The long lost tale of Star Swirl's love has remained a legend for years.... Until now.
Many little fillies are told the tragic lost tale of Star Swirl's love when getting ready for bed, but is it legend or actual history? Follow Winterspell's adventure back to Equestria to find the famous unicorn she loves most.
“What? But I’ve already told you that one two times this week!”
“Please, mom?”
“Well… Alright.”
I was tucking my little mare, with her tan coat and auburn mane, in for the night with the usual bedtime routine, which always ended with a story upon her request. Her favorite was the mournful tale of Winterspell.
“Once upon a time,” I began, “There once lived a beautiful unicorn with a sleek, white coat and mane, both as white as snow. Many handsome colts, unicorn, pegai, and earth ponies, wanted to court her, but every time she would turn them down.”
“What does ‘wanted to court her’ mean?” my little mare asked.
“It means they wanted to get to know her a little better before they would marry,” I explained.
My little filly’s face lit up and she smiled.
“They only loved her for her looks,” I continued, “and not what was on the inside. All she wanted was someone to love.
“One day, she had happened by the middle of town when she bumped into a young unicorn with facial hair. They began to talk to one another. Everything he would say made her heart leap. That is when she knew she loved him.
“She became desperate to know the name of the wonderful colt. As she inquired him of his name, she became dumbfounded. It was none other than Star Swirl the bearded himself, known throughout the land as the greatest unicorn on the face of Equestria.
“Winterspell never thought she would fall in love with the great magician and scholar. She didn’t care about that. She loved how he could make her smile. They began to court one another, loving each other’s company.
"One gorgeous night, they found themselves cuddling together by the side of a moonlit pond. They had been courting, by that time, over a year. After a moment of silence, Star Swirl popped the question and Winterspell happily accepted. Unfortunately, these star-crossed lovers would not receive their happy ending.
“All of a sudden, there came a mighty roar and a horrifying beast emerged from the forest. It was a giant red bull, snorting and stamping his hoof into the ground. It used a burst of speed to run towards them.”
I smiled as my little filly tenses up with a terror she had experienced every time I told her the story. She is very easily amused.
“It charged after Winterspell, who jumped up and tried to run away. Star Swirl gave the bull chase. They all trampled through the Everfree forest, running past trees and vines. Soon, Winterspell was trapped in a small alcove with the red bull charging straight for her.
“Star Swirl was quick and used a magic spell to give his love wings to escape her peril. She flapped her new wings vigorously, but she could not fly high enough to escape the danger.
“The great magician had only one option. Quickly, he opened a portal to send the beast away to another world. The bull quickly lost the battle with magic and disappeared into the vortex. Star Swirl, relieved the danger was gone tried to close the portal, but it stayed open.
“Winterspell, still trying to fly, began to be pulled toward the vortex. It wasn’t long before she, too, lost the battle. As she dove deeper into the portal, she screamed his name. Then the portal closed forever.”
By now, my filly was in tears. I wrapped my hooves around her and pulled her close.
“Star Swirl, devastated by the loss of her love, vowed he would never love another and stayed by himself for the rest of his life. They say that, to this day, Winterspell is wandering the world she was banished to, and when you open any portal to another world, you can still hear her scream.”
Quickly, I tickled my little filly until her tears of sadness were tears of laughter. She quickly began to quiet down and nestled into her bed.
“Mommy?” she asked as I was about to leave her room.
“Yes?” I asked.
“Is Winterspell really still wandering?”
“… I don’t know that for sure, sweetie,” I answered. “No one does. But it is possible.”
She smiled and quickly fell asleep.
***
Winterspell stood in the middle of a quite forest, surrounded by the silence and the trees. The wind gently blew her hair back. Tears gently slide down her cheeks as she peers at the sun.
Slowly, she started to trot through the forest, trying to keep her chin up. As she walked, she left a hoof print trail of frost behind her. Magic was scarce in the world around her, and her magic was strong after her emotional trial.
She had been wandering for years now, in a world so unfamiliar to her. Everything looked the same, but she knew not where she was. All she had done was wander around the small forest, living off the grass sprouting out of the ground.
She was too scared to leave; on the account she knew not what lay outside the forest. All the creatures in the forest had been kind to her and treated her with the upmost respect which helped her through the ordeal. She missed Star Swirl dearly and thought about him every night before she fell asleep.
As she was trotting along, she saw a small house a small distance away from the edge of the forest. Cautiously, she slowly trotted towards the edge of the forest to get a better look.
