Stolen Memories

by ShootingStar81

For Sake of Love

It was just past daybreak when it came into view as the Polaris rounded the mountain. A remarkably large structure, built into the side of the rocky spire, supported by a myriad of strategically placed struts and supports that artfully held the structure level. It appeared to be built as a ring, though a portion of it was buried within the mountainside, leaving that idea to pure speculation on the observer's part. Lastly, in support of Luna's previous claim, a massive telescope protruded from the top of the structure, dead center of what would be the ring that made it. This particular device was oddly pointed straight up at the time of their arrival, though if this was by somepony's design or pure happenstance was anypony's guess.

"I got a bad feeling about this place..." Starsight muttered aloud, standing alongside Daredevil as he navigated the ship ever closer to the observatory. Unsurprisingly, it boasted a landing large enough to accommodate perhaps two airships...or one Polaris, given this particular ship's size. As the helmspony pulled back on the throttle control, the thrum of the propellers began to dim, replaced instead by the whistle of winds that were hardly uncommon at such altitudes. While normal on any other day, they provided a sense of foreboding at that moment that only added weight to Starsight's observation. It made most everypony else a bit edgy.

"Do you really think somepony's in there...? That they're actually behind this?" Twilight asked, staring intently at the structure as they made their approach. She, like everypony else on the ship, had gathered in the navigation room, intent on seeing what happened as it unfolded. Of course, that intent only extended as far as actually getting here; only Twilight, Luna and Discord would actually be heading in from here. They were the three most likely to actually accomplish anything against what they feared they'd find. Not to mention, as Twilight had put it, they might need to make a quick escape, which had smoothed over any offense the captain took at being left out.

"I...do not know," Luna replied, still holding to a tendency to avoid contractions. Old habits and all. "We are all in the dark when it comes to expectations, Twilight Sparkle." Her tone was rather somber, belying some of the nervousness that must have clung to her as it did to everypony else. Even Discord looked out of sorts, though Twilight would have bet it was more out of his suppressed magic than any real dread of what they faced. When unhindered, he could pretty much do anything he wanted, which made it rather remarkable that anything could hold him back. It was part of what had made the newest alicorn princess so nervous herself; what could be so strong as to halt the march of chaos?

Conversation came in short snippets such as these. With everypony on edge, most warred with their own concerns regarding their arrival at this place. As they drew closer, details became clearer. Being metallic in nature, rust had begun to work to claim the structure. Or, perhaps it was all along. If what Luna said was true, this building had to be over a thousand years old, and had been unused since it's creation, given what had followed between Celestia and Luna. Such knowledge lent an almost haunting sense to the observatory, like it was out of place in time. It was rather unsettling.

The silence was broken by the ring of the throttle control as Daredevil brought the ship to a halt just over the landing. His expression was grim as he nodded to the Captain, wordlessly conveying their arrival. It was, instead, Starsight that made light of it. "If you haven't guessed it by now, we're here. Time to see what we're made of, eh?" That last comment was made with an empty smile, like she was trying to put on a strong front but was just as nervous as the rest of them felt.

Sighing softly, Twilight turned to face her last two companions, Luna and Discord. With a quick nod, she began to make her way out toward the deck of the Polaris. "It's time to find out if this is truly the place," she mused aloud, not bothering to look back to see if she was being followed. In her own way, she knew they would. They were friends too, weren't they? A friend would always have your back.

Stepping out onto the deck, she was immediately struck by the strong gusts of wind that permeated the area. This alone gave her pause for thought, a mental note to praise Daredevil's skill in piloting following that moment. It had to be quite the feat to maneuver a ship so large to the landing without incident. Spreading her wings out, she glanced back to see Luna and even Discord mimic the motion, behind whom stood Starsight. "Good luck to the lot of ya. I hope you can fix this...I really do." With those words and no more, the trio took to the air, making the short trip from the deck to the landing itself.

Buffeted by sharp, whistling winds, even this short trip proved a bit problematic, especially when Twilight herself was nearly swept below the landing, though she did well to correct her course. The other two had far less trouble, though they were clearly more experienced fliers to begin with. When all hooves met the metallic ground, each surveyed the others, and gave a nod of affirmation. All were ready to face whatever may lay in store, and with that, Twilight lead the way inward at a steady trot.

