//------------------------------// // Redemption // Story: Unforgiven Winter // by Rambo //------------------------------// Please go read "Hey you! READ THIS FIRST!" thing before going any further. Redemption "What's it going to be Sparkle? Death? HA! So be it!" Twilight gulped again and pre-swung her neck to deliver a fatal blow to Syra. "Do you want to look away before I do this?" Twilight asked her. Syra shrugged followed by a small giggle. "No it's fine, I want to see this coming, I want you to look me straight in the face when you kill me" she returned. Readying her horn, Twilight stood with her back straight, her decision was made up and she was more than ready to perform her action. Everyone in the dome concentrated on Twilight who's aura was showing by 'Ol Reliable spotlight. Twilight had a small burst of rage, having her lay a swift punch right across Syra's right cheek. "That's gotta hurt!" said Hubert. The defeated demon laughed with her bruised shut down eye starting to swell. Twilight put her hoof under Syra's chin and started to turn it left and right, examining her carefully. "Get on with it already, I have a grave to arrive to" Taking one last deep breath, she held her head high ready to drop down the killer blow. Everyone had their eyes closed, not wanting to see the violent outcome."Consider this redemption, Syra" Twilight said before she dropped her horn down. Her horn went downwards and missed Syra's neck completely, instead, Twilight swung her head back and had the very point of the horn aim at Syra's heart. "What is this game you're playing Sparkle?" "I'm saving you Syra, I know you're in there" With that, the tip of Twilight's horn began to form a more razor and jagged tip of magic, a type of look meant for s jab; not slash. A few in the room smiled, others began to feel as if Twilight's personality had changed, how this winter played such a metal role in her, if anything has changed during the season, it was Twilight. "Good, very good Twilight, let that boiling anger heaten up your cold blood" "Twi, don't do it, you can't do it!" "I'm sorry Kale, but my mind is made, it's time..." she paused and with such a precise sight, aimed her horn a little over an inch above Syra's heart. "It's time for redemption". The tip of her horn began to glow from a deep dark purple to a lighter version, lavender to perrywinkle until it was finally like a burning ore, white and blazing. Syra, still somewhat convinced Twilight was going to kill her, had no suspicion of the new magic until the horn was lodged into her heart. Syra felt no pain, no anger... no death. Twilight lodged her horn in further until the base his Syra's chest. The impaled unicorn coughed up a black liquid-like smoke and wiped it away with her hoof. When she looked at it, the smoke quickly evaporated right in front of her until nothing but a moist part of the skin remained.Twilight pulled her horn out and wiped it clean by simply running her head across the snow on the ground. Syra touched her wound trying to get a feel for what the damage was and surprisingly enough widened her eyes at the wound. It was there, small, about the size of a bit (the money) at very most and no blood came pouring out, not even the black liquid-like smoke. Her wound had only a small drops of the smoke but nothing that was gruesome and horrific. Her breathing was only slightly faster and some strange force inside of her began to awake. She began to rub her wound gently and with every second the rubbing became more and more violent. She started to scream in agony and clawed at the wound that was now oozing out a white form of the black ooze. It had all the same elements and texture of the black except now only white and it was pouring ever so quickly out. No matter what she did to close the wound, magic, hooves, even lodging snow inside, it kept coming out. "What... what did you do?! WHAT IS THIS?!" The defeated unicorn slammed her head onto the rock hard ground while she continued to claw her wound, only making it bigger every time she attempted to close it. Soon, her ears began to ooze out the white smoke, then her nose, then after her mouth began to fill up with it. "No... no! No you didn't! YOU DIDN'T?!?! Everyone in the dome began to back up fearing as if what Twilight did was contagious, the only ones that remained by Syra's last awakening moments was Twilight herself and the rejected lover, Kale. "Years Twilight! YEARS! FOR THE REVENGE! I AM A... GOD!" she stuttered, spewing out more of the white smoke that was now beginning to slowly drip from her eyes as well. "You aren't Syra you wretch, you're a demon, a hellish and crazed demon, obsessed with this revenge idea of me. The lies end here. Tell me who exactly you are and what it is that you wanted to