Letters to a Lost World

by EileenSaysHi

Epilogue

Sunset?

Hey, Twi. I’m here.

Right where the portal should be?

Yeah, by the statue base. Everyone else is, too. It’s really early here and I told them all to just sleep in; I didn’t want anyone to be disappointed if things didn’t go well.

But they all came anyway.

Of course they did. Tell them I said hi.

You can tell them yourself in a little bit. You’re right in front of the mirror, I assume?

I am. The new machine is standing by. If the portal opens, I’ll know, and if the machine can keep it open, I’ll know. That’ll be the difference between whether we just have the one week or if the connection truly is restored.

Either one sounds great to me right now.

I agree. It’s been a long… I can’t even remember precisely. Moons and moons. To think all of you have been through an entire year of college by now.

And you’ve been through an entire year of Crown Princessing.

That too. And I still need to tell you that coronation story. I can’t believe I let it slip for this long, but it works better in, well, person anyway.

Can’t wait to hear it.

I’ve worked hard to schedule things perfectly so I can take this full week off. My first Royal Vacation.

I can’t imagine anywhere else I’d rather go right now.

And you’re sure that the portal will open? And that you can keep it open?

I’m not sure of anything, Sunset. My team is brilliant, and once I got a good look at their work we had some genuine breakthroughs. There were so many warning signs I should have seen in the old machine design, I’d made it in a huge rush to get to your world and then just never got around to making improvements… after so long, the mirror just got overloaded with magical energy to the point where it sealed shut. But according to all the magical theory we’ve been working on these last few weeks, the portal just needs to, to borrow a phrase from your world, reboot. The mirror should open tonight, at the end of the 30-moon cycle, and, once it does, our new machine should be able to keep it open, without overwhelming it.

But you’re not 100% sure in the theory?

With advanced magic, you never really can be. But I’m about as sure as I can be with this many unknowns in the mix.

Is your team there with you?

Yes, they’ll be monitoring from this side and running some tests. But it won’t matter very much this week, since the portal should be open naturally. Well, “naturally,” anyway.

You don’t know how excited I am… how excited we all are to see you again. The idea that you’re actually coming back... But what if it doesn’t work?

I’m certain it will.

I thought you just said you weren’t?

I’m not talking about magical theory anymore. As confident as I want to be in our calculations, that’s not what’s making me say that.

I’m certain because I believe in us.

It’s been over a year since those amazing letters all of you sent me, and in that time we’ve gotten to learn more and more about each other through these journals. I wondered if that pang I’d felt to come and see you would fade as time went on, but it’s only grown stronger. You talked about taking the portal for granted in your letter, but quite honestly, I did the same thing. I don’t anymore.

It’s always rough to be separated from a friend, but to have that separation imposed on you, rather than accepted through a conscious decision (even an unwanted decision), is painful. There’s nothing invalid about a long-distance friendship; these days, quite a few of mine are exactly that. But thinking back to everything all of you wrote, I want to experience all of this again. To experience us.

I want to learn touch football with Rainbow. I want to go to more of Pinkie’s parties. I want to learn more about human science with Twilight. I want to have those adventures Applejack sees in our future.

I want to feel the strength of our bond as a group that Rarity so lyrically described. I want to show Fluttershy how genuinely unique that bond really is to me.

I want to witness that joy in Sunset Shimmer’s eyes when she sees herself in the mirror, and I want to take her right back through this portal so she can give Equestria the goodbye she needs. (And get the hayfries she craves, too.)

Maybe I’ll get to do all of those things. Maybe just some. But after losing over an entire year to this… whatever we’re able to do together, I’ll accept it gladly.

Because we are the Rainbooms. Maybe we’re a little bit older. Hopefully we’re a little bit wiser. But we’re still us, and we are going to make this the best week ever.

That’s why I know, in my heart, that I’m going to step through that portal, and I’m going to see all of you again.

I believe you.

There’s just a few more minutes left.

I’ll see you on the other side.

We’ll be waiting.