Dead ahead was a massive archway that likely once was a pinnacle of splendor, though time and weather had dulled it considerably. Housed here was a pair of ornately crafted doors, depicting the starscape the observatory was built to watch in the first place. Though she may have marveled at it at any other point, Twilight was too preoccupied to pay it any mind today. With a soft glow of magic from her horn, she pried the massive doors open as they approached, the task proving a bit easier than she'd anticipated. Almost like somepony had been here recently.

"Be ready for anything," she spoke over her shoulder, eliciting nods from Luna and Discord. Taking a deep breath, she ducked her head down and moved onward, passing through the archway with little trouble. Once inside, though, she truly felt as though it were a place caught in time.

A faint glow emanated from the center of an immense chamber, though it's source was yet unidentifiable. The chamber itself was so massive that the light failed to reach it's outermost edges. From what she could see at a glance, the upper reach of the walls was lined by a platform that encircled the entire interior, along which was lined numerous pedestals, each barely touched by the light. Atop most every pedestal was a small crystalline globe, barely identifiable at this distance, but clearly there as one or two occasionally reflected the dim light from their surfaces.

After spending a few moments evaluating their surroundings, she turned to Luna and Discord, a deadpan look upon her face. "Not much here, so I think we need to take a look at those pedestals up top. Split up between them, see what you can find." With those words, she spread her wings and took to the air, the sound carrying rather well in the still setting, which seemed to only amplify sound. Luna followed suit, heading in another direction to the platform above, whereas Discord remained firmly in place, touching his index fingers nervously together.

"I'll uh...see what I can find down here," he mused aloud, before slowly walking toward the center of the room, and thus toward the soft glow that provided the only light in the chamber. Twilight didn't seem to catch his statement, alighting on the edge of the platform as narrowed her gaze, trying to determine what exactly was on the pedestal, if not merely a crystal. As she drew slowly toward it, she could begin to make out details within a crystalline orb; a seemingly blue 'sky' within, with a large collection of buildings that looked older in fashion, but newer in construction. Something about this locale seemed oddly familiar, but she couldn't immediately place it, not until she drew close enough to peer in at the most minute of details. It seemed so real this close that she felt her breath catch in her throat. I don't believe it...

"Trottingham...this...this is Trottingham!" she called out, her tone elevating with each word she spoke. Glancing back across the way, she could barely make out Luna's form against the dark, unable to wholly tell what she was doing. A moment later, though, and she heard the princess' voice call back.

"This looks like Canterlot! And over here is Manehattan! This is..."

There was an echo that sounded like thunder just then, interrupting the exchange. At first, their eyes were drawn to Discord, who shrugged sheepishly as if to proclaim his innocence. Looking further, their gazes eventually fell upon a lone pony who stood somewhere between them on the platform. This new figure appeared to look from one to the next among them, though it was hard to tell with the helmet they wore. The figure sported elaborate but dulled armor that looked not unlike the jousting armor they had seen in the Crystal Empire. Before anypony could voice a question, they spoke up in a rather commanding tone.

"You don't belong here. Get out. Now."

The voice bore a commanding tone, as a pony who knew authority. His very demeanor implied that he was trained in martial prowess. However, none of these traits came into play just then, as he simply turned around, walking back to one of the orbs that he had been gazing into, seeming as if to dismiss them as one dismisses a troubling thought.

Twilight looked first to Discord, who appeared to be rather nervous. Unsurprising really, seeing as he was far too use to having his potent magic at his disposal. It was likely he knew how a fish out of water must feel at this point. Turning her gaze to Luna, the princess appeared to be keenly watching the new pony, but had yet to act in any way. None of them were sure what this may imply. Was he the one behind all of this? Or a keeper of whatever was? Curious...

