//------------------------------// // Last Discovery // Story: Stories in Stone, Last Dance // by TDR //------------------------------// Stories in Stone Last Dance By TDR Last Discovery. [10 years after the defeat of Grogar] “SPARKLE!!!!!!” The bellow shook the foundations of the castle sending Guards scampering every where and making the librarian turned Princess very very nervous particularly because the cry was two voices, not one, and both sounded pissed. She didn't have time to be nervous long as the doors to the throne room exploded inward, the heavy iron and gold doors ripping from their hinges and crashing to the floor with enough force to shatter the marble. The Guards who had been protecting the door were spread out on the other side of the broken door like fallen bowling pins. But at least they were still moving. She barely had time to react to that before the thunder of hooves crossing the floor sent the nobles that had gathered for her night court scampering away. Twilight barely had a moment to register the gray furred Kirin, and the blue furred Unicorn show mare rushing at her before both of them lept and crashed into her as she screamed out, toppling her throne back and sending the trio of them crashing to the floor as the weighty throne impacted the ground with a heavy thud. “WHAT DID YOU DO WITH BERRY [TREVOR]!!” the pair of them shouted in her face nearly throttling the purple princess. While Trixie's hooves around her neck didn't have enough force to cause her much issue Jer'rahd's most certainly did. Thankfully she was spared being strangled to death as a dark blue glow wrapped around both of her attackers pulling them off of her. Trixie was simply held in the air, though Jer'rahd was flung through a window towards what Twilight believed was the side of the throne room with the koi pond an ambassador from Japony set up. The loud splash and shriek pretty much confirmed that it was indeed. Luna herself strode into the room as Twilight worked to get back onto her hooves her wings fanning as she tried to right herself. Twilight was about to thank her and ask what was going on when she took note of what form Luna was in. The mares coat was as black as midnight with purple markings on her flank that sported white crescent moons. She stretched her wings, the lengths larger than a normal Pegasus and more bat like than bird. She was taller than Luna normally was and much leaner matching, if not exceeding, Celestia in height now. Her mane and tail did not even seem to be hair any more, yet were a near translucent dark sea of stars as if the night itself had decided to inhabit this mares mane and tail. She growled. bearing fangs in a maw more at home with a wolf or shark as she advanced, her eyes were brilliant green eyes slit more like a dragons than a ponies. Celestia choose that moment to throw open the rear door of the chamber and start to storm in with a collection of Guards. She paused taking note of Luna's appearance and the look Nightmare Moon was giving Twilight. Then there was the swearing blue pony in the purple wizards hat cussing up a storm and threatening to do not nice things to Twilight being held in Nightmare Moon's magic just a bit away. Add to that Jer'rahd's cursing which could be heard as well as the sound of his encounter with a number of Guards sent to arrest him for the 'attack'. It did not sound favorable for the Guards to be honest. Celestia also took note of the look Twilight was giving her, pleading for help. The Princess of the Sun, The Solar Flare let out a long sigh, fanned out her wings and stepped backwards pushing the Guards with her back out of the room before closing the door again. “Nope.” Celestia stated simply. “Traitor.” Twilight hissed as Nightmare Moon strode up to her glaring down at the Princess. “Twilight Sparkle...... an incident has happened in the Crystal Empire in the Crystal College involving several students who were working on something you had assigned.” Nightmare Moon leaned in close with a small snarl, her shark like teeth bared as her slitted draconic eyes narrowed at the current Goddess of the Moon. “Those students were Sunset Shimmer Kaisur, Trevor Lulumoon, and Ice Berry Lily Kaisur as well as their assistants Flail Lulumoon and Beryl Kasiur. We would like to question you as to what YOU set them to do.” “Ohhhh buck me...........” was all Twilight could manage. ======================================================================= [ Two hours later, Crystal Empire] “We've checked through the rubble and there's no trace of any bodies.” Shining Armor stated looking over the ruins of one of the work towers for the college at the edge