1000 Years Ago…
Star Swirl arose from his sleep and at first he did not know why initially.
But then he very slowly realized why, it was the night that she rose.
Well of course, he would naturally be awoken for that, after all, it wasn’t every day or night that you could watch a ruler of Equestria turn dark and evil.
It wasn’t every day that you could see them become corrupted and flawed with time as they gave in to their emotions eventually, fear, sorrow, despair, and finally pain as well too.
This was the night that Luna turned into Nightmare Moon, and he would get the chance and opportunity to watch, and so he would.
When he got up he couldn’t help but to also make Pearl wake up too.
“What time is it?” she asked with a yawn, “And what is it exactly?”
“Oh, nothing really,” he said, “And it is night time, or at least I think it is, who knows for sure, it could be morning, but Luna probably has already changed that by now, now then my dear it’s nothing to trouble yourself over or worry about so why don’t you just go back to bed and lie down and wait for me to come back, and when I do how about I also share what I saw with you?”
“That sounds good,” she said, “But I want to see, you never let me see.”
“And that is only because I love you and care for you, you could get hurt my dear, these villains that I face, they don’t exactly care for other ponies and their safety and their lives when they fight me, or the princesses instead.
And they won’t care about you either, you’re just another simple pony to them.”
“I may be a simple pony to them,” she said, “But I am not to you, right?”
“Of course not, you mean much more to me than just that, much more than you could ever possibly know, but come now, be reasonable, it is not safe to watch, you could be hurt in the process, or even worse, be
lost or die.”
“Don’t be silly,” she said, “If they’re so dangerous then how come you get to watch them? How could you be any more capable than me to defend yourself?
How could you just let me sit here all alone without your protection?
Can’t I come along with you to watch just once if you fear my safety that much? And why would you ever think that I cannot defend myself or have the capacity to do so? Just because I am female doesn’t make me
any less than you are or any pony else, you should remember that the next time you decide to ever speak to me or any other female again, is that clear enough for you?
Or do I need yet make myself even more clear?”
“You’re fine,” he said, “And I never said any of that, but…”
He considered locking her in the house, her room, and the closet before he finally and eventually responded very slowly with a great and heavy sigh.
“But I suppose that you can come along with me just this one time.”
“Yeah!” she shouted with joy and delight, “But let me get ready and pack some stuff and things up first, I want to look good if I am going out.”
“It is the middle of the night!” he said in some protest, “No one cares!”
“I do!” she said, “And besides, you like it when I am pretty for you.”
He sighed, she was right, and she was always right (let that be a lesson to you guys and men, the woman is always right even if she is always wrong).
“You’re right,” he said, “And when you’re right you’re always right.”
“You know it,” she said putting the final touches on herself, “I’m ready now.”
And with that said the two of them walked out of their room and house making sure to lock it before they left and went towards the Castle of the Two Sisters.
“So what villain are they facing this time?” she asked.
“One of family and blood, one from the inside, one that has been secretly hidden away in plain sight for so many long years,” he said.
“That makes no sense at all,” she said, “Please explain this to me.”
“The villain is not one that you would ever expect, she is royal and regal, plain and simple, yet deep and complex too, the villain today, or rather tonight as it now is instead, it is none other than the Princess
herself, Princess Luna.”
Pearl gasped in shock and surprise, “Surely this cannot be so?”
“It is,” he said, “I saw it many long years ago, and nothing could have ever changed this event, only the details maybe perhaps instead, but not this.
Luna is no longer herself since she has given in to her emotions, she has let her fear, sorrow, despair and pain take over her, along with a new madness and power and force of the night, one that makes you, one that turns you into a mere shadow and reflection of yourself while making you think that you have been given more power, in other words, she is now a nightmare of herself.”
“That sounds… scary,” she said after a long pause to think, “But who will prevail in the end? Will it be Celestia or will it be Luna instead of her sister? Oh please tell me that it won’t badly for either of them.”
“It will end well enough in the future for them both, but for now Celestia will prevail and win, but Luna will come back, in one thousand years she will return after being banished, and the stars will aid in her escape.”
“That last part sounds ominous enough,” she said.
“Yes, and that is because it is part of a prophecy that I mad up just now.”
“Oh,” she said, “Well then, I guess that’s… good.”
“Yes, yes it is indeed.”
And with that said they walked the rest of the way to the castle in silence.
When they finally got there they saw that it still remained and was intact.
“Well here we are,” he said, “The show should be starting up soon enough.”
“Alright,” she said, “Fine then, but how will we know when it has begun.”
“I think that we will know when we see it,” he said pointing to a large big huge beam with the color of black and darkness and night all around it as it suddenly burst forth from the castle shooting upwards into the distant sky.