It was a quaint, light blue house with two stories and a large backyard. Winterspell had never seen a house quite like it back in Equestria. She jumped as she heard the snort of a wild beast erupt from in front of the house. All of a sudden, a giant metal beast started running away from the house on strange, circular feet. It was a strange sight. She wanted to get closer, but stopped for fear she might be seen.
Then, two small children, a little boy and girl, opened the back door of the house and ran outside, running and rolling around in the fresh green grass. Winterspell was shocked. She had never seen anything like it. Two, small, fleshy creatures wearing clothing and playing in the grass.
Suddenly, the little girl stopped and peered into the forest, spotting Winterspell and erupted into a surprised gasp.
“Pony!” she exclaimed.
The boy stopped and looked into the forest. Quickly, Winterspell ran as fast as she could away from the house. She could still hear the little girl crying out in glee at the sight of her.
Winterspell had managed to run all the way to the other side of the forest, panting in exhaustion. She laid down on the ground, resting her head and closing her eyes. Her heart yearned to go back home, to Equestria. She started to cry. It wasn’t long before all the creatures of the forest were by her side, trying to comfort her. With their help, she was able to calm down and finally rest for the day.
Twilight Sparkle was located in the Canterlot library with Celestia. She had requested several weeks ago to visit the Star Swirl section of the library, and Celestia finally allowed her to check out one book.
As they walked along the dusty shelves, Twilight’s eyes glimmered with excitement. She had only glimpsed at these books before when she had broken into the library to find a time spell. Now she could actually take one home to read! Observing each finely crafted title on each leather bound spine, chills ran down her back at the thought of reading them.
Celestia chuckled a little to herself, watching her pupil go crazy at the gigantic decision of just one of the many great secrets of her dear old friend. Just looking at them made her wish he was still around. She began to remember all the old memories…
Twilight saw a book entitled Location of Other Worlds, sparking her curiosity and used her magic to pull it off the shelf. As the book moved from its spot, another book fell out of place and landed on Celestia’s back. Startled, Celestia jumped and the book fell off her back onto the floor.
“Are you alright?” Twilight asked.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Celestia replied.
Twilight noticed the book on the floor and promptly put the other one back. Using her magic, she picked up the fallen book and looks at the cover. It was a book entitled Winterspell.
“Winterspell?” Twilight asked aloud.
Celestia stopped dead cold. She had not heard that name in decades. Star Swirl had mentioned it once, but would never explain it. She wanted to know more.
“Winterspell, you say?” Celestia questioned.
Twilight nodded, opening the book to the first page. It was a dedication, which said: To my love. May the many years together last longer than time itself. Now she was confused. Star Swirl never married, at least not to her knowledge. She turned to Celestia.
“Who was Star Swirl’s love?” she asked.
Celestia began to speak, but paused, pondering the answer.
“Star Swirl, as you know, did not truly understand friendship,” Celestia started. “I never knew he had his eye on somepony, let alone him meeting anypony new.”
Twilight, intrigued at this, started to read the first chapter. It talked about the fateful day he bumped into Winterspell and how they began to talk. Star Swirl was so enchanted by her words that he immediately fell in love with the mare.
“It looks like Winterspell was the name of his special somepony,” Twilight said after closing the book.
“I wonder why they never married,” Celestia thought.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” Twilight smiled. “This is the book I’m checking out.”
***
Twilight sat on the lawn just outside her castle, reading attentively and trying to piece together the mystery. As she was reading, Rarity and Sweetie Bell walked up to her.
“Hey, Twilight!” Sweetie Bell chimed.
“How are you today, darling?” Rarity asked.
“I’m fine,” Twilight mumbled, still focusing on the book.
“Whatcha’ reading?” Sweetie Bell curiously asked, looking at the book.
Twilight quickly looked up at them.
“It’s a journal by Star Swirl,” she explained. “He wrote it when he met a mare named Winterspell.”
“Winterspell?” Sweetie Bell looked puzzled.
“It’s that just a filly’s bedtime story?” Rarity asked.
“What do you mean?” Twilight said, confused.
“Our mom would tell us the sad tale of Winterspell, who fell in love with Star Swirl.”
Twilight quickly stood up.
“How does it end?” she asked frantically.
“Well,” Rarity continued, “After a year, Star Swirl proposed, then a wild red bull chased them. Star Swirl banished the bull to an alternate world, but Winterspell accidentally was banished, too.”