achieve" Twilight demanded. Syra only laughed and laughed but was quickly silenced by the sheering pain of all the white smoke that now began to form a small puddle around her frame that lay on the ground. "That day... that day I slay both Syra and Kale, I did it out of the soul and blood the Carkoon needed for the reincarnation of my brothers and sisters" she stood up and limped towards where the Carkoon used to be at before it erupted. "What better way to cause more chaos than to make her suffer, make her believe I was you all these years... she swore revenge before I took her life" she howled with such laughter she began to vomit out the white liquid harder, the puddle slowly began to evaporate, having the smoke trail that led upwards form characters and familiar objects. "So you see Sparkle... since when have the Wendigo's ever come from their slumber, how long has it been since we last fed from hate and chaos? Not in over a thousand years, it was time I bring them back, with something... pure, having remembered of Syra's promise, I granted it... she's been in control for the majority of the time, but when she began to grow weak, take 2nd thoughts, that I couldn't accept... I had to take over. But now look... it's all over for..." she vomited more of the white smoke until finally it started coming out like a rushing stream from her mouth, more and more of the white smoke spewed from her mouth until finally she shut her mouth and roared out her fury. "No... no! SPARKLE!!!" with that, a bright white beam shot out of her mouth, similar to the ones her guardians had right outside the cave, even her eyes as well, all shooting out the strobe light. It was like a being was coming out from the mouth. Everyone in the dome watched in awe as hooves came out of her mouth, soon a head with a horn mounted, and before they knew it, a unicorn of white beautiful smoke emerged from her mouth and landed on it's stomach. It was lifeless, gas or solid, Twilight couldn't decipher, but it was there not moving and all at once... beautiful? The demon that spawned the white smoke, crashed onto the ground, breathing heavily but slowly, it was on the verge of death as everyone could tell. Meanwhile the smoke was starting to take form, all forming up, picking up snow as it moved. Twilight walked closer to the white smoke, hoping for the best out of it all, hoping to see... Syra. Kale, Charlie, everyone walked closer to the smoke that formed hooves, soon a body and before you know it, a head with a mane made of the softest and most delicate of crystal snow they've ever seen, such a perfect form that they could see a faint reflection of themselves in the mane. Eyelids, mouth, and the rest of the facial features formed, where hair was supposed to be, it was replaced instead with the same beautiful faint ice crystal that formed the mane. Without a second more, eyes sprouted, both shining sapphires themselves, it was no color of the eye, it was literally sapphires for eyes that shone and represented the innocence in the mare's soul. "Twilight... Kale...? It's been... so long, I'm so co-cold" "Syra? Syra! Is... is it really you?" Twilight said trotting over to wrap forehooves around her lost friend. Syra's eyes widened up, letting a tear of ice slip away and landing on Twilight's mane as her smile re-directed the tear. The freezing touch of Syra's skin sent chills through Twilight's body but she didn't care, she was finally re-united with her friend, the real one after so long. "Syra... for so long we've been at this constant war of attack and defend... what was your purpose for such torment amongst the living?" After everyone settled and the hug of two reunited mares was broken, Syra had a frown on her face as she looked in Kale's direction. "I know you remember the night as clearly as I do, Twilight herself has seen the false action in the Carkoon. What else was there to do? Our bestfriend killed us, of course I was... not going to have my life taken so easily, no, I expected to haunt her, have her be reminded of the guilt, she was never to be at peace... she paused to have a good look at everyone in the dome. "Something feels... odd about you Kale... I can't exactly thing of the reason why... however, I did just come back to the world of the living, maybe it's just those small side effects." Kale looked uneased and shaken which was odd to Twilight, but decided he was probably just weirded out by the real Syra's return... or he was hiding something from them all. "Obviously though.. for all that time, I've been wrong, whatever that wretch was that has given me 2nd life to have my revenge... it's out of me now, what have I to worry of now? I've been wrong, a host of evil for years! I... I don't even know why i'm alive right now... I