The storm lashed across the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters' archway windows. A wanderer outside would have heard terrifying bangs; much louder and more earth trembling than the thunder outside. The top room was filled with white, cloudy smoke, and there were blinking candles, which burnt with a soporific, head-spinning herb. The figure crouched over his desk, however, seemed unaffected by this. He wore a pointed blue hat, adorned with faintly jingling golden bells. Under his breath, he would mumble nonsensical incantations and, right on cue, another cloud of smoke would billow from his numerous flasks and pots. Having been exposed to these noises almost non stop for the past two weeks, he was almost deafened, and did not hear the quiet clip-clopping of hooves up the stairs.
His door burst open, and the noise was met with an instant spurt of coughing from the tall, wavy-maned Alicorn standing in the doorway.
"Starswirl, what is the meaning of this?" Shouted Celestia (for that is who the figure was) in the Royal Canterlot Voice.
"Eh?" Muttered Starswirl the bearded, in his ancient, gruff voice. "I didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat it a little louder?" Starswirl chuckled to himself. Celestia scowled at him.
"Starswirl," She said, this time in her ordinary voice. "For almost two weeks, you have been working on this...project of yours. I made it clear from the beginning I did not approve, and unless you finish it soon, I may have no choice but to bring it to an end myself."
"Celestia, my dear friend," Said Starswirl "Of course I have almost finished. Why, I daresay it will be finished by next moon. Would you like to see it?"
Celestia gave him a suspicious look, then nodded. Starswirl grabbed his Rowan Staff, then cantered down the passage. Celestia followed him at an equal pace.
As they ran, a question occurred to Celestia.
" Starswirl, if your project is in the other room, what were you doing in the alchemy chamber?"
"Oh, I was merely testing out my new Amniomorphic spell," Said Starswirl.
"Amniomorphic?" Repeated Celestia. "Don't you mean omniomorphic?"
"Do I?" Muttered Starswirl, "I always get the two mixed up."
They finally got to a room with a cobweb covered door knocker and handle. Starswirl brushed the webbing aside and pushed the door open with a creak. Inside was an empty room, with nothing but an old chest. Celestia trotted inside after Starswirl, and saw the chest glow with a faint blue light, before opening. A small black object, glowing with the same blue aura floated towards her.
"This," Whispered Starswirl, "Is called The Alicorn Amulet."
The object was almost entirely black. It was triangular in shape, with the figure of an Alicorn on the top. Its wings were the only thing not fully black-the wings were both imbued with some kind of red gem. In the centre of the object, however, there was a diamond-shaped hole.
"Impressive, is it not?" Said Starswirl, proudly.
Celestia, however, looked at the amulet with a concerned face.
"What's wrong, Princess?" Asked Starswirl with a tone of worry.
"It's...certainly a powerful object," Celestia said, "But Starswirl, why do you feel this need? This need to become greater than you already are? You are the most powerful unicorn I have ever known, and certainly the most powerful in Equestria. Why are you not satisfied?"
A flash of frustration appeared in Starswirl's eyes.
"Satisfied? Why should I be satisfied? All my life I have been aiming to be higher than before, to be greater, so why should I stop now? All I want to do,Celestia, is to become of more use to you. To become... like you. Ever since I was a little Colt, Celestia, I looked up to the proud Alicorn race, and I swore I would become an apprentice to them. Now I want to become like them. Would you stop me?Why would you hold me back?!"
Celestia looked at Starswirl with a mixture of surprise and fear.
"You're not all powerful, Starswirl."
"Well, I should be!"
Celestia signed and looked dejectedly at the ground.
"I see there is no persuading you Starswirl." Starswirl looked defiantly back at her.
"That's right."
With that, Celestia gave up.
"I accept this, if you are set on this course."
Starswirl looked back at her with relief.
"Thank you, mentor. I appreciate this."
Celestia said nothing for a while.
"So," She said at last. "I see there is a part missing. What is the last piece?"
"Ah yes, " said Starswirl, in his older, more friendly yet tired tone "The Fire Ruby. I was just going to ask you how many you had left. Strange how it slipped my mind..."
"We have no more Fire Rubies." Celestia said, in an impassive voice. "The last was eaten by your escaped pet."
"No more rubies?" Said Starswirl, with a hint of panic rising in his voice. "But-but this was my ultimate creation! I've been working on it since the last new moon! I can't give up now!"
"I'm sorry, but you have to." Said Celestia, managing to keep most of the relief out of her voice.
"No," Said Starswirl. "There is another way..."
"Starswirl, don't even consider it!" Celestia shot a steely glare at him.
"I'm sorry, Celestia, but I have no other choice..."
"Starswirl, I know you are passionate about this, but it's going too far! The only Dragon old enough lives in the Crystal Mountains; you cannot seriously be considering this!"
"For this prize, nothing is too far, you hear, Nothing!"
Celestia stared at Starswirl. She had never seen him like this before.
"Starswirl, if you are committed to this quest, I will not stop you. But I cannot help you either. I have made it clear that I do not approve of this task, and so if you must do this, it will be without my aid."
Starswirl and Celestia looked into each other's eyes. The student and the teacher must finally part ways.
Starswirl nodded, then slowly turned around and walked out of the room.
"Starswirl the Bearded," said Celestia. Starswirl stopped. "I wish you all the luck in Equestria."
Now, you, dear reader, may be wondering what Starswirl's plan is. Here is an extract from the Canterlot Archive's book entitled Rare Gems of the World.
Out of all the gems in Equestria, the rarest is known as the Fire Ruby. The Fire Ruby glows with faint, flickering inner fire.The reason why this gem is so rare is not only due to the circumstances for it to come into being take such a long time, but also the fact that it is nearly impossible to acquire it even after it has been made. A Fire Ruby starts out in the gut of a baby Dragon. Over centuries, it grows slowly bigger, until a time where the Dragon has reached adulthood. Once the Dragon has grown large enough, he will bring forth a burst of flame from his mouth, and from this fire, there will be a Fire Ruby. Out of a dragon's hoard of gems, the one he values the most is his Fire Ruby. A Dragon would give away his Fire Ruby as soon as he would give away his heart
Starswirl walked into the main hall of the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. The two flags behind the thrones, one for Luna and the other for Celestia, fluttered gently in the dusk air. Celestia stood in the centre, and watched as Starswirl walked out the double doors, with his staff and a red velvet cloth tied to it, which carried all his equipment for the journey. As the doors of the castle closed, a dark figure descended from above Celestia.
"Shall I raise the moon now, Sister?" Asked Princess Luna.
"Yes,"Celestia said. "I think I need a rest. It's been a long day."
As Starswirl walked into the Everfree Forest, he looked up at the sky one last time, and saw a black, winged figure silhouetted against the newly risen moon.
The Cockatrice flew silently through the forest. He was hungry;the last thing he had eaten was a manticore cub, and they were mostly armour and fur. He was just about to give up and roost for the night, when something caught his eye, moving in the forest floor below.It was a quadrupedal animal, and was moving at a walking pace. At last, the Cockatrice thought, dinner! Keeping himself as silent as a whisper, he folded his bat-like wings against his body, and dive bombed from above.
The Cockatrice did not know what hit him. At first, he thought it was a branch, but no branch could have been propelled that powerfully unless it was in a hurricane, and there was only a light breeze in the midnight air. He fell to the ground, stunned.
"Thought you could creep up on old Starswirl, eh?" Came a gruff, ancient voice. "Well, I'm not quite that deaf yet!"
The unicorn put down the Staff he had just whacked the Cockatrice with on the ground.
The Cockatrice was levitated by magic-a curious feeling, like the butterflies in your stomach are flying so vigourosly that you are actually being lifted upwards by them. The creature felt himself being lifted into a blue bag at the end of a Staff. The bag was empty, unlike the red one on the floor, which the Cockatrice thought looked as though it had more things inside it than it should be able to hold. Everything went dark as the bag was folded on top over him. Suddenly, he felt the whole world was swirling around him, when it suddenly stopped, catapulting the dragon-like bird into the air. After what seemed like a million years, he finally landed about half a kilometre away, with a soft thump in a tree. Dazed, the animal vaguely thought that he shouldn't try to attack seemingly unarmed unicorns in the future, before falling straight to sleep.
Starswirl the Bearded took out the map from his red bag. He worked out that if he kept heading North, he would eventually find the rambling Rock Ridge. The creatures from the Everfree Forest would usually avoid that area: they preferred sneaking up on their prey rather than a full on confrontation without the element of surprise. Since there was no cover in Rambling Rock Ridge, Starswirl knew he would be much safer there than in the Forest.
As Starswirl battered his way through the thick foliage with his Staff, he finally came to a clearing. In the distance, Rambiling Rock Ridge rose overhead like a storm cloud. The only thing between it and Starswirl was the river.
Starswirl trotted over the grass and away from the darkness of the Everfree. He looked over the river. It was far too rapid to swim across, and besides, Starswirl had heard tales of Sea Serpents living in this river.It was wide; too wide to teleport across, and there didn't seem to be any means of crossing. Starswirl stared in frustration at the other side. He would not let this get in the way of his quest. He was just about to turn around and look for a way to cross, when he noticed that there was somepony behind him. She was a young, Amaranth pink unicorn mare with a long, blonde mane and blue eyes. Her cutie mark took the form of a tree rising from the waves. The most striking thing about her, though, was that she was wearing a bridle. This was not just any bridle-it glittered as golden as a flame seen burning through water. Starswirl looked at her in awe.
After a few moments, Starswirl decided to say, tentatively; "Hello?"
The mare said nothing, but she looked away from Starswirl and instead looked to the forest. Starswirl decided to ask her a question which he was desperate to know.
"Do you know if there is any way to cross?"
Her head snapped back to face him. She nodded, slowly.
"Well, where is it?" Asked Starswirl, impatiently. "I haven't got all day!"
She walked over to the side of the river and beckoned a hoof at him. Starswirl approached with caution. The mare turned around and walked directly into the water. Starswirl glimpsed down into the river, when suddenly, two hooves grabbed him like seaweed, and pulled him down into the cold, dark water.
Starswirl shut his eyes as he was dragged through the water. He tried to break free of the strange mare's grip, but it was no use. It was like trying to escape a python, every time he tried, the grip became tighter. He could feel himself being dragged through slimy tentacles of weed as the water rushed through his fur. He did not know how much longer he could hold his breath for. Had he been given a couple of seconds preparation, he could have easily cast a spell giving him more air, but that was out of the question now.He could already feel the lack of oxygen through the pounding headache he was getting. Just as he felt he could not take it any more, he felt himself being pulled out of the water and onto dry land. He took a huge gasp of air, then fainted.
When he awoke, he felt himself laying on a strange, dry material, not altogether unlike hay. As he blinked his eyes open, he could tell it was not hay, but dried water weed. He staggered up to observe his surroundings. He was in a stone cave, with strange spheres of lights illuminating it in the corners. He felt through his robe until he found it-his concealed Rowan Staff. He breathed a sigh of relief, at least he still had his trusty Staff. He decided he would get up and explore his surroundings. It occurred to him he could hear running water coming from the floor. He looked down, and saw quite an interesting sight. In the dead centre of the room, there was a swirling vortex of water. Starswirl decided to stay well away from it, lest he should fall in.On the other side of the room, there was a gate made of iron bars. Starswirl cantered towards it, and attempted to use magic to open it. It didn't work; the door stayed as steady as a rock. Starswirl decided to do the next best thing: he started shouting.
