Starswirl raised his horn, the light throwing daggers at the poor creatures that had spent their entire lives nestled away in the cracks and crevices of the dark cavern. The separation between the rhythmic drops of mineral rich water falling from stalactite to stalagmite gave the illusion that one could track the passage of time without heed to the sun, it’s light having forgotten or otherwise abandoned this place ages ago. Careful to find purchase on the slick, uneven surface, he stopped at the junction and scanned through the pages of a weather-worn journal held in his magical grasp.
The copied runes were ancient. He could only guess how long it had been since the language expressed in his broken hornscrawl had been spoken aloud. Symbol by symbol, he worked his way through the words, forming a sense of the idea which the originator intended when describing the place where he now stood. The markers were there, obscured by time, but surprisingly well preserved to the point where he could readily identify the correct path traversing the twisting labyrinth, guided more by intuition rather than the markings descriptions. Confidently, he ignored both of his forward options, pivoted ninety degrees to the right, and dropped his gaze on a slivered crack in the wall, barely wide enough to fit a pony.
A chill wind blew his cloak away from his flank. He closed the journal and tucked it into his pack. With a twist and a shiver he flattened his cloak back into place. A voice, somehow carried on the icy breeze through the forgotten depths, wailed a haunting warning that rang discordant in his forward facing ears. He brushed his tail to the side and cocked a brow in the direction of the side entrance. The bells that hung from the fringe of his drooping hat tinkled their response like a wind chime, but had no effect on the gust except perhaps to increase the force with which it came rushing out of the passageway.
Starswirl raised a hoof to his muzzle and cleared his throat. He let out a strong series of whinnies followed up with a translation in the common tongue. “I come to fulfill the promise of my destiny for the benefit of all! Look upon my heart and judge for thyself!” His voice echoed down the tunnel ahead, reverberating against the rushing of the wind.
He planted his hooves and braced himself against the force as it bore down upon him, bending him near to the ground, but not letting it sway his determination. Specs of dust, chunks of both earth and crystal, swirled around him and bit into his coat. Covering his face as best he could while maintaining a watchful eye toward the dark span ahead, he reached out with his magic to probe for the source of the incorporeal guardian he had unwittingly unleashed. He felt the chilling presence of a powerful magic sink deep into his coat, so strong he could almost feel the icy tendrils reaching out to grasp at him, if not for the fact that it only seemed to be toying with him by flinging bits and pieces of its full potential in his general direction while mostly sailing around his actual position.
Starswirl’s horn bristled with energy as he debated raising a defensive shield, shifting slightly to the right to avert his eyes from the direct assault and drawing back the cloak covering the head of his hidden prize. With a whimpering gasp, the wind suddenly ceased blowing. A radiating warmth replaced the harsh wind’s chill as the peaceful swelling of what could only be described as an utter calm and welcoming feeling settled over him. He let out a breath which had been held back for some time, raised his head, and deeply blinked twice to clear his sight. His horn showed the way ahead was clear. Confidence regained, he took a step forward.
The passageway came to life as his hoof hit chiseled stone only a stride past the threshold. Crystals of all shapes and colors illuminated the path ahead. Startled, he jumped back and nearly fell on his plot as his left rear hoof slipped out from under him on a wet patch of moss-covered rock. Half-blinded by the light, he dropped the illumination spell. He was close; the path to the secret shrine lay before him, lit now as if awaiting his visit, and practically inviting him in. His tiny bells laughed along as he chided himself for acting like a timid foal scared of the dark.
“All is well; the path is clear,” he said, reassuringly musing to himself.
Listening to his own sage counsel, he reasoned there was nothing to fear in this place but the fear he brought with him. Setting that aside, he brushed off his flank and straightened his hat. Before the fifth droplet fell, he was back on his hooves, continuing down the iridescent path leading further into the heart of the mountain.
Each hooffall echoed down the passageway, diffusing into the crystal latticework and bounding back like the tones of a harp being plucked in time to the beat. Starswirl kept a steady pace, his fascination with the crystals growing as he went. After what seemed like hours of walking in circles, swimming deeper and deeper into the hazy fog of color, his journey abruptly ended as the passage opened into a cavernous chamber. The ceiling rose beyond his ability to see even with the darkness retreating back into the shadows against the garish rainbow rays, trying to avoid being overcome by the bright crystal light at his back.
He had become accustomed to the light of the crystals, growing steadily in brightness the further down he went. Now, he gazed about, taking in the full display of color and light bouncing off of every polished surface and crystal stone, the barely familiar surroundings filling his mind with contrasting memories of not so long ago in the world above, but still not reaching the full potential of the sun, and not for lack of trying.
He lit his horn once more and focused it into a spotlight of sorts. The glow fell across a circular stone platform at the center of the room. For as old as this place was, it looked as if time itself would feel unwelcome here. Not a single spec of moss could be seen on any surface, not a single pebble felt out of place. Three statues stood guard over the granite altar at the focal point of the center dais. The vacant spot above the altar, shrouded in a sheath of roiling shadow and light along with alternating beams of prism colors breaking through the patches in the swirling mist from time to time and extending into the limitless ceiling above, drew his primary attention.
He made his way forward, cautious to heed the source of the magic which had already marked its claim to this shrine. As he lay his hoof on the dais, he could feel a gentle heat radiating off the stone. Being so deep in the mountain, it came as no surprise that there would be a certain amount of geothermal energy present. A simple explanation for all of this fell too far from the actual truth, and Starswirl knew there was much more power contained in this confluence than simple earth pony magic. Still, he hesitated under the gaze of the three towering watchers, a certain level of apprehension rising that made his mane stand on end barring even the oppressive weight of his hat.
