that held the wounded guard.
* * *
Celestia walked into the hospital wing and approached the guard. He seemed to be recovering, but was still overcome with weakness. His breathing was even, but so shallow, that one would have to scrutinize every section of the stallion to notice it. He looks up and notices the Princess walking towards him. He sits up and gives a quick salute, only to double over in pain right after.
"It is okay, you need not worry. I am here, and you are safe. I have come to ask if you are well, and if you would be willing to impart to me the details of your mission," Celestia said, her voice revealing the controlled tones of melancholy and concern.
"Yes your highness, I am much better than I was before and the doctor said that I would make a quick recovery. I will be back on duty before you know it."
The guards face was stern, showing a history of pain and sacrifice all freely and happily given in the name for Canterlot.
"Do not worry about that now. I only wish for you to rest and recover. You may worry about your duties once you have recovered completely."
"Thank you, Your Grace. You have made an old guard very happy. Now, what is it that you wish to know about last night?"
"Anything that could be relevant to what happened to the other guards or anything that you found that could possibly enlighten me as to what is actually happening in the forest."
"Well, I am very sorry to tell you this, but you definitely have the wrong stallion. I was in charge of the group that was supposed to guard the rear. As the chief master sergeant, I was keeping the first team, led by our first lieutenant, covered. Had to make sure that none of the monsters could get behind 'em, you see? Anyway, the first group was the one that would have found anything. Well, everything was going really smooth. We saw a couple of young ursas and a few lupus minors, nothing we couldn't handle," stated the guard proudly, "But soon, everything went to the moon. We were completely surrounded. All sides, nothing but canis majors, leos and lupus majors. I don't really think we were the first target, because everything was attacking everything else. So we fought very defensively, that is until I heard some blood-curdling screams come from the first group. I knew there was no way they would make it, with or without our help. So I yelled for everyone to pack up and head out ASAP. Some of the lot thought I had lost it and decided to take over command. They headed out to the first group. Half of them didn't make it out from the clearing." The guard paused and wiped away some tears. "Sorry about this... I just get so- so choked up about it all."
"That's quite alright, take as much time as you need. There is nothing I can do until we wake the rest of the officials. Please go on, if you can." Celestia said this slowly, hoping-- more for his sake than hers--that he take his time.
"Heh, it will take more than a bad memory to stop me from completing my duty as best as I can," stated the guard matter-of-factly. "Anyway, where was I... Oh, yes, the attempted mutiny. Well, the few of us that decided we wanted to live to tell what happened, set out for Ponyville. I guess the only way to put what happened to us it to equate it to the mutineers. As we galloped for the hills, we were picked off one by one. Those of us that didn't get ‘et, got gashes and slashes and the like. Well, long story short, by the end, it was only me and the airman." The guard begins to tear up again. "Well, we made it out, and I think you know the rest. Please, please don't make me repeat it." The guard said with a desperate look in his eyes.
"No, that is quite fine. Thank you very much for telling me all of this. You will be receiving a promotion to captain and a significant pay raise. Thank you for completing your duty to both your compatriots in arms and for all of Equestria." Celestia said, affirming her admiration for the guard.
"May I have permission to speak frankly, ma'am?"
"Yes, please tell me whatever it is that you want."
"Not to be rude, or ungrateful, or anything, but I feel that you have me wrong here. I did my duty for neither my fellow guards nor the citizens of Equestria. By the end, I cared only for myself. When I walked away from that airman, I didn't even know his name. I knew that when help arrived, he wouldn't be there. I left him to die so I could save myself. So I would like to ask if you would take both of those rewards away. I don't deserve them."
Celestia smiled sadly at the old guard, "As you wish. However, I will still see that you get the best care possible." And with that, Celestia left the room with a look of despair plastered to her feature. As she walked out, the guard sat up and began saluting her again.
The rest of Celestia's day was spent speaking with her sister, her advisors and the generals of the military. They were planning something big. Something that would lead to a huge change in Equestria. Whether this change would be good or bad, they did not know.
* * * * * * *
Day Three
Preparations were being made. With the new information that was received from the lone guard, new teams were scrambled, briefed and sent out on reconnaissance missions. Some teams stayed high and some went low. Some missions were taken by flights of pegasi, others taken by a regiment of earth ponies, supplemented with a battalion of unicorns. Most of these missions uncovered nothing. Some even ended in the loss of some members.
