Page put his head in his hooves, finally letting the dam of emotion he had held inside him all of these years burst. He sobbed into his hooves, not even caring if Winter saw.

Suddenly, she lifted his head up to hers and kissed him without another word. He was surprised, yet closed his eyes and kissed back, following her lead. She blushed slightly, smiling. As Page broke the kiss, he looked puzzled. “Y-you… can still love me? Even after you know all I have done?”

Winter nodded. “Of course, Page.” He smiled, his tears dwindling. “And I will never leave you.”

He smiled brighter, his tears already forgotten in her eyes. “Nor I you, Winter.”

She reached up and wiped away his last tear with her hoof, smiling. “I’m sorry I became so emotional,” he said, a slight blush on his face. She chuckled and replied, saying it was fine and laying her hoof on his. As they touched, he suddenly remembered. “Winter… When I looked into the time vortex, all those years ago… I also saw your past.”

Her eyes flashed with pain as he said this. They sat in silence for a few moments, and all she could say was a hesitant “O-oh…”

“… Do you want to talk about it, Winter?”

She replied with a quiet “Sure,” again, hesitantly. He smiled at her and continued to hold her hoof. She sighed and began to talk. “Mother was always so kind… she had no idea where father was… Dirty cheater father was…” She closed her eyes tightly, and Page began stroking her back lightly. She began to cry lightly. “I-if only I had gotten home faster, m-maybe I could have saved mom…”

Page replied with a simple “shhh,” holding her. Winter sniffed and laid her head on his chest, sighing. “At least she isn’t in pain anymore…” Page nodded and began to stroke her mane comfortingly. He knew he had to comfort her somehow.

Then, it dawned on him. It was an ancient spell, and one he could only use once. It took a lot of magic, but… if it was for her, he was willing to try it. “Winter… even if you had gotten to the cave in time…  I have seen possible timelines, Winter, and I could easily rewrite time so you saved her… but if I had, we would never have met.”

Winter nodded slightly. “I don’t regret meeting you…”

Page smiled slightly. “Nor I you… but…” She looked at him curiously, and he continued. “I know of a spell that could bring back a version of her.”

She sat up, surprised. “R-really?...”

He nodded. “It takes up much magic and it’s a tough spell, but it will let you speak to her for a few moments at least.”

“T-that would be nice…”

He nodded, but his face was grim. “One warning, Winter… She may not be the mare you remember… Death… changes you.” Her face was troubled as she thought over the consequences. “Do you want to take the chance?”

She nodded. She was willing to do this, if just to see her mother again. “Alright,” Page said as he picked up his quill. Slowly… he began to draw.

He began drawing the figure of a pony, accessing his memories of the vortex and the face of Winters mother, Sunrise Snow. His horn sparked with magic and the color of the ink began to change color, forming the coat and mane colors. Using even more magic, the picture began to move, seeming to walk to the edge of the portrait. Finally, in a burst of powerful magic, her hoof pushed through the parchment. Winter pulled on the hoof, and there stood her long dead mother, almost the same but for her paper-like fur.

Page struggled slightly, his face caught up in concentration. “Y-you can t-talk to her now, Winter.”

Winter nodded, turning to the figure of her mother. “…M-mom…”

“Shut it, Dear.”

Page’s eyes widened as he heard her mother say this. Oh no…

Sunrise moved close to Winter, lifting her chin roughly. Page struggled to stand under the magic he was creating. He heard Sunrise say “Pitiful excuse for a daughter,” and he glared at her, struggling to maintain the spell that Winter had wanted so much.

“G-get…a-away f-from… h-her,” he managed to breath out, already becoming exhausted.

Sunrise ignored him completely, glaring at Winter. “You misused your powers, darling. I can take them away with a little… snap.” That last word ran out like the crack of a whip, making both Page and Winter wince.

Page kept getting closer to the woman, sweating from the amount of magic he was using. “Y-you can n-not hurt her. T-that is…p-p-part of the spell.”

“Oh really?” As she said this, she began to rub the terrified Winters head, making a spot there glow.

Page gasped. “I-I can make you disappear if I just cut the spell!” He glanced at Winter, unsure about what to do.

“Too late.”

Slowly, Sunrise began to reach her hoof into her wide eyed daughters head. Page knew it was now or never and cut off the spell as quickly as possible, collapsing to one hoof in his weakness. Sunrise gasped, letting go of her daughter, allowing Winter to fall limply to the floor. She looked at her hooves which seemed to be turning black like the ink she was created from. Page grinned slightly, a cold, heartless grin. “G-go back to ink, bitch.”

Sunrise’s eyes were marred with rage, and she tried to charge Page. Right before she reached him, her entire body deteriorated, becoming a small pile of ink.

Page sat for a few moments, staring at the puddle of ink on the floor, when he heard Winter groan from the side of the room. Looking over, he saw her holding her head and crying. “W-winter…” Slowly he made his way to her side and hugged her. He could feel her shaking, and knew she was terrified. “D-damn it… she shouldn’t have been able to harm you like that…” These words had no affect on the sobbing mare. Page knew he had to comfort her, but his own emotions were running high. He heard himself thinking ‘you failed another one, Page’, and he knew his thoughts were correct. Yet, even if Winter had been hurt, he still loved her, and had to help her in this time of need.

Lying her head on his chest, he could think of only one thing that had always calmed those he loved. A single song, one Mistearia knew by heart, and one he had sang to her each night before bed, to ward off bad dreams. Softly and gently, he began to sing while stroking her mane, hoping this would help calm her down.

Toue Rei Zue Kuroa Ryuo Toue Zue

Kuroa Ryuo Zue Toue Ryuo Rei Neu Ryuo Zue

Va Rei Zue Toue Neu Toue Ryuo Toue Kuroa

Page felt his love slowly calm in his hooves, her shaking subsiding as she listened to that lullaby of old. He smiled, still stroking her mane, and continued.

Ryuo Rei Kuroa Ryuo Zue Rei Va Zue Rei

Va Neu Va Rei Va Neu Va Zue Rei

Kuroa Ryuo Kuroa Neu Toue Rei Kuroa Ryuo Zue Rei Va

Page felt that same euphoria he always felt while singing this song, holding Winter in his hooves. He suddenly felt clarity, and with all his love sang that last, hidden verse, hitting the notes and pitches perfectly, echoing his love for her.

Rei Va Neu Kuroa Toue Rei Rei

As he sang this last verse, his horn sparked with magic. His eyes widened in surprise as the corner of the room began to sparkle with his magic aura, forming the outline of a pony. The magic aura began to create eyes and color, until there stood a small filly, with those old yet familiar amethyst eyes. “T-tear…”

The image of Mistearia, young and loving, walked over to Winter and sat next to her. Winter was now fast asleep, curled up against Page’s chest. Tear lightly held Winters hoof, smiling lightly, then turned to Page.

“Tear…” Page didn’t know what to say. He had hurt this little filly. How would she react? Would she try and hurt Winter or him? Would she just run?

He wasn’t expecting her to hug him, but that’s exactly what happened. Tear hugged him tightly, then looked at his tearful eyes. She said just one sentence, and Page would remember it the rest of his life.

“Keep mommy safe.”

With one last glance at Winter, she disappeared into a magical mist, leaving Page to hold his love in his hooves. Page smiled slightly, knowing, somehow, that this meant he was forgiven. He picked Winter up in a bridal carry, took her to the bed and lied her down. After covering her up, he kissed her lightly. “Goodnight, my Winter.”

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