//------------------------------//
// "... the acient fell." 
// Story: Fluttervile 
// by Aiet 
//------------------------------//


Chapter twenty eight:


“... the ancient fell.”

Dolorem sat in the chambers of Celestai as she tutored her current pupil, he never kept count on how many have gone by. He was shifting through some papers over city construction of a new water fountain.
I wish I could be a statue in a fountain. It sounds silly I know but if I was no one would question why I cried.
This is how most of his days were. Doing the work Celestai assigned to him and speaking to him self in his own mind.
Of course I do. How else would I have an intelligent conversation?
Celestai sat on a cushion in front of her student. The unicorn was a male. Red with a bright yellow mane that was tied in a pony tail. His cutie mark was of a flaming star. His dark blue eyes watched his teacher as she spoke.
“...now Flaring Soul tell me. What do you think about the extension of mortal life?” he looked excited as she asked him.
“I think it's great! I mean image it, all the things you can do. All the things you can learn. I would do just about anything to live forever.” dolorem stopped. He thought he was thinking to him self as he looked up at the two.
“It's not about living forever. It's about living forever with your self.” they stopped and turned to him. He was right, Celestai knew this was true. The things she wished she could undo. The words she wish she could keep back. Flaring looked at dolorem with confusion then he understood.
“Because what you did to become immortal could haunt you for the rest of you never ending life.” Celestai nodded and wrapped up their lesson. She dismissed him and went to dolorem.
Why do we go through life knowing that in the end it didn't matter. We will be forgotten in the sands of time... some of us stuck.
Celestai cleared her throat as she stood in front of him and he looked up.
The pain we suffer and live with. Never is the end in sight.
“Today Flaring soul is going with others to the Everfree to study it. I would like for you to accompany him.”
Everyone as a place they fear to tread. Mine is closer then others. It is my mind and I fear it because not of the unknown but because I know what it is capable of.
He nodded and went to his room. He got ready and dressed in a red vest and shorts that had golden yellow trim. It had to be restored from when rarity made it for him and he wore every piece she made of it. The hat, wrist bands, and the scarf. 
Beauty is skin deep. And I for one would peel back the skin of my brethren and let them do the same to me so to show the world that underneath we are the same.
All that was missing was the feather. He left looking like the day he died and came to meet Celestai but older. He walked with a cane, simple wooded cane topped with the head of a wolf, his prosthetic after all this time was starting to go out. He tried taking care of it the best he could but time eventually took everything from him. With a slight limp he made his way to the spot that him and Flaring would wait for the Pegasus carriage. Other unicorns came too and they all loaded onto the carriage. Dolorem towered them all and they looked up at the ancient being before them.
Few are the giants of the soul who actually feel that every race are their family circle.
The flew into the sky over the land and they came to “The beauty of two worlds”. Dolorem silently watched it go by as others tended to it.
If you love a flower, don't pick it up. Because if you pick it up it dies and it ceases to be what you love. So if you love a flower, let it be. Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.
They landed on the out skirts of the Everfree and went in side.
Oh how in my mind I run through the forest away from the hungry wolf, my memories.
They made their way to a clearing with a worn tomb stone.
Do I not defeat my enemies when I make them my friend?
Flaring soul stood with dolorem the entire time and now they came to a cliff. Below a raging river with dagger like rocks.
Why do we fall? So we can get back up.
“... I mean imagine falling down that.” dolorem didn't hear a word soul said. He didn't hear a sound at all. Every thing was quiet. In Canterlot Celestai was in dolorem's room and she stood in front of an air tight glass case. It brought a tear to her eye. Ten beautifully made, life like, wooden bust. Seven looked like the day he met them, six mares and a dragon. The other three of the day before they died. Each surviving the passage of time. To wake up every day and to see the pain of your past was a horrible deed. Then she found a box and inside she found more painful mementos. Feathers from his beloved fliers, a sliver coin necklace, a feather laying cross the bottom with a heart resting on top etched into it and on the back a date was engraved, and a metal wrist band. On it was a metal plate and on that was even more dates engraved. She didn't know what they were of but dolorem knew them in his heart, forever and always. The day he met fluttershy. Their marriage. The day he killed her along with the day the monster of the child was born. The day he married rainbow dash. Bringing rivet home for the first time. His cutie mark. The day his son was married to marble. His granddaughter's birth. The death of marble. The death of rivet and his daughter. The death of rainbow dash. Then the deaths of rarity, applejack, twilight, pinkie pie and spike. Every day he would look at the sculptures and then at the dates. Dolorem stood near the edge of the cliff and heard nothing. Felt nothing. And then a pulse. He didn't know where it came from, not from this world. Then he felt something. It was pain. It flared across his heart and he clutched his chest. He turned around as Flaring watched him in panic. Then the ancient fell. He watched as flaring looked over the ledge. He was falling fast but then he was carried away, white wings enveloped him. He was standing at the shore now and watched as the group he had came with made their way down. They gathered around something at the water edge and when one moved he saw... him self.
“what?” he stopped. It was not his voice but it was. It was younger. He started to breath hard but found out he didn't need to any more. His hands shook as he brought them up. No wrinkles and no scars, even his pinkie was there.  He could see with both eyes, even closed his right one. He looked all over his body, no scars and his left leg was complete once again. He was young and he was... whole.
“he's dead. Inform the princess.” dolorem looked up at them as they dragged his body from the river, old and... dead.
“what? I'm dead?”
“yes dolorem.” he snapped around and was now in a plane of mist. He was standing in front of Princess Celestai and Luna. He was confused and couldn't understand what was happening.
“where am I?” he looked at them but they didn't answer.
“Home.” he stopped breathing, it didn't mater since he didn't need to breath any more. A voice he knew only life times ago. Soft as silk like the feathers. Slowly turning he saw her. Like the day they first met. A white glow behind her. Fluttershy. She had a warm soft smile and another walked for the glow. Rainbow dash. Young and healthy. She also had the same warm smile. Both watched him with loving, caring eyes. He feel to his knees, at the pure beauty and glory as they walked to him. He cried and they wrapped their wings around him and their arms too. He held them both as the tears ran down his face. Then others came from the light. Everyone he should have died with. Every one that should have outlived him. They were there and welcomed him in loving embrace. Rivet, marble, and diamond all smiled at him. The four other mares waved for him. A dragon hopped up and down with a large grin. Even the stallion that was with twilight when she died. The pure love and joy flooded him and his eyes. His heart swelled and his mind was finally at ease. Then for the first time in time that was never kept he... smiled. He was home. He stood and Celestai stepped forward.
“I asked you many life times ago what you knew of names. Before you told me of yours I already knew. And now you are free. Free from the chains of your name and the crawl of time. Now you can walk from the shadows and into the arms of your beloved.” she smiled and Luna came forward also.
“now let your mind be free of the nightmares of past so that you can forever be in peace with love.” with both of the Pegasus by his side he walked to the bright light where the rest waited for him. Then he saw something. He stopped for a moment to see what it was, far in the distance. It was a man and he felt... gratitude for some reason for him. And now he walked into the light with his family.
“... and done.” a brown unicorn with a dark blue mane that had different purple strips in it stood back from the grave stone. It was placed with many others in a field in Ponyville. For some reason he wanted to be the one to engrave the tomb stone of an ancient giant who had passed. He had a cutie mark of a chisel and a knife. Carving and sculpting was his life... It was in his half human blood.

“And my star, angle ain't that the truth, dimmed and flickered out of existence. One day I would meet my star, angel ain't that the truth, as the day ended for me. I would leave this world and you know what happened to me? My star, angel ain't that truth, stood before me and welcomed me into her arms.”