"Is that really possible?" Twilight and the others were absolutely flabbergasted at such a revelation! "I thought only allicorn ponies could live for thousands of years."
"You have said it yourself on several occasions, princess," Tirek continued. "Starswirl The Bearded was the 'the most important conjurer of the pre-classical era'."
"I did say that, although..."
"...then I feel we can both agree that Starswirl is powerful enough to perform such a feat as extending his lifespan to match that of Celestia and Luna's."
"I was going to ask why this isn't discussed in any of the books I own on him?" Tirek's face grew even more stern and serious.
"A cover-up."
"A what now?!" Starlight questioned, astonished.
"There are certain individuals...individuals just like me—including me, actually...formerly—who would stop at nothing to capture him. Their reasons vary from simply desiring to plagiarize his magic, to more...sinister motivations, as was the case with me a thousand years ago, when he became friends with my brother Scorpan, preventing me from taking over Equestria. I have to admit..." Tirek suddenly looked startlingly sombre. "When Queen Chrysalis helped me break free from Tartarus a second time, I planned to finish what Scorpan and I started all those years ago. But now, I have seen how truly cruel and wicked those who invade really are, and I no longer wish to harm Starswirl. My brother had the correct ideology all along...and it has taken me a thousand years to realise it! That's why I've been sitting motionless all these days: I've been thinking things through. Indignant, revenge-thirsty, and self-centred—these are the emotions that filled me before I joined forces with all of you. But after seeing how efficient this group is, and after witnessing Stellas Spatium's loathsome actions, I can honestly say I am now all of those emotions...but towards Stellas Spatium alone, and nopony else...that is a promise."
"Do you know where we can find Starswirl?" Discord inquired rather bluntly. He wanted to get straight to the point!
"After Luna and Celestia sent me to Tartarus, I heard nothing of him nor my brother," Tirek confessed. "But he has to be hiding somewhere in the more desolate areas of Equestria, somewhere barely populated."
"What makes you so sure he's still alive?" Trixie asked, narrowing her eyes somewhat as she spoke.
"Before I was imprisoned, he was talking to Scorpan about making some sort of spell that would give him as many years as the two princesses themselves. And if I know, Starswirl..."
"Then he's succeeded!" Twilight said confidently. Tirek nodded.
" We should search within the rocky mountains located just outside Canterlot first," he said. "That is his most likely hiding spot; him and Scorpan often visited them when they were in need of peace and prosperity." Twilight Sparkle was overjoyed this secret was now an open secret—she considered Starswirl The Bearded to be one of her personal heroes, and had enjoyed learning as much as she possibly could regarding his adventures for as long as she could remember.
"I...think I have enough strength to perform another teleportation spell," she stuttered, and Cadance clearly concurred. "Hold hoofs, everypony." They did, and in the twinkle of a star in the evening sky the group were in the very same landscapes Tirek had mentioned.
"Excellent!" The purple pony patted Cadance on her neck gently with her hoof. Cadance began to laugh quietly.
"I can tell you're over-the-moon about getting to meet Starswirl," she said. "I know it's for literally the most important cause in all of Equestria, but that doesn't mean you can't be who you are. It's vital for ponies to remain as upbeat as possible in times of desperation."
"Of course, you're right," Twilight sighed. Ordinarily, she would have possessed a similar attitude to the one her former babysitter had just outlined, but this whole ordeal with Stellas Spatium had simply affected her far too much for that sort of idealism. It'll soon be over, Twilight thought. The statement may not have been verifiable, but it was certainly comforting.
"Now, we have a thought-dead wizard to locate!" Fluttershy announced. "Yeah...that sounds a little weird," she giggled. "I really have to work on those major announcements of mine, huh?"
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They trotted through the mountains for what felt like several hours—their manes became untidy at best in the humid wind, they travelled in constant fear of having sand blown into their eyes, and perhaps worst of all: the heat that scorched endlessly from the noon sun was absolutely unbearable and unlike anything any of them had ever experienced.
