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// Chapter 16: Until we meet again old friend. [remastered v2.0] 
// Story: Equestrian scrolls I : epic pony tales 
// by Sanguine Eyes 
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        A human hand clapped over a trembling human mouth as she doubled over, shaking and unsteady on her feet. It was so painful, she knew it was a possibility but she was not ready for the pain it brought. Tears flowed from her eyes and her hands trembled. A hoof came to her back making her flinch.

“...Sugar cube… I know it hurts but you can't blame her, you were gone for over 40 years.”
        
        This did little to help her. Twilight held tightly onto the wall where she weakly swayed. “Applejack… I came back, I fought so hard to come back. And I did, I came back and I did everything I could. I saved all of Equestria.” Another surge of the emotional pain racked her body and she fell to her knees. "Not a day went by that I didn't think of you all."

        “I know Twilight, but not everyone sees it that way. You can’t blame her for it. When you vanished everypony was just destroyed. And when Melody rose to power… many people blamed you for not being there. Rainbow was not the only one who was hurt like that. You know she’s just a little brash.”

        Twilight looked back, the pin surged with energy as best as she could manage in her state and she returned to her natural form. “You saw that look in her eyes.” Her mind flashed the painful image of her long time friend’s wrathful eyes, Rainbow Dash’s accusations. Even if she was saying it just because she was so hurt, Twilight too felt it was true. She had no control over it but still, it did not make the words not sting.

        ‘you abandoned us!’

        Celestia was gone, Rainbow refused to speak to her, Rarity’s time in the dungeons had left her so damaged that all they could do was make her comfortable before she faded away. The one and only solace was that Cadence as well as Equestria were alive and free. Still drastically weakened Cadence could only just barely welcome her long time friend back. Despite the overwhelming victory, Equestria had much to mourn.

        “You did everything you could, and you are a hero to all of Equestria. I don’t care what naysayers say.” Applejack’s hoof touched Twilight’s face pushing her to look into each other's eyes. “You did what was right. This was NOT your fault. Stop blaming yourself.”

        Twilight still could not look her in the eyes. “It doesn't make the pain go away…” She looked away and Applejack bowed her head, leaving the princess to mourn she returned to the celebration.





        The obsidian mirror was heavily enlarged as per Taara’s orders. Open trade had already began, Tamriellian coin purchased a bounty of Equestrian goods, Equestrian bits flowed too, to purchase good stone and handy workers. Mages and adventurers registered to come and find work or study in this new foreign land. So too did the ponies of Equestria register to explore Tamriel. Luna’s rule over the sun and moon from new Canterlot was a massive reassurance for all of ponykind. Twilight and Spike would live in the newly furnished castle. Often visitors would come, but she would only see the Princesses, the apple family, the pie family, and the Dragon born. No others were welcome or willing to come.

Spike's armor clacked lightly as he pushed his blades into his sheaths and double checked his gear, sparing a glance or two to Twilight. "It'll be good for you Twilight, me and Odahviing were going to meet with some of the dragons in the far south, I am sure you could stretch your wings… you have been cooped up in here for weeks…”

        Twilight hardly even flinched at his words. She just looked up then back down off her balcony seeing a still weak Cadence comforting her equally weak son Bronze armor. His mind had been dominated for so long. despite having grown he was still a child at heart and with all his magic taken from him he needed his mother more than ever. 

        Twilight lifted her head slowly looking over the packages of cheese tied with neat bow ties mailed to her in various odd manners from what she knew was two very perfect friends who were still off doing completely random things. “Spike, I know you have plans, but can… can you stay here with me?”
        
