//------------------------------// // Back where I began // Story: The Diary of Starswirl the Bearded: lost in another world // by sunsetsjournal //------------------------------// After a short walk Sunset Shimmer and I found ourselves before a building. It was certainly not the tallest I had seen that day, yet it still looked much more spacious than our houses in the Realm. Without wasting time, the teenager pressed a small object, which appeared to be a button, just next to the door in front of us. Immediately I heard an unexpected ringing sound, which, I will not lie, took me by surprise. As much as I would have liked to ask the red-haired sorceress how the button she had just pressed had been able to produce such a noise, I decided to not say a word. In truth I feared that she might be bothered by my question again. Shortly afterwards the door before us was opened by an elegant young “mere” whose skin was white as snow and her eyes the colour of the sky. “Sunset, darling!” The young “mere”, who I thought to be more or less as old as Sunset Shimmer, said, seeing the red-haired teenager. “You're finally here.” “Hi, Rarity!” Sunset Shimmer replied, once again with a warm smile upon her face. “Thank you for helping me out. I know it's late.” “Nonsense, darling. I was having insomnia anyway. Now who's your charming companion.” “Starswirl, the bearded. The greatest wizard know by ponykind, defeater of countless monsters and currently tutor to the future monarchs of the Realm.” I replied, taking pride in declaring my status. “Oh, my!” The youngster, called Rarity, said speaking to Sunset Shimmer. “You were right. He really is quite an interesting character.” “Told you so” The red-haired sorceress replied, giggling. “Despite his many attributes, Starswirl was not exactly known for his humble personality. It seems that the books Princess Celestia made me read, while I was under her care, were right after all.” “Excuse me?” I intervened, having heard my student's name being mentioned. “What do you exactly mean by interesting character? In addition I would like to know exactly how familiar you are with Celestia. Furthermore, would you care to explain to me how you came to be her pupil? She's only a filly.” “A thousand years ago perhaps.” The red-haired youngster added, still smiling. “Is this supposed to some kind of joke?” I then asked nervously . “I am warning you: I do not have time to waste.” “Relax, Starswirl, I'll explain you sooner than you think.” “Sir...” Said Rarity, intervening. “I do understand that you might be feeling uncomfortable, so why don't you come inside? I am sure that we can discuss this over a nice cup of tea.” Moments later, I found myself in the teenager's living room. Just by looking around I could tell that its interior design had been carefully selected, despite its still looking unusual to my eye. Shortly afterwards the sorceress and her companion came in, the first holding in her hands a beautiful teapot, the second three small cups. After the tea had been poured, I gazed upon my two hosts, waiting for them to give me clarification about my current situation. Both of them were hiding something, I could tell that by the way they looked at me, yet it was hard to understand precisely what it was. “Sunset” The white-skinned one began saying all of a sudden. “I believe that we own our guest from Equestria the explanation he is clearly expecting. I think that you might be the best person to give it to him.”After Rarity had said those things, it was as if the red-haired sorceress had been hit on a painful spot, for she instantly gulped intimidated. Meanwhile I was feeling more and more upset, for I had being clearly toyed with: first by the Sirens and now by Sunset Shimmer and her supposed “Friend.” My mind was full of questions and I wished an answer to them more than anything else. Yet deep inside I knew that demanding what I wanted would be futile, for right at that moment, I was not the most powerful wizard in the Realm like I had been in the past. But a common beggar, left powerless in a strange, new world which had revealed itself to be much more dangerous than it looked. “You're right, Rarity, even if it's not exactly an easy thing to say. Starswirl...” As soon as I heard my name, I raised my ears in full attention. “You see...How do I put this? You seem not only to have been teleported to a world different from the one you know, but also into the future.” The first time the sorceress told me that, I did not give it much credit, for I still had the suspicion that she and her companion were trying to make fun of me, yet eventually I came to understand that it was the honest truth. “Please!” I said, tired of lies and individuals trying to deceive me. “With all due respect, Sunset Shimmer, I am old enough to distinguish the truth from lies, therefore I have every right to think that you are still refusing to tell me the information I seek.” “Starswirl, I am not making things up: this is the honest truth. How else would you explain what happened to you?” “I am familiar with the existence of parallel worlds, Sunset Shimmer. I have visited many of them the majority of which seemed strange to me as much as this one does now.” “Why should I be trying to deceive you in the first place.” “To steal my powers or leave the Realm without its strongest protector or...” “Starwhirl, listen to me!” The red-haired teenager exclaimed, suddenly raising her voice. “I am trying to help you! I, too, came to this world from Equestria, but when I left it I was Princess's Celestia student. You've every right to be proud of yourself: ponies still consider you the most amazing and powerful unicorn who ever existed, your names was in countless of my books. Yet in the Equestria I come from, you vanished without leaving a single trace behind.” Hearing Sunset Shimmer saying all those things with that much emphasis made me realise that she was being sincere. Suddenly it all made sense to me: I had planned my banishing spell so that the pillars and I would remain trapped in limbo along with our foe, the Pony Of Shadows. Therefore, if my spell had succeeded and the Realm been saved, what the sorceress was telling me would only be a natural consequence of my achievement. Humiliated by my own stubborn behaviour I sat back on the Rarity's couch. “Starwihrl...” The red-haired teenager said, placing her “paw” on my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me. “...Do you feel like telling us what happened back in Equestria, before you were brought into this world?” Sunset Shimmer's words were powerful enough to make me confess to her all the things that had happened to