Twilight’s jaw dropped. Was that really what happened? She had to know. Using her magic, she picked up the book and flipped to the back of the book. There was only a single, lonely paragraph to be found. It read:
Unfortunately, due to my foolishness, Winterspell has met her fate too soon. We were supposed to spend the rest of eternity together. Now, she is lost in the infinite space of other worlds beyond our own. I will continue to search for her until I breathe my last, dying breath.
Twilight stood there, eyes wider than saucers. Slowly, her magic faded and the book fell to the ground. Rarity and Sweetie Bell gave each other a surprised look.
“I…. I can’t believe it,” Twilight stuttered. “… I have to get this to Celestia, IMMEDIATELY.”
Quickly, Twilight dashed into her castle, turning corners on a bit to get to the library. She burst through the doors and accidentally woke her baby dragon, who was taking a nice little nap.
“Spike! Take a note!”
Twilight used her magic to shove a piece of paper and quill. Stubbornly, he grabs the paper and quill and poises, ready to start writing once Twilight has enough breath to stutter her first words for the letter.
“Dear Princess Celestia,” Twilight pants. “I have found that Star Swirl’s somepony, Winterspell, was accidentally banished to another world by his own magic. Star Swirl writes in his journal that he would spend the rest of his life looking for her. It is very possible she may still be alive. Please respond as soon as possible. Sincerely, your pupil, Twilight.”
Spike finishes the last word and quickly lights it aflame, sending it to Princess Celestia herself. He then looks at her with a puzzled glance.
“Winterspell?” he asks with a yawn. “Isn’t that just a filly’s fantasy story?”
“I’m sorry to say this, Spike,” Twilight begins, “but that story just became Equestrian history.”
It has been months since the fleshed two-legged creatures moved into the house. Winterspell continued to watch the children play outside from a distance where they would not spot her. They laughed and giggled, rolling around in the grass. They acted like fillies and colts in a schoolyard at recess. Despite the obvious physical differences between each other, they were very close in likeness.
Some days, one or both of the parents would walk outside to join in the excitement or to call them inside. Other days, there were no children in sight. The odd schedule puzzled Winterspell and made her curious.
On a cool afternoon, Winterspell heard a roar similar to the one she heard when the creatures moved in. Quickly, she ran towards the house and caught a glimpse of a smaller beast with circular feet running away from the house. Inside were the parents and the children. Now, the house was empty.
Feeling incredibly curious, she marched straight through the backyard up to the front door. She used her magic to disengage the lock and the door slid easily. Slowly walking inside, she found the house to be quite like a pony's. Now, she was in a teal colored kitchen, complete with teal colored utensils, big and small.
Trotting around the house, she found the stairs and followed them up to the bedrooms. It had been years since she saw the inside of a house and began to feel homesick. She approached the door at the end of the hallway and opened the door using magic.
There was a big king sized bed in the middle of the room with gray furnishings. Next to one side of the bed was a desk stacked with large piles of paper. On the other, a large vanity sat. Winterspell approached the vanity and peered into the reflection of the mirror.
She was still as radiant as the day she fell out of Equestria's warm grasp into the clutches of this inhospitable world. Opening her wings, she began to feel a weak strand of magic, trying so hard to keep the wings from dissolving into nothing. Then, she noticed a small jewelry box.
Quickly, she opened the lid. Inside, there were several rings and earrings, none of them peaking her interests. There, in the midst of all the dazzling stones, was a diamond necklace. Her eyes glimmered at the luster of the precious rocks against the silver chain. She had to have it. Sweeping it up with her horn, its cool touch on her snout soothed the aching pain in her heart. It was almost as if Star Swirl was standing right next to her. The memories came flooding back, turning on the valves that had spilt thousands of tears already.
Suddenly, there was a door slam downstairs and the happy screaming of children throughout the house. Winterspell froze dead cold. The diamond necklace felt like it was burning her horn and flesh. With stiff steps, she moved herself into the bathroom. Each clop of hooves against the tile made her cringe. Using her magic, she unlocked the window and flung it open. She heard footsteps approaching the bathroom, and with her fight or flight instincts kicking in, she jumped.
Quickly outstretching her wings, she flapped them vigorously, trying to keep herself aloft in the air. She used her legs to create momentum to push her towards the forest. She only hoped she was quick enough to avoid detection. Her wings soon grew tired and she fell to the ground, skidding across the dirt and tarnishing her snow-white fur.