wasn't meant to be forgiven..." finished Syra, pouting. Even after all the torment and sanity-breaking nightmares Twilight endured because of Syra, she forgave her. "What fault do you have Syra? You were lead to believe I was the one responsible for all this, I can't kill a friend who's been blinded for all this time." She paused to pull up Syra's head so they had eye contact. "Consider this winter forgiven." both mares smiled at each other and embraced in a warming hug. "I feel warmer now" Syra said smiling and facing Kale over Twilight's shoulder. Charlie and Victor both had their arms wrapped around one another smiling to see that their anger was fully suppressed. All at once they too felt a bit of guilt, to imagine that they were supporting for her death, made the brothers realize they were quick to conclusions. Victor coughed to clear his throat before saying anything. "Well, I guess it's tie to re-board 'Ol Reliable, I mean, we're done here, we have Syra back... nothing else left to do but to go back home, right Hubert?... Hubert?" Victor turned behind him to see Rainbow Dash and Hubert locking in a deep and passionate kiss. "Damnit Hubert! I told you, I don't want to see that shit, get a room, just so as long as that room isn't under MY ROOF!" scolded Victor at Huey. the two lovers broke their kiss and walked closer towards the rest of the group which they slightly broke off from for the "obvious" reasons. "Let's get out here, all that's left in this very room is shattered memories and grim legacy" said Twilight. Everyone nodded in agreement to her words and walked towards the metal machine which Charlie and Victor flew in. It's spotlight flickering on and off every now and then but the light strictly focusing on the dying demon which lay on the ground. "You're not going anywhere" Everyone looked back to where the spotlight shined. Standing in the direct light was the false 'Syra'. "This place... this is the very place where all three races stood, where Unicorn, Pegasus, and Earth Pony all gathered for shelter of my families joy. It was here where we were relinquished and never to appear again. We have kept to ourselves for so long, attempting to break free from our realm whenever we have the chance... sometimes we would roar our cry to suppress the hatred breaking out... but after time, not a single word of hatred had been spatted on a winter season, years passed and one by one, we started to become spirits of winter, one by one until no more remained." as she inched closer towards them, the listeners started to pace slowly backwards, still having their eyes glued to the demon. As she came closer, small grains and pecks of snow were picking up to mend the hole in her chest, now the color of a burning red ember. "I can't let myself be the end, no, I refuse to simply stand and await death, let my body become a mist of snow, become one with my family, my family will become one with ME" A loud crack broke her speech, literally. Not only was a loud sound casted, but on the side of the dome was a large crack that led straight to the middle of the ceiling. More and more started to follow in it's place, one after another. "This little, fantasy of yours, of all of you, do you really think escaping was even a possible outcome? You all thought wrong... yes...yes! Of course, sacrifice myself, all of you, it's enough, it's exactly enough to bring enough back, enough to break free from our roaming lands and enough to bring back a few brothers to conquer it all!" she hovered an obsidian blade that was laying on the ground next to where the carkoon was destroyed and hovered it right above the hole in her chest that Twilight created. When Twilight looked back, the injured cyan pegasus didn't hesitate to board the machine along with an equally injured Hubert. Charlie stood next with Kale and Syra while Victor too was inside the machine starting up it's motors. The sound of grinding gears and metal slapping lightly against the dome walls was the only thing making sound. "Charlie, go inside with your brother, we don't know what she's capable of or what she's going to do" Kale ushered Charlie. He shook his head and explained that they needed a bit more help while the rotors heated up, the gears were frozen lightly by how cold it was heading up the mountain, "We need to buy them time, besides... whats the worst this punk has? A slap across the face with some mystic winter wind?!" he harked. Sure enough, an extremely loud slap was laid right across his face, leaving his cheek red and Charlie knocked out. "Unbelievable..." Kale said while shaking his head. "He'll be back on his hooves in a minute or two, give it a bit of time." Now looking back at the demon, she had a red glaze covering her eyes, a glaze of blood red vengeance