of the city. “ We've a few mages going over everything, but we have determined the tower didn't explode, it collapsed, there's significantly less rubble than there should be. We believed that it was less of a explosion and more like a large section of the tower simple ceased to be there and the rest of it collapsed.” Shining was doing his best not to meet any ones gaze. While he had suspected Jer'rahd and Luna would react badly to the news, he had not expected to also have to deal with Ms. Lulumoon so soon. He was also not expecting his sister to be brought along and trussed up like a caterpillar. The fact that Luna looked like Nightmare Moon and Jer'rahd was practically frothing at the mouth was not unnoticed, yet it was the show mare that worried him particularly the black energy dancing around her horn and eyes, it reminded him a little to much of Sombra. Twilight despite being trussed up like something you would see in one of the older movies where the villain was tying some one to a train track seemed surprisingly calm. Still he had to ask. “Sooooo.....” “We were here yesterday and had dinner with them. Orange's second foal is due soon and we were here for the birth.” Nightmare Moon stated flatly. “Trixie was here to visit Trevor, she doesn't need any ulterior motive.” Trixie stated.” But she joined them all for dinner.” “We all met up and went out to eat. Of course Berry was gushing about the new experiment that she Sunset and Trevor were working on that Sparkle presented to them. They planed to work on it last night and this morning and we were going to meet for lunch when this happened. “ Jer'rahd grumbled. “And thus I was drug out here by default because of it. I gave them one of Starswirl's unfinished spells to look into. I did not ask them to cast it, nor was it anything more dangerous than anything else I’ve done. At most it was supposed to be a way to transport ponies a great distance with less power usage than a normal teleport.” “Twily, that doesn't fill me with confidence. I KNOW most of what you've done magic wise.” Shining groaned. “Yes thank you for the vote of confidence, I didn't become a Princess because I didn't know what I was doing.” Twilight grumbled. “Yes, you became Princess because of political reasons and I was sick of it.” Nightmare Moon growled. “ Whatever, now are you going to let me loose so I can study the residue to try and figure out what happened or are you three going to just stand there and be mad at me for a few more hours.”Twilight sighed.”This has gotten ridiculous.” “Trixie would like to point out that Princess Celestia was the one who supplied us with the rope.” “As I said ridiculous.”Twilight grumbled. =================================================== “Alright I’ve checked the spell's residue. It's not disintegration, but it's not like any sort of teleport I’ve ever seen before either, though the readings are the same.” Twilight explained” “If that's the case Sparkle where are they?” Jer'rahd grumbled. “I have no idea. A normal teleportation leaves a direction of intent that one can follow. This one doesn't leave anything......” Twilight grumbled her horn glowing as she scanned over the rubble again trying to find any traces of anything. “Twilight where did this spell even come from. You said it was one of Starswirl's, but his wing in the Canterlot Library didn't survive Tirek.” Luna stated , the mare having finally calmed down enough to drop her Nightmare Moon look, though the Changeling Queen form she had on wasn't much less terrifying. “I've been talking with Starswirl's echo in the moon quite a bit. Berry, Sunset, Trevor and I even took a joint trip into the dreamscape to speak with him so they could ask questions. The echo only knows what Starswirl knew before he created the spell that allows me to move the moon, but he seemed rather interested in talking with those three.....”Twilight trailed off. “ The spell was one he gave me.... the echo I mean..” “Trixie thinks perhaps she would like a word with this 'echo ' of yours Sparkle.” Trixie grumbled. “Luna you go with them too. I'm not a fan of the dreamscape any way. I'll stay awake and go check on Orange and the new foal Kiwi. She needs to know her sisters are missing.” Jer'rahd stated. “Alright..... Shining Armor, we are going to be taking tower C for this, please have a Guard posted outside that we are not to be disturbed.” Luna stated as Shining Armor nodded sending a group of Crystal Guards with the three mares as they trot over to the next tower in the mage's school. ======================================================= [ Dreamscape/ Magic space] “So this is the moon?” Trixie muttered looking