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

And so it ends, either because there's no need to keep it purely in correspondence, or because it hurt to much to write any more for some time afterwards. But I, like Twilight, have confidence that it was the former. Great study of characters and their interactions. Thank you for it and best of luck in the judging.

[BiggerNate91]

I was concerned at what the outcome was going to be, but honestly, good call leaving the ending open.

[redandready45]

I think leaving the story like this wasn't a bad idea.

The point of the story isn't worrying about what they might lose, but them cherishing what they did have.

[Dave Bryant]

Sweet and heartfelt, and I too think leaving it with a “lady or the tiger” style of ending is definitely the right call!

[gapty]

Well, it's definitely back open because there is no letter written after that. Don't change my mind

But anyway, wow. I won't pretend I know how you did it, but your ability to give the characters their characters is truly something that stands out. Even if the characters wouldn't have written their names, one would know who was who. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were the strongest, but these two are generally those that stand out in the first place. The added story with Sci-Twi struggles was also a nice adding and the deeper inside on Fluttershy was on point.

Each letter was not long, but there were many, and still I read it through quickly because the flow was good and I could easily read through it, so I guess all the pathing is all natural? I don't really know how to explain it, but it's a compliment nonetheless.

All in all, a nice, good fic that I definitely won't use for future reference if I need to "read into a character" if I ever have to. And give Sunset her hayfries. Now!

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

I want to witness that joy in Sunset Shimmer’s eyes when she sees herself in the mirror, and I want to take her right back through this portal so she can give Equestria the goodbye she needs. (And get the hayfries she craves, too.)

Neat and lol.

We’ll be waiting.

Great, now I'm curious if there will be a sequel in the future or not. Tbt though, I think it's slim.

[Bicyclette]

That’s why I know, in my heart, that I’m going to step through that portal, and I’m going to see all of you again.

great choice to leave what happens ambiguous, these last few lines were my favorite for the dramatic feel they impart. (though a part of me was hoping for the story to continue until everyone involved in it had died, but that's just how i would have done it!)

[Wild Stallion]

I love that you kept it ambiguous. The imagination of the reader is more powerful than simple written words.

For my part I like to think the bridge did indeed work to bridge those two worlds where magic meets the mundane, and transforms it into something truly beautiful.

Either way this was one of the most heartfelt conclusions I've read in a long time.

And I love you for it.

Thanks for writing!

[Thranx]

I think you ended it at the most perfect moment. Would they meet again? It makes it all the more powerful. Also, I love your how express the Mane 7(and Princess Twilight). It was brilliant, I can feel how much they wanted to comfort Twilight just as much as they're comforting and reassuring themselves as they desperately cling onto hope that it will all go well. I hope Twilight will make it through.

Not to mention you took me on an emotional roller-coaster and it was one hell of a ride. As Princess Twilight herself said,

It’s always rough to be separated from a friend, but to have that separation imposed on you, rather than accepted through a conscious decision (even an unwanted decision), is painful

I know I need to move on and make new friends. Maybe one day I'll found them and we'll have some fun together, maybe not like my childish days with my best friends but I believe there will be more best friends that I will forever cherish. Now, enough rambling, thank you so much for this masterful piece of writing.

[new55]

That was a good story.

[Harwick]

Nicely done! A very sweet exploration of what these versions of the characters mean to each other, done in each distinctive voice. It really sharpens how much they left on the table with this property, with so much unexplored…. I really wish we had seen some real Twilight/Twilight interaction as you described in her letter. Thanks for filling in the gaps!

[Moproblems Moharmoney]

A perfect capture of the characters voices, a heartwrenching tale, and a very natural end to the EQG franchise.

Amazing work all around.

[Maldarach]

Hi! Maldarach here, owner of the commission from D+CON you asked to use for your story.

I want to apologise because I lost track of your story, never had the opportunity to add it in my Favourites folder since you aksed me and D+CON.

Even more sorry that I haven't read it either, but I intend to fix that, and to let you know about any constructive feedback as well as reading others feedbacks.

Once again, thenk you for asking to make use of my commission, and I can't wait to see if it's fitting to your story.

💛💜❤

[Darcy]

i'm so not normal about this open end