While I had very much hoped to avoid leaving it as an ending like this, I must concede that A Song of Fire and Retribution will no longer be updated.

I'd like to thank all who've subscribed, commented and spent time reading this fic, but due to lack of continued interest, the decline of quality for the recent chapters, as well as other projects, I've decided to leave it as it is.

I'm sorry to all those who wanted a proper ending after reading through to this point. I can understand but I didn't want to just stop Fire and Retribution without a response and leave people waiting. I would rather be honest and give information about the state of this fic. But instead of leaving no closure on how the ending would turn out, I'll give a dry rundown on how I planned for the story to go.

Aegon, being injured from his duel with Ser Jaime, wakes from fever dreams where Daenerys informs him she's pregnant once more and desires for Rhaenys to be brought to the Red Keep from Pentos. Aegon promises her after the war is over and it's safe.

Sansa meets with Lady Stoneheart and is dismayed at what happened to her mother who doesn't care, claiming Sansa is dead and is solely motivated of avenging Robb and her family. Sansa remains with her, distraught but unwilling to leave. Arya, going through the Golden Tooth, finds them and hears of her mother's quest for vengeance and wanting to slaughter all of House Frey. They have a tearful reunion but Arya makes the tough decision to put Lady Stoneheart out of her misery, saying that killing the innocent is no justice and that Lady Stoneheart was not their mother. After the deed, Arya goes off and cries alone away from the others. Jon Connington, Valarr and the Unsullied, head to Harrenhal where they meet with Sansa and the Vale forces. Tensions rise when the Targaryens ride in on their dragons and demand Sansa and Harrold bend the knee. Lord Baelish pretends to be helpful while encouraging conflict between both factions. Valarr suddenly realises he's screwed up when he notices Arya and remembering the girl he punched in Braavos. It doesn't help his cause when he tries to be the good cop to Conningtons bad cop. Eventually the Targs and Arryns come to a compromise where they agree to a none-aggression pact in order to deal with more pressing threats such as Euron Greyjoy.

To the North, Jon Snow meets King Stannis who's taken Winterfell, killed Theon, and has Rickon as a puppet. Many of the Northern lords are grudging in their support but do so because he's put a Stark once more in Winterfell and desire to go south to get revenge for their losses. Jon convinces Stannis to let him become the acting regent of Winterfell and when Stannis accepts, becomes quick to act in dealing with the Others, threatening any who stand in his way and decides to evacuate the northern lordships where many die in the journey and are added to the undead army in the south. Stannis, upon hearing about what's happening and to the urging of Melisandre, decides against the Iron Throne and instead calls up on all his supporters to defend the realms of men instead. Jon gets a vision from Bran who tells him about his heritage and the dragon egg in the Winterfell crypts, as well as inform Jon's the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna. Bran in the vision suddenly vanishes after a cry of pain and is replaced by an Other who just smirks cruelly at Jon who wakes up sweating with a pain in his chest. After, Jon goes into the crypts and discovers a dragon egg as proof but Stannis' men catch him, take said egg and Melisandre plans on hatching and giving it to Stannis when news comes down that wights have attacked the Wall from both sides, crushing the defences and Jon hears reports about the Wall collapsing from unknown means.

In the Reach, the Golden Company collect whatever supporters they have and the Dornish army under the command of Obara Sand which has been sacking and burning the fields. They march on Highgarden and it surrenders after a brief siege. Lord Willas and Garlan promise to bend the knee to Aegon and Daenerys should they retain their titles and home and aid in defeating the Ironborn. When Aegon and Daenerys make it to the Reach on dragon back, they accept the offer to the anger of some of the lords who desired the position of Lord Paramount, but Daenerys convinces them with other promises where they ride to Oldtown only to find the city a smoking crater (hyperbolic but paints the picture I was going for). Euron had sounded the horn of Winter that collapsed the Wall. With Victorian and an army of Ironborn, he attacks the combined armies of the Targs and their allies. It is a tough battle where the Ironborn are pushed back to the sea and flee into the ruins of the city. Daenerys decide to use their dragons as the killing blow but it's a trap and Euron uses dragonbinder to control Vhagar and mounts him to everyone's surprise. Taken aback, the Targs hesitate which gives Euron the opportunity to devastate his opposition, killing Garlan and many other characters before being brought down by Daenerys who gets severely burnt with dragon fire and almost dies. After recovering and with much of their force devastated, they receive news of the North.