        He gave her a look that explained his concern but she answered with her usual pained regretful gaze and he nodded. “Ok… but it is not good for you, you have to get out sometime…”

        She lay her head back down looking out the window longingly as Spike sat down writing a ‘sorry cant come’ letter to Odahviing. She was happy that Spike took to the victory so well, spending time in Jorrvaskr had made him much more durable. She was happy for him, but she could not shake the dread. From the very first moment she entered the mirror, she struggled desperately to get home. She fought for seven long years to get home. And now, finally here, having saved everything she could, it hurt even more. Saving the world was supposed to help, it was supposed to fix everything. But all she felt was the ache of Rainbow's stinging words. It was true, had she not stepped into the mirror, Equestria would not have fallen. If only she had been able to be there for them all, perhaps she would not have even had appose Melody, her niece would have grown to be loving and kind. It all pivoted on her, and thus the guilt felt like a cold sludge in her belly and she couldn't hide it.

        Twilight rested in her bed and continued to stare out at the courtyard just beyond Cadence next to the massive stone carving of the sun that now served as a tombstone for Celestia floating freely on the air. Twilight's pained expression was all Spike could see until he let out a sigh and lay against her. It almost sounded like he was going to say something when a ruckus started just beyond the courtyard where the mirror had been placed. Twilight could hear what sounded like Baldir screaming bloody murder at someone. This was interrupted when Spike’s belly gurgled and he let out a hefty belch dropping a note at Twilight’s hooves. With mild hesitation she opened the note, suspending it magically her eyes panned over the first few words and her eyes shot wide. “Dear… Twilight, I know if I asked you would not, so I am forcing your hand, come to the gate right now, lives quite literally depend on it. PS: bring Spike” She recognized Taara’s handwriting right away and the foriegn feeling buildup of excessive magical power was almost painful to her senses like staring into the sun, whatever was happening at the gate was certainly something she had to see.  Her wings popped open with a sudden and vigorous flap. Spike was forcefully placed on her back and she let out a heavy burst of energy as she blasted down to the gate. Luna and Fluttershy were both there along side Ra’Shala and Baldir, whom of course was brutally smashing his axe against an extremely heavily warded door to the point that his precious weapon was dulled and cracked, ready to outright fall apart. The look in his eyes was not anger, it was sorrow. Ra’Shala too had tears in her eyes as she faced a small ball of Tamrielian magic light. 

        Upon touchdown Twilight skid to a stop and the ball of light sounded out in Taara’s voice. “Ah… good you are here. Please come right in.” Before she could respond her own magic flared as if she was being remotely controlled and she blinked past the wards and landed inside the gate room which appeared to have been forcefully cleared out. No one, pony or otherwise was there other than Twilight, the Obsidian Mirror and what she assumed was Taara. 
        
        Baldir’s voice boomed in a mighty roar with a very uncharacteristic touch of sadness. “YOU SELFISH BITCH… You… You can't do this!...get out here NOW!!”

        A calm and almost weak voice chuckled as Taara’s old hand touched the smooth stone. “I knew you cared you old dog you…” She turned and stepped out of the shadows towards Twilight. Twilight’s eyes grew wide to see her old friend’s features shriveled and sunken. Taara looked easily 30 years older and her eyes were glazed over with pale milky cataracts  as she stared blankly in Twilight’s direction.

       All of Twilight's pain fell away as she beheld her friend in her current state. “Taara!!!...w...what...what did you do?”

        Taara held up her metal hand commanding silence, before her old weathered lips parted. “257 dragon souls… including my own...” She let out a weak laugh before continuing. “That… that is how much it costs to open the gate in the manner of which I desired. I was going to use that annoying bitch’s soul… but you didn't get it all, and honestly it would not even be a fraction of the power needed. So really her power is just what’s keeping me upright right now.” She coughed and swayed weakly as if she could hardly stand, the half filled soul gem Twilight had used on Melody hung from Taara's neck, swaying softly as the old woman slowly moved.

        “W… wait… what did you do? Taara, what did you do?” Even Spike who had been teleported through with them stared in disbelief and worry.

