"Hmm..." the mysterious stallion scrutinized Twilight in particular. "Giant, amethyst eyes, that lavender coat, dark-purple mane with the plum and hot-pink stripes...yes...yes, you're the legendary Twilight Sparkle, aren't you?" his voice was soft and cold, and almost sounded as if he were suffocating when he talked.
"Legendary!?" Stars formed in the pupils of Twilight's enormous eyes. "I'm legendary!?"
"Well, I'd say so. Good news travels quickly here in total isolation." The stallion stepped closer into the light. "I heard all about how you restored the goodness of the Crystal Heart to the Crystal Empire. I may not know much, but-"
"Oh my gosh!" Twilight suddenly recognized the pony she was conversing with. "Are you...Star Swirl the Bearded?"
The stallion smiled sincerely. "Last time I checked," he said.
"Oh my gosh! Star Swirl the Bearded! The greatest unicorn in history! It's you! You're really here!"
Star Swirl the Bearded snickered in delight. "Why don't you folks come on in? It's warmer inside."
"We'd be honored," Princess Cadence said for all three ponies.
Star Swirl the Bearded led them inside the dark, cozy cavern which seemed to go on forever into the colossal mountains. He used his horn as a source of light to guide the mares and stallions to his home, which was a vast, empty room, with large holes carved into the walls of the cryptic cavern, books filling the artificial shelves. All the stalagmites and other rocks were carved into tables, chairs, and other household furniture to make the place look more like a home than a cave.
"Make yourselves at home," he said.
"Thank you," Shining Armor gave a polite bow.
"Pleasure's all mine," replied Star Swirl. "I don't get many visitors here. In fact: you're the first."
Twilight became elated when she saw all the books, piles and piles of them, in addition to the hundreds in the shelves.
"Look at all those books!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah, every spell any unicorn could ever cast is in this room," said Star Swirl. "Yet it's amazing how I can never find anything in here."
"It's beautiful..." Twilight looked up to Star Swirl. "But...how are you still alive? You died many years ago."
"Is that what Equestria says?" he asked.
"Yeah, there's a whole wing in the Canterlot archives dedicated to you for your contribution to magic. It's been there since I can remember. And last year for Nightmare Night, I dressed up as you."
Star Swirl the Bearded grinned. "I'm glad the rest of society still remembers me...I feared that if I disappeared...everypony would forget I even existed."
"Disappeared?"
The old unicorn sighed. "I never died...I probably should be dead by now, since I recently discovered a spell which could reduce the aging process. So right now I'm just a little older than I was when I 'disappeared.'"
"What do you mean you disappeared?"
Star Swirl took a few steps forward, his eyes on the ground.
"When I was...younger, I was the epitome of unicorn brilliance. And I probably still am. There was no unicorn in Equestria who could outcast me. Then...fate caught up with me...I invented a new spell which made the Elements of Harmony look like a levitation spell...I called it the Spectrum Illumination spell. It was so powerful, I was determined to never let the innocent ponies of Ponyville or Canterlot or any place in Equestria be threatened by an ungodly ruler. One day, we were under attack by a vicious alicorn named Demise. (And this was some time ago, long before you were even born, Twilight Sparkle.) Of course, everypony turned to me to slay Demise singlehoofedly. I used my Spectrum Illumination spell on her, confident that it would send her packing...I was utterly mistaken."
Star Swirl the Bearded walked further into the cavern, Twilight following behind him, until he stopped at a wall with a picture of a black-coated alicorn with red hooves and a purple mane in apperal to much of that of Princess Luna. He stared at it as he continued his tale:
"My spell failed. As a result, impervious to my attack, Demise got the upper hand, and plagued a shadow of darkness onto the town. We were doomed until Princess Celestia and Princess Luna emerged with the Elements of Harmony, which vanquished Demise...She was never heard from again...but, in price for her banishment, Canterlot was devastated...they blamed me for everything...I was so heartbroken and ashamed, I took all of my books and belongings and moved out here into this cavern, defying the aging process, and living on in solitude...I figured that everypony would forget about me and my contribution to magic...and though I'm glad they didn't, I doubt if I came back, they would love me like they did before Demise attacked."
"I don't see how everypony can not like you and yet still honor you," Twilight said.
Star Swirl the Bearded turned around. "Despite my mistake, I am still a powerful unicorn, my contribution to magic undeniable. They may not like me, but they cannot dislike my strength."
There was a pause.