around the rough gray landscape around her, the distant curve of Equss taking up half the dark sky. “The spiritual representation of it any way. I rather like it.” Twilight stated glancing over at Luna as she frowned. “This is not right.......” Luna muttered. Before Twilight could say anything else the thud of hooves on the silt surface was heard. Looking over the trio spotted a pony approaching them. The gray unicorn stood in the moon dust not far from them staring up at the glowing planet. His white mane and tail were long, though they were some what wild as if the stallion only spent enough time grooming to ensure that they wouldn’t knot or tangle, but couldn't be bothered to style it. His long beard was the same way, though it was a blueish gray as opposed to the lighter gray of his coat. He wore an old blue hat and a rather ratty blue cloak, the hat was ringed with small golden bells and a pattern of the night sky covered both the cloak and the hat. His golden brown eyes danced and swirled as he looked up at the planet, his gaze finally dropping to meet Twilight's and the others. “ Well now, brought me more company again have you Twilight? So who do we have............oh dear...” Starswirl's voice trailed off as he noticed Trixie staring at him. The Echo of the pony went silent for a time, his mouth sounding dry as he spoke again.” I see. So we've reached this point then have we.....” “This point? What are you talking about? We came here to ask about that unfinished spell you gave me....” Twilight questioned though a growl from Luna drew her attention away from Starswirl's echo. “That is NOT Starswirl's echo. I have met the echo several times and this thing is far too animated for it to be that. The Echo is barely visible and barely coherent. I had doubts when Twilight said she spoke to it at length, but I assumed she just had the patience to understand it's babbling where I did not.” Starswirl chuckled lightly at that before taking a seat on a moon rock dusting it off with his cape first.” Well in that you are both correct and incorrect at the same time Luna “Explain.” Trixie demanded getting a frown from the specter. “ And what has happened to my son where is Trevor Lulumoon!?!” Starswirl blinked lowering his head a little. “Trevor Lulumoon.....Trevor...Now that's a name I have not heard in a long time.... a long time..... I'm sure you have heard the old legends. Sometimes the dead have things unfinished and they stay around rather than go onto the next life, or reincarnate in this one, or to what ever Elysium waits for them. The stars have long since been thought to be souls of the dead who stay to watch over the world. That theory is correct.” Starswirl smirked. “ I am not the echo of Starswirl in one of his greatest spells, I'm his ghost.... ooooOOOooooOOooo.” When none of them took the bait or even so much as smirked Starswirl let out an annoyed huff.”Seriously nothing? Meh I never had the flair for laughter, I suppose. That was always Berry.” “What was that?” Luna snarled.” Where are Berry and Sunset!?” “AND TREVOR!!” Trixie shouted storming up to Starswirl as the stallion ghost flinched. “I regret to inform you that they are all long dead.” Starswirl stated softly trying not to look at Trixie. His attention however quickly turns to her as she collapses before him sobbing, The ghost looks up at the other two his ears drooping under his hat. Luna simply stared on in shock and Twilight remained the only one still able to process everything and she was glaring at him angrily. “What do you mean long dead, they just vanished this morning?” Twilight demanded. “Sunset Shimmer died in 65 YO. Flail and Beryl died in 2478 YO, and Ice Berry Lily Kaisur or Ice Berry Lily Lulumoon died in 74 YO.” Starswirl sighed.” And Trevor Lulumoon died in 103 AU.” “YO? AU?” Luna snarled. “ Eras of time I expect. Though I only recognize AU as After Unification. That was the start of the modern calender at the first Hearths Warming. What is YO and how did Trevor die that long ago?”Twilight demanded. “Year One, is what we called it as no other set time existed before that point. Most eras before AU only lasted as long as the Ruler who declared them did and were only accepted by who they ruled. AU was the first proper calender event that all three pony races followed. Actually though at this juncture Twilight I would like to a moment to address something else if you would humor me?” Starswirl looked down at Trixie still sobbing and frowned reaching down to run his hoof lightly along her back over her cloak feeling the mare flinch away from him. She slowly stood up looking with a bit more determination at Luna and