"What is the meaning of this, keeping an old stallion like myself imprisoned for no good reason!? I was just an innocent traveller, but you ruffians have kidnapped me and...and there will be consequences!I have powerful friends you know!"
"SHUT UP!" Echoed a voice from the caverns. Or it could have been a thousand voices-Starswirl could not tell.
Suddenly, Starswirl heard the opening creak of a wooden door, and the marching of hoofsteps. He could not see far into the dark hallway, but he could just make out three figures marching towards him. As they stepped into the light, he noticed they were all apparently young unicorn mares-The lead one was a dark red colour, with a brown mane and a cutie mark depicting lighting striking the ocean. The second was a grey mare with a black mane, and a cutie mark with a wave hitting against a cliff.The last one was the mare who had grabbed him and pulled him down here. They were all wearing the same kind of bridle. The first two were looking at him with extremely angry stares, but the pony who had captured him was looking somewhat dejected, even guilty. The red one marched up to the iron bars and stared Starswirl in the eyes.
"Silence, whelp!" She shouted. Her voice reminded Starswirl of a breaking storm.
"What are you?" Enquired Starswirl. "You're certainly not ordinary ponies-there is no mare I know of that could keep me held down for long."
"Ha, they said this one was supposed to be smart!" Sniggered the grey one. Starswirl disliked this one's voice most of all-she sounded like water that was constantly eroding through a rock.
"We are the last of the Kelpies," Continued the red mare.
"Kelpies?"Said Starswirl, aghast. "But you went extinct hundreds of years ago!"
The book Denizens of Equestria has this to say on the subject of Kelpies
In every environment, the pony species has thrived. We have the Earth ponies, who have specialised to live on land, and the pegasi and alicorns who have evolved to live in the air. But a much lesser known fact is that there are some species of ponies adapted to living in the water. One such species were known as the Kelpies. These ponies live almost all their lives underwater and are only able to come to the surface if they are in sight of a large, natural body of water such as a Lake or River. Due to their environmental living needs, Kelpies and other ponies do not usually interact. This is probably for the best, as Kelpies are notorious for their malice and desire to kidnap lonely travellers.
Each Kelpie is given a golden bridle. They are given this by their parents as soon as they are old enough. These bridles are what give them their Kelpie powers;a Kelpie is not truly a Kelpie without their bridle.
"Just us three," The red one told him. "But you, Starswirl, you will engineer our glorious return to power! Your magic is the most powerful of any unicorn in Equestria, and we have heard rumours it even rivals the great Alicorns.With your magic, we will rule not just this pitiful forest, but all of Equestria!"
"Why on Equestria would you think I would have anything to do with your ridiculous schemes?" Guffawed Starswirl.
"Because,"The grey one hissed, "If you do not, you will die. And you won't die slowly. Us Kelpies have spent a VERY long time hiding, and we have had more than enough time to think up all different kinds of pain we can inflict."
"What a charming bunch of fillies you are," Muttered Starswirl.
The red mare turned to the grey one.
"Come on, Wavedancer, we have some planning to do," The red Mare said.
"But Stormbrewer," said Wavedancer "We can't leave this Wizard on his own. Who knows what kind of magic he could conjure to get himself out of here whilst we're gone?"
Stormbrewer flicked her head to the pink blonde Kelpie.
"You,"she barked,"Keep watch on the prisoner while Wavedancer and I are gone."
And with that, Wavedancer and Stormbrewer strutted out of the door.
Starswirl and the Kelpie were left alone. She refused to make eye contact with Starswirl. After a while, Starswirl decided to say something to break the silence.
"Do you have a name?" He asked gruffly.
"Silence, prisoner," Her voice was monotone, but there was a hint of sadness in her voice.
"You must have a name," Starswirl pressed on.
She looked directly at him for the first time in the cave.
"Moonswift,"She said. "My name is Moonswift."
"That's an odd name," Said Starswirl.
"Why is it particularly strange?" She asked. "It's not that odd;no more odd than your name, I should add!"
"No, it's not odd for most ponies,"Agreed Starswirl, "It's just I noticed that Kelpies appear to have more aquatic themed names."
Moonswift smiled shyly.
"I was born on the land,"She explained. "That's very unusual for a Kelpie; we are normally born underwater. That's why my mother saw it fitting to call me a slightly different name."
There was quiet for a while. This time, it was Moonswift who broke the silence.
"What is the forest like?" She asked Starswirl.
"The forest?"He asked. "Well, it's dark and cold, and full of irritating creatures-"
"No, no, no,"Interrupted Mooonswift. "I didn't mean like that. I meant, what is it like to walk through the leaves, to tread them underfoot, to inhale the forest air?"
Then Starswirl knew. Maybe it was something in the mare's voice, or her eyes, but he knew that she did not belong here.
"Why did you capture me?" Asked Starswirl." I know you don't want to be a part of their plans, not really."
Again, Moonswift's eyes dropped guiltily.
"My sisters can be very...threatening. I did what I did on the spur of the moment. I thought that maybe if I captured you they would-"
"Accept you," Finished Starswirl. "But you were wrong.Even if they had accepted you, you would not have been contented. You were born in the shadow of the forest, and the forest is the greatest link to the Earth that there is. You feel you belong to to the Earth now, don't you?"
Moonswift looked up, then nodded slowly.
"It's been torture for me. Every day, I look at the forest, and I can almost here it calling me. But I have never been able to reach it, for if I went in, I would surely die, for I would no longer be in sight of the river."
Starswirl looked at her, with as much pity as he could have for a mare who had just dragged him, none too gently, against his will, through a cold, dark river and slimy water weed.
"Is there no way you can leave?" He asked.
"There is one way,"She whispered "But I had never considered it before..."
"What is it?"
"The only thing that keeps me bound to the water is my bridle. I cannot take it off myself, and if I asked my sisters to take it off..."
She shuddered.
" I could ask you to take it off,"She said. "But if I did that, not only would I have to let you go, but I would lose my Kelpie powers and connection to the river."
"Do you really want this connection?" urged Starswirl desperately, "Do you really feel you belong here, or do you want to follow your destiny?"
Moonswift looked to the door her sisters entered through. Then to Starswirl. Then to the door again. Finally, she turned back to Starswirl and said four words.
Starswirl backed away from the iron bars, and Moonswift aimed her horn at the lock. A beam of dark green magic shot into the keyhole, and the door started pulsating.
"Step through it, quickly Moonswift hissed.
Starswirl galloped towards the iron bars, and they shifted aside as easily as if they were simply tendrils of seaweed. As soon as he walked through, the bars became solid again.
"Right,"Said Moonswift "You will have to follow me if you want to stand any chance of getting out of here."
She turned around and started trotting quickly down the corridor. Starswirl had to run quite fast just to keep up with her.
"Where are we heading to?" Enquired Starswirl.
"We need to get out through the Golden Gates,"She replied. "It's the only way we can bypass the room with my two sisters."
Starswirl looked left and right, and noticed by his dim blue magic glow that the walls were covered in various shells and underwater creatures. Some were alive, and a crab blinked back at him with large, black eyes, before scuttling up a pipe in the ceiling. He cantered down the hallway at a slightly faster pace.
They finally came to a large hallway with a glowing golden gate. The gate had a large, glittering wheel in the centre, very much like the steering wheel of a Pirate Ship.The room was entirely white, and there was a round porthole window on the ceiling, where numerous underwater creatures drifted lazily past.
"What do you think you are doing?"Echoed a voice from the hallway.
Starswirl and Moonswift turned around, only to find themselves face to face with Stormbrewer and Wavedancer.
"How did you know we were here?" Demanded Moonswift.
"My loyal little friend, Klutzy, here informed me that you and the prisoner were escaping through the corridor,"Said Stormbrewer, as the crab that Starswirl noticed on the corridor wall scuttled towards her.
"You see,Moonswift, I never really trusted you. You were always fawning over that ridiculous forest. It's not natural, it's not normal for a Kelpie."
"Who are you to decide what is natural and what's not?" Snarled Moonswift. "You're not natural. All our ancestors have either left the Kelpie race or become extinct!Your breed is a dying one, un-sister!"
"It matters not," Smirked Stormbrewer. "Because you will not be leaving this cave. Well, not alive, anyway,"
Suddenly, a jet of green light erupted from Stormbrewer's horn and flew towards Moonswift. Just as it was about to strike her, a light blue aura expanded, covering both Moonswift and Starswirl.
"Moonswift!"Exclaimed Stormbrewer, "He's a pony of the Land!Get away from him, you fool!"
"And let you kill me yourself?" Snorted Moonswift. "I really would be a fool then, wouldn't I?"
Stormbrewer's eyes narrowed. "You truly have fallen." She turned to Starswirl. "And you, you have corrupted our own sister against us. You are not worth all this trouble!"
A jet of red light shot out of Wavedancer's horn, and hit Starswirl's shield. A small crack appeared in the spot where the beam hit. Moonswift fired a stunning spell in retaliation, and it hit Wavedancer square in the chest. She was thrown backwards, and her limp body flew to the other side of the room.
Stormbrewer gasped in shock, then looked at Moonswift with a look of pure hatred.
"You...you've killed your own sister!"
Suddenly, a rapid volley of magical pulses hit Starswirl's shield. It was now peppered with cracks; it would surely fail soon.
Starswirl looked around the room. He didn't want to do this, but it seemed the only solution.
"Moonswift, duck!"
The shield disappeared, and a shot of blue light flew over Moonswift's head. It impacted on the porthole window, and water started gushing into the room. Moonswift and Starswirl managed to grab onto the gate's wheel, but Wavedancer and Stormbrewer weren't so lucky. The wave hit them from the side and washed them down the corridor.
However, Starswirl and Moonswift were stuck on the wheel as the rising waters threatened to engulf them.
"How do we get out of here?" Starswirl shouted over the din of the flood.
"There's a special access pattern,"Shouted Moonswift, "I think it's left...then right..."
Starswirl followed her instructions, but the flood was rising too quickly.
"And then...left again."
Starswirl tried to follow this last instruction, but the water dragged him away from the wheel at the last moment. Using his final ounce of strength, he used telekinesis to move the wheel. The gate swung open, but Starswirl was too tired to swim further.
"Starswirl," Shouted Moonswift, "Starswirl, wake up!"
It was, however, no use; Starswirl had passed out. Moondancer swam over to Starswirl's limp body, and grabbed him with her hooves. She swam out of the door with him, and dragged Starswirl upwards to the surface.
As Moonswift flew upwards through the water, she felt a pain in her right leg. She looked down and saw a red crab grabbing on to her leg.
Her eyes narrowed in anger.
"Klutzy,"She hissed, "Get OFF of me."