Speaking of curiosity, this was a trait Twilight most assuredly possessed in greater quantity than Luna or Discord. As such, she slowly made her way around the ring platform, inching toward the pony with painstaking caution. She wasn't sure what he might do if they ignored his warning, but she was curious as to what he was staring at...and why. If these orbs were all of the missing cities, which one was it that held his attention so strongly that he had dismissed their presence on a whim?

As she drew closer, she could start to make out the details of the orb he was gazing into. In fact, he was so intent on it that he either didn't notice her approach, or didn't care. For her part, Luna had drawn closer as well, but was giving Twilight a worried gaze, attempting to caution the younger princess against her approach. She didn't stop, though, drawing ever closer as she looked upon the orb herself, wherein a crystal spire nearly reached the top of it. That had to be the Crystal Empire!

A new kind of hope clutched at her heart just then, the idea that they might have a chance if they could just free the cities...even ONE city. Abacus had been in the Empire when it vanished, and he seemed to have some grasp of the magic at work here. He would be a grand ally against this, not to mention Applejack and Rainbow Dash. The thought of those two alone sent tingles up her spine, and brought a small smile to her face. Memory alone was a powerful thing.

The armored pony continued to act oblivious to their presence, which only seemed to embolden Twilight in her efforts. Of course, she wasn't wholly sure what they should be. She didn't exactly know a counter spell to...to whatever this was. This was magic on a scale unheard of, to turn so many cities into what appeared to be snow globes. As she pondered the predicament she now faced, she recalled the words of Abacus and what he had tried to tell her. What his book had explained.

If love is magic, there has to be a way.

Her heart ached in the absence of her friends, and it reminded her of the love they shared as friends. Abacus had described love like an ocean that ebbs and flows, ever changing, never ending. If that was true, all the power she could ever need was already here.

Just need to focus...

Closing her eyes and bowing her head, Twilight focused inward, searching for this...magic that Abacus had described. If love was in all things, then it couldn't be that hard to find, could it? After all, she had seen it herself; Abacus, a regular earth pony when she met him, not only suppressed the disappearance of the Crystal Empire, but had teleported her as well! If that wasn't magic, what would be?

It was then that she felt it. A thread, a strand to pull at, or so she would have described it if asked. Brow furrowing in concentration, she started to pull. Not with strength, but with will. As she did so, something felt familiar, a sense she'd known well, especially since she met her friends. As she grasped at that feeling, she suddenly felt a rush, so strong, so profound that she actually gasped out loud, her eyes shooting open in surprise.

I can feel it...

It was nothing like she expected. A warmth that flowed from within, just like he described it. Ebb and flow, ever changing, never ending. A sense that the world was alive with love, that no dark thing could exist behind so much of it. Though Luna and Discord looked upon her in confusion, given her sudden gasp, she paid no mind as she closed her eyes once more, concentrating on actually using this newfound magic. Tipping her horn toward the orb that represented the Crystal Empire, she began to focus with all of the mental prowess she could summon, willing for the magic to work.

Moments passed without activity, but it wasn't long before her horn adopted a soft, yellow glow, unlike the normal lavender that went with her magic. The glow rapidly intensified, building so quickly that it nearly blinded those present, until a brilliant flash dominated the immense chamber. She felt a rush through her unlike anything she could describe, as if all of that power just rushed forward, as if taking her direction at the crystal orb. In that moment, she knew that Abacus spoke the truth; this was magic at it's very core. Raw, powerful, and pure.

As the flash faded from everypony's vision, she opened her eyes, and immediately noticed that the crystal orb was gone. It was then that she felt drained, as if a part of her had been pulled away. So strong was this that she even became weak in the knees, though she managed to remain upright. The pony that had been gazing into the orb, however, fared perhaps worse. They continued to stare at the empty space, but his jaw was dropped, an expression of horror on his face. "I'm sorry...," she murmured softly. "But you cannot keep the world in a prison like this..."

Luna watched tentatively, whilst Discord remained uncertain, lacking in his own magic. Both watched with bated breath as they waited to see what would happen next. As they did so, the armored pony slowly, painstakingly turned to face her. His horrified expression began to twist and contort, warping what was visible of his face into a look of utter hatred, so strong that she could almost feel it.