Twilight. “I can tell you are all confused and in shock and while I expect you want me to get to the meat of all this there is something my mother always told me as a foal that I think may need to be said now. She was rather fond of addressing confused crowds. Called them easy marks.” The ghost of Starswirl cleared his throat glancing down to make sure that even Trixie was paying attention. “She used to tell me when addressing an audience, 'If you cannot wow them with wit, or shock them with smarts.........” He trailed off as he noted Trixie's ears perk up. “...you baffle them with bullshit.....”Trixie finished standing up her tear filled eyes growing wide while the other two looked on confused.” T... Trevor?!” “Hello mother... it has been a while....well not really for you I mean...” Starswirl was cut off as Trixie tackled him in a hug. “You're alive!!” “Nooo, I’ve been dead for a rather long time now... buck does no one listen?” Starswirl rolled his eyes. “Language!”Trixie admonishes “Mother I am over four hundred times your age, I am grown up enough to swear whenever and however I damn well feel like it......” “Trevor!”Trixie scolded. “Right, watching the language.” Starswirl grumbled. “Alright as much as this reunion is nice and confusing, I want an explanation.” Luna demanded. “As well as what happened to my daughters.” “Well it was like this Luna, can I call you Luna? I'm going to call you Luna. And it has been a long time so it is a little shaky with my memory and by a long time I mean longer than both you and Celestia have been alive stacked end to end. Right death glare, I'll get to the meat of it. The group of us and part of our tower were thrown back into the far past, pretty much vaporizing the remains of the tower as well as most of our supplies and spell books. At first we thought we had just popped up into the frozen north a bit. Beryl and Flail did a bit of flying and they didn't recognize anything that looked like a settlement through all the falling snow. Still with as potent of magic as the three of us had creating a secure shelter and some food out of the snow wasn't too hard. We must have stayed at the tower's remains about a week waiting for rescue before we noticed somethings.” “Hmm?” Twilight muttered. “When the snow clouds finally cleared enough to give us the view of the night sky. It was vastly different than we recalled. At first we thought perhaps we were at the other pole of Equss until we noticed the moon. There was no burn, half the craters were missing and it was much much closer than it should have been. We developed countless theories about what was going on and likely would have kept thinking them up if Sunset hadn't felt the flow of energy that was moving the moon and the source of it far south of us. We set out seeking it and it wasn't long before we encountered our first Ponies and found ourselves in the middle of the first tribal war........” The ghost continued the story for a good while talking about their refusal to get involved with the war, Sunset's encounter with and subsequent relationship with a Pegasus mare named Shiver Coy, his and Berry's relationship and a number of other details involving the situation. He went on to tell of their founding of a small village in the frozen north that wasn't a part of the waring factions and was far enough away that none of the three tribes found it. The tale went on to bring up his own marriage to Berry and how Flail and Beryl had mated a had number of eggs. “It was about this point in time we realized that we were far enough back in history that nothing we did would have any effect on the future. Or so we thought. At one point the three tribes were besieged by a new enemy. An army of undead. Something that also happened to you all in this time.”Trevor the Bearded pointed out. “Grogar.” Luna stated as Starswirl nodded. “Indeed. Knowing more about the threat than any one else the five of us set out to deal with it along with Sunset's mare friend.” Starswirl snorted.” You three thought your encounter with him was bad..... that was nuts......especially when the Elements of Harmony came into play. This was long before two aspects of them were removed by force so it was Harmony at it's most potent.” “You wielded the Element's of Harmony?”Trixie asked. “I wielded them twice personally. The first time dealing with Grogar the second time with something darker before I had them sealed away. Magic both times. Berry had Laughter, Flail Generosity, Beryl Compassion, Sunset Honesty and Shiver Loyalty.” Starswirl sighed. “After the first time they were used I attracted unwanted attention in the form of the two Pony Gods at the time. Mobius and whatever the other ones name was. I was badgered by them for years. They wanted me to accept one of their positions. I refused every time, choosing to grow old with Berry. It wasn't long after Sunset had died that Berry convinced me to accept the offer. Turns out she was convinced that I really was Starswirl the Bearded.” “Wait what? Okay I don't get how you can be Starswirl....” Twilight stated. “It started as a joke. Before we went to visit the ponies the first time we decided to use other names for ourselves just in case and I had a hard time remembering mine........ DAWN SHIMMER! That was it...... of course I recall it now.... anyway. After poking around and finding out what era we were in I started asking around for a Starswirl the Bearded. Since he was the one who made the spell that got us there maybe he could help us get back. Well to make a long story short, given the language evolution and local dialect and other pronunciation oddities, they thought I was asking them if they had ever heard of ME. And given our........ dramatic, departure from the Unicorn held lands, the name rather stuck fast in infamy and at least two dozen wanted posters.” Starswirl sighed. “After that Berry and Sunset started calling me Starswirl to pick on me as I had in fact started growing a beard and I just ran with it. I figured the real Starswirl would catch wind of it sooner or later and come to see who was using his name.” “And no one did.” Luna offered. “No..... and before you ask Luna, three foals, two colts, and a filly. Beatrix after my grandmother, Rhede after her uncle and Soap Bubble.” Starswirl explained noting Luna's face hoof. “Soap?” Trixie asked. “The first pet we got her was a little mouse she named Soap sud as he was this fluffy white thing.” Luna grumbled. “She named one of her foals after a mouse?” Trixie demanded, looking at Trevor.” You let her name one of your foals after a mouse?” “ I was once told that 'A wise stallion does not argue with his wife'.” Trevor stated getting a glare from Trixie. “I never said it like that.” Trixie huffed. “You told me never to argue with her when we started dating mother, so I paraphrased a little.” Trevor grumbled. “Twilight tried to convince Rarity to name her foal Bubbles once....” Luna added getting a glare from the alicorn.” So the attachment is understandable.” “So what happened? How did... how did....” Trixie started to ask. “How did we all die? Do you really want to know that? Lets just say that all of us lived long and relatively peaceful lives. A bit simpler than expected to be honest, but we lived far longer than any other pony of that age. Longevity spells kept all of us active until the end. Mine was of course much much much later, but still.” Starswirl sighed.”Granted it's not like I haven't seen them again recently. After all we are Draconis major.....” “What?!” Twilight gasps. “As I said before, the spirits of the dead often take up residence in the sky as stars. Beryl, Berry, Sunset, Shiver, Flail and I are the core stars forming the constellation Draconis Major. The north and southern stars respectively between me and my wife, East and West for Sunset and Shiver, and the Northwest and North east for Flail and Beryl. Granted my other wives and some of our foals make up the rest of the constellation and Draconis minor. “ “Other wives?” Luna narrowed her eyes. “Oh don't even give me that look Luna. At the time I was the oldest thing on the planet. Every two or three thousand years some mare would come along and manage to catch my interest and then after she was gone I would grieve for another few thousand years.... At least until Clover...... did you know that Berry looked exactly like Clover, or Clover looked like Berry. Exactly, the only difference was their cutiemark. Of course I found out after we were both dead that she WAS Berry reincarnated, but that gets into the whole afterlife thing and I don't want to do that. Suffice to say that was the point I gave up my godhood to grow old and die with her.” “Why did you give yourself the spell that sent you back then? Wouldn't you have known that it would send you all to the past?!” Twilight demanded. “Of course I did. That's why I gave it to you and suggested letting us study it because I knew it would send us back.” Starswirl admitted. “But why?” Trixie whined. “Because the past had already happened for me. We were sent back and thus I was there to send us back. If the five of us hadn't gone back in time I never would have wound up like this and all of history would have been changed if not completely gone due to Grogar, Tirek, and countless other things that came up that I had to deal