"Man, is it hot out here!" Starlight cried.
"If my knowledge of Equestrian geography serves me correctly," said Discord, pulling a complicated-looking map out of seemingly nowhere. "We're actually rather close to the equator."
"Indeed! Only several dozen kilometres away; if we went any closer, we'd soon boil to death," said Twilight. She was utterly adorkable!
"There seems to be a cave in the interior of this mountain," Starlight pointed out.
"Good work, former pupil," said Twilight. "Come on, everypony! Let's see what it'll bring us."
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The interior of the cave-like dwelling was as dark and silent as a small village when the tranquil blanket of nightfall is bestowed. Trixie and Shining Armour illuminated it through the use of their horns, which lit up like a night-light at their behest.
"I don't think he's in here," said Trixie. "I don't believe anything is."
"Quiet!" Cadance scolded. "The last thing we want to do to the one of the greatest magicians to have ever lived is startle him."
"Too late," The voice that spoke these two simple adverbs could hardly be called a voice; its vocals were raspy and ancient-sounding, and it could have very easily been missed were anypony talking at the exact instant it were uttered.
"Who's there?!" Shining Armour hastily darted his horn all around the interior of the cave. "I'd show yourself if I were you!"
"I know...I know," the voice carried on. And then the owner of the voice did show his face! It was, as expected, none other than the famed Starswirl The Bearded himself!
"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Twilight took out an asthma inhaler and inhaled some beta2-agonist. "Sorry," her voice was now far more relaxed. "Just doing my best impression of my friend Rainbow Dash. But now I've finished. So..." She coughed. "I just want to say...calmly...THAT OH MY GOSH, I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M REALLY GETTING TO MEET YOU IN THE FLESH STARSWIRL THE BEARDED...I...I...I'M ONE OF YOUR BIGGEST FANS EVER...WITH...WITH...AND I HAVE SO MANY BOOKS ON YOU...AND..." Everypony else shot Twilight a warning look. "Sorry," she giggled nervously. Starswirl looked just like he did in all the artwork depicting him, albeit with many exceptions: his hat and cloak were torn, his once-gorgeous grey coat was now flaky and much darker, his eyes were bloodshot and his unicorn horn slightly chipped at its very tip.
"Why?" He wailed childishly. "Why have you all come for me? I've finally been found, have I? Yes! You've all come to plagarize my magic and..." He noticed Tirek. "It may have been...well, I have no way of knowing exactly how long it's really..."
"One thousand years!" Tirek exclaimed. Starswirl suddenly appeared even more dazed than he had been when the group had located him.
"Well...I never forget a face. You are Tirek, brother of Scorpan, and at long last you have come to exact your revenge on me." Starswirl began to laugh like a lunatic. Twilight Sparkle quickly stepped directly in front of Lord Tirek.
"Actually, Tirek doesn't really care about you, specifically, anymore. We've come because you're our only hope of defeating the one is angry with."
"Oh...why should I help all of you slaughter some poor innocent soul?"
"Poor? Innocent?! Tell him, Twilight!" Discord demanded. And she did. She told Starswirl everything that had happened during the past few weeks, right from the very, very beginning, when Scootaloo went to meet Rainbow Dash for a flying lesson, with the others occasionally dipping in to support her claims. When she had finished, Starswirl looked more dumbfounded than ever before! After a lengthy pause, he said:
"I do believe you. It's not the first time a menacing foe has attempted to seize the land. But, can I really help you all?"
"That's what I said, when the Crystal Heart was destroyed," Sunburst pointed out. "But I found out that if you truly believe in yourself, you can achieve almost any conceivable feat. Any!" Starswirl thought things through.
"Well..." He began to pace (him and Twilight were alike in many different ways). "I'll try. But I cannot guarantee anything.
"We can't ask you to do anymore than that," said Twilight.