It did take them a very long time, but they did eventually find something very interesting and different and unique and special and odd and unusual to finally distract them from their very long and hard journey.
It was a tree, a black one, but what made it what it was, well there was ‘black smoke clouds’ over the top of it as he described it even though he (later on) knew that it was very dark and powerful magic that hung over it completely.
“What do you suppose that is?” he asked Felicia and she squawked a response.
“Yes I know that it’s a tree, that much is obvious, you don’t need to be sarcastic with your responses you know, you can be kind and nice for once.”
She squawked once more again and then he looked at her, “If this had a different rating I would say a very naughty word about you, but as it is I can only call you the worst thing that this rating system will allow me to, a jerk.”
Felicia squawked back a response.
“Oh come on,” he said very loudly, “It wasn’t that bad.”
She then merely just turned her head away ignoring him completely.
“Fine then,” he said, “Act that way if you want to, but I’m going to explore the tree and I don’t care whether or not you think it’s stupid to do so or not.”
And with that said he slowly approached the tree and as he did he began to feel uneasy and afraid, and he also wanted to use his magic for evil now too.
The tree was corrupting him with very powerful dark magic, he thought then, I must ignore it and press on,
I must continue this journey no matter what happens to me, and so with that thought in his mind he slowly went on towards it, but as he got closer its influence only ever grew more powerful.
And then it did something he hadn’t expected it to do, it spoke to him.
Well hello there, Star Swirl the great and wise powerful wizard, very to some.
“You can speak?” he asked it with shock and surprise.
Of course we can, but I do not blame you for being shocked and surprised, most would be if they ever came here, but you are the first, and the only reason for that is because you wanted to see the end and edge of this land, and you are finally here at last, for slightly beyond me lies the endless western ocean.
I am the last and only living thing that is this far out west, but some would not consider me to be living, yet
I am, I live within all of you simple little tiny ponies.
I may not be seen, but I am heard of by all, my name may not be spoken, yet I still live on within their memories, ideas, dreams, hopes and fears too.
I am both the end and start, I have no reason or logic and many names.
I am Chaos, I am Discord, I am Entropy, we represent all of them.
We are few and many and lie far in between, yet we are always close too.
“You speak in riddles, just tell me who or rather what you are exactly, and do it right now, I care not for these silly little tiny games, and I am a wizard.”
I am the Tree of Chaos, but we are the Elements that represent Chaos.
Let me tell you are names, there is the Element of Dark Magic, the most powerful one of all, there is the Element of Betrayal, there is the Element of Deceit.
There is the Element of Cruelty and Hatred, there is the Element of Despair and Woe. And finally, there is the Element of Greed.
We are in opposition to the Tree of Harmony which stands in your home town forest, we seek to eventually destroy it even if we know it may take some very long time and that it may be in vain, but we will still try nonetheless.
I speak for all the Elements, but they can also speak for themselves too.
Try to take one away if you will, and see the consequence most ill.
“Okay, the riddles were bad enough, but your rhyming really sucks, did you know that or what?” he said moving over to the gem in the middle of the tree.
I care not for your silly little tiny opinion, you are beneath me, and even though I know that you have made yourself immortal, I also know that I will even outlast this any other universe and world, but you cannot, you will not in the very end.
But go on, try your luck if you dare, for great danger and peril lurks behind every gem, let us see how you do in the end, for surely you will fail.
And with that said he touched the gem in the middle and instantly his mind was filled with thoughts and ideas that were not his own, for they were all very evil and most (if not all) involved him in taking control over all the lands.
Do you feel the power that flows deep down inside you now?
He did, but he also didn’t like it and tried to resist it and all the thoughts and ideas that went through his mind too, he needed to be strong.
Do not try to resist, it is futile, come and join with us and me and we will make you the most powerful wizard of all time, and I will be a great addition to that legacy, come on and put me on, do not fear, no pony else can take me off with any kind of magic once I am worn, just let me in and I will show you a whole new world that is completely different and one that is far more better than this one. Let me in and you will never have to fear for anything else ever again.
Let me in and we could rule this world together as one.
Let me in and I will make all your dreams and wishes come true.
Let me in and all your thoughts and ideas will be reality.
Let me in and you will have great power, fame, wealth, and love.
Let me in and all will know your name and fear and respect you too.
“I already have love and respect,” he said, “And I don’t want to be feared either.
And I already have fame and wealth and great power too, there is nothing that you could ever possibly offer me that would make me ever accept you.
Your attempts at buying me over have failed, and it is you that is the one who is weak instead, not me, for I have resisted all of your vain attempts.”
Not all of them, you still have yet to hear the others, and they are far less kind than me, and I would highly advise and suggest that you do not listen to them.
They cannot give you what you really want, not truly, only I can do that.
“Never trust something that says it can give you all that you want,” he said, “Chances are that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, besides, your own joy cannot be given to you by others or bought, but only found and looked for and then finally discovered and explored, and you cannot ever give me that,” and with that said he pulled the black gem out of its proper place.
What are you doing? The tree asked in fear and panic.
“I am removing your source of power and corruption, and while I know that you will not die from this, or at least not yet perhaps, it will still make your influence less in these lands at least, and that is worth any price to pay.
It is far better more than any pain that you could ever inflict upon me.”
You foolish pony! Do you not fully understand what I am giving you? Do you not fully understand what I am offering you here? This is a once in a lifetime event and opportunity and you’re just throwing it away like it’s garbage or something else! Besides, even if you did strip me of all my power, my gems still can speak to your mind and all the other minds of ponies, the rest of the world is theirs, and you cannot hide it from them, they will eventually crawl out of wherever you put them, and wherever they are put they will find a way out of darkness and shadow and find their way into another’s heart and mind and soul to corrupt them. Their influence will be great and large even if it is still only very small and isolated and tiny, no matter what you do you cannot hide me, you cannot conceal me, you cannot destroy me, many have tried before, and all have failed.
In the end all of you will fail, and I will still live on.
And know this, the time and day will come where you cannot stop us from being used by another, and when that day and time comes, you will weep.
For then you will remember my warning, and you will curse your stupid foolish recklessness and choice, and then you will wish to change the past.
But you can’t, and you never will either.
“How very inspiring and realistic yet still depressing and misguided,” he said gathering all the gems into his ‘backpack’, “I guess that these gems would work better alone rather than together?”
Yes, we are the Elements of Chaos after all, we have no Harmony.
“Well then, it was nice chatting with you, but I have a new direction to head towards, the North, and hopefully there I can find a spot to hide you.”
Didn’t you hear what I said at all? You can’t ever hide me.
“In the long run, no, but short term, yes, and then you can be forgotten too.”
Hide me, bury me, try to destroy me, it does not matter, I will still win in the end.
“In your dreams,” he said, “But keep that hope alive, it’s good for you.”
And with that said he slowly walked away from the tree as the clouds suddenly vanished, but then he heard a voice from within his small tiny little pack.
I am still here you know, and I always will be, you can’t ever get rid of me even if you wanted to, my power and influence and corruption will be too much.
“Maybe,” he said, “But then again, perhaps not, who knows? I certainly don’t and I doubt that you would know either, now then, please just shut up.”
As you wish, your command is mine, my master.
“I am not your master,” he said, “Or your slave either.”
Would you rather me call you something else completely different instead?
“Call me by my proper name if you must ever speak at all.”
As you wish, your command is mine, Star Swirl.
And with that said the gems remained quiet as he went towards the North.