"No....NO! I won't let you take them! Never again!" he cried out, and without warning, lunged at Twilight. With a shout of surprise, she leapt from the ledge, wings flaring out in a bid to distance herself from the flightless pony. He was rather quick, however, and leapt after her in a fury, striking her full in the back as she took to the air. Both of them were sent tumbling through the air in different directions.

"Twilight!" Luna cried out, her own wings expanding out in reflex as she leapt from the ledge. It was Discord, however, that came to the rescue, diving forward in a manner only he could pull off as he slid across the metallic floor, catching the stunned alicorn before she struck the ground.

"Out!" he cried, as though in a game of baseball, as he stood and held her aloft in one hand. Of course, disappointment quickly appeared as he scowled, lowering his arms. "Right. No magic," he muttered under his breath as he set Twilight down, the alicorn still a bit disoriented. The armored one wasn't fortunate enough to be caught, striking the ground with a metallic ring of metal on metal. However, he appeared to use the momentum of his fall to roll to his hooves when he did strike, snarling at the collected group.

"They're mine. Mine! Stolen from me! You can't have them!" he cried out, his voice sounding as if it were about to break. However, he didn't immediately charge again, rather, he took off toward the outward edge of the lit ring, towards what being anypony's guess. Twilight looked up at Discord in confusion, unsure what to make of this sudden action. He just shrugged at her, but kept a concerned appearance, just as Luna landed alongside them.

"I doubt he's done, Twilight. I've so rarely seen desperation like that before...we should be ready for anything." His tone was far more serious than she'd EVER heard from him, and that made her nervous more than being jumped on by the offending pony. She had freed at least one city now, so they knew it could be done, but at what cost? They were soon going to find out.

Bellowing a roar that sounded like it came from a manticore, the armored pony charged from the darkness, a lance now attached to his armor. That was going to be a great deal more dangerous, and gave Twilight pause for thought. She looked torn between running or flying just then, both instincts firing off at the same time. Luna almost immediately launched herself up into the air, but Discord remained alongside her. In fact, as the lunatic approached, he stepped forward, and shoving Twilight aside, spread his arms out, a vicious grin on his face.

"So you like to play with pointies, do you?" he commented sardonically as his 'opponent' charged. Twilight tumbled a few feet from the shove she'd received, but as she stopped, it was all she could do but watch with jaw agape. Was he insane?

Their assailant seemed unamused, lowering his head as he lead into the charge with enough power to impale a pony. Discord continued to grin, waiting until the last moment before he made to step aside, taking a swipe at the pony with the claws of his lion paw. His opponent, however, was experienced in fighting, and was quick to correct his aim even as Discord moved. His lance didn't wholly hit it's mark, but managed to gash Discord's elongated side, even as claws met armor with a metallic ring.

Shouting in pain, the draconequus stumbled a step or two before he fell to one knee, clutching at his side as he glanced back at the armored pony. For his part, the attacker slid to a halt, turning back as he prepared for a killing charge. He was definitely playing to win, such as it were, as he spared no time charging once more. Injured as he was, Discord didn't have reflex enough to avoid another strike. "Discord!" Twilight cried out as she realized he wasn't going to move in time.

"Yeeeeeeehaaaaw!"

The familiar call rang out across the still air of the chamber, unmistakable in it accentuation and tone. With a gasp, Twilight snapped her attention to it's source, even the armored figure skidding to a halt at the sudden outburst as he, too, searched for the one who cried out. In fact, all eyes turned to find not one, but two ponies.

In a blur of rainbow colors, Rainbow Dash shot through the archway like a rocket, wings pumping furiously as she propelled herself at remarkable speed. Her forelegs were slung under the legs of none other than... "Applejack! Rainbow Dash!" Twilight called out excitedly, wings flaring out as a reflection of this. Their assailant turned to assess this new threat, holding his lance at the ready as he barred his teeth,

"Get 'im, Applejack!" the rainbow-maned pegasus shouted as she released her grip on the orange earth pony. Dropping from the air like a missile, Applejack easily caught their assailant off-guard. As she hit the ground, she tucked herself into a roll, coming up under the armored pony just as she launched a furious kick into his belly with her hind legs, sending him airborne, and into Rainbow's waiting hooves. "Lights out, pal!" she added, just as she flipped and delivered a similar hind-legged kick to his side, sending him soaring across the chamber before he struck the ground with a metallic ring, sliding off into the shadows once more.

