Terror in Equestria 10: The Return of Tirek

by StormLuna

An Unlikely Family Reunion

Return to the Tower

After what was a couple hours inside the time bubble, they saw Colgate's tower approaching so they ground to a halt and Colgate cast the appropriate spells so they could take care of business and so Blue Star could meet this ally that Colgate had brought up in Ponyville. Once they landed, Colgate wanted what she knew would be a strange reunion to take place outside. She turned to the two and ordered, "You two wait out here while I go and get this ally I told you about."

Blue Star asked, "Why can't we just go inside to meet this ally of yours, why do you have to bring her out here?"

Colgate had her concerns about how Ruby and White Magick would react towards one another and did not feel like having to any repairs caused by damage from magical energy that would be discharged. She replied, "You just do, ok?"

The two gave Colgate nervous looks while Colgate headed inside to get Ruby. She knew that she was tired earlier so the first place she headed to was the bedroom she had been staying in. While she did not find Ruby, she did see the Rainbow of Light laying on the nightstand and in Colgate's eyes, that was not the best idea. She grabbed it and began to search for her. The next place she searched was in the dining hall.

When she arrived, she found her in eating a slice of cake. She levitated the Rainbow to her and suggested, "Ruby, I would advise you wear this at all times."

Ruby levitated the locket around her neck and asked in return, "Why? There is nopony around that would take it."

Colgate replied, "With guests coming soon and given the power that thing has, I simply think you should not let it out of your sight."

Ruby said, "You do make a good point so around my neck it shall stay."

Colgate pointed her wing towards the door and suggested, "How about you follow me? I have a couple of ponies with me that I think you should get re-acquainted with."

The fact that Colgate said re-acquainted and not meet caused Ruby to get a feeling as to who it was. She lit up her horn and yelled, "Colgate, I do not want to see White Magick and I certainly don't want to see that little seductress."

Colgate tried to calm her down, "Ruby, I am going to admit that White Magick is out there but there is another pony who I think you will be much happier to see."

Ruby's ears perked up as she asked, "Wait a minute, my son is with you too isn't he?"

Colgate replied, "He is." Ruby got up and began to follow her as she continued, "Now I know this is going to be a very strange reunion and there will be a whole lot to catch up on but I know that Blue Star will be ecstatic to see you."

Ruby replied, "I know I'll be happy to see him."

Ruby raced towards the exit before Colgate could get up in front of her. She said, "Ruby, I am going to go out and have them close their eyes and then I will have you come out and with any luck this won't be too odd of a reunion."

Ruby added, "And perhaps my presence will shatter that life bond."

Colgate commented, "I hope so as well."

---

A Long Awaited Reunion

Once they reached the door, Colgate turned around and requested, "Ruby, I know seeing White Magick will be hard but could you please hold your temper? I do not want Blue Star to suddenly feel like he has to pick between you and his father."

Ruby rolled her eyes and replied, "Very well, only for you Colgate."

Colgate nodded and headed outside. The first thing they noticed is that nopony had come with her. Blue Star asked, "Colgate, where is this ally you told us about? I thought she would be with you."

Colgate ordered, "Alright you two, close your eyes."

Despite wondering why they would have to close their eyes, they did as requested. Colgate then opened the door all the way and motioned for Ruby to come out. As soon as she got outside she couldn't help but scowl at White Magick but then focused on Blue Star with a huge smile on her face. Colgate ordered, "Ok you two, open your eyes."

They opened their eyes and both of them were in a state of shock. The first one to say anything was Blue Star. He noticed that the pony with Colgate looked exactly like his mother. He gasped, "Wait a minute, it can't be you."

Ruby turned to the side so they could see her cutie mark and at that moment, they both knew who it was, they both knew it was Ruby. Immediately Blue Star rushed to her, embraced her and exclaimed, "Mom!" He then broke the embrace, looked her in the eyes and asked, "But how? You perished in the battle of Tambelon thousands of years ago!"

Ruby gave Colgate a smile before turning back towards him and replying, "Blue Star, you can thank Colgate for this. She found the resurrection spell I wrote a while back and was able to bring me back."

Blue Star again embraced her, "I'm so happy you're back mom! I've missed you so much!"

Ruby replied, "I've missed you too!" She then cast her gaze towards White Magick and sighed, "Oh, it's you."

White Magick knew that Colgate had probably told her about everything that had happened involving him and Twilight but wanted to try to keep things civil. He approached her and commented, "Ruby, it has been so long. It is good to see you."