"What exactly was your mistake?...Why did your spell not work?...Do you know?"
Star Swirl the Bearded lowered his head, turning to look Twilight in her large, beautiful, amethyst eyes. "That I do," he said. "The spell requires the pony casting it to announce a prayer of strength to evoke its power. The prayer then summons the magic in all of the ponies the caster loves, be they unicorns or pegasi or earth ponies. The combined strength and magic will make the caster so unimaginably powerful, no other force in Equestria could counter them...My mistake was so obvious...for it was that I lacked friends...sure, I was admired by all, but I had put so much time and effort into studying, learning, and inventing magic that I had no friends...and thus, I was weak in my attack. So weak, in fact, that I so much as tickled Demise."
"No other force in Equestria you say?"
"That's correct, Twilight Sparkle."
"Even more powerful than combining the love of Princess Cadence and my brother and the power of the Crystal Heart?"
Star Swirl perked up. "You want to combine the power of the Crystal Heart with the power of true love?"
"That's our plan."
"Pfft!" Star Swirl scoffed. "I suppose if you were trying to cheer somepony who's sad up, that might work. But beyond that, you're doing mediocre to nothing with that kind of attitude. The power of love is a strong one, indeed, but it's like a noble gas - it combines with nothing! If you want to get some real power in your horn without the Elements of Harmony, your best bet is to use the Spectrum Illumination spell I invented."
Twilight blinked twice. "What's a noble gas?"
"...Not important," Star Swirl replied shortly. "What is important is that you learn my spell...the only thing is...you're just like me, Twilight Sparkle: a brilliant magician without friends."
"I have friends," Twilight exclaimed.
"You-you do?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I have five friends: Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash: the fellow spirits of the Elements of Harmony."
"Really?...Then where are they?"
"We left Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie back at the Crystal Empire to guard the Crystal Heart from King Sombra in our absence. The rest we assume were taken by King Sombra. I haven't seen them since the Disaster."
"Then...who are these good ponies?" Star Swirl asked, gesturing to the quiet couple who wandered the cavern.
"That's my brother, Shining Armor, and his wife, Princess Cadence."
"Oh...pleasure to meet you two."
"Pleasure," Shining Armor and Princess Cadence said in unison.
Star Swirl returned to Twilight. "The strength of eight ponies isn't much," he explained. "The spell requires a massive amount of power - I don't know how much exactly - but I'm sure the strength of ten ponies would just be scratching the surface."
"I don't have a choice," Twilight replied.
"Very well. Are you an adult, Twilight Sparkle? You don't look grown-up."
"I am not," she said.
"What a pity. In that case, the spell could kill you. Your body might not be able to bear the great power the spell requires. Even if your execution is perfect, that amount of magical pressure on your body might be enough to kill you."
Twilight looked over to Shining Armor and Princess Cadence, who smiled back at her. She sighed.
"It's a risk I'm willing to take."
"Alright. Now, for its execution: you have to sit down, and really concentrate, and then recite the ancient hymn:
In bright as day
In black as night
I summon the power
To give me light
In bright as day
In black as night
In our darkest hour
For I summon the power
In bright as day
In black as night
Give me the strength
For I summon the power
In bright as day
In black as night
I give up my life
For I summon the power
In bright as day
In black as night
I summon the power
To give me light
Learn it, and learn it well. Only a perfect recital will enable the spell to be cast."
"I will, Star Swirl the Bearded."
"Excellent, Twilight Sparkle. You are a noble unicorn indeed."
"Thank you, Star Swirl."
"You are welcome. Now, be on your way, for time be short."
Twilight nodded, and she, Shining Armor, and Princess Cadence started on their way out the cavern.
"Oh, and one more thing, Twilight Sparkle!" hollered Star Swirl the Bearded.
Twilight stopped in her tracks.
"Yes?" She spoke to his shadow on the wall.
"I would very much appreciate it if you didn't tell anypony I was here the whole time. It is better for them and for myself if they still believe that I am dead."
"Can do, sir!" she hollered back, she and her brother and his wife continuing their hurry out of the cavern into the blistering cold. They ran straightaway to the Crystal Empire, where a rather tired and bored Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy remained guarding the Crystal Heart.
"Alright, girls, I think we can finally put this nightmare to an end!" Twilight declared boldly.
"Yippee!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
"Yay!" Fluttershy yayed gaily.
"All we have to do now is find King Sombra! So...where is he?"