When the figure didn't immediately emerge from his hard landing, Applejack turned to her friend, smiling so broadly it looked like it would hurt. Her eyes even took on a shine, like one gets when they're on the verge of tears. "Y'alright sugarcube?" Twilight smiled with equal vigor, nodding in reply, before her gaze shifted to Discord, who still knelt with a hand clutched to his side.

"I'm alright, but Discord was hurt when he..." she trailed off a moment as realization of just what he'd done sunk in. "When he protected me."

"Well doesn't that just beat all?" the farm pony replied, trotting toward the unusual form of Discord. "Let's have a look at that, shall we?"

"ENOUGH!"

The voice rang with fury so great it seemed as if to shake the very walls of the observatory. Following in it's wake was the ring of hooves against metal as their assailant came charging from the shadow one more, lance at the ready as he made for Applejack this time, clearly more than furious at her attack.

"Hoo doggy, y'all better be ready for a fight!" she exclaimed as she spread her legs out into a widened stance, readying herself to deal with the charge. Rainbow Dash seemed largely unnoticed, and used it to her advantage to wheel around, ready to dive in and follow up on Applejack's next move. She expected much the same as they'd just dealt, teamwork! She was always awesome that way, wasn't she?

However, this pony proved to be as cunning as he was dangerous. As he drew in close, Applejack tensed up, preparing to deliver another vicious kick, but when she wheeled around to strike, he ducked down, sliding across the floor, and thus right under the strike. The farm pony managed a look of surprise just before he sprung up and delivered the same kick squarely in her chest. It was her turn to be sent flying, the wind knocked from her lungs, as he steadied himself for a follow-up he clearly anticipated.

"Applejack!" the pegasus cried as her friend was sent launching across the chamber. "Yer gonna pay for that, buddy!" she continued as she dove in at nothing less than stunning speed. She expected to catch him purely by means of it; after all, what pony could react faster than she could fly. Hah! This was in the bag!

Disbelief, and even horror, followed in the next few seconds. Just as she drew in, the armored pony crouched before launching himself with a powerful leap. Rainbow hadn't been ready for that, and it quickly got worse. Just as they were about to collide, he swung his lance up, catching her under the left wing and knocking the both of them from the air. With hooves braced against her chest, he rolled back, sending her first into the ground with a heavy thud and a grunt from Rainbow. Before she could even gather her thoughts, he followed up by planting a forehoof at the uppermost joint of her wing before cruelly and sharply twisting his lance. The action was met by a severe snap as the pegasus' wing broke, forcing even her to cry out in pain. "My wing!"

With tears welling up in her eyes, Rainbow could hear her friends calling out in desperation as their attacker raised his lance once more, leveling it on her head. "It's over for you, whelp." Though she struggled against him, her efforts proved fruitless, but just as he struck, he was sent flying with a heavy grunt, having been rammed by none other than Abacus, his red fur and white mane unmistakable.

Rainbow looked on in a mixture of shock and pain as the older pony glanced down at her with a grimace. "Are you alright?" he asked in a surprisingly kindly tone, wherein Rainbow gently wiggled her broken wing. Glancing back to Twilight and Applejack, he spoke with a clarity that was surprising in such a dire situation. "Tend to your friend. I will keep him busy as long as I can."

"Abacus, be careful!" Twilight found herself calling out, even as Luna and Applejack moved to aid their now injured friend. "He's definitely aiming to kill if he can!" The rusty-red pony just nodded his head, fixing his gaze on the other figure that was rising to it's hooves, almost quaking with rage.

"You...you'll not stop me any more than they can," he began, his tone as sharp as a razor's edge as he glared daggers at his new opponent. "They're mine. MINE!"