and anger. "Sooner or later Kale! You too will have a decision to make! I am Shiarika (Shee-Ari-Ka), I am the martyr, the morning and evening star, the rebirth of a free chaotic winter!"she readied the blade. "Don't do it!" shouted Twilight and without a 2nd thought, Syra plunged the Obsidan dagger deep into her heart... if she had one. Her screech of agony overpowered the slapping of rotors against ice walls and the crackings of the dome. All around them the dome began to drop those same massive icicles ,the size of streetlamps, on everyone, including the now known wendigo, Shiarika. A strange pull of gravity was beginning to draw everyone closer to the disguised Wendigo's. A horrific sight was spotted by everyone, she continuously drew the blade from her chest and plunged it back into herself until nothing but a putrid black and light blue smoke was spilling out everywhere, imitating her blood. Her screams of agony became laughs of insanity as each and every plunge of the dagger ripped a bigger hole and spiling more black smoke, now starting to engulf her body and form a circle around her. "1 minute! The gears are almost there and I need to fix a small component in the propeller, it's a bit loose!" shouted Victor, climbing onto the top of the machine with a wrench in his mouth. Kale, Syra, Twilight, and Charlie all stare at the demon which now lay lifeless on the ground, swimming in her own 'blood' as they thought. The dome ceiling ceased dropping large icicles and instead pieces of the ceiling itself began to fall down. In small and medium chunks it all began to fall, it was obvious to everyone at that moment, it was only a matter of time before the dome itself caved in and killed them all. "Vic! You gotta hurry with that maintenance! This place is going to the ass!" shouted the twin brother. "We need 'Ol Reliable running now, Hubert and Rainbow Dash are too weak to fly... at least too weak to fly off the mountain, at the altitude we're at, the winds will snap their wings and send them plummeting down the summit" Kale stated. Something.. horrid occurred, that black smoke was the cause of the everything being drawn. Every moment passing only made the attraction stronger, this was something even the ghosts that are Kale and Syra were being affected by. "Something's not right..." said Syra, slamming down on her rump and getting back up as quickly as possible, "Not right at all!" the same maniacle laughted that Twilight has heard for so long ever since she came to Canterlot bounced on the dome walls, echoing at a constant pace until it finally withered out. Shiarika's body erected with the dagger plunged in her chest and her eyes now dead white like the winter scenery, a smile only an insane pony would have plastered on her face. "NO ESCAPE!" The dome was cracking louder than ever now, large chunks, larger than the icicles, broke from the ceiling and splattered onto the ground. "Ugh... what's happening?" Charlie mumbled, awakening from his knock out. He widened his eyes and crawled quickly to the machine he came from. It was as if a portal was opened by Shiarika's smoke, cries of wendigo's were heard coming from the smoke followed with debris and various other objects being sucked in and disappearing into the dark void. Syra's laugh never ceased, it kept getting louder and louder until everyone started to worry that the cave really was going to be the end of them."It's... it's her! Look at the connections! That smoke, it's still coming from her chest, if we could somehow find a way to plug that wound then... then all we do is just send her inside her own creation and it's finished... of course though that won't stop the collapse of this forsaken cavern." A muffled static like sound erupted from Charlie's utility pouch that was wrapped around his left forehoove. Backing away proved to be more difficult, the ground was becoming icy and their hooves couldn't exactly stick to the ground. Even flying itself was difficult, the cyclone-like force was pulling anything and everything towards the center, including 'Ol Reliable herself. Finally opening his pouch, Charlie withdrew a small black box looking device with a speaker mounted at the top and a few dials at the bottom. The words were emerging from the black box were coming out disoriented and couldn't be deciphered until of course Charlie turned a few dials and knobs here and there, the words were finally understandable. "Charlie! Get your asses in here and tell Kale that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! You don't just assume something like that out of the blue!" everyone nodded in agreement but couldn't exactly... "back up". They could see the propellers of the machine start cutting away the ice walls so that they were free to spin at