Is This the End?
Is This The End?
Our interviewer appears to have scribbled these words in haste. This editor has not heard from her. Where she is, and what became of her, I do not know. Perhaps she suffered the same fate as the city walls? Or perhaps she has retired to privacy. Perhaps one day she will emerge again with tales of the others and a new city.
Palish asked why he couldn't find Lost Caves. Most of the portals lead nowhere, to a vast emptiness. The only places we can access are Illapse and Dreamers of Light, the old citadel of Threshold with the pits, Gloom Peaks. Many are afraid of Tzayak and his army. Some prefer to walk escorted.
Lasaimis, Terrana, Sha'Resa and Kellad have been organizing the city's defense. Dreamers are called to Illapse Keep. The mares are coming. The defense takes a final stand to save Dreamers of Light. I'm in Sanctuary. I've never been a fighter, nor have I desired to hurt others. I can, however, offer a little insight to the warriors and a very little free action. I learn that the maren army has retreated, and dreamers regroup within the house.
Almost every dreamer in the city is in the Celebration Hall. Lasaimis speaks when SocietyX and I arrive. There is chaos in the hall, as dreamers celebrate their victory and take swigs from flasks, is it premature to call victory? Lasaimis invites allies to sport the crest. "The mares as we speak are in a trap we made for them. Archers are raining down arrows upon their heads. But there is only one weapon left to fight them with. Back when Dreamers of light was built, Janistar, my brother in law, ordered the construction of some unique characteristics. A cave collapse is trivial compared to 400,000 tons of stone." They plan to create a rift. They have trapped the mares, now they're going to sacrifice the house. The plan is controversial. Some are united by a strong sense of purpose and sacrifice. Others wonder if it's an act of desperation? There is fighting. Someone tells me Sha'Resa has been injured in the fray. Our solidarity is weakening. "It's worth a shot. We'll either succeed or we fail. If we don't try, we could lose the last house. If we do, we might anyways. Gentlemen, Ladies. It has been a pleasure fighting next to you tonight. But this place... as you see it now, will no longer exist. One way or another. If it doesn't work, I will die in the attempt, and my wife with me. But I would ask all of you, now, as you value your lives, to depart and await news in Threshold."
We scramble to depart. I and a few others take a long run down the mountain for the last time. Kirtes urges us to hurry... There is a black smear of dried ink on sloppy writing . It leads this editor to believe the author wrote these last words in haste. Then it continues more cleanly:
We are confused in Threshold, and some are in tears. Wishbringer and Magenta exchange their vows in this busy room. Taking her hand, "With this ring, I thee wed, I take you as my wife from this moment forth, beyond the end of all things, forever... I love you my darling." Lasaimis has returned... "It worked. But not good enough. A few mares, I believe escaped. The bulk of the horde is destroyed. My wife is in the hospital tent. I join her now. You must find a final answer... It's on you now. If you can kill them, trap them here." We're all arguing.. What can we do? Fight them? Destroy our city? Are we making them stronger? I don't think we have ever agreed on anything, and we certainly are not able to now. Here comes Kellad, amidst our debate he calls dreamers to Threshold Pits. I stay in Threshold longer, then traverse to the pits, but he has already left. I see some of us have given up hope and wax nostalgic.
Wishbringer says aloud the names of dreamers past, and soon others join in. The names echo through the halls of the crumbling city. Is it the last time? Is this the end of all our work? The names of a few sound through threshold...
MOLL, Turbo-Speed, The Witch, Snowblind, Lucinda, Ladybug, Lusenda, Wraith, Brain, Hiby, Leya, Pheonix Redhawk, Cyborg 512, LoVeTwiNkiE, Eiderdown, Sadurak, Pixar, Intrigue, Nziri, Purple Lace, Ambi, Alilly, Guardian23, Swazette, Biggie Z, Cianne, Super Mix, Smoke, Sweething, Gypsy, Elryck Von-Bek, Liondra, Tobias Brogan, The Striker, Haleth Dagore, Loveslight, The Jester, Jiovanni, Arreouw, Pork Chop, Ms Xtreme, Freya, Sonya, Cyberbob, RAY, Lonewolf, Luinitari, Shadruith, Mangler, Zardac, Cygne, Invictus, Isun, Wonderfilled, Kard, Tone and Jolly, Gilean, Yoshimang, Ice Talon, Heckspawn, Kudzoo, Milman, Solister, I Don't Know, I Don't Care, Kotoke Holow, Flushy, Grandor, Rayne, Tehthu, Hiroglifix, Tapestry, Brosh, Thunberg, Keke, HaselH0ff, Celeste, Cloud9, The Rectums, Soma Beta, Blue Jacket, Ambrosia Triare, LadyHeartBow, Diana, Tolket, Frump, Chance, Thunberg, Machiavelli, Dena, The Rebel, Snapecase, Sabriana, Goldilocks, Kasumi Keda, Carnach... There are others we haven't time to speak aloud.
Meanwhile, I'm told Kaer Gerroz and Mystakalah are being married in the pits.
The text is slightly smeared, as if the book had been closed on fresh ink. Then...
Apparently there are mares in Threshold. I think some are fighting them in the pits. All at once, Tzayak flies through the room. How could this happen?
Suddenly Lord Xenus appears. "Dreamers, is it true?" He asks. "Have the mares broken through threshold?" I let him know that Tzayak has only just left. "We cannot let our grand vision for this city threaten the future of our species. Perhaps, again, in the future, Cloudsbreakians will dream grand dreams and another Underlight will be born. But today, we must sacrifice ourselves for the greater good. there will be no reforming after what must be done. I will be no more. But Cloudsbreak will be safe." Marzera and Ssvatra have appeared. Little Ivunsasu has collapsed into a soulsphere.
I'm startled by this announcement. I am looking around me, here is Kage, SN1PER and Kelos. Munchkin is across from me, SocietyX and Bilbo Baggins at my sides, Darion, Keeka and Erasmus. Tipsy and Serianth, Magnet, Magenta, Biggie Z, Whiteknight and Blade Slayer, Fin Marda... PAMSWEETS, Pericules, ThunderMan45, Darby, Mydnight, Moondust and OfF KiLTeR, Biermaken and Braelynn, Eilathen, Aislin, Wolflancer, Kirtes Omathear, NullReaver, Hrrum, Soma, Alastair, Nidus, Nolamive, Arozis, Neysa, Xalor, Wishbringer. May we meet again. The room is so full of dreamers, some struggle to get in. So many dreamers.
Clear dreams, Farewell, Blessed be, Goddess Bless, Salam... No one will be forgotten.
Here the last words trailed off the page, as if written under duress. And so it is. Presumably, the end of that City of Underlight.
