THE END

I just straight-up don't really consider it to be the end of the comic. This was a sort of climax, but there is a denouement in the epilogue. We always knew it was going to be there, it's not like it's extra, expanded content. On top of that, the whole story of the second half has been a frame narrative with Don and the books. We haven't seen the other end of the frame yet.

Basically, I don't have a problem with THE END because I don't process it as the end.

Greetings...sorry if this is my first post, I lurk lots and prefer reading up on the stuff going on. ~^_^~

Loved the ending. I know it seemed abrupt, but, I don't think it could be anything but. There's a lot of armchair psychoanalysis of the characters going on, (Which, when dealing with dreams, it's not surprising.) ,I just keep reminding myself this is a dream world...literally. Really REALLY bizarre stuff happens in dreams and your brain goes "Holy cow, WTF...moving on..."

I'm not one to take *well* to violence to children, but in this case, it's a bit different. We're in a place where people's heads can be unscrewed, where you can be inhaled and sneezed out, castle walls grow and you can have koala gyros. It's a place where perspective is everything, and perspective defines your world. Keep in mind in times of bloody. horrible war, people find love. It's the stuff of romance novels. Would you, if you find that a very elderly couple met each other in a concentration camp, and it so happened he was on the German side, suddenly exclaim how awful and sick their adoration for one another must be? I would hope...not. I'm sure they had to endure that for a long time from either community after the war. If they stuck to it, bonus. If they don't, well, the love of another person (even superficial, as another poster called it.), has a way of healing. In a world where morality, evil and good are all absolutely perspective, I would hope those around these two and each other would realize that much quicker than usual Earthlings.

Think about it this way. This is a world where behind closed dreamer doors, they reenact the most horrible horrors of your past, and of your nightmares. They go -further- than we do in our world. (Think No-Face.) Do you think Fiona is just going to make nightmares -stop-? Heck, would she remove the populace who dwell in these places? I hope to goodness not, because by now, after all this time, or maybe with the sudden inheritance of rulership she would realize that aspect is -needed- by both dreamers and people of Nod.

Anyway...just my thunks.

It actually makes me happy. Sure, it's abrupt. Sure, the 'movie' doesn't end here. But the bad guys are dead (so to speak) and the girl gets the girl. The rest of the tale is finishing up the pieces.

Thank you, Megan, for this wonderful and strange tale.

"Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love... true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in."

It's sad to see the end of this comic, even though we've known almost from the beginning it was coming.

I love that this is gonna wrap up in an Epilogue so that the loose ends can be tied up. It's gonna be sad, and satisfying to see the story finally end though.

Megan, I've loved this comic from the day I stumbled across it from a link in The Lounge almost from the beginning. Thank you for such a remarkable and entertaining story.

Roses Ablaze wrote:I hate go criticize, but if an epilogue is necessary, can it really be called an epilogue?

All epilogues are like this.

Jusenkyo no Pikachu wrote:

Roses Ablaze wrote:I hate go criticize, but if an epilogue is necessary, can it really be called an epilogue?

All epilogues are like this.

Haha no they aren't.

Never posted here before, but this was bothering me.

An epilogue is a final chapter at the end of a story that often serves to reveal the fates of the characters.

So yes, this is an epilogue. Even if it's needed, it is still an epilogue. Even if I really did not enjoy the ending one bit, it doesn't make the epilogue any less of an epilogue.

"An epilogue can be used to hint at a sequel or wrap up all the loose ends. They can occur at a significant period of time after the main plot has ended. In some cases, the epilogue has been used to allow the main character a chance to 'speak freely'."

So regardless of anything else, it's still an epilogue as most all epilogues are something that determines the end fate of all the character's in a story or a continuation of them.

And ending is a conclusion or finale of the story. That being, Fiona found Lia and changed her back to her former self. Seeing as how the main point and drive of the second half of the story was to be reunited with Lia, I'd call it a proper ending. Fiona went on a search for Lia and found her. The end.

Primitive way of thinking, I know, but almost all stories have a very basic plot that can be broken down into a simple sentence.

The definition you posted assumes that the epilogue is not serving a duel purpose as the denouement of the story. If the ending of a story does not stand up on its own without the epilogue, the epilogue is not an epilogue.

Falling action. Get you some.

You're more or less attempting to defend your point because you dislike the ending. I think most people dislike the ending, but that doesn't change that it was the ending. So, when this epilogue explains that happens to Lia, what happened to Lucy, whether or not Fiona is dead, what Don is exactly and what Mary is now since she's not officially Fiona's conscious, are you going to say a "true" epilogue is needed to explain their fates after their fates have already been explained?

All an epilogue is, is a closing. Something that wraps everything up, the after years, so to speak.

If you really have an issue with the definition of the epilogue, take it up with Megan and ask her to not call it an epilogue if it's not one.

blaze, if you're going to argue semantics at least get your definitions correct. I suppose they need to be explained to you. A denouement is the series of events following a climax, usually providing closure, that serves as the conclusion to the story. An epilogue is writing at the end of a piece of literature that brings closure, or a conclusion, to the work.

As anyone could see, these can easily be synonymous, and are whenever there is an epilogue to a story for the most part, so that argument really doesn't stand up. As for your "ending must stand up on its own or no epilogue" rule, that's just made up. Your argument really isn't that great when you need to create literary rules to support it.

Okay!

Arguing over semantics is why the internet makes Baby Jesus cry.

Well, it's been a while since i've been wanting to write my opinion on the ending, but i coudln't fine the time to do it =P

I've readed the whole thread, and i'm not going to go saying the same things as everyone, but yes: the ending was Abrupt and t took me a while to "see" the ending. Since there was no dialog, my eyes ran too fast on the page, not giving me time to think about what was going on, finishing with the "what? this is it?" feeling.

BUT, after stopping for a while and looking back at what has been going on, it does closes the main story conflict.

-Fi and Lia still love each other, despite everything, even after years of separations, lies and all. Fi had doubts if she still loved Lia after all that time and all the revelations, and the ending shows she had no more doubts on that.

-Lia's threat to kill herself was not an empty one. It was the perspective of her love with Fi that made her not do it, she had someONE to live for. If Fi wasn't there, she probably would have killed herself.


I would also like to say a few things here:
1)Like someone said before me very well (even quoting star trek! ), you can't blame Lia for what Mara did, because Mara is not Lia. Lia is just herself when her conscience is around. The fact that the conscience is another person is a peculiarity of Nod. If someone removed parts of your brain, it would not be "you" anymore. If someone took away your memories, for example, you wouldn't be yourself either. So, MARA IS NOT LIA

2)Damn guys, everyone knows that there is a dead kid on the background, but it's dead already. There is nothing anyone can do about it. Both Fi and Lia are enormously relieved that Lia has her conscience back and no one will try to take it away from her again, that they finally will be able to be together for good. If you have ever been in love with someone, think about your feelings when you finally find him/her again after almost losing him/her. You don't care about anything, you just see the person you love! After a kiss (or some more) you stop to see what's around.


I had more in mind, but i guess i forgot, so i'll end it here. Megan, that was an amazing comic! You did a great work, and having finished it is great by itself (i've seen a few good webcomics die without an ending). The ending could be better? Yes, i think it could. But endings are hard to make, and the epilogue is great so far (i was hoping Fi would restore the balance of the two worlds to the original situation).

I'm hoping all printed versions will be out soon so i can get them!