one hundred percent. The propellers weren't even loud enough challenge overpower the powerful cyclone but it was still loud enough to be heard of to everyone. The cyclone burst into a fiery ocean blue and the cold artic winds could now be visible slightly as the falling flakes of snow were sucked into the void. The lifeless body of the demon just floating above it's creation that now sprouted a rim of blue flames, having everything frozen solid around perimeter making anything that gets too close, lose it's grip and it falls into history's end. More static came from the black box Charlie possessed. "Char-Charles! Charlie! Hold tight, we can get you guy-", 'Ol Reliable began to move, but not because of the rotors finally forcing it to take flight, no, but because the vaccum-like opening was powerful enough to start sucking it inwards. "Oh shit! You guy's gotta do something! If this thing is getting more powerful by the second, you all need to get your asses in here NOW!" the transmission cut off and the slipping ponies could see Victor fumble in the cockpit searching for an item, with the help of Hubert and Rainbow Dash. Twilight was too exhausted to teleport herself any further than a few feet ahead, it's not enough however, she needed meters, not feet. Syra sank an obsidian shard from the ceiling into the ground and held onto it with all her might, the dagger slowly ripping through the ground inching her neared to the vortex. All seemed loss, when nobody appeared back into the cockpit when Twilight realized she was nearest of all of them to the icy ground that would have sealed her death. This never meant a fight for life was futile, no, with even more motivation she used the last of her magical strength to teleport only feet away from her death; She was only postponing the inevitable for the sake of savoring every last moment of life... Victor threw a rope with a large knot at one end while he, Hubert, and Rainbow Dash all held the other end with their mouths, ready to pull of the stranded survivor. Charlie held on to the rope and began to propel down to grab hold of Syra. "Oh man you are freezing!" he pulled Syra up steadily by her horn which felt as if it were going to snap off. "This better not get me frostbite damnit" With everyone making an effort, they soon escalated forward towards the machine where salvation lie... but there was no haven with the portal still open. ...Checkpoint... "Here is the end of our tale, where a mare was sentenced to death from from spirits beyond reality, from spirits originating from the stories of the supernatural. Where the evil yet caring Wendigo named Shiarika, killed two of 3 friends in an act of love not hate. Her kind was wasted away, became as mysterious and as dead as a winter night, to prevent herself from being the last hope, she stirred reality to sprout evil, to bring forth family once again. Now with redemption taking course, I soon realized that this would be the final moment I glance out towards my friends. I realized that this would be a course that I needed to take to save everyone from their deaths. What better way to seal this portal than to perform a noble deed and to send my pure heart along with it. I've done no wrong in my life other than to break a heart of a glass, even now as I see death, I still think of how life would be different if I were to have never shattered it at all... well... Twilight looked up to see the rope being lowered towards her so she could grasp it, Kale already holding it lowering down the rescue with his hoof out, ready to grasp Twilight. She had a blank stare on her face knowing what had to be done. Kale, having his hoof held out, was still a lengthy distance away, any closer and he'll just be dragged in too.Taking one last look at Kale and the panicking allies inside the metal vehicle, she smiled... "Self-Sacrifice... taken to a whole new level I guess... I don't want to die but to save everyone, someone has to take the fall..." Taking her last breath, Twilight let go and let the power of the cyclone swoop her off her the ground, having her spiral around the room briefly. Everything went into slow-motion. She could see the each and every single face in the dome go from a determined hard-working look to a horrid and shocked expression. Being slammed onto the ground, she was pulled into the center with her eyes closed. While exhaling her last breath, somebody prevented the action being completed. Opening her eyes she could see Kale hanging onto her hoof with as much might as he could deal out; it was all at once however that another mystery sprung, a mystery that will never be understood or solved... not in this lifetime no... perhaps... perhaps in the afterlife. Kale pulled Twilight up without showing and facial expression