Just as he shouted, Abacus charged, perhaps aiming to catch him off-guard. It perhaps mildly worked, but his reflexes were honed by training, evidenced as he quickly leveled his lance at the charging pony. However, just as Abacus reached him, he artfully sidestepped, the armored pony attempting to turn in pursuit as he ran by. In a twist, Abacus planted his forehooves on the ground, skidding forward even as he bucked up, delivering a powerful kick to their assailant's head, which sent him staggering back as his helmet was thrown off, exposing his face.

Wincing, he righted himself as he scowled at Abacus. His fur, at a glance, was eerily similar to his opponent's, though his mane was grey in color. He also sported a deep scar that ran in a crescent around his right eye, the telling mark of an old injury. His eyes told so much more, though; a gentle green, they looked almost sad and hopeless despite the rage that was plastered across his face. With a bellowing roar, he charged back in, lance at the ready once more.

"Great, now two of our own are down, an' we're trustin' our lives to a pony that looks like he's never seen a fight in alla his life." Applejack commented dryly as she tried to help Luna with setting Rainbow's wing. The pegasus herself was quiet, a look of grim determination on her face as they did so. It was a painful experience, and she was doing her best not to simply cry out in pain.

"We don't have many options, Applejack," Twilight responded as she examined the gash Discord had acquired in her defense. "This is a pony clearly trained to fight. I don't know what we're going to do, but I hope Abacus had a plan when he showed up. It's the only real chance we might have." That comment hung like a pall upon the air, implying that even she had a rather desperate outlook on their situation. Indeed, it was hard to see it otherwise, with how soundly he'd beaten all of them in so short a time.

For his part, Abacus managed to hold his ground for a time, trading blow for blow with his opponent, and managing to avoid that deadly lance as they fought. In the back of his mind, he knew he wasn't going to be able to fight him for long; this one was just waiting for an opportunity, a mistake on his part, and he knew it'd be trouble when that happened. As was his style, his mind worked countless calculations and outcomes, searching feverishly for an answer he could not find. He could always predict the odds...it was his talent, after all, but he did not like the odds on this situation. They were looking rather grim.

As if to add to the thought, his opponent finally found the opening he was searching for when Abacus stumbled whilst side-stepping another strike from the lance. Seizing upon the now widened-stance Abacus bore, his attacker ducked down and slid forward, passing under him in one fluid motion, where he delivered a ferocious kick with his hind legs, sending Abacus launching into the air with surprising velocity. Rolling back to his own hooves, he crouched down and leapt after him, a satisfied look upon his face. He knew he'd beaten this one.

With hardly a moment to consider the outcome, Abacus was caught in the air by his assailant, who latched onto him with his forelegs as he rolled the both of them over in the air. Planting his rear hooves on Abacus' belly, the armored pony kicked out, sending him rocketing back to the floor with enough force to stun on impact. Indeed, Abacus was stunned when he struck the ground with a heavy, metallic thud, the others looking on in horror when he simply groaned out loud, as opposed to scrabbling to his hooves.

Time seemed as if to come to a stand still just then as Abacus slowly opened an eye, looking up to see his attacker finish his roll, leveling his lance down a his now prone form. He watched with something of a detached manner, as if this was a dream in passing, even as his mind began to wander.

I have always loved you. Since the day I first saw you, I have loved you.

A grin broke out across the armored pony's face as he began to descend, believing he'd beaten his opponent for good this time. This was going to end on his terms, and his alone.

I always had such hope for you. You dreamed such wild dreams that they could have lit the sky on their own. You could achieve anything your heart desired, but it desired the one thing you never seemed to catch...

The armored figure descended with building speed, adjusting the aim of his lance as he readied what could only be a final blow.

I can always tell the odds. I knew it would come to this...that it had to be this way. There was no other way. Not if I was going to save you. Never forget that. No matter what, never forget that I love you. With every inch of my heart, I love you.

He could hear the others cry out, everypony knowing what was coming, but desperately trying to stop it. He knew they couldn't, but it warmed his heart all the same knowing that they'd try. Closing his eyes, he waited for and end he'd always suspected, yet never had faced before.

This is it...

