Page continued his tale of woe, ignoring everything else but the sound of his own voice, making sure to get each detail correct. “When I awoke, I was bound in bandages and lying in a study, surrounded by books. The dragon was curled up by a fire, and… there was no doubt about it, the thing was wearing reading glasses. I tried to sit up, but quickly disregarded that idea as there was a stabbing pain to my chest. Evidently, my ribs were broken badly. The dragon heard me stir and looked up from the book. ‘I see you are awake,’ she said. I nodded slightly, wincing at the pain. She saw my pain and walked over, glancing at my bandages. ‘Here, let me repair you,’ she said. I didn’t question the strange choice in words, but let her do… well, whatever it was she was about to do.”

“She leaned down over me and began to breathe on me, a cool ocean breeze seeming to spray over me. My muscles that had ached began to settle, and I felt my bones move as the watery spray formed a sort of healing cocoon around me. Slowly but surely, the water worked its healing magic on me, and I was perfectly healthy in a matter of minutes.”

“I sat up, smiling. ‘Thank you, miss,’ I said, flexing my hooves. She nodded. ‘You intrigued me, small creature. Most who have come to my cave have come looking for my gold, yet you say you fought for love.’ I nodded at this and began to tell her much the same story I have told you thus far.”

“She nodded as I finished my story. ‘So, you have come for the book of time.’ I looked somewhat puzzled, and just sighed. ‘I came to bring my love life again. I don’t care if it is in a book or painting or even a magic mirror. I just want my love back.’”

“Again, she nodded, and she turned to the fireplace. With a blast of icy breath, the fire was put out, revealing a secret panel behind where the flames had stood. ‘If you truly wish to know the secrets of time, then enter. I warn you, however, that time is not for us to manipulate to our wishes. Is this what you truly want?’ I nodded, standing and walking to the secret panel. ‘…I must have her back. May I ask, however, for your name?’ The dragon smiled slightly, which looked rather strange on such a formidable beast. ‘My name is Acurilius. May I ask yours?’ I nodded, gave her my name, and walked through the panel way.”

“Inside was a simple room with a single table and a small book. I walked over to the book, curious. How could so small a book hold all the secrets of time? On the top of the book was a small note written in peculiar curling writing. ‘Guard this book well,’ it had said, ‘for the moment you touch it, your life forever will be changed.’”

“I had been foolish. I grabbed the book, hoping beyond hope that it could somehow bring back my love; my life! The instant I touched the book, I gasped, unable to let go. I saw all of time, all of the universe, all in that instant. It was wonderful, magnificent… and terrifying. I saw my past, present and future. I lost myself in time itself, hearing the voice of the vortex, hearing the fabled drums, and seeing… I saw every lost opportunity, every broken promise… and every long lost love.”

“I dropped the book after that single instant in time that set in motion the rest of my life, falling to the floor and sobbing. I remember thinking ‘how could you have been so blind’ and many thoughts like it, but there was only one truth behind this folly. It was all my fault, all my own greed, and all my own love. I now knew all that was meant to happen in my life, and all that had been destined for me, though I had only seen a single face etched into the tear tracks of time. I saw her eyes, her face… everything about her screamed to me, like a siren blazing in my mind. It was painful at first, but with time I could gaze at that face with no pain.”

“I picked up the book, tears streaming down my face, and flicked through it. All the pages were blank. Yet, somehow, I knew how to use this book to bend time… and I knew I could never bend it the way I had always wanted. I could not undo the ultimate in life, death… and, I now knew why it had been her who died that day.”

“I saw my past, and I saw her protect me from the alien. I had been asleep, one of the few times I had slept, and she had found the alien in our house. She died fighting it back with light. In the moment I realized she had done this, I knew, even if I could bring her back, I would never be able to. If I brought her back, it would taint her sacrifice for me. I would never be able to love her the same way again, nor her I. My love… had died.”

“I packed up the book and my things, the dragon gone out again. She had left me with some healing water and bandages, in case I became hurt again on the way back home. I knew I would be able to help myself, however. I now had the book, and the very energy of the time vortex surged through my veins, boiling my blood.”

“I began my trek back to Ponyville and to my daughter. It seems, however, that my look into time itself had not warned me for what was to come.”

“I opened the door to our house, expecting to see my little filly asleep in her bed… and instead… I saw a full grown mare sitting on the couch, her eyes wide as she looked at me. I had not aged a day. It seems my look into the time vortex had suspended time around me for more than an instant. I had been gone for years, and I had left my Mistearia deserted. Yet another pony I failed.”

“I looked into her amethyst eyes one last time, and saw that the childish abandon had long since faded, and had been replaced with the hopelessness of a pony who had lived too long on a broken, aching heart.”

“Tear died while attacking me. She had a knife in her mane that she pulled out. She charged me and slashed at my neck, managing to nick me with it. I held the bleeding cut with my hoof, stemming the blood flow. I turned, ready to defend myself against yet another mare I had loved, but she collapsed as she lunged towards me once more. Her last words to me were about how I had betrayed her trust… and how I was no father of hers.”

“I left that place with my broken hearts throbbing, the drums beating away in my head. I drew the mare over and over again, unable to think about anything else but finding her…”

He turned to look at the tearful Winter, his eyes tired from saying all of this, finally speaking of his hidden past. “I fell in love with you, all those years ago, when I looked into my future. I didn’t know it then, but I fell deeply and far in love with you. And now… the drums have ended. I have finally met the real you, the one I’ve seen every second of every day. I love you, Winter, but I understand, if after knowing all of this, you hate me. How can anypony love one who has betrayed all he loved?”

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