The crab, however, did not budge. She kicked out with her hoof, and the crab fell off. However, the overpowered kick loosened her grip, and Starswirl floated away.
Moonswift screamed, but Starswirl had drifted out of sight-the water was already murky enough, but it had been churned up even more by the chaos in the cave.
Moonswift swam towards him, but she couldn't find him anywhere. Usually, she could stay underwater for up to an hour, but she did not have time to take in enough air. She had no choice;she had to swim to the surface to catch her breath.
She burst out of the surface, and breathed in quick, short breaths. She was abut to look for Starswirl again, but a voice in her head told her; No ordinary pony could survive for that long without breathing. Her vision started to blur, as tears welled up in her eyes. Suddenly, there was a burst of water about five metres away, and a large blue flash appeared.
"S-S-Starswirl?" Stuttered Moonswift.
Starswirl's limp body was floating on a long, wooden stick.
"S-Starswirl?"Repeated Moonswift.
Starswirl did not reply. Moonswift nudged Starswirl through the water and dragged him onto the riverbed.
"N-no,"sobbed Moondancer, "Y-you can't be d-dead. What, what will I do now?"
Then, she remembered what she could do. It was dangerous, and she didn't know how well this would work, or even if it would work, but she had no other choice.
Her horn glowed green, but flickered out again. Darn, this spell was hard. She tried again and concentrated harder than she had concentrated on anything in her life. Finally, a wisp of steam floated out of Starswirl's mouth, and he started coughing.
"I'm-I'm fine,"Coughed Starswirl, "Just-just a bit of water in my throat."
Moonswift laughed from relief, and hugged Starswirl. She let go, and a question occurred to her.
"Starswirl, how did you escape?"
"Down in my cell, I sensed one of the glowing lights had an unusual amount of power surrounding it. Using its power, I managed to enchant my Rowan Staff with a spell that would allow it to save me from drowning. The spell was quick to do, and I figured it would be useful around here. Turns out I was right after all."
Starswirl staggered up on his four hooves.
"I'm fine,"He said, "I can walk."
"Now,"Said Moonswift, "I let you go, so you must fulfil your part of the deal,"
"What?" Said Starswirl, "Oh, right."
He tried to magically lift her bridle off, but nothing happened. The bridle didn't even glow.
"Starswirl," Moonswift said, "The bridle is resistant to magic. If it weren't, don't you think I would have taken off my sisters' bridles?"
"Of course,"Mumbled Starswirl. He hooked the Rowan Staff over the bridle, and it fell off easily. Suddenly, Moonswift collapsed to the ground.
"Moonswift?" Exclaimed Starswirl, "Are you okay?"
"Y-yes," She replied. Her legs were wobbling like jelly.
"It's-it's like the entire world has been shaking for your entire life and it suddenly stops."She gasped. "I'll be fine, it's just...an odd experience."
"Good,"Said Starswirl gruffly. He had had enough of all this water, and hobbled away from the river.
"Wait, Starswirl," Implored Moonswift, "You never explained where you were going."
"I'm trekking to Rambling Rock Ridge, " Said Starswirl.
"Yes, but WHY are you going?" Persevered Moonswift.
"I don't recall anything about explaining my top secret plans to you in our deal," Growled Starswirl.
Moonswift looked down dejectedly.
"Well," She said "I suppose our deal has come to end, so this is goodbye?"
"Yes," Said Starswirl bluntly, and swiftly trotted away.
As Starswirl trotted quickly away, he started to feel a little bit regretful. He had intended to keep his mission a complete secret and find the Ruby alone, but he now started realising how lonely he felt. He paused for a moment. "Bah," He grumbled, "The more ponies I get involved, the more likely my invention will attract unwanted attention, and anyway, she'd only get hurt. She barely even knows anything of the land yet. How could she help me with this quest?" Starswirl cantered off at a faster pace, attempting to shake off his feelings of regret. After walking over the grass plain, Starswirl finally approached the sheer cliffs that surrounded Rambling Rock Ridge. The top of the cliff was just in Starswirl's field of vision, meaning he could teleport to the top if he concentrated. Starswirl shut his eyes and disappeared in a flash of blue light. Starswirl landed on the top of the cliff and was greeted to a sight of a seemingly endless desolation-there were only a few scattered bushes and trees here and there, and none of the forest's larger denizens, such as manticores, would be able to hide in them. Starswirl smiled grimly. This would be perfect.
Starswirl trekked forwards across the harsh, rocky ground. After walking for some time, he saw a glint on the ground. Intrigued, Starswirl cantered towards it. When he reached it, he saw something that left him stunned. On the ground, there lay a red, sparkling gem. Could this perhaps be what he was searching for? Could this be...a fire ruby? Starswirl realised later he should have been more suspicious. For as soon as he stepped forwards, he felt a force pull him upwards towards the treetop. He felt a net made of a cold, black metallic material underneath him. It was a trap!
Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes, and three grey figures popped out. They were bipedal and they were quite short. Starswirl couldn't quite see them from his position, but he could still hear their voices. "What have we found here?" Rasped one voice. "It's...It's a pony!" Hissed another. Starswirl tried to teleport out, and his horn glowed blue, and then suddenly fizzled out. He tried again, to no avail. Curses! He thought. The net's material must be blocking my magic! "Wait."growled a third voice. "It just glowed blue. I think this one's a unicorn!" The figures started howling in excitement. Starswirl could not take much more. "Shut up!" He yelled. The figures immediately stopped. "Who are you and what do you want?" Starswirl demanded, "We are Diamond Dogs!" The first voice rasped. "You are magic pony. Magic pony will help us find gems. More gems than we have ever dreamed of!" At this, the dogs started howling in excitement some more. "Wait," shouted Starswirl over their racket, "Could you at least let me have that red gem?" "This?" Cackled the second voice. "This is Rose Bloodstone. It's worthless!" The dog threw the gem at Starswirl, who groaned. Tricked by a worthless gemstone! Starswirl felt himself being pulled down in the net. When he hit the ground, one of the dogs inched towards him, carrying a black rope. He bound Starswirl's legs together with it. "This will stop pony from getting nasty ideas about escaping!" He cackled. As the dog bounded out if the net, Starswirl felt himself being dragged along the ground in the net. It was not pleasant. After what seemed like hours, Starswirl felt the net stop. He looked up and saw the three diamond dogs attempting to light a fire. Assuming the dogs weren't too bright, he decided to try and trick them. "I know a spell to light a fire." He shouted to them. If you could just untie these ropes..." "Nice try, pony," rasped a diamond dog, "But we can make this fire ourselves." After several minutes, the dogs managed to get a small fire going. The largest diamond dog pulled out a satchel containing some meat. The dog broke off two small pieces, and gave them to his companions. "Take this one, Bert," he grunted to the first dog. "And you take this one, Bill." He growled at the second. Bert bit into his meat. "This meat tastes like chicken, Tom" he said. The largest dog, Tom, replied "Everything tastes like chicken." "Except chicken," Bill added, with a mouthful of meat, "Wot tastes like fish!" Suddenly, Starswirl had an idea. "Where can we get some real food?" Said a voice that sounded much like Bert's. Tom turned to face Bert and shouted "What did you say?" at him. Bert said back "I didn't say anything! You're hearing things!" "Hearing things am I?" Snarled Tom. "You are a liar and a whiner." He said to Bert. "Whiner yourself!" Said a voice that sounded very similar to Bill. "You shut your mouth!" Tom roared at Bill. "I didn't do anything!" As the argument continued, Starswirl grinned to himself. If he could only pull off these ropes, he would be able to escape. These voices were really hurting his throat. Just as he was about to loosen the rope, he felt two strong paws holding him down. "You miserable little worm!" Tom's voice growled at him. "I know what your game is. I'm keeping an eye on you!" Dejectedly, Starswirl settled back into his uncomfortable position in the net.
Starswirl's eyes opened slowly. He had had a restless night's sleep, and he awoke to notice there was a thick blanket of mist surrounding him. He looked around to see his captors were all soundly asleep. There must be a way out of this thing, he thought. He found the knot that kept the net closed. Starswirl knew how to undo almost any knot in under 5 minutes. He wrapped his hoof round eagerly around it and attempted to unknot it. However, when he found out what kind of knot it was, his heart sank. It had been created so that it could only be undone by claws. Of course, he could have undone it by magic if he wasn't on the inside of this horrible magic-sapping metal. Starswirl looked at the sleeping forms in front of him. The largest one, Tom, got up, yawned, then went back to sleep again. Starswirl heard a crunching noise in the sand behind him. He turned around to see the form of a unicorn approach him. "Who's there?" Starswirl whispered gruffly. "Shhh!" The figure whispered. "Moonswift?" Whispered Starswirl. The figure nodded. "What are you doing here?" Asked Starswirl. "I couldn't just leave you to go on by yourself!" Her green eyes looked into his blue. "When I walked into the forest, I knew that I truly belonged on the land. I-I owe you my life. So, I can't let you go into danger alone. Whatever your quest is, I will do what I can to help you."
Moonswift's horn glowed green, and the knot came undone. Just as Starswirl crept out of the net, the two unicorns heard a gruff voice emanating from the net. " 'Ere, 'oo are you?" Suddenly, the three dogs awoke. Tom was the first to get up and notice Starswirl and Moonswift. "There are two ponies!" He yelled. "Don't let them escape!" Bill and Bert sped towards the two unicorns. Starswirl shot a beam of blue light at Bert, but it bounced off of him. "Moonswift!" Starswirl shouted. "The gems round their necks make them impervious to magical effects! They win this round." The Diamond Dogs surrounded them. Bill and Bert had ropes in their hands, made of the same material as the net they had used to catch Starswirl with. In a flash, they had tied up Moonswift's and Starswirl's legs, and then went back to the fire, dragging the two ponies with them.