And with that said they gazed up into the sky watching the battle and fight take place, and from this distance they were safe enough from any and all debris that fell down around them as the two sisters blasted beams of great energy, power, and magic at each other which sometimes and quite often and frequently missed the other target and instead hit the castle or surrounding area and landscape around them, but other than that it was quite safe.
Besides, he had his great and powerful magic to protect them in case things went wrong, and he had a feeling that something bad would happen and it would go wrong, but he didn’t know what exactly, and even when the end of their fight or battle came near he still had the feeling for some reason.
He wondered why that could be, and then he had a sudden revelation, tonight some pony would be lost, and then he knew that must be why he was here.
Seeing them fight was good, but he knew that he couldn’t stop them, but perhaps maybe he could save the life of an innocent some pony.
The only problem would be finding them, and from what he saw and heard and felt (using his magic) there was no pony awake other than the two of them for many miles. And that was when he had even more revelation come upon him very slowly as his eyes rose in shock to the thought that he had in his mind if he was right, surely he wouldn’t be called out here just to watch that happen, right? It couldn’t possibly be true, but he knew in heart and mind that it was. And he also knew that he had to try something to stop the event and thing.
“Pearl?” he asked, “Do you mind coming closer to me?”
Pearl now stood slightly farther away from him before and despite his persistence in that she should stay close to him she decided to ignore him.
“Why?” she asked still staring at the sky.
“Please, just do it, and don’t ask why, just trust me,” he said looking into her eyes with a deep stare and gaze imploring her to do this one small and simple thing, and because of this she sighed in some reluctance and defeat.
“Fine then,” she said, “Have it your way like it always is with this.”
“Please don’t be angry or upset,” he said, “Just come here, please.”
“Alright, fine then, but I don’t see why I have to, I was fine where I was, I was perfectly safe, I don’t see why you have to cut in my fun.”
“Pearl, stop complaining and get over here right now.”
“You know what? No, I won’t, and if I am to do it, or will, then you must apologize for your rude and inconsiderate behavior before I come over.”
“Pearl, please, just listen to me for once, if you stay there you could get hurt or worse, and I only act this way because I care about you and love you too.”
“Well so do I,” she said backing even further away from him, “But do I act like you when I want to keep you safe? No, I don’t, I am polite and calm.”
“And that is what I am trying to be right now, so listen to me, please.”
“You keep on saying that, but I don’t think that you quite understand what that phrase really means,” she said, “And until you do I am staying here.”
“Pearl, please don’t make me use my magic on and against you.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” she said, “And besides, I know all your tricks and moves, I can easily enough deflect them even if I cannot defeat you in duel or a battle or a fight instead, so try it against me if you will, but I won’t fall down and I won’t fail either, so good luck, but the only way to get me back is if you listen.”
“I am,” he said, “And I will also talk if you need that as well too.”
“Right now all I need is for you to listen,” she said, “Hear what is around you, and then you can look into my eyes and tell me what you see there deep down inside, for I have something that I have wanted to tell you for a very long time.”
And with that said he did so, and what he heard was rain pouring all around him, strange, he thought, it is unusual that I don’t notice a storm this big or large especially considering that it adds to the mood and theme of this.
It added to the mood and theme of the surrounding landscape and area, and it was so cool, and here were also dark gray and black clouds up in the sky.
And lightning flashed all around him followed shortly by a very large boom.
“This, this is the work of Luna,” he said to himself mostly.
“Do you want to know why I wanted to come along with you?” Pearl asked, “It wasn’t so I could watch, that’s not really that important compared to what I have to tell you, and what I have to say will change your very life.”
“I’m sure it will,” he said, “But what is it that you have to say?”
“I want to,” she started to say but then was cut off as a chunk of debris of some very large stone fell down from the castle and headed straight towards her.
And suddenly it was as if the world was in slow motion, he saw everything around him with perfect clarity, and it was as if the very drops of rain and water hung there suspended in midair, and despite how fast he tried to react to this new piece of information he received he was still too slow, and he watched in horror as the piece of stone debris very slowly fell down on her sealing both his and her fate, and as he watched he screamed out in pain and despair.
And then suddenly it was back in real time and normal motion, the stone debris fell down on her and he quickly rushed over to her to help her out.
“PEARL!” he screamed in pain, sorrow, and despair, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said after he had quickly removed the stone debris aside flinging it far away with his magic, “It’s just hard to breathe, that’s all it is, really.”
“Pearl, don’t lie to me, I don’t want you last and final words to be a lie.”
“Don’t worry,” she said gasping for breath as her ribs cracked as she tried to move and she winced in pain and her efforts to breathe were getting harder, blood was very slowly filling her lungs, and the weight and pressure she endured, it was just too much for any pony, even earth ponies to bear.