Morale in the military was at an all time low until one afternoon, smoke was spotted pouring out of some of the furthest reaches of the Everfree. A small recon team of pegasi was sent to gather any information. That night, only one of them returned. The pegasus crashed into the flight pad of the castle. She was bearing the news of a magical fire. A fire that acted as if it were alive, reaching up at the team burning them to the ground. Sobbing by the end of her tale, she pulled a section of scorched armor from her bag. This was the armor of her brother--the first of the team to fall to the fire. She explain that he was flying ahead as a scout. As he raced back to the group, he was engulfed in the pyre. She threw the armor at the feet of those questioning her. She then explained that as the fire nears any living animal, it becomes a hunter. It can stop the production of smoke while approaching prey and then quickly envelop all in its path.
This new foe was that of hunger. A hunger known only by those that wish to see nothing but destruction. The death of a world. The extermination of everything in its path. This hunger if unfathomable and, worst of all, mindlessly unrelenting.
* * * * * * *
Day Four
Neither Celestia nor Luna had slept in days. Both had been scouring the library for spells that would stop the fire. Celestia did not want to use the antlers on the fire, mostly because she would only have one chance to cast that spell and there was the possibility that it couldn't even work on the fire. For that spell worked on the land of Equestria. A land that is already controlled by its inhabitants. There was no way Celestia could know if the spell was dated before the settling of the lands. Unfortunately, record were not kept very well back then, most of them being lost or unintelligible.
"Hark sister! I believe that I have uncovered a tome that could help us in our plight!" Shouted Luna, excited to have made a breakthrough.
"What does this novel say, sister?"
"It is a tome of history. In one of the stories, it tells of a great magical fire that had consumed many cities. It is dated centuries before the rise of our kind--the alicorns."
"What is this book titled, and how were they able to stop this fire?"
"It is marked, A History of Dooms and Disasters: For the Future Safety of Equestria by Starswirl the Bearded. It states that the standing government at the time took as many unicorns that were willing to volunteer and had them stand en masse against this fire and send all of their magic in unison. Together, and while being led by Starswirl himself, they managed to drive it back to the reaches of the Everfree. However, they had taken days of preparation, and in the end, very few lived. Starswirl suffered terrible burns and this was his last published work before he passed away."
As Luna related the ideas of the story, Celestia stood pensive, listening to and absorbing all the facts being told to her.
"Then we still have time. We can defeat this foe. We have to, or else everything that we have toiled for, everything we have suffered for, will be for naught. We must save our citizens, even if it means that we will die," Celestia stated indignantly.
"Sister, there is one more note about this fire in here."
"And what is it?" Celestia asked, annoyed that her sister allowed the small speech before turning over all of the information.
"Well, it contains an addendum. It states that this situation should still not be treated lightly. It says that this fire should be treated like any intelligent predator. It does not explain how this is known, but only that anything tried on it once cannot be used again. The fire is able to learn from its experiences."
Celestia's brow furrowed in disbelief. After noticing this, Luna passed the text over to her.
"Have we ever known Starswirl to be wrong, sister?"
"No, Luna, we have not. However, I just can't understand how something like fire would be able to learn from experiences. It just doesn't seem possible."
"Remember, sister, this is the Everfree we are speaking of. It is a realm of complete balance. For all of the good it does, it is offset by the evils that it contains. I am a prime example. Had I never been ensorcelled by the taint of the Everfree, Nightmare Moon would have never been fueled purely of my pride and envy."
"Thank you for reminding me, Luna. I know not what I would do if I did not have you by my side in times like this. Thank you."
"Fear not, for I shall never leave thy side," Luna stated stoically.
At this, the sisters shared a brief hug before continuing on their work.
The two Princesses searched into the night for any other texts that would help them in their confrontation. By midnight, the two had fallen asleep over the current novels they were reading. Subsequently, they were found in the drafty library by the guards and were then covered in blankets. The next morning, they both awoke at the same time to continue their duties as the patrons of the Sun and Moon.