The three dogs sat around the fire, finishing their foods. Moonswift and Starswirl were not given anything. "Any chance of us getting anything?" Shouted Starswirl. Bert turned around to answer him. "We go underground soon, pony. You will get food then. Until then, be silent!" Moonswift's eyes widened in fear. "D-did he say 'underground'?" She whispered to Starswirl. He nodded. Moonswift whimpered. Starswirl felt a pang of sorrow for her. Having only just been introduced to the ground, he realised she would not be prepared for a long trek underground. He looked around at her, expecting her to break down, or weep. But she did not. She stared at her captors with a look of utmost loathing, and said only one sentence to Starswirl. "Leave this to me." She called out to the nearest diamond dog, Bert. "Hey you!" She shouted. All the dogs turned around. "What do you think you are doing, keeping me tied up like this?" Bert looked confused. "Pony can use magic. Pony will help us find gems!" "What about the gems you already have?" Bert looked even more confused. The other two looked the same. "Don't you remember our agreement?" She asked, with a subtle wink to Starswirl. "I wanted you to release me, and you wanted gems, so I gave you that giant bag of gems?" Bert looked more confused than ever. However, the other dogs turned their eyes to Bert, a look of smouldering anger on their faces. "What gems, pony?" Asked Bert. " Have you gone mad?" "Don't 'choo try and deny this, Bert!" Tom yelled suddenly. "If pony gave you gems, why did you not share it with us?" "Yeeah,"joined in William. "We share our gems. Why do you keep your gems from us?" "I have no gems," Screeched Bert. "The pony is lying!" "Lying is she?" Roared Tom. "You are lying! Show us the gems!" Starswirl looked over to Moonswift, and saw that she was untying the rope with her teeth. He quickly did the same, picked up his staff and supplies that were left next to him, and they snuck away, the sound of the dogs' raised voices fading into the distance, still completely oblivious their prisoners had escaped. When they were far enough, Moonswift and Starswirl stopped running. Starswirl turned to talk to Moonswift. "How did you know what to do?" He asked, quite surprised. "If you lived with my two sisters, you would know how to deal with bullies, too," She smiled. Although Starswirl was impressed, he still had something to say to Moonswift. "Moonswift, you cannot come with me on my adventure. I'm sorry, but you know very little of the land, and I would really rather do this on my own." Moonswift laughed. "Starswirl, you cannot do this on your own! I realised that as I was heading into the forest. You were the one who allowed me to finally achieve my dreams of escaping to my land. I cannot let you face danger and death alone. And you said it yourself; I know nothing of the land. How could I survive the forest on my own?" "I'm sorry,"Starswirl repeatedly stubbornly, "But the thing I'm looking for needs to be kept secret." "Then don't tell me,"She said simply "I know nothing of the land, so I wouldn't recognise it if I saw it." Starswirl looked at her suspiciously. "Are you sure you could go on a quest for something that you have no knowledge of whatsoever? Are you willing to take the risks?" "Yes," She said simply. "It's not about what we're looking for. It's about the fact that you helped me, so I will help you. Do you not understand friendship?" Starswirl scowled. "It's not about 'friendship'. I don't have friends. If you must repay the favour, then you may accompany me. But I don't have 'friends'." "Fine," She said, taken aback by his coldness. "If you feel like that, then I will come with you." Starswirl nodded, and they both walked together towards the edge of the Ridge.
The early morning light crept over the fields of grassland. There were a few bushes dotted across the landscape, and some birds erupted, tweeting out of the foliage. A white hoof trod forward onto the ground. A hoof belonging to Starswirl the Bearded. "Moonswift," He yelled to a pink figure far ahead of him "Have you seen anything? Are we near the river?" "Yes," a mare's voice yelled back. "But there is no way to cross." Darn, thought Starswirl, another river I can't cross. "Okay," he called back "Wait by the river until I get there." He watched the pink figure turn around and gallop away over the horizon. Starswirl reached the river, passing a small copse on his way there. Starswirl stared up at the great Foal Mountain on the other side. This was the mountain range that acted as a barrier between the North and South divides of the newly founded region of Equestria. "Well," he said to Moonswift "We have to try to get across this river somehow." "Starswirl," Moonswift ventured "Could you tell me, um, where we are going? I mean, you only said you couldn't tell me what we are looking for, but could you at least tell me where we are heading?" Starswirl scowled. "I will not tell you my final goal until you have earned my trust. Let us not forget, you kidnapped me and nearly drowned me. For now, we are heading towards Neighagra Falls, but we have to find a way to get across the river, first." Moonswift nodded as Starswirl turned to her. "Moonswift," he said " You're an expert on rivers. Is there any way to traverse this?" Moonswift trotted forward and dipped her hoof into the flowing water. She retracted it almost immediately. " The river feels...different," She said to Starswirl at last. " I think my connection to the water may be wearing off, but I can tell that there are powerful underwater currents. There is certainly no way for us to swim across." "Blast it!" grumbled Starswirl. "Another river I have to cross!" "There's one thing I don't understand," Said Moonswift . "I've heard tales of unicorns taking themselves and others miles through teleportation. Why can't we just teleport to the other side?" "That is not a safe method of using magic at all!" replied Starswirl. "Firstly, it takes an immense amount of concentration. It would take me days of meditation to muster up enough magical energy to transport me even a tenth of a kilometre. There are rumours of ponies who are able to teleport a long distance under significant threat, for instance, if their life is in peril. However, it's not at all recommended, since you can't get the destination right. If I were to try to teleport across this river, there's no guarantee I won't teleport directly into the river, which would not end well for me. No, we cannot try to teleport to the other side." "I migh' be able to help you with that," said a gruff voice emanating from a tree. Starswirl and Moonswift jumped, to notice a thin, brown Earth Pony lying against a tree in the copse. He was chewing on a strand of hay and wore a brown Stetson over his eyes. His cutie mark took the form of a raft among blue waves. Fast as lightning, Starswirl brandished his Staff and pointed it at the strange pony. "Who are you and where did you come from?" Starswirl snarled gruffly. "'I've been here all the time , friend," he said calmly " Not my faul' you didn't notice me," "How did you do that?" Asked Moonswift curiously, "I scouted the area and found no trace of anypony here." The mysterious pony smiled. "If I want to remain unnoticed, I have my ways," was all he said. "You still haven't answered my question," Said Starswirl "Who are you?" " Oh, I have many names," said the Stallion cryptically, "But you may refer to me as Bragoon." "Very well," said Starswirl, lowering his Staff, " Now, how can we get across?" "That depends," he said "Where are you headed," "At the moment,"replied Starswirl " We are headed towards Neighagra Falls. Can you take us there, or not?" "Neighagra Falls?" Said Bragoon in surprise ""Now why would two travellers such as yourself want to travel to there?" "Does it matter?" Groweled Starswirl, "Can you take us there or can't you?" "Well," Said Bragoon uncomfortably "I could, yes, but are you sure you want to go? There are tales of a cave there...ponies go in, and never come out..." "I have no use for old pony tales," muttered Starswirl, "Now, how much?" "Hmmm," said Bragoon, "I suppose I could...for 8 guinea bits." "8 guineas?!" Exclaimed Starswirl "We could buy our own boat for that!" Bragoon grinned. "From where? There's few in these parts who'd be willin' to rent a boat, let alone sell them." Starswirl muttered something under his breath, but he knew Bragoon was right. These parts were not known very well at all, and Starswirl was frankly impressed that anypony should choose to settle here at all. Which brought up another question. "Bragoon," he said "Why do you choose to live here? Why do you not live in the settlements to the east?" Bragoon chuckled. "My family have lived in the wilds for as long as we can remember. We have all made our livings from whatever our special talent is; farming, trading and now ferrying," he added with a touch of pride, "We have never had any reason to move to the east when we can make our lives out here," "Hmm, well," said Starswirl gruffly, "We're in a bit of a hurry, so" Starswirl summoned his travelling Staff and equipment " I'll give you the money now and we'll be on our way." Starswirl handed over the 8 guineas, and Bragoon grinned. "That's perfect," he said " Now, let's go! The Earth pony whistled, and a raft floated into view from the other side of the bank and stopped in front of Moonswift's hooves. Bragoon, Starswirl and Moonswift jumped on board and the raft, seemingly of its own will, glided into the west of the river.
The blue river flowed lazily northwards. On either side of the bank, tall reeds obscured the wide, green marshes. A small raft lazily drifted across the river. There were three ponies on it; a pink one, a brown one and a white one. The brown pony, Bragoon, was obviously the one in charge of the ship. With a simple flick of his head, he could change the direction the boat travelled in. "That's quite an interesting piece of earth pony magic," remarked Starswirl, the white pony. "It's how I got my cutie mark," said Bragoon, " I was on my raft as a colt, when I felt that I had a special kind of connection with it. So I tilted my head, and the boat moved with it. I've been on the water ever since." The pink pony, Moonswift, was at the back of the boat, staring at her reflection in the water. Who am I? She wondered. Am I really the pony of the land, or am I the Kelpie in the water? "What's up, missie?" Asked Bragoon, snapping Moonswift out of her trance. "Oh, nothing, nothing," replied Moonswift "Just...remembering." "Remembering what?" Pressed on Bragoon. "Times when I used to live under those waves. Of course, I was another pony...back then." "Are you familiar with the legends of the Kelpies?" Asked Bragoon. "You know of our race?" Said Moonswift in surprise. "Your race?" Said Bragoon. "Oh,I have knowledge of your race." "What kind of knowledge could you have of our race?" Moonswift asked " We were always a very secluded kind of pony, even before the days we were thought to be extinct." "Not always," Said Bragoon, with a trace of biterness in his voice. "Do you know the reason I am forced to live like this? A homeless vagabond? My family was not always like this. Long ago, we were the crafters of fine ships, ships of such finesse that my ancestors could even withstand the powerful waves of the legendary sea serpents. But one day, when my ancestors were resting in our harbour, they were attacked. The seas started to froth up, and suddenly, thousands of creatures charged out. Being a peaceful group, they could not fight back. Most of my kind were wiped out, but a few managed to escape and raise the alarm to the princesses. The came and managed to wipe out the Kelpie army, driving them back to the foul seas from where they came. But it was too late for the shipwrights; they were stripped of their wealth and their livelihoods. All because of the Kelpies."
"I...I'm sorry," Said Moonswift, with genuine feeling. " I never heard the story of my race like that. My family always told me it was the princesses who overthrew the kelpies, and that we had to take our revenge. There was alwys a little voice in m head that told me otherwise. Your story makes a lot more sense to me. " "You mentioned your family," said Bragoon, with a hint of fear. "How many of you are left?" "Only me," she replied, with a hint of sadness. "My mother died when I was very young, and my sisters...passed away recently." She paused for a moment. "Although, I suppose my race is extinct now. Since I removed my bridle, I'm no longer a Kelpie." "You're not a Kelpie anymore?" Said Bragoon in awe. "Changing who you are; that'd take guts, missie. At first I thought you might be a spy, but I found it odd you could stay on land for so long. But if what you say is true, as far as I'm concerned, you're a true pony. Try an' forget about your past; I know it always worked for me." "Thank you, Bragoon," replied Moonswift "You've made me feel a lot more welcome amongst the ponies of the land."
Night swept across the land like a cold northen wind. Starswirl and Moonswift lay in slumber across the boat, as Bragoon steered ever closer to the waterfall in the distance. What his tired eyes didn't catch, however, was the second-long pale glow eminating from the waterfall, nor the growl that caused a small avalanche on the side of the hills, but even he felt a slight rumble which sent a shiver down his spine.
Starswirl and Moonswift awoke as the morning sun broke over the horizon. They noticed the raft had stopped, and Bragoon was on the shore, watching them. About 200 metresahead of him was a huge cascade of water, crashing noisily down into a pool. Starswirl trotted off of the raft and onto the land. Moonswift lingered for just a second in the boat, but she leapt after Starswirl onto the ground. 'Well, here we are," said Bragoon. "Neighagra falls. I hope ya all have enjoyed your trip, but it's about time I left." "Where will you go now?" Asked Moonswit. "Will you go back to where we found you?" "To be honest, missie," he said, "What you said got me thinking. I've decided that maybe I should go and pay some of my family a visit. I'm heading to the town of Canterlot; one of my uncles owns a curiosity shop there, and I haven't seen my kin for a while now." "I hope you find your uncle," said Moonswift. "Farewell, Bragoon." "Thank you, Moonswift. May your path flow as steady as the river." "Enough with the nicities!" said Starswirl, somewhat harshly. " We have to set out on the journey immediately!" and with that he turned around and headed towards the waterfall. Moonswift followed him towards the curtain of water. She turned around for a last look at Bragoon, but he was there no longer. He had appeared to have vanished.