At Winterfell, Stannis, desperate, attempts to hatch the egg and uses Shireen as a sacrifice. He's hesitant and claims it is needed as a hard sacrifice is the only one that can do it. Jon, becoming increasingly ruthless and desperate to end the Other invasion, allows it to happen without resistance. Just as the ceremony's about to happen, the Others appear outside Winterfell and a battle rages where the defenders are pushed back. Shireen dies to the pyre and the egg hatches. Stannis is forced to fight in the walls and gets killed by the Other titled as the "Sword of the Fading Day" (the same Other Jon saw in the vision) and serves as the general of the Others armies in the south. The Fading Day slaughters everyone it comes across and Jon fights it with Tormund with various other soldiers at the same time. Tormund dies and Jon is severely injured, bleeding from wounds that would kill any other man. It proceeds to the baby dragon in the snow and casually impales it with its ice sword. Jon and Val retreat to the Winterfell crypts where he and some others seal the entrance and flee through the tunnels. The wights break through and go after them. Ghost, being a good boy, sacrifices himself to protect his master and gives them enough time to escape.

In the south, news comes of the Others and what's happening in the North. The Targs and Arryns decide to heed the news and take their forces to the Twins which is besieged and surrenders. The Freys guilty of the Red Wedding are punished, but they'd been killing each other off so their numbers are greatly diminished. They fortify the land for a possible invasion from the North. The Targaryen fleet enters White Harbour which is crowded with refugees fleeing the winter and wights. Jon, sailing down the White Knife with what other survivors got away, takes many by land through the Neck. The Targaryen fleet assists with aiding refugees but is forced to break off when the Others attack the city. The city watch try their hardest but are overwhelmed and the Golden Company are ordered to keep control of the crowds pushing for the ships. With news of the Others at the walls, order breaks down and the ship's captains panic and flee, but not without several sinking from being attacked by wights and undead marine life in the water. Vhagar, who's been injured by the fighting at Oldtown, is ridden to the North but collapses. Euron, burnt and alive, is furious but Jon finds him after seeing a dragon fall from the sky. The two meet and Euron, gleefully, brags about the Walls and says he'll be a god during the Long Night. Suffice to say, both fight and Euron is killed. Jon nabs the Valyrian armour from his corpse and makes to Vhagar who doesn't attack. Taking dragonbinder as well, Jon uses it and puts the dragon under his will. He then leads the survivors south.

Jon Snow finds the armies marshalling from all around Westeros to face off against the Others at the Twins. Aegon and Daenerys are surprised at the dragon, Dany is fuming, and Jon admits the truth of his heritage. Aegon is then fuming, cursing Rhaegar and Lyanna. Jon ignores him, thinking how Lord Eddard Stark's his real father for raising and taking care of him. Their relationship is tense. Jon tells them of the Others and what they need to do, and reforms the Night's Watch from the survivors of the North. Littlefinger is alive but not for long when Jon recognises him and, for what he did to Jeyne Poole, informs Sansa who's become suspicious and looking for an excuse to off Littlefinger. Lord Baelish lies catch up to him where he's tried by court and executed, his head being presented at the top of the castle. Sansa wants it tarred and placed atop Winterfell, but makes do.

It doesn't take long for the Others to reach them and then begins the Battle of the Dawn 2. Wildfire is poured into the Trident and it's turned into a massive inferno. Dragons use hit and run tactics against huge packs of wights while men just try to hold the line. The Others push back the Westerosi armies but are gradually destroyed. Valyrian steel and dragonglass is used to kill the Other commanders and soon the wights themselves begin to drop as more Others die off and the remaining White Walkers are unable to control a force that large. Faced with defeat, the Others withdraw except the Fading Day who seeks Jon out and they fight. Jon bleeds out onto his sword which is set alight via magic he learned from Melisandre. After a struggle, kills the Other. Faced with the defeat of their leader, the Others flee back beyond the remains of the Wall.

The story ends a few years later at King's Landing with the days gradually becoming warmer. Rhaenys is with her parents, hearing a story and her younger brother (named Jon by Aegon after his father figure). Both her parents tell her a story of what happened after the fight, where Jon Snow went up North to the lands of Always Winter to hunt down the last of the Others so they may never threaten humanity again. The Targaryens rule over Westeros but theirs is a reign focused on repairing what is lost, with the hope that the future generations may have the prosperity of their ancestors. The North has been depopulated to the extent that it's population may never recover and has only recently having people return as the snows melt. Arya remains with her sister who's the lady regent of the Vale and Lady of the North. Sansa's become a powerful player but one who's focused on improving the lives of the people and mending the ruins. With so many of the lords dead and power structure shattered, the smallfolk gain more power as the lordly houses are weakened, thus beginning a new stage in the history of Westeros.