He went to embrace her but was quickly froze in place by her aura. She got up in his face and ordered, "Now tell me, is what Colgate told me true? Did you really life bond with that little seductress? Did you life bond with your little Twily?"

The way she spoke about Twilight angered him but given that Ruby had him held in her aura, he decided it would be best to hold his anger. He replied, "Yes, we did. There must be something strange about Dream Valley but it just happened, we realized we were meant to be together and we life bonded."

She released her hold on him and decided to bring up the same thing that Blue Star had brought up earlier, "You can life bond with your little Twily all you want but you know how our belief systems are. You should know that if both of us were to perish, you would be with ME in the afterlife, not the seductress dark goddess."

Her referring to her as a dark goddess angered him to the point where he just couldn't hold it. He screamed, "Look, she is not a dark goddess anymore! Don't you remember how I cleansed her, don't you remember how different she was when I invited her to our realm....."

Ruby flared her horn up and corrected, "You mean Unicornia."

White Magick gasped, "Unicornia? It hasn't been called that since my father fell to the smooze in the days of Ponyland!"

Ruby replied, "Well once you abdicated and Colgate put a steward in place, he restored the name and when I reclaimed the throne, I kept the name."

White Magick gasped, "You......."

Ruby interrupted, "Yes, I decided to restore the legacy of our kind, I decided our nation should have an actual name, I decided to restore our kind's pride...."

As Ruby continued to list everything she had done by restoring the name Unicornia to what was now her nation, White Magick couldn't help but notice something around her neck. He looked closer and gasped, "Wait a minute, you have the Rainbow of Light?"

Ruby grasped it in her aura and replied, "Yes, I do. Colgate gave it to me not long after she brought me back."

This caused White Magick to grow suspicious about why Colgate never gave him and Twilight the ancient relic. He asked, "Colgate, was this your plan all along? Was it to retrieve it, not give it to me like you promised, bring Ruby back and give it to her assuming that she would be the only one who could use it?"

Colgate replied, "I brought Ruby back because I believed her time was cut short and once I found that spell of hers, I was bound and determined to bring her back."

White Magick asked, "I get that but still, why did you give her the Rainbow of Light when you said you would give it to me and Twilight?"

Ruby flared up her horn and asked, "Wait a minute, you said you would give it to him and that little seductress?"

Colgate replied, "When we were out in Dream Castle, I was the only one with saddlebags and I simply told them that so I could be the one to carry it instead of having his little Twily wearing it." She then gave White Magick a smile and added, "And when you decided to run off so quickly after abdicating, you never asked about it and it was at that time that I decided that Ruby would be the one to wield it."

White Magick lit his horn up in anger but one pony did not want to see this turn nasty, Blue Star. He interrupted, "Look, lets just be happy mom is back and we have this weapon to aid us in this endeavor."

Colgate agreed, "I agree with Blue Star. Let's be happy we have it and let's be happy we have such a powerful pony to wield it." She headed back towards her title and continued, "Look, I need to go down into the archives and work on something, something that will give us an additional advantage."

Ruby had no desire to have to be around White Magick any longer than she needed to and despite wanting to spend more time with her son, she thought that perhaps she should join Colgate in the archives. She asked, "Colgate, I don't know what you'll think about this but could I join you?" She gave her a smile and continued, "Besides, I want to see all what you have added to your collection using my spell."

Colgate had a feeling that if an argument were to break out between her and White Magick that Blue Star may find himself in a situation where he would have to choose who to give his allegiance to. She replied, "Yes, you may join me." She began to walk towards her tower and finished, "Blue Star, White Magick, head to the dining hall while Ruby and I go to the archives."

The two nodded and followed Colgate and Ruby inside where they would part ways. When Ruby saw that Colgate had to not only step on a special tile on the floor but also insert her horn into a hole in the wall and discharge energy to open the doors, she realized that Colgate must have things she wanted kept secret. She asked, "Colgate, are you sure you want me joining you? With everything you have to do just to get down there, it seems like you don't want anypony but you knowing what is there."

After the first door swung open, Colgate turned around and replied, "Ruby, you've been down here before with Dark Night so of course I want you down here!"

Ruby nodded and followed Colgate down into the archives. As they were headed down to the very back, she remembered about how Colgate had not only duplicated the Tambelon library but also had taken Grogar's collar. She knew that Colgate had plans on casting a spell of some sort to cause the bells to be tied to her and wondered if perhaps her using the Rainbow of Light on them may aid in her success.