Starswirl sat down on the grass and leviated an apple and some bread out of his pouch. He passed some to Moonswift and they sat down to eat. "Starswirl," she said. "You don't suppose you could tell us where we are headed, do you?" "Hmmm," said Starswirl, thinking. "You had many chances to betray me on the river, and in the wilds, but you have proven yourself trustworthy so far. I suppose I could at least tell you our destination. We are heading to the Crystal Mountains." "The Crystal Mountains?" repeated Moonswift. "Why in the world are we heading there?" "I cannot tell you that," Starswirl replied gruffly, "But I can tell you it will be very dangerous, probably fatal, to travel there. You can turn back if you want." Moonswift gulped. "I agreed to help you on this quest, and I will not leave you now." She replied at last. They got up and started walking towards the waterfall. "But Starswirl, why are we heading into this place?" "There is something in here that should help us with our quest," replied Starswirl. Suddenly, there was a rumble in the ground, and the water lit up the brightest gold, just for a moment. Moonswift hid her head under her hooves. Starswirl, however, remained unfazed. "Or someone," he muttered. "Are you sure we have to go in?" whispered Moonswift. "I don't know if you were right, when you said that those stories were just old pony tales." "Oh, I'm sure I wasn't right. But we're here." said Starswirl, as he stood outside the water. "Follow me or don't; your choice." And with that he walked through the water. Moonswift stood outside. She tried to will her legs to move her forward, but they wouldn't budge. Cursing her cowardice, Moonswift sat at the edge of the water, unable to bring herself to face the terror within.
Starswirl trotted through the darkness. He illuminated the area faintly with his glowing horn. This takes up too much energy, thought Starswirl. I need to create a magical candle for this when I get back, or something. Up ahead there was a glint of something shiny at the back of the cave, and on top, there was a large mass, which rose up and down slowly, as if it was breathing. Starswirl smiled grimly. His gamble had paid off. He grabbed his staff and hit the end of it against the ground, and he shouted his enchantment out loud. "In the name of Orm, eldest of Dragons, I command you to awaken!" The creature's eyes opened, and there was an Earth splitting roar. The creature was a dragon: not a very large one, he was about twice the size of a large Cragadile, but was still a mighty force to be reckoned with. It had a dark green coat of scales, a sand coloured belly, light green sharp scales prodruding from its back and two long scimitar-like horns on the top of its head. He was entirely wingless. it stared at the intruder with a look of pure loathing. "Great Wyrm," said Starswirl, "You are a dragon, and I know your name, so you will now answer to me. Your name is-" But he was cut short, as a huge burst of bright purple flame leaped from the Dragon's jaws. Starswirl brandished his Staff and quickly shouted out an enchantment. "Stans Brann!" he yelled, and a blue aura formed around him, shielding him from the fire. Starswirl noticed a ledge at the top of the cave, and he teleported there in a flash of blue light. The dragon, enraged, sent another blast of purple dragonfire at the ledge, but Starswirl managed to hide himself behind an outcrop of rock, thereby escaping the blaze. "None can know the serect of my name!" The dragon bellowed, in a deep, dark roar. "I do," Shouted Starswirl triumphantly from above. "You are named-" But the dragon would not hear any of it. He thrashed his long,muscular tail against the wall of the cave, causing rocks to be dislodged from above Starswirl. One hit his Staff, knocking it upon the ground. He teleported back down to the floor, but this left him in plain sight of the dragon. Without his Staff, he could not create a spell powerful enough to ward away dragonfire. As the dragon's mouth started to glow, Starswirl prepared for the end. A fireball burst from the draon's mouth and flew straight towards Starswirl. Starswirl prepared himself for the flame that would incinerate him into a pile of ash, but it never came. Instead, he saw a great sphere being hurled towards him, the same size as the dragon's fireball, with a green glow around it . It was a huge ball of water, and it quenched the purple fire. From out of the waterfall, Moonswift leapt, her horn blazing bright green. "Get away from him!" Screamed Moonswift, her eyes alight with anger. The great reptile slithered towards Moonswift, and was just about to swallow her whole, when a voice rang out across the cave. "I name thee," Starswirl shouted "Limlung!"
The drake stopped in his tracks. He turned round to face Starswirl, a deep shock in his eyes. "There is only one on this world with knowledge of my name.." "My name," said Starswirl. "Is Starswirl the Bearded." An instant change came over the dragon. Where once was loathing, there came a glint if recognition in the creature's eyes. "My old master," he growled softly. Then he did something extrodinary. He bowed to Starswirl. Moonswift looked on in awe. "You...know this beast?" she asked Starswirl. "This 'beast' as you call him, " said Starswirl "Was once my pet, though when I knew him he was no bigger than a small dog. He is the creature that ate something very precious to me." "I am sorry, master," said the dragon, in a voice that made the cave rumble, "I was young and foolish." "Yes," agreed Starswirl, "And that is why I have come here, to ask you to repay your debt. Help me replace what you stole, and your debt to me will be fulfilled, and you may once again live in peace with yourself." The dragon looked into Starswirl's eyes. "All this time," he growled, "I have been living here as an outcast, the guilt festering inside my heart. It turned me into a bitter monster; I cared for nothing more than the gems in this cave and the hunger in my stomach. But now see what I must do. I will do what I can to aid you on your quest, Starswirl, in the hope that I may lift the greif that has riddled my heart these many years." "In that case," said Starswirl with a smile, "Welcome to the Company, Limlung!"
A squirrel hurried around the snowy plains. There was a mild blizzard, and he could barely move without a wind pushing him several steps back. He had buried supplies of food under the grass over the winter, and needed to find them in the early morning light. Last winter had been particularaly harsh; the rodent could barely find enough to sustain himself in the snows, and he was sure other squirrels would be up, also looking for food buried under the ground. Suddenly, two dark shapes descended upon the squirrel. He tried to run, but a sharp, cold beak grabbed onto his tail to prevent him from running. A black, harsh claw pinned the creature down. "Well, well, well," Croaked the first raven "What 'ave we here?" The squirrel's eyes darted around, looking for any way to escape. He noticed something large in the distance, and squeaked in fear. "It's a noisy little creature, isn't it?" screeched the second raven. "Never tried squirrel before," cackled the first. "I've heard they don't have much meat on 'em." The squirrel, although unable to respond, could understand every word of what the birds were saying. The large, black eyes of the squirrel in the snow widened in fright. "Might as well kill it now; It's the best we have this winter," Screeched the second, as he opened his beak over the squirrel's head, and he revealed a dark red interior to his mouth. Suddenly, there was a sound like an earthquake, and a huge, green reptillian foot with four claws thudded into the ground. The ravens squaked in terror and flew away, allowing the squirrel to scamper to safety.
Limlung trekked across the wide, open field. By his side was the former Kelpie Moonswift and they were both following behind Starswirl. Limlung felt slightly dazzled; he had not seen the outside world ever since he was a hatchling: he had had enough gems in his cave to sustain himself for a very long hibernation, and since most of the gems a dragon eats are transferred to its scales as a form of protection, he did not get overweight. The unicorn Moonswift had proved herself to be very aimiable in his eyes; she was very curious about what it was like to be a dragon, and she always seemed very impressed by Limlung's tales, which made him pleased. For instance, he would give descriptions of his gem hoard, or tell Moonswift stories of dragonfire, and how it had magical properties. Starswirl, however, would keep very quiet and not initiate or become involved in any form of conversation. This prompted Limlung to bring up a question to Moonswift. "Does the Wizard behave like this often?" Asked Limlung, in the quietest growl he could muster. "The Wizard?" Replied Moonswift. "Oh, Starswirl. Yes, he isn't really very talkative. But I thought you knew him before me?" "The last time I met Starswirl," Replied Limlung "Was when I was but a small creature, newly birthed from the egg. I have little to no memory of those ages past. You know Starswirl far better than I do, my little pony."
Suddenly, the Starswirl stopped. Moonswift and Limlung halted, as Starswirl looked down at the ground, then around him, as if remembering some kind of archway or gate. "What is it, Starswirl?" asked Moonswift "Are we in danger?" "Not yet," replied Starswirl "But we are on a very important site." "Where are we?" asked Limlung. Starswirl looked around sadly, but all he could see was miles of snow, stretching for eternity. "We are standing on what was the enterance to the greatest and most bountiful empire in Equestria." Said Starswirl. "Was?" said Moonswift. "The Crystal Empire," continued Starswirl blissfully, seemingly ignoring Moonswift, "Was a beautiful city, with crystal spires reaching into the heavens. It had huge amounts of crystal magic in it:so much that the inhabitants appeared to be made of crystal themselves, and this magic kept the entire empire warm throughout the year. This magic was so powerful that the emotions of the ponies that powered it would be transmitted throughout all of Equestria, and it was The Crystal Empire that was the main way Harmony could be brung to Equestria." "But Starswirl," said Moonswift. "You talk about the Empire as if you were there. If such a city did exist, there is no trace of it now, and something that big must have taken thousands of years to vanish completely." At this, Starswirl grew mournful. "Alas," he said "That would be true, if it was not for the destructive power of dark magic." "Dark magic?" repeated Moonswift. "There was an evil unicorn ," explained Starswirl "by the name of Sombra. He was the Empresse's most powerful magician, and her most trusted friend. The works of magic he created were amazing enough to rival even my skill. But in his works of study, he looked too deeply. He saw the power and stregnth he could gain from dark magic, which, when combined with the magic catalyzing crystals, would allow him to perform feats beyond imagination. It gave him a lust: a lust for control. Control of the Empire, control of everything he could lay his hooves upon. So one night, when the emperess was sleeping, he snuck into her bedchamber and attempted to murder her." Limlung and Moonswift listened in horror. "The emperess, however, awoke and saw Sombra, levitating a spear in front of him. He fired it at her, but she was an alicorn, so she managed to fly out of the way, leaving the spear stuck in the matress. She was just about to fight back, when Sombra unleashed his most powerful spell: the spell of fear. When the empress looked into his eyes, she saw nothing but her worst fear, being played out in her head. Nopony knows what she saw, only that the once great and noble alicorn was reduced to nothing more that a quivering Filly on the ground, and Sombra dispached her as she lay on the floor. The next day, he proclaimed himself King Sombra, and ruled the Empire under an iron hoof." "How do you know all this?" Moonswift asked. "The Empresse's cook," replied Starswirl, "Learnt of Sombra's scheme. Sombra, however, intercepted him and forced him to watch, stunned with a spell of muteness and concealment, as his beloved leader was assasinated in front of his eyes, being unable to lift a hoof." "Then what?" Whispered Moonswift, as the blizzard winds whistled louder "How did the Empire vanish?" "The two princesses," said Starswirl. "Learnt what had befallen the Empire, and took it upon themselves to try and save it. They confronted the Dark wizard, and after a long battle, managed to lay a spell on him that turned him into nothing more than a non-corporeal spirit, being destined to haunt the nearby Mountains forever." Right on cue, a howling, mournful wind sung past the company. Moonswift jumped. "However," continued Starswirl. "Just before the Princesses could finish he spell, Sombra screamed a curse which caused the very Empire itself to retreat into the ground, along with all its crystalline inhabitants. The princesses flew away, their mission a success, but at a terrible cost. For this allowed malevolent spirits such as the creature Discord to rise in power, and the Princesses had to resort to another way to keep evil in check; a way they have kept hidden even from me." Starswirl turned towards the North. "But our destination is not in the site of a disappeared Empire. It is in the Crystal Mountains." Starswirl staggared forwards, followed by the pink unicorn and the green dragon.