of struggle and threw her with such a force towards the contraption of metal that she was partially impaired as to how brutally Kale had thrown her. He looked back at the machine and at the cockpit where both Charlie and Victor fumbled with the controls and flight conditions. "Kale! Kale! Hurry back in! We can make it out of here, get your ass back on board!" He was expressionless, dead-like to be more accurate. He shook his head at them and darted his eyes towards a meandering purple mare which was trying her best to regain full control of her blurred sight. "DAMNIT KALE! GET BACK HERE!" He inched closer and closer towards the gaping portal before he turned his back on them and gazed onto the black oblivion that lie ahead of him "Kale, please don't do it!" Looking back, he could see Twilight being back on all fours being held back by Rainbow Dash and Hubert. His mane proceeded to slowly turn back to its raging blue fire that was a trademark when he first arrived at the balcony, his eyes soon began to lose all color and blood vessels until finally the raging white winter was living behind his glass eyes. "Kale KALE! I LOVE YOU! DON'T MAKE ME GO OUT THERE AND SAVE YOU!" screamed Twilight with tears streaming down her face. Kale had his back turned to them all once again and glanced over his shoulders, not giving any of them a direct look and with a smirk on his face. "You already have Twilight" he said coldly. With a final look of the collapsing dome, now dropping larger rocks onto the propeller, Victor and Charlie both revved up 'Ol Reliable to it's full potential. "NO NO! LEAVE ME, WE NEED TO SAVE HIM!" Twilight struggled to break free from the tight grasp of her friends who had no intentions of letting down their strength. Just as the machine was starting to break free from the cyclone, it began being sucked in itself with it's jagged metal pieces scratching against the hard icy grounds below them. Kale tapped his hooves on the ground a few times and sprinted in the direction of the void. At that moment, the mystery began but as told earlier, will never be solved. During his last sprint, blue flames started to sprout from the corners of his eyes and the bottom of his hooves. When he opened his mouth, there was no sounds of a brave stallion doing his last battle cry towards his death, no, instead the blasting sound of an enraged wendigo came out and was quickly silenced as Kale hurled himself at the foes floating body. The lousy contraption began to actually gain some air now, it started to hover slowly off the ground and surely before they knew it, they were at least 3-5 feet off the damned ground where it was marked to be their graves. Shiarika at last made movement, finally showing sign of life. She lifted herself off the ground, immune to the cyclones gravity as well as Kale, why he had pretended to be affected by the force the entire time was never known. The Wendigo was more powerful than ever, shooting out a near-black shade of blue lightning, she shot Kale straight on the chest, dropping him to his knees. She turned away from him to focus now on the flying machine now beginning to turn around to make its course out of the cave. Escape wasn't anywhere near Shiarika's intention's, using now both of her hooves to spark lightning she fused both beams to strike at 'Ol Reliable's.tail, or so it seemed that way. Indeed, she did shoot out the haunting blue creation one thought only nature or pegasi could create, but she held the lightning, as if they acted like hands. "Well tickle d*** and call me Sharon, this bitch is getting of hold of the tail! Charlie, on that 60 before she brings us down with this place!" Victor shouted. Quick to his hooves, Charlie made his way out of the cockpit towards the back where he saw a deprived Rainbow Dash and Hubert, holding down the fierce Twilight. "LET ME GO! HE'S NOT GONE, HE'S STILL THERE! SAVE HIM, OH PLEASE CELESTIA SAVE HIM!" tears streamed down her face. Shiarika held the machine in place before she realized she could also control it just as any other magic. Overloading more lighting, the circuits inside of the machine began to go haywire causing for it to lose some control. "Charlie! Charlie damnit, load and shoot the bitch!" Victor demanded, his eyes narrowed down to a look as if he was back in La Drang. "The gun is jammed, damnit! We're sitting ducks out here!" Charlie yelled, smashing the strange mechanism against the floor of the machine. "Awwww shit! Here we go now!" Victor said shaking violently in his seat as the machine began to sway to and fro getting ready to plummet to the ground, dooming everyone. The twins had little to no feeling to the current situation, they've faced death in face many times, greeting it and welcoming it with open arms felt no