The Stranger

by Maniac92

Loss of Friends

Celestia ran through the halls of the crumbling castle. She used her magic to stop several chunks of the stone ceiling from hitting her. She threw them aside and kept running.

She reached the end of the hall and attempted to turn, but slid and slammed into the wall. As she hit the stone floor, her crown fell off of her head. Celestia swore as she picked herself up. She looked at the crown for split second before running off, leaving it to be buried in the rubble. There were bigger things to worry about.

Celestia stopped at another turn and looked down the hallway. There were dozens of doors lining the hall, and she did not have time to waste. She closed her eyes and used her magic to locate what she was looking for. She sensed another faint trace of magic coming from the end of the hall. Celestia’s eyes snapped open. The trace of magic was fading fast.

This…can’t be happening, she thought as she ran down the hall, This has to be some sort of dream…or a nightma-

She forced herself not to finish that particular thought. She did not need a reminder of what just happened.

The building shook as Celestia reached the end of the hall. A heavy wooden door was before her. She quickly threw it open and ran inside.

“Star Swirl!” she yelled.

The room was in ruins. The heavy desk that usually sat at the far wall was split in two, both halves lying against the wall as though thrown. Papers and books littered the floor and the bookcases had been toppled.

Celestia’s gaze went to the far wall. Blood was splashed against the wall and a crumpled figure lay slumped against it.

As Celestia moved towards the figure, her hoof hit something and bells jingled. She looked down to see a pointy hat with bells on the brim, a large gash ripped in it. She swallowed and moved towards the figure.

The old stallion smiled weakly as he saw the Princess coming towards him. “I…assume you won, then?” he asked softly. His front hooves were firmly pressed against a bloody wound in his stomach. He coughed and flecks of blood landed in his long white beard.

“…Yes. I did.” said Celestia sadly. “What were you thinking?” She concentrated and her horn glowed a soft gold.

“I…had to try.” panted Star Swirl. “She refused to listen to reason.”

“I know.” said Celestia softly. She tried to blink tears from her eyes. “Dark magic took over her mind. She called herself ‘Nightmare Moon’. I-” Her voice broke and she focused on Star Swirl’s wounds. Golden light flowed from her horn into the stallion’s stomach.

Star Swirl groaned as the magic hit his stomach. “What did you do?” he asked.

Celestia took a deep breath and said morosely, “I couldn’t kill her, Star Swirl. Not her. I used a banishing spell and sent her to the moon.”

“How long?” asked the stallion.

Celestia looked at the wizard’s bloody stomach, hesitant to answer.

“How long?” repeated Star Swirl.

“…One thousand years.” answered Celestia.

Star Swirl’s eyes widened in disbelief. He struggled to keep his voice even as he said, “Well. At least you didn’t kill her.”

“Small comfort!” snarled Celestia, glaring at him. She sighed. “I-I’m sorry, Star Swirl. I just…I…”

“What?”

“I never noticed.” admitted Celestia. “I never knew that Luna felt the way she did. Betrayed. Alone.”

“No one did.” said Star Swirl. He grunted and pressed his hooves tighter against his stomach. “Luna never told anyone about it. How could you have known?”

“If I was a better ruler…a better sister…I would have…” said Celestia quietly.

The building shook. Star Swirl looked up at the cracking ceiling and back down to his wounds. “Look,” he panted, “This castle is going to fall down on top of us. You need to-”

“I am not leaving you, Star Swirl.” said Celestia, guessing as to what the stallion was thinking. Her horn grew brighter as she poured more magic into his wounds.

Star Swirl groaned in pain. “Stop.” he said. “If you use too much magic, you’re going to only make me worse.”

The glow in Celestia’s horn dimmed slightly as the castle shook more vigorously.

“Th-then…I’ll…” faltered Celestia. “I can carry you out!”

Star Swirl laughed without humor. He pointed to his bloody stomach. “Moving me when I’m like this is only going to make me bleed out faster. There’s nothing you can do.”

“Then I’ll teleport you out!” yelled Celestia.

“Too much magic.” explained Star Swirl slowly. “It will only aggravate the wounds.”

“Damn it, Star Swirl!” sobbed Celestia. “I’m not losing you and Luna both! There has to be something I can do!” Her voice cracked and broke.

Star Swirl watched the Princess, tears falling from his own eyes. He sighed and said, “Celestia. Come here.” He held his hooves out.

Celestia leaned close and felt the stallion’s arms wrap around her. She could feel his blood staining her coat, but did not care. “I can’t lose you both.” she whispered. “I can’t.”

“Do you remember what I told you before?” asked Star Swirl quietly as he held her tighter. “Making decisions you don’t want to is part of being a ruler.” He kissed Celestia’s head and pushed her away.

Celestia looked at the dying stallion pleadingly. “But I can’t make this decision.” she whispered. Pieces of the ceiling fell and shattered against the stone floor.

Star Swirl the Bearded, the most powerful unicorn in Equestria, smiled gently, tears running down his face. “I know.” he said. “That’s why I’m making it for you.” His horn glowed blue as he gathered his magic and cast a spell on Celestia.

The Princess found herself outside, facing the Everfree Forest. She turned back to the castle just in time to see it collapse on itself, entombing the old unicorn within.

Celestia stared at the destroyed castle in stunned disbelief, tears running down her face. She ran to the side of the castle, where Star Swirl’s study was located and focused her magic. She would blast the side of the building and save Star Swirl. She still had time, she could do it-

“It is too late.” said a deep voice from her side. “He is gone.”

Celestia turned her head in surprise. A black cloaked figure was several feet to her right. His hood was off and he stared at her with black eyes.

“You don’t know that!” yelled Celestia. The stallion looked familiar to her, but she had bigger things to worry about. “He could still be-”

“Child.” said the stallion. “I know.”

“You don’t know anything.” snarled Celestia. “You don’t know him like I do. He’s-”

“Star Swirl the Seventh, also know as Star Swirl the Bearded.” rumbled the stallion. He moved in front of Celestia, his black eyes unblinking.

Celestia stared into those dark eyes and remembered that fateful battle thousands of years ago. He had not changed at all since then. He was as thin and pale as he had been in front of her mother’s corpse.

Shaking her head. she gathered her magic and her horn glowed a fiery gold. “Get out of the way or I will end you.”

The stallion raised an eyebrow. “You cannot end me, child. I am forever with you and your kind.” He paused, and bowed respectfully. “But I will do as you asked.” He started walking towards the dark forest.

The black-robed stallion froze as he reached the trees. He turned and stared at Celestia. “I will see you again.” he stated. He turned and disappeared into the shadows.

For some reason, those words, and the factual way the stallion said them, terrified Celestia more than anything else that had happened that night.

Comments

[Archmagejay]

Oh damn... Celestia just insulted the reaper...

[Luna Secret Stallion]

4635565 She was about to bitch slap him too!

[Lord_01010000]

“I will see you again.” he stated.

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