The rain battered down on the streets of the town of Canterlot. The wooden settlement was built into the side of a mountain, and it was shaping up to be one of the finest places in the land. It was rumoured even the princesses had their eyes on the place. There were shops galore; book shops, clothes shops, even the odd magic shop, among the homes of the Canterlot citizens' homes. The hooded figure cantering across the street, however, had his eyes on only one of these shops: Ye Olde Artifact shop The figure pushed the door open witha brown hoof, and a bell rung. He wiped his hooves on the mat, as a gruff voice emenated from within the dark, candle-lit room. "May I help you, traveller?" The figure in the doorway lifted his hood, to reveal the weather-beaten face of Bragoon. "Uncle Ascrod?" He said. "Bragoon?" Replied Ascrod. "Is that you?" "Yes," said Bragoon. "But I have no time for chatting. I've come to tell you about some things I found on my travels." And so, Bragoon told his uncle of his meeting with Starswirl and Moonswift, and how they went into the cave behind the waterfall. It was here Ascrod interrupted him. "Did Starswirl mention where he was going?" He hissed. "Well," said Bragoon, "Ah did here him mention something about going to the Crystal Mountains." "The Crystal Mountains?" Exclaimed Ascrod. "But what would a wizard want in..." He trailed off. It appeared that a great revelation had occured to him. He stood up, a hoof to his forehead. "What's wrong?" Asked Bragoon. Ascrod started pulling open draws and riffling through papers and scrolls, which he then distributed upon the floor. "Where is it, where is it?" he muttered, before finally grabbing onto an ancient, torn scroll with what appeared to be a map inscribed on it. "There's no time to explain," Ascrod growled. "You must get to this mountain before the Wizard. What he would unleash if he succeded in this quest would be too dangerous, too terrible for the world if it ever got into his hooves." "B-but," Stuttered Bragoon "He probably didn't get out of that cave. I warned him about the creature that lives there, but he wouldn't listen..." "Foolish colt!" growled Ascrod. "Starswirl is more than capable of dealing with the creature that lives in that cave. No, what we have to worry about is what lies in that mountain." "What is it?" Asked Bragoon "What must I find?" "A red gem," explained Ascrod, "Imbubed with what looks like flickering, dark fire. This gem will, if used correctly, generate unlimited power. But this one holds a darkness. A darkness that, if let loose, could cover all of Equestria in shadow." "What should I do if I find it?" Said Bragoon. He could see in his Uncle's eyes that this matter was of extreme importance. "If you find this gem," said Ascrod "You must bring it to this shop. Nowhere else." "But, what about the princesses? Surely they would know what to do with this item." "No!" shouted Ascrod. "If this gem fell into the hands of anypony with that kind of power, the world will already be lost. Especially the Princess that rules over the night; there is something I do not trust about her. No, you must bring it back here." Bragoon made to leave, when a question occured to him. "Uncle, how is it you know this and Starswirl made no mention of it?" Ascrod looked into his eyes with a much softer face. "There are some ponies, such as Starswirl, who take notice only of what they they know to be true. Although most myths you will come across really are just old pony tales, there are some with nuggets of truth in them. Now go! I take it you know the fastest ways to sail to the mountains, and this map will take you directly to your destination. You have little time to lose!" Bragoon nodded. "Farewell, uncle," he said, before trotting out of the shop as fast as he could.
Limlung opened his eyelids, but his vision was obscured by strange white spikes in front of his eyes. He groaned, and using his claw, wiped the icicles away that had formed around his eyelids. For two days now, the company had been trekking through blizzards and snows, with Starswirl striding ahead of them, seemingly the only one with any indication of their destination. Each night, they were forced to sleep inside ice caves which, whilst freezing cold, offered respite from the bitter wind that had plagued them on the surface. Limlung couldn't even light a fire to keep himself warm; Starswirl had reminded them that if he tried creating a jet of fire in an ice cave, the only thing it would be likely to achieve would be to cause the cave itself to melt. As he slowly became awake, Limlung reflected on what a terrible situation he was in. Dragons are creatures of fire, he thought, I have no place in this land of ice. All this for a moment's hunger.He stretched his claw to the sleeping figure of Moonswift to awaken her. She jumped. "I am sorry to awaken you," growled Limlung "But it is time for us to move on." They found Starswirl staring at a wall of snow. "Starswirl," Limlung rumbled "It is time to go. Why are you staring at a wall?" "Limlung," said Starswirl gruffly, "Can you aim a small jet of fire at this snow?" "But master..." "Do it, dragon!" Barked Starswirl. Limlung stopped for a second, then looked at the snow wall. He concentrated, and a column of smoke rose through his nostrils. Then, a jet of purple fire erupted into the snow, causing it to melt. Behind it, a long blue ice tunnel was revealed. There was a thin layer of water over the ice. "Let's go," said Starswirl, "Before this water freezes our hooves off, or in your case, Limlung, claws." The company walked through the ice tunnel into the unknown. They had been walking for about half an hour in silence, with nothing but the clip clopping of hooves and clicking of claws on ice, when Moonswift broke the silence with a question. "Starswirl, how did you know this tunnel was here?" "The dragon must have climbed into the mountain somehow," he said, half to himself. "Wait, what?" said Moonswift ,"What mountain? What dragon?!" "Ah, yes," said Starswirl, chuckling "I have not told you the mission, have I? I suppose I could tell you a bit more. There is a single peak in these mountains that rivals all others nearby. The inside is filled with all kinds of natural gems, but nopony has been able to go inside and look. This is because, before ponies had even found these lands, a creature of unmatched power and wickedness settled in the mountain. A great Northen Fire Drake, larger than all others known, heard tales of the mountain, and settled himself inside, resting on his hoard of gems. He calls himself Orm,after the legendary first dragon, for he believes himself to be the most powerful being in existance. And he has something, something of great value to me. That is why we are travelling to this mountain. That is why we are going on this quest. I will not tell you any more about the quest, most of what you already know is top secret, and there are some things I may not confide in anyone, until the time is right. And keep in mind we are the first ponies to ever come to the mountains this far North:even the Crystal Ponies never made it this far." "Starswirl," came Limlung's deep voice, "I see some kind of cavern up ahead." The company cantered forward, and stopped. What they beheld was so shocking, it left even Starswirl in stunned silence. They had stumbled on some kind of cavern, but it looked much more like a cathedral. The ice floor was perfectly flat and there was some kind of altar at the other end of the room. But the most unnerving things were the statues. They were of what appeared to be ponies, but very strange ones. Their legs and necks were too long, and they had hollow eye sockets. Moonswift felt a strange sensation in her head, as though there was a mosquito buzzing dully in her brain. As Moonswift stared at the altar, she could have sworn she saw something move. "Starswirl," she whispered, "I thought you said nopony had been here before us..." "They haven't," Starswirl muttered, his eyes darting back and forth between the statues "There's something not right here..." Moonswift looked at at the statue, and thought for a wild second its eyes had blinked. Don't be stupid, she thought. They don't have eyes to blink with. But she felt the hairs of her mane stand on end. The buzzing was getting louder. Starswirl, meanwhile, looked deep in concentration. "I know I remember these statues from somewhere..." said Starswirl out loud. He was growing more agitated, and the buzzing in Moonswift's skull was increasing. Suddenly, there was a rumbling growl from Limlung. "You don't know, do you?" he snarled. "The great and mighty Starswirl the Bearded has led his friends into danger and death with his schemes, and now, he doesn't know where we are!" Starswirl whipped round. "Friends?" he scoffed "None of you are my friends. You all owe me! Know your place, worm!" Moonswift felt sick. The buzzing in her head was making her see images; her sisters, torrmenting her and insulting her, flickered through her head. She felt angry, but not as much as she felt scared. She thought, in some far off plane, she heard cackling, in the manner of wind through snowy trees. Meanwhile, Starswirl and Limlung were getting angrier and angrier. "Do you not know who I am?" Roared Limlung. "I am a Fire Drake- my very breath could incenerate you where you stand!" "Try it, lizard!" Snarled Starswirl. "Stop!" shouted Moonswift. She was lying on the floor, with her hooves over her head. "Both of you. Can't you see? It's this horrible buzzing-you wouldn't be acting like this if it weren't for this sound." Starswirl and Limlung stopped, and started shaking their heads, as if trying to ward off the noise they had only just noticed. "What is this?" Hissed Limlung. He would not have felt this kind of fear had the threat been visible or tangible, but here was a threat that could not be seen or touched. Suddenly, Starswirl clapped a hoof to his face. "I've been such a foal," he muttered. "What-what is it?" panted Moonswift. She was lying on the floor with her head spinning. "Windigos," He hissed "This place is a Windigo dwelling." All three of them looked up and saw a terrifying sight. A host of white, horse-like spirits were slowly circling each other on the ceiling. They looked like they were in some kind of slow, ethereal dance, their ghostly moans howling like winds. "Come on," whispered Starswirl "We should start moving, before they notice us," The ponies and the dragon crept out of the hall and through the next part of the tunnel.
As they walked through the ice, Starswirl explained the nature of the spirits they had encountered. "Windigos are parasites," Starswirl told Limlung and Moonswift "They foster feelings of hate and ill will in the minds of any travellers they encounter, and slowly feed off their emotions. I had only heard about them from other sources before this, most recently my former student, Clover the Clever. She was there when this same kind of spirit cornered her and her allies from the other tribes in a cave, which led to the formation of Equestria. And remember that noise we heard back there? That was them, whispering into our minds." Limlung and Moonswift were left walking in silence. The idea of a creature that could invade and feed off their very minds troubled them. Starswirl, however, continued. "However," he said "What troubles me most is that Windigos are much like the creatures known as Pilot Fish. These fish swim alongside larger fish, such as sharks, and pick up the scraps of food they leave behind. Likewise, these spirits will normally be found near much more powerful spirit beings. I understand that the Windigos encountered by Clover were a starving group who were cut away from any other kind of food supply. But these ones here are different. I have a feeling something is wrong. There is something darker at work than the dragon here." They continued further and further up the sloping tunnel. As they did so, the ice got thinner and thinner, and the air started to feel warmer, but also more constricted. Eventually, the ice was all but gone, replaced by dark rock on all sides. As they reached a corner, Starswirl stopped. He turned around to face his companions. "Well, " he said gruffly, "It has been a long journey, but I think we have finally made it. We have reached the mountain." Starswirl paused, the gravity of the situation surprising even him. He was finally here; the place he could find the final part to the most ambitious idea that he had ever concieved. "My allies," he continued. "This is it. We have but to turn this corner, and we shall look upon the end of our quest. Are we ready?" Limlung and Moonswift nodded simultaneously. Starswirl smiled. "Then, onwards to victory!" He charged through the corner, followed by Moonswift and Limlung.