It was not long before all the animals gathered around her once more, froze in fear that the beautiful creature of the forest was injured. She lay there, panting in exhaustion with the diamond necklace still adorning her horn. Slowly, she adjusted herself to lay down more comfortably, but followed by a burning sensation. She cringed in pain, alerting the animals of her discomfort. Two strong bucks were quick to her side and gently rolled her over.
The area of her skin that had scraped against the ground was now dark earthy brown mixed with a metallic silver: unicorn blood. The animals began to cry out in terror at the sight. Winterspell, wanting the burning to stop, used her magic to try to cool it. The ground around her began to cover with frost. The atmosphere became cold, which made the animals flee. The magic continued to spread until the whole forest became wrapped in an early winter.
***
Somewhere in the raging blizzards of the North Mountains, there dwells a sacred beast that is known to but a few. His name is Winter Fury, the Lord of the Mountains. A buck in Equestria, one with a light blue fur, fading grey eyes, and white muzzle, mane, underbelly, and tail. His legs started out light blue and slowly transitions to snow white, as did his wings. His antlers and horns were pure white and dazzling. He was gorgeous and one of the only male alicorns alive. Ruler of the mountains and master of the winter season, he is the king of all herds of deer in all the world. His castle resides at the top of the mountains, forged of ice and stone.
A few months back, he had visited a herd that lives at the foot of the mountains. The Chief had debts he owed him, so he had come to collect the payment. Unfortunately, the Chief could not pay him, so he took the most beautiful winged doe in the herd. Her name was Fortune Star, dark maroon fur balanced with a soft brink pink colored muzzle and pink to lavender transitioning hair with dazzling dark blue eyes. Now, she resides with him on the mountains.
Now, Fury found himself on the balcony outside his room in the dead of night. The usual blizzard had calmed down, letting the moonlight glisten across the fresh snow. It was only an hour ago that he had laid himself down for the night, dead tired, only to be awoken by the sense of powerful magic. He knew no one was on the mountains. Where did the magic come from? No one had set foot on the mountains since the magic pegasus who threatened his way of life was dethroned by two ordinary ponies.
He closed his eyes and searched for the magic once more. He waited for a minute in complete silence. Suddenly, an image flashed in his mind. Startled, he opened his eyes. It flashed again: an image of a portal to another world. In the distance, a scream. He shook his head, panting at the amount of magic he had used to trace it.
“It… It can’t be,” He gasped.
“What can’t be?”
Quickly, he turned to find the beautiful Fortune in his presence. The moonlight highlighted her features in a way that enhanced her beauty. He smiled in delight, making her blush and shy away from him. She was so bashful for being so beautiful.
“Nothing, my dear,” he spoke calmly, draping his wing over her back. “Come, let us return to bed. We will be leaving the mountain early tomorrow.”
***
It was a beautiful night. The moon was full and the stars gleaming against the night sky. Twilight was walking with Celestia in the castle garden. A warm, summer’s night breeze drifted by. Now, Twilight was worried after complete silence from Celestia since they walked into the garden.
“Twilight,” Celestia began, “I am astonished with your findings. However, you must not pursue after this. It’s too dangerous. Even Star Swirl knew that.”
“But Princess Celestia,” Twilight stuttered, “She’s still out there, waiting for passage home. We have to help her!”
Celestia glared at her.
“Star Swirl lost his life working on his research. A spell incorrectly cast is a dangerous thing. It caused an explosion which disintegrated him.”
Twilight’s jaw dropped. She knew Star Swirl had died many years ago, but she never knew the cause. Falling to her knees, she suppressed wails and bitter tears. Tenderly, Celestia draped her wing over her, surrounding her with warmth. It was quick to calm Twilight down and allowing her to fall asleep.
The cold breeze of the winter winds on the mountain flew through Fury’s mane. It ruffled his feathers and blew through his fur. He dreaded the thought of the warm Equestrian air beating down on him through the day, but this was important. He must report this to Princess Celestia directly himself.
Beside him drifted Fortune, whose hair gently glided behind her in a big, fluffy cloud. Her blue eyes shimmered in the sunlight and made her more radiant than ever. She would glance back towards the castle every now and then. He had forgotten that she had not left the castle since he had brought her there a year or two ago.
They flew past Cloudsdale and Ponyville until they reach Canterlot, the capital of Equestria itself. Many ponies watched them in awe as they flew over, making Fortune very bashful. Landing in front of Canterlot castle, Fortune kept close to Fury with her mane hiding her eyes.
Celestia had heard they were on their way when a pegasus reported their presence outside of Cloudsdale.