with. The Windigo and the Changelings wouldn't exist, Discord would likely have died and countless other errors in history would have changed everything. I built the first Canterlot on top of the Maneterhorn as little more than a reminder of things to come. It was only when I accidentally created the Windigo that I realized I had gone too far in time and that Berry was right. I truly was Starswirl the Bearded. All the history we learned of him... me , I had to make sure happened. His part in the unification, everything that Chrysalis told you in your book Princess Twilight,when and why I stepped down from being a god. The creation of spells that allowed a single creature to control the sun and moon. I put more work into making sure that time stayed stable than anything else. I let many die to do that. It's not a decision that I made lightly, but it was something that had to be done. The spell I gave Twilight was long ago completed by the group of us and finalized by me. But i never went back, I knew I couldn't because we were slated to be there. Even if it wasn't at a conscious level at the time...... Avianna, Storm Front,Tirek, Crystal..... all of it was written for me to be written by me, all the major events had to happen like I had read. I was constantly at odds with whether I should change something just to make history wound up a little better, and terrified that I might accidentally stop some one I cared about from being born. It crippled my actions far to often. But …..... but that's all finally over now..... My stories pretty much finished. I've given myself the time spell and that was the last thing I had to do.” “Trevor.......” Trixie pouted. “Don't worry mother. It's all right.” Trevor grinned hugging her. “I mean heck, my usual manner of dress was based on your stage outfit, Berry added the bells mind you... well Clover did. And any way, how many unicorn mothers have wanted their foals to grow up LIKE Starswirl the Bearded? Your foal grew up to BE Starswirl the Bearded.... I'm also pretty sure I'm Princess Twilight's Super great grandfather with Sunset being Princess Celestia's ancestor some where in there.” “I do have to ask. Now that you have finished your last task Trevor will you depart? Will the night sky change again as the Draconus constellation fades?”Luna questioned. “Oh no... not for sometime yet. You have grand foals who grew up hearing the tales of The Demon of Dullahan and the Princess of war and greatly want to meet both of you. Though they want to meet the Great and Powerful Trixie more.” Trevor chuckled though his eyes turn to the side and the others briefly glimpse what seemed to be a black alicorn though looking fully no one sees anything. “Seems my time is fully at an end now.” Trevor sighs.” I suppose I knew it wouldn't last forever. But I have missed you all.....Well maybe not Jer'rahd, I never thought he really liked me. “ He leaned down giving Trixie a kiss on the forehead before offering a last hug and stepping away , his cape starting to fade. “Don't cry mother, we will meet again. There are far more worlds than just this out there and when your times finally come we will be there waiting.” Starswirl smiled turning and walking across the Lunar surface, his form starting to fade. Before him stood five others. A pink and yellow maned Pegasus mare who was hiding behind a much more mature looking orange Unicorn mare with red and yellow mane and tail who offered a nod to the trio still living. Next to her were a pair of Dragons, a massive blue male and a slightly smaller green female. In front of them however walking forward to greet Trevor was a lithe dark blue unicorn mare with a red mane and a rather large smile on her features. The mare paused as Trevor reached her and offered a wave to the group before she turned and moved back with the others pressed against Trevor's side before the group of them faded out of sight. “Berry.......Sunset......” Luna frowned staring at the lunar landscape. “Jer'rahd is not going to like this.” “Lets go back.” Twilight muttered going over to help the sobbing Trixie up though the mare seemed to be laughing a little as well as Twilight helped her. “Trixie?” Twilight asked noting despite the tears the mare was smiling a little. “After all this time.... it seems I finally outdid you in something Sparkle..... Your foals just a a God of a small race on a island and yet mine turned out to be Starswirl the Bearded........” “Seriously........” Twilight muttered and the trio returned to Equss......... ….....a place that Trevor Lulumoon, Ice Berry Lily Kaisur, Sunset Shimmer Kaisur, Beryl Kaisur, and Flail Lulumoon, had long since departed from.