She coughed spitting out some blood, and his attempts at healing her with magic failed, and in vain desperation he still tried even harder knowing that he would only fail, for whatever reason this event, this thing, what was happening right now, it was fate, and it could not be undone by any pony’s actions.
“It’s okay,” she said smiling, “I know that you did your best, but it will all be fine and well, we’ll see each other again eventually, and when we do we can finally both have some rest and sleep, rest and sleep forever that is.”
“Don’t give up hope,” he said, “And please don’t die on me, I need you, I need you even more than you could ever possibly know, please, don’t leave me.”
“But it is my time,” she said, “And please promise me that you will move on from me, you can cry if you want to, and you must remember me, but promise me that you will move on and that one day you’ll finally smile again.”
“I promise,” he said, “I will move on, and I will smile, but please don’t leave me, not now, not ever, and if there was any other way, please, take me instead.”
He was mostly talking to himself now hoping that death would hear, but it was silent in response instead, and to any pony else he must have seemed crazy.
“No luck,” he said, “Well then, I guess that failed, but before you do leave me, please tell me what you wanted to say to me, I am ready and willing to listen, say whatever it is that you have always wanted to say to me, but never could.”
“What I was going to say,” she said, “Was that I wanted a child, I wanted to grow old finally, grow old and have a family with you, and then finally die and rest, and don’t ask me why, I don’t know why really, it was just a feeling that was there, an idea that lingered, but I guess that it was silly and I also suppose that I will never get my wish or dream now, huh?”
“Don’t say that,” he said, “Never say that, I can still make it happen.”
“I suppose that you could, but don’t try to bring me back, please, I won’t make you promise, but I do trust you, you don’t need me, not anymore, and besides, what is to come, it will teach you a very valuable lesson that you must learn.”
“I suppose that the lesson is moving on?” he asked, “And if so then why is it that life always keeps on insisting that I always must learn something?”
“I do not know why, and you do not either, all we can do is just ask. But anyhow if there is one thing you must know it is merely just this, I have always loved you, ever since the day we met and we were young, and I always will.”
“I love you too,” he said crying, “And while I may not have always known as long as you, I always have known that you were, are, and always will be my best and only friend, so please don’t leave me, stay just a little bit longer.”
“I can’t,” she said with a smile, “They call me, my family, the one and only, the real and true one, don’t worry though, I will see you again someday, eventually, and please don’t cry because this is over, smile because it happened instead.”
And with that she took in her last breath, closed her eyes, and rested.
And with that Star Swirl let out a roar of rage, fury, and wrath at the sky, and in that moment he just wanted to destroy something, but the two sisters had already made the castle into ruins by destroying it and he would never ever hurt Celestia, and so he tore a scar into the earth to represent his pain instead and using his magic he forged a giant deep rift in the earth around the castle.
And now there stood a lovely canyon that separated the castle from Ponyville.
And then after that he put Pearl into a spell preserving her body, it would never rot or waste away, and it would always remain young, and this was so that just in case he ever found a spell to save her that she would be ready to save.
And so he used his magic to carry her home and then cried out in sorrow, rage, despair, fury, wrath, and pain, and then he looked up at the moon.
“I know how you feel now,” he said to himself, “I know what you lost Luna, and I’m sorry, but now I understand, and perhaps this is why I lost her today on all nights, it is so I can help you and your sister out even if I don’t want to anymore, but I will, but only because I care for your sister, and that is all.”
And so he finished and then put the body of his wife in a glass coffin kissing the lid of it as he lowered it down, “I will find a way for us to be together again, I can promise you this, and I don’t know if you can hear me, but I still love you.
I always have and always will.”
And so he placed the glass coffin in a new hidden room and locked it keeping his hidden secret away from every other pony who would visit him after.
After the event it took many years before he would talk more than a few words or a sentence, and it took longer for him to give up his desperate quest.
And it took him even longer for him to finally mentor his second and last apprentice, but that is a story for another time and later.
He still remained cold and cruel after many years, and he never ever did smile again like what he used to when he was with Pearl, and no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he did or what he did, he could not let go.
He could not move on, there would always be a part of him that held on and held him back, and that was his greatest weakness and flaw until this day.
Meanwhile…
“And that is my story and tale,” Star Swirl said finishing it up at last.
“But out of curiosity is there anything you missed or didn’t hear about?”
“Yes,” Twilight said, “Your ten-year voyage and quest, your second apprentice, and finally Discord and the Crystal Empire as well too.”
“That’s quite a lot,” he said, “But I shall do my best, and let me begin with my ten-year voyage to the lands of the west, and then the cold icy harsh lands of the north, and then finally the great and grand regal Alicorn kingdom of the east, you see it began so many long years ago when I was very young…”