different but still they cared for everyone else who has never been in such situations. Just as hope seemed completely lost, the same static that was once heard coming from the the Talkie. (As the Twins called it) "Who's in control? Charlie? Vic? Vic is that you?! Victor quickly picked up his black box and and fumbled around with it until he had a firm grasp. "Kale? Kale you out there man? Get your flank in here and lets roll out! This place is going to the ass!" "Shut up Victor and listen! Just go! When you have the ability to move just go, I'll hold her back and one more thing... don't have Twilight look, please dear god don't have her look..." The noble pegasus jumped right in front of the lightning strikes to take on the full force. "GO DAMNIT! GO!" he yelled out. His last actions spoke louder and did more impact than anyone else could say in their lives. The rusting machine finally broke free from the grasp of the wendigo and hurled forward faster than its own good, nearly having it crash right into the wall. One last cry of Twilight and the rest of the group and they vanished into the dark caverns seeking their way out. "I should have known you would let your feelings interfere! You know as well this is for the good of our people!" "YOUR people Shiarika, YOUR people, it's time we just let it all ease out, nobody ever asked for us to resurrect our kind!" "You yourself have comitted into their deaths, was it not I who gave you a new living life?!" "Indeed you have sister, but I'm only a phantom to them all, although I have his body, his heart still beats loudly than any other! He still lives even in death!" "YOU'RE NOTHING TO ME NOW! YOU HAVE BETRAYED US ALL!" "I MAY NOT BE KALE, BUT I'VE HEARD HIS CRIES! NO ONE DESERVES THESE PUNISHMENTS!" "IT'S FOR THE GOOD OF THE WORLD!" "NO!" Kale edged closer and closer taking the million volts of electric current through his body until he finally reached inches away from her deadly hooves. "IT'S FOR THE GOOD OF YOU!". He connected his hooves onto hers and before the damned wendigo knew it, she was not only shocking Kale, but herself as well, having both of them knocking on deaths door. Both howled their last cry as the forsaken wendigo's and Kale could be heard in the heart of the howl, shouting his last "NO!. The shock was clustered and intense, too powerful for anything to stop it anymore. As the energy grew denser and more powerful, the entire cave collapsed when a blinding white explosion blasted throughout the entire caverns, blinding anyone that remained inside, maybe even disinigrating them if they were too close. The light however that came from the explosion was like none other. When Victor looked around the cockpit, he noticed that everyone else was in the same awe as him. All round them they noticed that they were engulfed in the blasting white light, there was no shadows, no noise, not even figures ahead of them, it was just a white light, all they could see was each other and everyone else in 'Ol Reliable. "Thank you" Two Weeks Later "Are you sure you're ready to go now?" The open fields and beautiful mountain summit echoed at the chilling winter breeze passed through producing a natural melody. All who were in the cave stood before two tombstones with two names that were not only engraved on the stones themselves but into everyone's soul. The group stood silently awaiting for Twilight's answer who had her head down and eyes shut. She was either in deep thought or deep trance but nobody really knew what was happening through her mind. Her ears perked up in surprise, having her train of thought broken. She blinked a few times at the tombstones and put her attention towards a saddened red stallion alongside his inverted curious twin. "Well?" Charlie asked the purple unicorn. A light winter breeze blew the mane from her face to not only reveal her relaxed and saddened expression, but a rather somewhat medium sized scar in the shape of an "X". Twilight Sparkle blinked a few times at Charlie who awaited her reply. She turned her back to him preparing an answer and kept re-reading the tombstones that were placed in front of her. "Here lies: Kale Hastings. You may have left this world twice but your spirit will forever be as alive as the raging winter winds themselves." she said over and over again in her head. "Here lies Syra Swirlz. Always loved in our hearts and cared for in our minds. You are forgiven." She gazed upon the grave markers for a long while, thinking of what to say. Twilight felt that everyone behind her was eager to her response to these series of unfortunate events. "It all happened two weeks ago... two weeks ago, I don't think we can all go back to our regular lives without being haunted by these events." she said, still having her back