* * * * * * *
Days Five and Six
The Sun and Moon. Two things taken for granted in Equestria since the overthrow of Discord and the institution of the Alicorn Sisters. For the last four days, the usually strict schedule that applied to these celestial bodies was sent awry. While each day, the Moon did fall and the Sun did rise, it all happened at irregular times. Day lengths ranged from hours later than normal to hours too early. This gave the citizens reason enough to be afraid, as nothing has ever caused the Royal Sisters to forego their duty. The citizens knew something tremendous was going to happen, however, they did not know what it was.
Recently, many unicorns had been asked to volunteer for some royal training regimen. They were told that it would be very dangerous; that afterward they would be set on a mission that could be the last thing that many of them will ever do. Almost every one volunteered for this mission. They knew that the with the intrinsic magical skills they possessed, coupled with the friendship they all shared, would be enough to overcome any obstacle. They also knew that if no one helped the Royal Sisters, some impending doom may overtake the land.
With calm minds and hopeful hearts, they made their way to the palace as swiftly as possible. Many with the intuition that they would probably not be returning home.
* * * * * * *
Day Seven
The Everfree Forest had been almost completely consumed by the magical flames. Between the inferno behind and the entrapment in front, the legendary creatures of the strange wood were unable to survive. While fighting with each other, they too were soon consumed by the flames, feeding, but not satiating, its otherworldly lust for destruction. The entire palace guard and the voluntary corps of Equestria's magical citizens, both supplemented by the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, stood at the ready to combat this supernatural enemy.
And so it began. The battle to save Equestria.
The flames rushed forward, licking at the heels of the pegasi, who were holding rainclouds over the blaze. Soon it became too much for them to handle and the air support was grounded. Safely out of the way, but forced to watch helplessly.
The magical regiment unleashed its full might down upon the wildfire. As did the Bearers and the Royal Sisters. In an unmitigated blast of pure arcane energy, everypony's magic combined and rent the earth between the oppugnant forces. After what seemed an eternity, the glare subsided. Then the slaughter began.
Weakened by the extensive usage of energy, many of the militia quickly fell to the onslaught of the fire, including Rainbow Dash, who had stayed near the front to bolster morale. As each second ticked off, more and more fell to the assault. The flames continued to consume the would-be saviors groups at a time. Soon more of the Bearers began to fall as well. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy worked to save as many of those near them. In the back of their minds, they all knew that anything they did would be futile in the end.
At the deaths of each of the Bearers, Celestia could feel her own inner will get shredded away. She knew of the finality of these deaths, but she could never possibly understand anything with the ability to crush life so heartlessly.
Twilight galloped toward Celestia and Luna. As she ran, she knew she would not be fast enough, so she mustered the last ounce of strength in her body and teleported to the general vicinity of the Royal Sisters. She still was not fast enough as the flames latched to her and traveled with her through the small wormhole that she had created.
At Twilight’s death, Celestia felt as if an arrow had pierced her heart. She felt everything inside of her go numb as she returned her attention to the battle. She could no longer hear the screams cascading around her, her ears were were filled with the sound of her rapidly beating heart.
As the new set of flames appeared near them, the Royal Sisters raced into action, Luna flying to the survivors to help and Celestia grabbing the Draconequus antlers with her magic. As Celestia began to recite the memorized incantation, the antlers began to glow a harsh red. Simultaneously, the fire shot up toward her. As she neared the end of the charm, she was antagonized by the exsufflation created by the undying fiend. As the flames reached her, the antlers burst into a large bubble that encircled her entire body in a bubble.
The flames were extinguished. Celestia gaped in disbelief as the flames began to race around her. Coming close, but never touching. Celestia sat alone in her prison. As she sat, she wept. Indeed, she wept, but it was not for herself. She wept for all of her subjects. She wept for her sister and Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash and the other Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, for not even the magic they wielded contained the might needed to spare Equestria from this destruction.
After hours of this torture, Celestia finally succumbed to her exhaustion.
* * * * * * *
Day Eight
When Celestia awoke, she was on the ground, outside of the protective bubble. The ground was still hot from the raging inferno that had passed over it hour before; it would most likely stay this way for days, if not weeks, to come. Somewhere in the distance, she heard laughter. Hoping for the best, she galloped toward it. As she moved closer and closer, it became more and more maniacal.
"Wahahaha! Celestia, don't tell me you actually thought somepony survived that. And I thought I was truly mad!"
"Discord... what happened? How did you survive? What's going on?" Celestia asked, bewildered by the sudden appearance of her long time foe.
