The Hero's Tale

Chapter 7: Noctournal Symetry

Dear Reader,

As always I'm thrilled that you wish to continue reading these records, transcribed to me by those who went through them and adapted by the very capable Joshua The Samurai for your Realm. However, I've long debated with myself as to whether or not I should include this next chapter. These scenes take place inside of dreams, and deal with our character's histories, and explores some fairly deep subjects. Things like the nature of good and evil, the questions of free will. It also includes some material that is quite... Disturbing.

I feared that the philosophical tone of this chapter, as well as it's shocking nature, would clash with the tone of the rest of the story.

Still... I am an unapologetic completionist. I dictated Obsidian's experience, wrote my own parts of the chapter, and gave them to Joshua and Gallaine to consider. I left the decision up to them of course... Whether or not to include it in this record. When they decided to include it, I asked to write this forward so I could kindly ask you to consider not to read this chapter.

I know that what I'm about to say is pointless, since curiosity will doubtlessly get the better of you and you'll read it anyway. I only ask that you not because I feel Obsidian's story is complete without it, but rather because reading it may change how you feel about this series. I've lived through this, and if It could be redacted from my life, I would do it without hesitation. Every story, especially Obsidian's deserves and happy ending. What happens in this chapter I believe casts a dark shadow over the eventual ending.

Please, consider carefully before reading this chapter. Skipping it means that the ending that Obsidian finally gets will not be tainted by past tragedy. I leave the choice up to you.

Sincerely,
-Star Bright Silver

Rings was waiting, he looked at me as we both stood in the dream, the younger version of rings had just finished his lunch and stretched out on the grassy berm by the road, taking a quick afternoon nap. I wasn't sure what Rings wanted me to say, though in truth behind that solid silvery mask that revealed nothing I wasn't sure if he was starting at me or just taking in the scene. I hated speaking first, but he was leaving me no choice with his silence.

"Okay," I said, "So, you want to try and convince me to betray my friends and my family."

"No," Rings droned. "I'm asking you to save them. You see, Obsidian the Shades will take one hundred thousand souls into the new world. After our losses in Baharra, a few losses to desertion and so forth, we have roughly forty thousand left. That means we have room for sixty thousand. So if every soul in Canterlot castle where to surrender to us, minus Princess Celestia and the Sultana of course, there would be a place for them."

"So, my family, Windjammers family, everyone?" I asked.

"Yes." Rings said, "No soldier would have to die, on my side or yours. You can spend eternity with Windjammer, and live as gods in the new world."

"Well, what about everypony else?" I said, "I'd save my family, save my friends but what about all the nice people I never met? They all die! What about my culture, our history? You're asking me to give up my world, Rings. All I love and all I ever know. Saving myself and my family means nothing is millions of others die."

"It's more like Billions, but Good point." Rings said, tapping his chin with a Talon. "You love this world, but. . .what if it was not worth saving? Would you save your family and take them to the next world? Build a better one? Purely hypothetical of course."

I thought, "Speaking hypothetically, yes I would." I replied, surprised that that was my truth. "But Rings, I know there's problems with this world, trust me I do, I just don't think it's unredeemable. There are good times and bad times, and we can't just destroy the world because there where bad times."