Moonswift had heard of the beauty of a full grown dragon's hoard, but none of the stories her family had ever told her even came close to preparing her eyes for what they beheld inside that mountain. The inside of the mountain was truly enormous; its cavernous interior must easily have been six hundred metres tall and three hundred wide. She gasped in awe as she saw the walls of this cavern, as they were all covered cracks, revealing huge deposits of gems in a kalidascope of colours; they sparkled with the light of a million stars in their blue, green and purple hues. Moonswift was so overcome by awe, as were her companions, that they did not notice, at first, the floor of the cavern. They slowly looked down, and saw something almost infinitly more beautiful and awe inspiring than the glittering stones in the wall. A vast mound of gold and jewels covered the entire floor of the mountain. The floor was covered in gems that seemed to be emitting some kind of glow, lighting up the mountain in a warm, soothing way. But there was one thing in the centre that was misplaced in this hoard of beauty; a huge, hulking, dark mass contrasting the beauty surrounding it, like a fat caterpillar in the middle of a flower patch. "Behold Orm," whispered Starswirl, "Greatest of the dragons in the North." The dragon was huge-Moonswift guessed he must have been about forty metres in length. The creature's tail alone was twenty four feet long. His two black, umbrella-like wings were folded in on itself, but they did not cover the vast, black, shining spikes that rose from the creature's back. Its head was nothing like Limlung's long, almost wolf-like snout. Instead, the monster's face reminded Moonswift of a snake, as it was short and blunt. Its eyes, however, were shut, and it appeared to be snoring. Two columns of grey smoke rose from its nostrils, and every now and again, there would be a small, orange flame in its nostrils. Starswirl eventually tore his eyes away from this sight, and called the other two to attention. Limlung was reluctant to look away; the gems seemed to be creating a form of intense hunger on his face. He dragged his eyes away from them to look at Starswirl. "As you can see, our quest is nearly at an end." Starswirl said.He paused, the only noise being the constant growling snores of the slumbering beast below. "There are many gems in this cave, some of value and power greater than anything either of you could imagine in your wildest dreams, even yours Limlung," he said to the drooling dragon. "However," continued Starswirl, "I am after only one of these gems. All the rest, you may take as payment for your loyalty to me." Limlung snapped out of his daydreams and concentrated fully on Starswirl. "You may have noticed the main obstacle in our way however-the one hundred and twenty foot long dragon. However, if you listen closely, I have created a plan that may just win us the day..."
The dark green, wingless dragon slithered down from the ledge. He saw the gems, exposed in the mountain like a wound, but forced himself to ignore them. His claws dug into the ledges on the rockface as he crawled down, gecko-like, to descend upon the golden hoard of treasure. As he hit the pile of gold with a soft clink, he moved, snake-like, through the gems towards the hulking, dark creature. As he got closer, he saw the creature twitch, and its room-sized head, with eyes still closed, face him. He stood, stock still, as the column of smoke dissipated from the monster's nostrils, which started sniffing the air. It's jaws suddenly opened, and with a voice like thunder, the dragon said "Who dares disturb my rest?" Limlung, for all his dragon bravery and pride, could not help but shiver. The voice sounded deep, like an earthquake or the rumbling of a storm. But there was something else there as well; a dark, forgotten whisper that radiated only fear and malice. Limlung, however, thought of the debt he owed Starswirl, and plucked up his courage. "Great Orm," he said, in a half growl,half whisper, "I have trekked through many places and seen many things, all to come to this one mountain. Such a place is befitting of one so terrifying and majestic. I wish to do your will, mighty Orm, so that one day I may become one tenth of the dragon you are." Limlung hated every word he spoke; dragons are naturally proud creatures, but Starswirl had given him very specific lines, so that Orm woukd not immediatly incenerate him. The only thing greater than a dragon's sense pride or their sense of greed is their sense of honour, which was lucky for Starswirl in this case. At the words which Limlung spoke, Orm laughed. This demonic sound caused the gems in the cavern to vibrate, and a few rocks collapsed from the sides of the mountain. "Interesting words for a dragon to say," said Orm in his deep, loud voice, with his eyes still closed. "That name you called me by, Orm, is one I have not heard in a while. Tell me, dragon, where did you come across my name?" Suddenly, a light flashed behind Orm. The wyrm turned around suddenly, his nostrils desperatly sniffing at the air. "What was that?" he snarled. "Nothing," said Limlung quickly, "I am sure your grandness would be more than aware of everything going on in his cave; look how fast you found me. But tell me, oh greatest Lord of Darkness, why is it you shut your eyes?" This was a question that had been bugging Limlung since he had started talking to Orm, and he needed to know why. There was something that wasn't quite right about it. The great black dragon smiled. It really was not a pleasant sight to behold; it was like all your worst nightmares, condensed into one look. "My, my what a curious little creature you are." Hissed the dragon, "Sometimes, you will find things are not always what they seem. Do you really want me to show you why I keep my eyes closed?" Meanwhile, Starswirl scampered quietly through the gem pile. He was relieved his scent-dampening spell had worked. Limlung was doing an excellent job of distracting the creature, he thought. Perhaps he would really find the Fire Ruby, then he could finally test out whether his experiment would be a success. Where would a dragon hide their most prized treasure? He wondered. He looked up at the great beast, and noticed its wings moved slightly everytime it spoke. Then he saw it. A tiny glint of red, adorning one of the creature's back spikes. Starswirl cursed his luck; the dragon had to go foil his plans in the most irritating way possible. There was only one way Starswirl could think of to get to the gem; dragons have extra thick scales, he reasoned, so the creature should not be able to feel him if he climbed across its back. In theory. Gingerly, Starswirl placed his hoof on the dragon's arrowhead tail, and started creeping forwards.
Limlung, meanwhile, pondered Orm's question. At last, he decided he needed to know. "Yes, great drake, please show me your eyes." The creature's grin got even wider. "Very well," he cackled, and opened his eyes. What Limlung then saw haunted him to his very soul. The closed black eyelids parted, and revealed two glowing, lime green eyes with red pupils. On either side of them, there were what appeared to be rippling ribbons, made purely of purple smoke. Slowly, Limlung felt the world around him melt away, and the dragon's horrible, mocking voice echoing in his ears: "Did you believe you could fool me?" The voice laughed, "Maybe your tricks would have worked on the creature you thought you would encounter; that vain, stupid creature who's body I took over long ago. No, you have not met a foolish lizard. I am your nightmares. I am your fear. And soon everything, everyone, everywhere will know of my name and the terror I will inflict upon the land. I shall once more be known as the greatest wizard in Equestria. I will have my revenge on the princesses that took away my power, and the world will know to fear the name of King Sombra!"
Limlung was in a meadow. He felt peaceful; more peaceful than he had ever felt in his life. To the North, there was a blue river flowing, and birds were chirping in their nests in the trees. A glorious eastern wind blew over his scales; it was a warm summer's day. Limlung gazed at the trees, and felt even more elated than he had before. What he had assumed to be fruit turned out to actually be gems, the largest, most delicious looking jewels he had seen in his life. He started salivating, and put a claw forward to get to the trees. Suddenly, huge, black iron bars exploded from the ground on all sides, encasing him in a cage. He felt himself being ensnared by a shadow, and he was being pulled downwards, along with the cage. He looked around himself in confusion.The sun dipped over the horizon, and the shadow pulled him down under the ground. He found himself in a room full of gems. He tried to reach his claw out to them, but none were in reach. Figures entered the room. There were two dragons, who Limlung noticed as his parents, and Starswirl the Bearded. His heart lept. Maybe they would help him get out. "I am so pleased to see you..." he started, but stopped as he saw the faces of his visitors. They were all looking at him with utmost fury. "You have betrayed us," said his mother, in her soft, icy tone. "No..." began Limlung, "You have let me down," his father roared, his voice like a hurricane. "No," said Limlung, louder this time. "And you have failed me." Ended Starswirl. "I could get you out. I could free you. And so could your parents. But we won't. You deserve the suffering that will come to you." One by one, the figures left the room. Limlung could take it no more. "No!" he roared, but to no avail. The only answer he got was his own echo from the walls.
Starswirl snuck over the dragon's back, only yards away from the gem. Just a little more, he thought, and I can have the ruby. Just a little more... The dragon was very still. It looked as if he was focusing all his concentration on one thing. The Fire Ruby was in reach. He concentrated, and the ruby glowed blue. Starswirl slowly summoned it towards him, then grabbed it in his hoof. He teleported back down onto the gems, picked up the bag that lay on the floor, and started rifling through it as fast as he cold. The dragon sensed something nearby. Reluctantly, Sombra lifted his gaze from Limlung to investigate the movements. This let Limlung free, and his eyes, which had been turned lime green, faded back to their original gold colouring. Tears were falling from them.
The black dragon turned his head to face Starswirl, who had taken something small and black out of his bag. "What are you doing here, wizard?" snarled Sombra. "Do you really think you can defeat me when I am in this form?" Starswirl gave him a mock bow. "Oh, great and fat dragon," he said, imitating Limlung's respectful tone of voice, "I do believe you have met your match. For I shall create something so powerful that you will be bannished like you were before, spirit!" With his magic, he clicked the Ruby into place on the amulet, and it glowed red. "Behold the power of The Alicorn Amulet!" shouted Sombra, as he placed it over his neck.
Limlung had crept away whilst Starswirl had distracted the beast, and Limlung had made it back to Moonswift. "What happened?" she asked quickly. "Are you alright? Did Starswirl find what he was looking for? I saw everything, but Starswirl told me not to move, he said..." Limlung held up his paw to silence her. "The dragon," he panted, "He is not himself. He is-he is possesed by the spirit of the Unicorn that took over the Crystal Empire," Moonswift's eyes widened. "What are we going to do? What powers does this spirit have? How can we stop..." Limlung held a paw up to stop her. "Calm yourself, Moonswift," he said "Starswirl will soon sort everything out." "But how?" She demanded. "How can he stop that creature?" "Very easily," said Limlung, "With his Alicorn Amulet." "Alicorn Amulet?" enquired Moonswift. "That's why we came here," explained Limlung. "Now he has the Ruby, I don't think he'll mind me telling you." "Telling me what?" said Moonswift, her voice getting panicky. "The whole point of this quest was to find the Fire Ruby in this mountain to supply energy to his Amulet," Said Limlung. "Oh no," whispered Moonswift. "We must get him away from that ruby. We must get him away from that Amulet!" "Why?" asked Limlung, in a concerened tone. "Because if we don't," she said in a panic, "All of Equestria will be doomed."