"Don't you remember? The endnote in that foolish book you found told you what would happen," Discord stated, clearly annoyed, "I thought that you were the smart one compared to Luna, but I guess I was wrong."
Celestia's mind flashed back to her reading. "It said: 'Should the user of this spell be threatened during the incantation, the fetish shall be transformed in to a phylactery...'"
"Yes, yes, yes, now you understand what happened," Discord said giggling loudly, "So surely you must remember how ambiguous the cost of such a spell was don't you? Well, let me clear that up, you are slowly going to waste away. Oh, and for the 'how did you survive' question, I thought that that was quite clear, but allow me to explain. You see, I am the chaos of this world incarnate. Without me, this rock that you have so lovingly dubbed ‘Equestria’ cannot continue. So, while I do have the feelings and idiosyncrasies akin to that of a mortal, in all actuality I am nothing more than extremely condensed, sentient energy. And energy, as you know, cannot just be destroyed."
Celestia paused, consumed in her own thoughts. Pondering all the information that was shared by Discord, and attempting to grasp the meanings that seem to escape her at the moment.
"Well, if you are just going to sit there with an idiotic look on your face, I guess I'll just be leaveing. Toodle-loo."
"NO. Discord, wait. What am I to do? I am dying as we speak, is there anything I can do?" Celestia asked exasperated.
"Celestia, my dearest, there is nothing that can be done. Believe me, if there was, I would have already tried it."
"There must be something!" Celestia exclaimed desperately.
"Alright, there is one thing, and I give this to you strictly so I don't have to spend eternity in tedium. But this is something that you have to want, this cannot just happen of its own accord. Or discord!" Discord chimed, clearly amused, "Anyway, to complete this, you must give yourself wholly to the world. For the power of the spell you so foolishly cast still imbues you with enough power to attempt to revive this husk that you call a home."
"Thank you! Thank you Discord, for imparting to me this knowledge. I shall use it well!" exclaimed Celestia, beginning to weep, but this time from joy.
"Ah, you make me sick Celestia, do you know that? I don't have time for this, I need to go find something enjoyable. Arrivederci!"
And with that, Discord began to slowly dissipate.
* * *
After hours of attempting to reverse what has happened, Celestia had wasted away to the point of near death. She begins to weep uncontrollably and her tears begin to stain the ground. After a few minutes, she knows that she will not last much longer. As she draws her final breath, she makes one last wish: she wishes that all of her power be granted to the planet, that she sacrifice herself to bring forth a new life for Equestria. It need not even be Equestria, just new life to populate this now desolate plane. As she exhales, she notices a single blade of grass sprout from the dirt. It sprouted from the exact place that her tears had fallen.
* * * * * * *
Epilogue
Centuries have passed since life had begun anew. In the background, some little schoolfillies and colts are playing and some are discussing plans on how to receive their cutie marks. The teacher soon comes out and calls for them to come back in. In the city square, a stallion and his wife are purchasing fresh picked apples from a merry looking mare wearing a cowboy hat. In a confectionary, a bubblegum colored pony is making cakes. In a boutique, a mare with an uncanny eye for fashion is making dresses for all of her friends. In a cottage on the outskirts of town, there are two female pegasi. One is off doing tricks while the second is cheering quietly. In a large tree near the center of town a unicorn and her zebra friend are discussing the medical significance of natural remedies. Finally, in a temple that was lovingly constructed for the unnamed Life-Bringer, a cloaked stranger stands at the far end of the temple. He is curiously studying the statue that stands on a plinth that marks the mausoleum. It is a statue is the Life-Bringer. After a few minutes, the hooded stranger begins to dissipate from bottom to top. The rector notices this and gawks in surprise. As the strangers features disappear, the rector swears that he sees a small, sad smile break across the strangers face.
The End
Author's Note and Thank Yous
This was my first shot at writing fan-fiction (and just writing a story in general), and I hope that it goes over quite well.
Now, on to thanking people. First of all, I want to thank you, the reader, for sticking with this all the way to the end. I hope it wasn’t too taxing. Next, I would like to thank a good friend and fellow writer, Eddie Anderson (A.K.A. Datnero). He worked as my editor and he painstakingly put up with my bitching and jabbing while he gave me pointers. I decided to take quite a few of them and tried my best (poorly :D) to institute them in.