“It had been a while, Winter Fury,” Celestia greeted him.
“Yes, it has,” he replied.
“What brings you to Canterlot?” Celestia inquired as they began to walk into the castle.
“Unfortunately, it is not good news,” Fury answered as he and Fortune walked with the princess. “Last night I was awoken by a sense of magic.”
Celestia walked into a conference room with soundproof walls. Once they were all in, Celestia closed and locked the door.
“What sort of magic?”
“Unicorn magic. The puzzling thing was it was more powerful than Alicorn magic, but it didn’t come from an Alicorn.”
“How is this possible?”
“I’m not sure. All I know is the magic wasn’t made in this world. It was from somewhere else. It was so powerful, it crossed dimensions.”
Celestia’s eyes widen.
“You don’t think… That Winterspell was the one who casted the magic… Do you?”
“It’s possible, your highness,” Fury answered. “She’s a smart mare and was very good with magic, especially when she took lessons from one of the most powerful unicorns alive.”
“What should we do?”
“If the magic was from her, there is a chance that she might cast some more. If I can get another sense of it, I will be able to open a portal to the world and retrieve whatever is creating it.”
Celestia nodded.
“It sounds like a solid plan.”
Fury bowed, as well as Fortune.
“We must be off, your highness. I cannot stay in this heat any longer.”
Quickly, the couple walked out of the castle and began to fly through the air. However, they did not head home directly. They stopped at the top of the tallest mountain in Equestria. At the top, there was a cave with a dim light glowing from inside.
Fury motioned for Fortune to stay outside, then entered the cave. There were tables covered in potions and bookshelves line with thick cases of literature. In the middle of the room sat a black cauldron, boiling a green liquid over a roaring fire. A cloaked colt stood next to it, stirring a big wooden spoon with his magic. He looked up at Furry with golden hazel eyes.
“It has been a while, old friend,” Fury began, “But I have pressing news to inform you with. I sensed some powerful magic last night, and I believe it might have been Winterspell.”
The eyes beneath the cloak widened and the hood fell back. Star Swirl did not look much older from the day he lost Winterspell, but he had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep.
“Could it really be her?” he asked.
“It’s possible,” Fury answered, “I won’t be able to trace it until she uses magic again.” Star Swirl rubbed his eyes with his hoof, wiping away tears as he did.
“You do not know how much happiness you have brought me today, my friend,” He softly spoke. “I have longed to hold that mare in my arms again.”
“I will inform you of any news that may come about this predicament,” Fury responded. “Until then, my friend.”
Fury walked out of the cave and flew away from the mountain with Fortune. Star Swirl walked over to a straw mattress in the corner of the cave and laid down for a well-deserved rest.
***
It had finally happened. The last of Star Swirl’s magic faded and Winterspell’s wings had disappeared. She sobbed for nights on end when it happened. She knew there was nothing she could do but put on a stiff upper lip and continue to survive.
The flesh creatures began to wander about the forest as of late. They travel all around, following streams and studying plants along the way. She had to be wary every time they came through. She worried that one day she will be spotted and lose her chances of rescue.
The diamond necklace had managed to slide down around her neck instead of dangling from her horn. It was much more comfortable this way. She felt a little guilty stealing from the creatures, but it reminded her of Star Swirl.
She found herself getting a drink from a nearby stream, trying to replenish her strength. The water cooled her throat and was sweet tasting. She lost all thought at she continued to sip from the creek. She was unaware that the little girl was standing only ten feet away from her.
The small child had a big smile upon her face as she stared at the creature of beauty. Winterspell finally stopped and lifted her head from the stream, spotting the child before her. Frightened, she whinnied and reared up on her back legs, kicking her front hooves. This scared the child, who began to cry out.
Winterspell landed on all hooves and backed away from her. She was petrified to the spot where she stood. She could not move no matter how hard she begged her muscles to give. Suddenly, the parents of the child were quick to her side. When they saw Winterspell, they gasped in astonishment. The man pulled out a small device, pressed a few buttons, and waited before beginning to talk to it as if it was a living being.
Winterspell whinnied again, rearing back up. The woman quickly grabbed her child and held her close to her. Then the woman spotted the necklace around her neck and her eyes became wide. She said something to the man, but he was too busy talking into the device. Her muscles finally began listening to her and she galloped away from the creatures. She only hoped she would be fast enough to avoid capture. She zigged and zagged past trees and bounded over rocks. She was going to fight for her freedom and no one was going to stop her.