turned. Nobody answered her, they all continued to watch as the snow fall softly on the ground like very light cotton balls. Victor shifted in place a little bit adjusting to the weather. Rainbow Dash rested her neck on Hubert's whose right wing was completely broken, it was a miracle it was even able to survive the scene. Victor stepped up to speak breaking the tension built between all of them. "We don't have to be haunted by these memories anywhere Twi, it's all over and we've been here for two weeks to confirm this." said the red beaten stallion. "What happened in that cave was the ending to all things, our lives are finally at peace." Twilight rubbed her scar gently and repeated his last word. "Peace... we finally do have our peace... but are all of us truly at full peace?" she turned to face her friends with her head down after reading the tombstones several times enough for the words to be burned into her mind. "After all this that we've seen we're finally safe physically, that much is true, but can we say the same for our scarred mind? Our corrupted dreams? Sure, we all live in harmony once again but one day in the future... whether it be tomorrow, next week, maybe even tonight, we'll remember what we saw and what we did in that cave but hey..." "When those days come..." she looked up at all of them with a wry smile . "We'll always know that we can rely on each other to take it on". Everyone returned the smile, even if it was so much as a smirk, it was enough to show Twilight everyone was at ease. "Well then Twilight-" Victor picked off from his brothers' question. "You never told us, are you ready to head on back?" She turned her head towards the tombstones and smiled at both of them with a tear running down the "X" scar. She nodded at them all assuring that she was satisfied with her time in Canterlot and was more than ready to venture back home leaving the past where it's meant to be, behind her. _______________________________________ The train engine roared and the blow horn let out the compacted steam, having the commonly known train horn sound off. Twilight Sparkle stood with her back facing the train and her eyes facing her friends. Victor, Charlie, Hubert, and Rainbow Dash all had smiles on their faces and replied with content gestures and words to dismiss their purple friend back to Ponyville. "You think you should write to Princess Celestia about this Twi?" asked Rainbow Dash. Twilight shook her head and explained her reasoning to all of them that what happened between them was something that only remain between them, nobody else had to know. "Besides Rainbow, when you think about the entire story, it sounds too looney to tell anybody about it." she levitated her bag of of Canterlot gifts her friends gave her and prepared to board the train. "When will you be coming back to Ponyville, Rainbow?" Twilight asked adjusting her saddle in a comfortable position, comforting her bag inside a vacant pouch. Rainbow Dash and Hubert looked at each other and nodded before she spoke. "Most likely next week, I want to spend some more time here and Hubert bought tickets to The Wonderbolts: Summit Screening Spectacular that'll happen in a few more days! I cannot miss out on that!" she finished saying excitedly. Everyone giggled to her excitement having their moods brighten up to see they were all back to a joyous state. "Shame you can't stick with us for Hearth's Warming Eve Twi-Twi, we'd all love for you to come with all of us" said Victor. "Oh that's right! Hearth's Warming Eve celebration, I haven't completely decided on whether i'll stay in Ponyville or not but spending it here in Canterlot doesn't sound like such a bad idea, i'll let you know a few days prior as to whether I come or not." she replied heartily. "Departing in two minutes! All aboard!" Everyone put their attention towards the conductor and sighed. Twilight bid all her friends farewell and gave each one a hug saying Thank You to each one. Now on the train, Twilight took her seat towards the window and continued to wave at each of them as the train began to move forward. "I'll write to you all soon!" she said cheerfully, they all replied that they would do the same. The train went on forward around the mountain corner and towards the horizon where the sun began to set and lit a brilliant and beautiful gold and soon to be engulfed in the calm and romantic night. Twilight looked out the window and admired witnessing the light beginning to fade away and replacing the plant's and mountain color from an orange-ish look to a soothing white aura. Gazing out for a few more moments now reaching the base of the mountain, she sighed. "This is going to be a long ride" she mumbled to herself and quietly fell asleep as many others on the train did as well.