Another step, and then another, his horn cast gray shadows on the walls as he twisted his sight among the pedestals at the base of each statue and back to center. He caught himself in the act of losing focus, closed his eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath. Opening them again, the altar lay before him, waiting for his only slightly trembling hooves to make the next move. He tossed his cape over his flank and drew out the distaff from its catch. With a twist of his horn, he guided the talisman to its resting place amidst the roiling centrifuge of confluence above the altar.
Glowing embers sparked to life from the six onyx eyes keeping watch on the petitioner below as the object came to rest, suspended in midair above the altar.
The chamber shook.
Starswirl held up his hoof and cried out with a whinny, approximating the ancient language lifted from whispers scribbled in the tome that served to guide him to this place as best he could in calling for peace. A grinding noise from the stone guardians above filled his ears with a resounding series of “neighs” that echoed through the chamber long after they sounded. The swirling light shining off the distaff crackling above rippled down their flanks, seemingly bringing the stone to life right before his eyes.
In deference, Starswirl bowed, prostrating himself before the altar.
The rumbling ceased.
Starswirl lifted his head and peered around the room with a cautious eye. Everything looked just as settled as it had when he first entered the room. He let out a sigh. “And now for the hard part,” he said through loosely grit teeth.
With the first phase of his task complete, he rose up and turned his attention back to the journal he floated out of his saddle pouch, concealed as always in the soft glow of his horngrasp. As he turned the page, symbols adorning the base of each of the statues began to glow. Starswirl nodded, confirming what the runes had to say about the continuation of the ceremony. “I hope this works, and doesn’t send me to limbo by some random miscalculation,” he muttered to no pony but himself.
He set the book aside and reached back into his pack, pulling out another pair of items: a tarnished horseshoe and a blood-red feather. With another sigh, he gazed up at the first of the three statues. Thoughts turned to fears as he studied the stone face above. The stoic stance and piercing gaze of the pony statue left him little doubt that there was no fooling around when it came to her duty. The token would either be accepted or rejected. There was little more he could do, what with the factions divided as they were. What other choice did he have?
Steeling his resolve and hoping it would be enough, he made his way over to the base and hung the horseshoe against the symbol of House Terra. The backing field pulsed a steady glow. He took a step back and smiled up at the brightening gaze of the gentle mare with the farmer’s bonnet hovering above. Just a moment ago, he could have sworn that expression wasn’t so endearing, but he wasn’t about to question the results.
With a slightly elevated confidence and spring in his step, he made his way to the second statue. The giant pegasus guard loomed large with her wings stretched out, intimidating and imposing, firmly establishing the presence of a leader and captain of the warrior race. Armor covered her flanks, and a plumed helmet substituted for most of her slightly overflowing natural mane. Starswirl kept his gaze focused straight ahead on the crest of House Vola. The crimson field lit up the moment the long feather made contact, draining what looked like a remnant of dark blood from the shaft in the process.
Starswirl swiftly drew back, releasing his hold on the feather and letting it drop like a rock to the floor—very uncharacteristic for a feather, and thus even more alarming as a result. He quickly turned his gaze and set to bask in the influence of the last of the three statues.
Taking little time to dwell on the previous points, he hurriedly made his way over and stood at the base of the majestic unicorn. If he had the luxury, he would have chosen to take all the time in the world here, studying and reflecting on the marvel of the legacy of his ancestors. The memories of his foalhood still fresh in his mind after nearly a century, he could almost make out the glimmer of his mother, himself kneeling in the shadow of the titan he knew and loved and had long since parted from. At that time, he hadn’t a clue of what his duty entailed, nor that he would be the one needing to ultimately fulfill this task. The years had certainly shifted his perspective. Without an heir of his own, the prospects for the future seemed dim, and only two young, flitting fillies left with the promise and plight to rule a divided land. The choice was clear: he, himself, had to stand up and take command of the tribes. There was only one way to do that.
The mark of his house had not dimmed with time, sparkling in the light reflected off the polished crystal walls. House Stella endured, always a light to the other tribes, an example for them to follow, unicorns, as always, set to perform their sacred duty. He understood the importance of the rites and responsibilities passed down to him; he knew what was required. The unfortunate circumstances he found himself in on this particular day, deep within the Canterhorn, gave him pause to consider what the world would become without him and his family’s service to the ancient ways. How long would it take for the light to grow dim? How long before it went out completely? He shrugged it off. At any rate, it was a problem for a far distant generation to overcome, and all he could effectively worry about was in the here and now—time travel spells notwithstanding.
For a moment, he considered the possibility that he had not done enough, that his efforts would prove to be in vain. What if he failed and he met his end right here and now? He brushed those thoughts aside as soon as they began to surface and made his way toward the mark. Whispering the remnant of a prayer passed down from stallion to colt, mare to filly, in the tongue of the first of his kind since the beginning, he reverently bent his head and touched his horn to the crest.
A prick of energy raced down his spine. In the span of an instant that lasted a lifetime, he opened his eyes to behold the First Ponies, the Goddess and her three daughters. Both earth pony and pegasus simply nodded their heads in acknowledgment. The unicorn’s smile beamed brightly with the Goddess above spreading her wings and lighting her horn as she reared up, tossing her head and neighing her simple thanks.
As suddenly as the vision had opened, it closed. Starswirl fell back to his haunches and shook his head. The ringing in his ears took a few minutes to subside while the dancing crystal fires in the room slowly dimmed and died.
Regaining composure, he hung his head. “It is done.” His words made no echo, as alone, he sat in the growing darkness, surrounded by the re-energized arcing sparks from the distaff flinging random patterns and images in a mix of colored light and shadow against the reflective walls of the shrine.