        “I promised didn't I? Until a long term solution is found, You have me at your service. This is the long term solution.” She pointed at the mirror which beamed with the odd dragon soul power and its own dark colored magic. “It’s opening, but not to Tamriel, nor to Oblivion. But alas, it just needs that final touch.” She chuckled and dropped a pair of saddlebags over Twilight’s back as well as Spike. Finally she reached into her robes fumbling like a feeble old woman which she now looked like to pull out the item Twilight was still just as shocked to see. The anchor that kept the two worlds connected, the Elder Scroll. 

        “You know, we once used this to look back in time… and learn a shout that helped us defeat Alduin… That is what gave me the idea. But it took so… so… SO much energy… I almost didn’t make it.” She raised the scroll with a weak grin. “Akatosh, father of my soul, hear me!... I command time itself. I give up my own essence, the power of hundreds of your children. Please grant me my last wish…”

        Twilight’s eyes widened and tears streaked down her face as she watched her old friend die slowly.” No!... Taara, no… why… if you do this I may never find you… you are dying just for this… We already won, stop please!”

        Taara did not seem to even notice her voice. “Open… from this point… to the past.. please by the power of my own blood… by the power of my soul open to my will.” The gate exploded with fiery energies and just like the downed dragons in a dragonborn's presence her flesh began to burn away. Flaking piece by piece she smiled warmly touching her old friend’s face. “I told them goodbye already, but you…” She weakly reached out with her burning shaking hands to touch her face one last time. “I know you think you don’t deserve it… but remember… I'm a selfish, bitter, greedy, know it all, old woman… I do what I want… now, go on and farewell, until we meet again old friend.”

        Twilight’s eyes watered with tears seeing her friend’s body fade away in the burning power of her spent soul. With one last gesture of the legendary dragonborn, she was thrown into the raging vortex of power that was the Obsidian Mirror and her vision went dark.





        “TWILY!!!!” Her vision was heavily blurred and everything hurt at once. But she could clearly feel two hooves on either side of her shaking her. “TWILY!!! ARE YOU OK??” 

        “Sir, no offense but that is probably hurting her” 

Her eyes opened slowly to see a blurred wave of white and blue. Focusing just a bit her soul went cold into shock and her eyes instantly burst into tears. It was Shining Armor. She wrapped her hooves around his neck and instantly started bawling her eyes out.

“Whoaaaaaa! Twilight… what happened in there?” She could hardly gain the ability to see again through her tears, but when she did, she noticed that she was in a familiar old ruin, behind her there was a large Obsidian mirror, there were guards everywhere and Derpy sat back holding a still out cold Spike.

        “Shiny!...w..what?...wait.. Celestia… is Celestia alive?”

        Shining Armor’s eyes squinted as he tilted her head looking for any contusions. “Did you hit your head?... of course she’s alright, What in Equestria did you see inside that Mirror?”

        Twilight stared in disbelief. It took every ounce of Taara’s power and life channeled through the elder scroll and the gate but She had sent Twilight through time to mere seconds after she had been thrown into Oblivion. It really was a permanent solution. She stood and her saddlebags slid off. Shining Armor starred in confusion.
        “Wait… you didn't go in with Saddlebags. Where did these come from?”

        He picked them up and out spilled a small mess which instantly caught her eyes. The sigil stone, a sealed letter, a large carved soul gem, and a bottle of spiced wine. Slowly and cautiously she levitated the letter and opened it. 

‘Dear old friend, Enjoy the wine, preferably with your teacher you told me so much about. I am terribly sorry I put you through that, but by now you should know, selfish, bitter, know it all, old women just do things sometimes. Be careful with the soul gem, it contains my memories, the important ones anyways. I am sure you can tell by what I put in your bags what my plan is. I told you, until we meet ‘again’ didn’t I? See you again in 40 years, first round is on you this time’ 

Tears flowed from her eyes but a warm smile pushed across her lips. “Twilight?... are you ok?”

Spike stirred and mumbled in ancient dragon as he stumbled a bit trying to get on his feet. “Yes Shiny… I literally could not be any better. Come… lets go home, I have quite a story to tell you all.”




~~~~THE END~~~