*Eight weeks after the Magister’s defeat, Castle of Friendship*
“So, how are they adjusting?” Spike said as he waddled next to Twilight. The two were heading back to the portal room.
“Physically? I think they’re okay. Mentally? Not so good, to be honest.” Twilight said as she slowly trotted, the metallic click of her right foreleg breaking up the staccato of her hooves on the crystalline floor.
It hadn’t surprised her that the Rainbooms took her up on her offer to bring them back to Equestria. After their decision had been made, it had taken close to two days for them to gather up what personal belongings they were going to bring back with them. Through it all, Twilight had to regularly use The Aegis’s powers to cleanse the blight from the humans, lest they succumb to its toxic effects.
They had systematically visited each girl’s home, both to gather their belongings, and in some vain, futile hope that someone had survived. They were met with bitter disappointment at each site.
The most painful for the girls was visiting Sweet Apple Acres. When they’d arrived, they found not only Granny Smith and Big Mac’s bodies, but those of Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, all in their clubhouse, their flesh withered from the blight.
Both Rarity and Applejack had broken down on the spot, clinging to the corpses of their siblings as they wept. Even Rainbow Dash found herself holding Scootaloo's corpse against her chest, though her tears were far more subdued as she simply cradled the young girl and rocked her back and forth.
Once she'd managed to compose herself enough, Applejack had insisted on giving everyone a proper burial in the family plot and would not be moved until it was done. Rarity and Rainbow tearfully agreed. Thankfully, with the help of the others, they’d managed to put everyone to rest in the earth as best they could, given the circumstances.
Once back in Equestria, Twilight had surreptitiously brought them to Canterlot. New identities were concocted, and magic was used to permanently alter their coats and voices. After all, the native Elements were famous heroes. The sudden appearance of doppelgangers would have caused no end of trouble. They were then given a crash course in Equestrian culture and customs, before eventually began relocating to their new homes.
Applejack had been relocated to Appleoosa, and was now going under the alias Macoun Blush, and had taken up work with the local smiths. Celestia had offered to help set up a job in the orchards, but she declined, saying that working with the trees brought back too many painful memories of her old home.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, now under the aliases Silver Streak and Whisper Wind, respectively, had been set up as sisters in the city of Las Pegasus. Silver had elected to teach youth sports, while Whisper had found work as a caregiver for the elderly.
Pinkie, now going by Shale Stone, had chosen to be placed with her counterpart’s family of all things, working as a ranch hand at the rock farm. The trauma of the experience had permanently left her hair straight and flaccid, and she figured staying with her counterpart’s family might be both a way to cope with her loss, and as a reminder to her how fragile people’s smiles really were.
And finally, Rarity, now Silk Tassel, had moved to Baltimare and been given a job under a local dress maker as a model. She hoped one day to develop the magical dexterity to break into the design space herself, but until that time, she would be content to show off the creations of others in place of her own.
Shaking her head free of her brooding, Twilight scanned the room she and Spike now occupied. Dozens of massive wooden crates occupied the space, which Twilight regarded with a degree of sadness.
After bringing the Rainbooms through the portal and leaving them in the capable hooves of Princess Celestia, she had begun to make expeditions to the other world with a single goal in mind: collect every book she could find from every library she could reach. The process was slow and tedious, but with the aid of her guardian form, she had managed to collect and cleanse of lingering blight from every volume in the Canterlot High library, as well as those in the Central City library as well as the one at Crystal Prep Academy and University of Canterlot.
Unfortunately, the blight had continued to grow and spread as she worked, and after the last trip, she decided that there was no way for her to safely travel to the other world anymore. Not without risking the blight spreading to Equestria. So, upon her return, she had removed the replacement journal from its place in her portal device, destroyed both journals and shattered the mirror, sealing the way forever. It had hurt so much, but it was the only way to ensure that the blight wouldn't seep through.
“How's the transfer to the Great Library going?” Twilight asked Spike, her voice distant and detached.
“Princess Celestia says that it’s been going well. They’ve commissioned a new section to house and preserve the books.” Spike said as he looked up at his sister. “I still don’t understand why we aren’t keeping them here, or in Canterlot.”
“We can’t risk them like that Spike.” Twilight said mechanically. “These books… they’re the legacy of the other world. They’re all that’s left of it. Its history. Its cultures. Its people. They have to be kept as safe as possible. Perhaps one day, we can make copies to share with everypony, but for now, they need to be kept safe and protected. And the Great Library is the only place I know of that I can be as close to 100% certain can do it.”
A weighty sigh escaped Twilight’s throat as she regarded boxes.
“I'm… going to my room Spike. I'll see you at diner.” Twilight said as she turned to leave.
Before she could reach the door, Spike had rushed in front of her and blocked her path.
“I just remembered. The girls and I have been planning a trip to the Crystal Empire for the gem-blooming festival three days from now. Why don’t you join us?” Spike said, a hopeful smile on his face.
“Spike, please, I really just want to be alone right now…” Twilight said.
Spike wasn’t going to be deterred.
“Twilight. You’ve been cooped up in the castle for almost two months. You barely talk to anyone, and we’re concerned.” Spike plead, wrapping his arms around Twilight’s non-metallic foreleg.
“Spike… I failed. I failed Sunset. I failed to save the other world. I just… I need time to process everything.” Twilight said, tears starting to well up in the corners of her eyes.
“I… I can’t even begin to understand what you're going through Twilight.” Spike said as he hugged her leg tighter. “But you’re killing yourself with this. Please, let us help you. Let us take some of the weight off your shoulders. Even if we can’t make it better, you can lean on us. It’s what friends are for, isn’t it?”
Twilight brought her right leg up and wrapped it around Spike, finally returning his hug.
“Okay Spike. When do we leave?” Twilight said, a small smile finally starting to form on her face.
“Day after tomorrow early in the morning!” He happily cried, before squeezing Twilight’s leg even tighter, rubbing his face against the soft fur of her limb.
“Sounds good. We can pack tomorrow. That work for you?”
“Yes! Yes, that’s great!”
“Good. I’ll see you in the dining room in three hours. You think you can whip up something special tonight?”
“Of course Twilight. See you then.” Spike said as he finally released her limb and allowed her to leave.
A few minutes later, Twilight reached her room. Entering and closing the door behind her, she placed a locking charm on the frame. Even if she’d agreed to go out with Spike and the girls, she still needed to be alone for the time being.
Trotting over to her bed, she flopped down onto her mattress, her breathing slow and pained. As she lay there, her eyes drifted to the dresser next to the bed. Or, more specifically, the letter resting to it.
When she’d first come back, she’d nearly burnt it in her pain and anger. But, at the last moment, she’d stayed her hoof. It was the last remnants of Sunset Shimmer. The real one. Her friend. Not the taken abomination she’d become.
How could she destroy it?
Yet, up until now, she couldn’t bring herself to read the letter Sunset had left for her. After all, that letter was literally the last piece of Sunset anywhere. She wanted to lock it in a stasis field and store it in the Great Library’s archives, protect and preserve it like it was the most precious thing in the world. Somehow, to her, it was.
Slowly… gently… with the care that one would lift a piece of cracked glass, Twilight’s telekinesis wrapped itself around the letter and gently floated it over.
Unfolding it, Twilight began to read.
As she read, the tears she’d been holding back finally broke free. Upon finishing the letter, she hugged it to her chest, cradling it like a foal as all the pent-up pain and sorrow she’d been holding back burst forth. She sat there for she didn’t know how long, holding the last trace of her friend to her chest, her tears falling like gentle rain onto the blankets below.
“I’m sorry Sunset.” She said between sobs, “I’m so, so sorry…”