With a sickening crack, the lance found it's mark, striking with such force that the weapon broke in two, causing the armored pony to slam into the ground with almost as much force as Abacus had. Abacus' eyes shot open just then as he tried to cry out, though his breath caught in his throat. The others looked on, horror transfixed on their faces as the horrible event came to pass; Abacus had been run through.

It was surreal to him. He didn't really notice the pain, nor did he really hear the cries of the others as they witnessed his fate. All he could do was fix his gaze on his assailant, even as the red pony rose to his hooves, shaking his head before he fixed his gaze on the fallen figure, a satisfied smirk coming to his face. Abacus worked his mouth as if to speak, but found he couldn't breath, or rather, couldn't take a breath. Struggling all the same, he used what air he had left in him to utter but a few words. "Sentry....b-brother..."

"I...am....s-sor...ry..."

As those last words escaped him, he lay his head down and let the darkness claim him, the spark of life fading from his eyes as his last breath escaped him. Everypony else looked on in shocked disbelief, save for the now-named Sentry, who stood over the fallen pony with his back to them. All gathered remained speechless as each tried to process what had just happened.

"No..."

The voice that spoke was gruff, but softer, lacking the edge it had carried only moments before. Slowly, Sentry sat down beside Abacus' body, lowering his head as he did.

"No...no! Abacus! Y-you...you can't leave me! Not like this..."

With a choked sob, Sentry wrapped his foreleg around his brother's neck, gently lifting his still form as he buried his face in his neck. "Don't go, Abacus..." he continued meekly, his voice weaker than it had begun, fading to little more than a whisper. "I remember....I remember..."

Sentry wept softly as he slowly rocked back and forth, clutching the still form of his once-beloved brother tightly to him. Twilight couldn't help but feel heartbroken, even in light of everything that had come to pass. Turning her gaze to Discord, she didn't even try to hide the tears in her eyes. "Please, tell me you can save him." Discord lowered his head, tears evident even in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Twilight. He's gone..."

Every pony gathered, even the injured Rainbow Dash, couldn't help the tears that came at the heartbreaking event. It would seem Abacus had expected this, had even planned it. Twilight was putting the pieces together in her mind even as they all looked on. He actually suspected what was going on, but didn't want to reveal his own brother until he had a chance to right it himself...and so, he did just that in the only way he knew how. He gave his life to save his brother's shattered mind. For sake of love...

Love comes with a terrible price, and we must all pay it someday.

The thought rang through her mind as though it weren't her own, making the purple alicorn blink in surprise. After a moment, she closed her eyes and concentrated, grasping at the threads of whatever that thought had been.

But love does not end with death. It is like an ocean...ever changing, ebbing and flowing. Where one life passes on, another is just beginning. Loves does not end in death, Twilight Sparkle. It merely begins anew.

Slowly she reopened her eyes as a look of awe came across her face. So profound was it that it drew the attention of her friends, everypony, in fact, save for Sentry. As realization dawned upon her, she closed her eyes again, and slowly reached out for that same feeling she'd had when she freed the Crystal Empire. If what Abacus had said before was true...

"I...I can feel it..."

In the wake of his death was something more. Something immense. She had felt that connection to love, to it's magic, as it had been described before, but in the wake of this disaster, she felt it on a level that defied comprehension. It was as if all of the love in the world was there at that very moment, swept ashore to be discovered by one who only looks for it.

As the others gave her curious looks, she began to pull at that magic, just as she had before, and this time? This time, the sense it brought with it threatened to overwhelm her. It was a rush beyond anything she'd ever dreamed, a feeling of love, of euphoria the likes of which she'd have never believed existed. Like knowing that there was nothing in all of the world that could be tragic, sad, terrible or cruel. There was only love, and love was everywhere.

Everypony gathered gasped as light began to emanate not merely from her horn, but from her entire body as she worked to focus the magic Abacus had left behind. He must have known, she mused to herself, drawing the conclusion that he knew his death would also bring about the magic they'd need to undo Sentry's work. The glow intensified as she continued to focus, until it became so intense it was all anypony could see.

Time to set this right...