When Starswirl put the Amulet on, he felt a great surge of power coursing through his body. He could do anything, anything he wished, and his magic would obey. So this is what Alicorn powers are like,he thought to himself, giddy with excitement. But, he heard a little voice, at the back of his mind. What you could be with this amulet, it whispered. No longer would you have to look up at the noble alicorns. They would look up to you. All of Equestria would bow down to your hooves, you would have no equal. All you must do is claim the Amulet as your own. "Yes," breathed Starswirl, "The Amulet answers to me! " He turned to the great dragon, and there was a red flash in Starswirl's eyes. "You, worm, will be the first to fall. Soon, all of Equestria will follow down your path. You shall obey me!"
Limlung looked at Moonswift in shock. She went on to explain; "Long ago," she said, "My people were experts in gems and their powers. The most powerful was the Fire Ruby; a gem specifically aligned with dragons. When the dragon is old enough, the gem would be produced, and its power would reflect the soul of its maker. If the dragon was a good and well meaning one, its ruby would produce wonderful enchantments of light magic on those around it. If its creator had been evil, however, the power would be dark and cruel. I do not know how long this wizard has possesed this dragon, but if the spirit had been there when the ruby was produced, this ruby will have uncontollable amounts of darkness in it, as the soul of this spirit will inhabit the ruby. If used in conjucation with a magic device, it will corrupt its wearer's heart. A wizard as powerful as Starswirl with an evil heart would be increadibly dangerous, and when his powers are amplified..." Limlung shuddered. Moonswift looked down at Starswirl and the dragon. She said one sentence: "I need to stop him."
Starswirl cast a mind control spell upon the beast. It looked at him, its eyes glazen over. And then it laughed. A laugh so evil, so full of malice, that Moonswift and Limlung clutched their very hearts. "I knew it," hissed Sombra, "Ever since you stepped into this room, I saw the darkness within you. The ambition. Your Amulet will have no effect on me, because the Amulet IS me!" Starswirl gazed at him in horror. "And now, Starswirl, your time is up. With this Amulet, I will have more power than ever before!" And with that, an orange burst of flame burst forth from the dragon's mouth. It sent Starswirl flying across the cavern, and he hit the wall with an thud. Moonswift teleported herself down to the floor and ran to Starswirl's dazed body. The dragon grinned. "Another pony?" he smirked, "Well, isn't that interesting?" Moonswift ignored him and went up to Starswirl. "Starswirl," she gasped, "Are you okay?" "I've been through worse," he laughed. He seemed to have come back to his former self, albiet much more tired than before. Sombra's revelation had humbled him. Moonswift noticed the Amulet, and tried to pull it off. "It's no use," said Starswirl. "I've magically sealed it to myself-only I can take it off," He looked into her eyes. "You must be the one to use the Amulet," he said. "What?!" Said Moonswift, "But..." "No time to argue!" said Starswirl, "You must trust me. Take the Amulet!" She looked at him, then nodded. Starswirl removed the Amulet and placed it on her neck. As soon as it had been placed on, Moonswift felt the magical energy build up inside her, just as Starswirl had. She could do anything, anything she wished. Suddenly, a voice whispered into her head; Take the Amulet, It whispered. All those ponies who bullied you in the past, who tormented you, now you can take the revenge. Do you not hunger to be in their position? Take the Amulet, clam it as your own, and you will rise higher than they could ever hope to be. "No," she said out loud, "I need to use this for one job only; I do not need great wealth or power to be content." She looked at the great creature, its face smug in its victory, and she knew exactly what to do. She smiled, and using the exact same spell she had used to save Starswirl's life when drowning, only a thousand times stronger, her horn glowed red, and she shot a beam at the dragon. The creature was locked in place, its jaws gaping open in frozen laughter. Suddenly, out of its mouth, a darkness poured. A darkness of pure shadow, with two green eyes. It was screaming; "No, you can't do this to me!" But it had already fully left the dragon's body. It crept out of the cave, out of the mountain, with a final, parting warning: "I will be back. No matter how long it takes, I will get back my Crystal Slaves. And Equestria will know my wrath." The spirit was blown away by the breeze.
The cavern fell silent. The three quest members lay resting, their adventure over at last. After about an hour of them resting, Moonswift asked Starswirl a question. "Starswirl," she said "How did you know that the Amulet would not affect me like it just affected you?" Starswirl chuckled. "My dear,' he said, "Isn't it obvious? All my life, I have been striving to be greater, to be more powerful, never stopping to think, was I content? Could I not stop where I was? But you Moonswift, you have never desired any kind of greatness or power. You simply desired to live on the land, away from your sisters, and live your life like that. How could Sombra influence a heart as pure as yours?" Suddenly, something struck Moonswift. "The dragon!" she exclaimed, and got up. Orm was lying on the floor, breathing in and out heavily. Moonswift walked up to his snout. "Are you alright?" she asked him nervously. "Save your pity, pony," he snarled, "I am dying. That fell spirit entered me in my last moments. Filthy...creature..." he wheezed. "Isn't there anything we can do?" asked Moonswift, tears forming in her eyes. "None of this was his fault: he doesn't deserve to go!" But it was too late. The dragon shuddered, gave out his last breath, and was still. Everyone stayed silent for another hour, the silence broken only by Moonswift's weeping.
Eventually, Moonswift looked down at the amulet. "What should we do with this thing?" She asked, picking it up. "It's rightfully yours now; you were the only one capable of withstanding the darn thing," said Starswirl. "What you do with it is up to you."
Moonswift, Limlung and Starswirl stood upon the mountaintop. Moonswift walked forward, amulet in hoof, and threw it with all her might down the mountain. "That's that," she said. "Now let's go." As Limlung walked away, she noticed Starswirl looking dejected. "It was all for nothing," he said as she approached him, "The danger and torment we were all put through was for nothing." "That's not true," she said sternly "Imagine If the dragon had awoken, and it was possesed by Sombra. Imagine the damge it could have done if we hadn't stopped it." Starswirl looked up at her and smiled. "I suppose you're right. Now let's go home."
As the ponies and dragon went back through the tunnel, a figure walked up to the red and black amulet in the snow. A brown hoof picked it up, and the figure examined it closely, before placing it in his bag and walking back the way he came.
And so, the company left the mountain, their quest at an end. They walked past the Windigo's cavern; Starswirl discovered another tunnel that would lead them around it. They walked over the snowy plain where the Crystal Empire once stood, and Starswirl thought he heard a sound like a whisper, saying "Crystals..." but it faded, like smoke on the wind. They walked past Neighagra Falls, where they dropped of Limlung. After he had gorged himself on gems in the mountain, he said he needed to rest in his old home.
"I have fulfilled my debt to you, " rumbled Limlung. "However, I know your quest did not go exactly the way you planned, so if you ever need my aid, you have but to call my name," "Thank you, Limlung," said Starswirl, "You are a truly noble dragon. May your flame never dim."
When he was gone, a question occured to Starswirl. "Moonswift," he asked ," I said you could take any gems you wanted. Did you take any at all?" She nodded, and levitated out a small purse with her dark green magic. Inside was a small, purple pearl. "I took a liking to this," she said wistfully, "It reminds me of home." They walked away from the Falls, past the bush where they had met Bragoon and through a field, until they reached the river near foal mountain. "How will we cross?" asked Moonswift "With this," said Starswirl, pulling out an orange gem from his bag. "I found it in the dragon's hoard. It contains enough magical energy for a few long range teleportation jumps," there was a flash of blue light, and Starswirl and Moonswift had teleported to the other side. They were on the bank of the river where Starswirl had first met Moonswift. "It feels so long ago, doesn't it?" Said Moonswift, "Like I was a different pony back then. Well, I was..."
They went inside the Everfree forest. Moonswift's eyes were wide in awe. She had been here before, but only very breifly. Now she could drink in the forest: its sights, its smells, the calls of the wild birds that played in its treetops and the dried leaves beneath her hooves. There was no talking between her and Starswirl in the forest-she seemed entirely at peace here. Starswirl the Bearded looked into the trees, and saw a glimse of a creature in the trees. It appeared to be a chicken, but with dragon wings and a snake tail. Instead of attacking Starswirl, the cockatrice took one look at the two unicorns, and flew away as fast as he could, while thinking: Oh no, not again.
At last, they came to the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, where they were greeted by a white alicorn, Princess Celestia. The princess greeted both Starswirl and Moonswift, and asked how the journey went. Starswirl sat down to explain it to her. When he had finished, Celestia looked at him with a face of shock and fear, but a small part of her had already known the amulet would be trouble, and she was not sad to know it was gone. Moonswift, however, needed to ask a question that was plaguing her mind. "Um..." she started, "Your-your majesty?" "Yes, young one?" asked Celestia, "Well...Um... What-what about me? Where will I stay now? My family's home is all but destroyed, and even if it wasn't I couldn't get there, so where can I live?" "Do not worry, Moonswift," said Celestia, "I am sure I can arrange a house in Canterlot for you. I hear there is one with a large lake that was recently put for sale, would you like that?" Moonswift looked at her in awe. "You-you woukd do that for me, your majesty? I-I don't know what to say..." "From what I heard from Starswirl, you have done far more than earned it. I thank you, Moonswift." Moonswift blushed, then muttered, "Could I go inside?" she asked, "I'm feeling quite cold," "Of course," replied Celestia, leaving her and Starswirl alone.
"Do you know if that Amulet could ever be recovered?" asked Celestia. "I do not think so," said Starswirl, "It is in a very remote place." "Good," said Celestia, then she said, "You seem to be quite friendly with Moonswift..." she began "I know what you are going to say," interrupted Starswirl, "And I must respectfully disagree. She was a loyal, clever and useful ally, but I couldn't call her a friend. I am sorry, mentor, but I do not believe that friendship is going to be of any use to me, and I shall leave it at that." There was a silence between them. Starswirl eventually broke it. "I believe it is nearly time for the sun to rise," he said. Celestia nodded, and walked away totake off. Starswirl muttered to himself, "I hope that Amulet never falls into the wrong hooves, for there is no magic I know of that could vanquish it," No magic YOU know of, Starswirl, thought Celestia, as she flew up to raise the sun.
There was a knock on Ascrod's door. "Have you got it?" he hissed. Bragoon came in with his satchel bag. "Uncle," he said," The Ruby was already placed inside the Amulet when I found it, but it was lying in the snow. I have it here," he reached a hoof into the bag, and placed the Alicorn Amulet on the front desk. Ascrod looked at it in awe. "We must hide this away," He whispered, "Nopony must ever find it. This is very, very dangerous," "I did what you asked, uncle," said Bragoon, "Now, I must go back to my home." "Very well," said Ascrod, but as Bragoon walked out the door, he called behind him, "But please visit me one day, will you?" He said, "It does get very lonely here, sometimes." Bragoon paused, looked at his Uncle, then nodded.
Here is an excerpt from Ascrod's Last Will and Testament,
This message shall be passed down to all my ancestors, I will ensure it. You may find a black Amulet with a red gem, hidden somewhere in the shop. Do NOT reveal it and most cerataintly, you cannot sell this Amulet to ANYPONY, no matter how much they may offer you-it is far too dangerous."