me. How the pillars and I had met thanks to Stygian, our battle against the sirens sisters and our numerous victories. I also told her about Stygain's plan to steal my and the other pillar's powers and how he had turned into the Pony of Shadows. Finally I concluded my story, talking about my our final battle against the Fiend and revealed my banishing spell. “So that's how you disappeared.” The sorceress said to herself, as soon as I had finished my story. “Yes, my last spell was supposed to trap the Fiend in limbo: a dimension from which it is impossible to escape. But not everything went according to plan apparently.” I intervened, lowering my head before the sorceress. “I am afraid that the Pony of Shadows might have managed to counter my spell, escaping my trap. If my hunch is right, then the Realm is in serious danger. I must get back to my world and find the other pillars as fast as possible, before the Fiend causes any harm.” “What makes you think that your spell was a total failure?” The white-skinned teenager questioned. “It's true that you're here and not in limbo, but your spell might have still worked.” “I don't think so. You see, the Pony of Shadows is stronger than any of the pillars. That is the reason why we decided to contain him instead of trying to defeat him. His magical abilities are beyond anypony's comprehension. I cannot take any chances.” “But if he is so powerful as you say and he is free, why hasn't the world fallen into eternal darkness, yet?” “Firstly we have no guarantee that he has been brought to this very world like I have.” I continued. “Secondly, if he were free, he would not attack anypony, since our last battle has indeed left him very week. He must be hiding somewhere dark to restore his powers.” “This still does not make sense to me.” Rarity went on saying. “If Equestria is safe and to everypony, living there you're a legend who suddenly disappeared, it must mean that your spell was indeed successful.” “You both have a point.” Sunset Shimmer intervened, interrupting the other teenager. “Soon after the Friendship Games, Twilight told me of her adventure through time. She explained to me that, since even the littlest thing can make a world of difference, a single change in the past can lead to a cascade of effects in the future, meaning that time does not follow the logical order we think. On the other hand though, Twilight told me that every time she travelled through time, she had to witness terrible versions of her own future, while ours is still perfect. Perhaps Rarity is right, perhaps the Fiend was really defeated in the past and only Starswhirl was brought into our world.” “But how do we make sure?” “There's only one way.” At that point the red-haired sorceress placed her “paw” upon my forehead, meanwhile with the other she touched a glimmering gemstone hanging over her neck. Even though I had lost my magic I could still feel that there was something odd about that gem, something special. Before I knew it, Sunset Shimmer removed her hand from me, opening her eyes. “Apparently we have one less thing to worry about.” She said, sighing. “The Pony of Shadows isn't going to pay us any visit.” “How can you be so certain?” I asked , still not comprehending what kind of spell the sorceress had just cast on me. “Look, do you see my necklace?” I immediately nodded at the sight of the red gemstone, hanging over the red-haired teenager's neck. “It enables me to see one's memories. According to yours the Pony of Shadows was captured by the portal to limbo you and your companions had generated with your spell.” “But...How can that be?” I questioned, still unconvinced. “I don't remember any of the things you just said.” “I suppose that I've just seen your unconscious memories then.” The sorceress replied. “That fight must have left you pretty beat after all.” “Then why am I here? And where are the other pillars? Please, I need to know more.” “According to what I saw the Pony of Shadows countered your magic with his own, unleashing immense power. That very power then created a reap through space and time, causing you to be brought here. Since you were the one who actually cast the banishing spell, it is only obvious that the majority of that tremendous energy effected you first. The other pillars were dragged to limbo along with the enemy.” Those words left me speechless: I was the only one left of my squad of heroes, while my companions had remained stuck in limbo without any chance of escape. Was I really left with no option but abandoning them to their destiny, a destiny that I and I alone had decreed for all of us? “There must be a mistake!” I exclaimed, hoping that my old ears had deceived me.# “No mistakes.” Sunset Shimmer answered. “Gems don't lie. I know it's a lot to take in Starswirl: have some rest now, tomorrow I will accompany you back to Equestria. I've got a really good friend there who will be happy to take care of you.” After the two teenagers had left me alone in my room, I tossed and turned in bed the whole night: no matter how hard I tried to drift off to sleep, I knew that I could not find the piece I needed to rest. The following morning I went back to the living room where my hosts were waiting for me. “Did you write to Twilight about our special guest last night?” I heard Rarity saying. “Of course I did.” The sorceress, Sunset Shimmer replied immediately. “And? What did she say?” “She hasn't answered back, yet. I guess she must have been too busy to check her journal last night. If she had seen my message, she would have rushed to the the other side of the mirror-portal.” “Excuse me.” I intervened, stepping into the room. The moment I did so, the two teenagers turned their heads toward me. Their expressions were a bit shocked: I suppose that I must have caught them by surprise. “Good morning, Starwirl!” The red-haired one greeted, while her companion smiled at me. “Did you perchance overhear our conversation?” “I most certainly did.” I answered calmly. “I must say that, although it was very fluttering, I would very like to know who is this Twilight character you were speaking of.” “She the friend I mentioned to you last night. She is going to help you, once you reach Equestria.” “And who is she to help me?” “She is the Princess of Friendship.” “What?!” I exclaimed gobsmacked by those words. “Is something wrong, Starswirl?” The white-skinned one intervened. “You seem a little pale.” “I do not remember ever tutoring any princesses else than Celestia and Luna and neither of them had such a title.” “Yup, things have changed a bit since your time and there are four princesses in Equestria now.” Sunset Shimmer assured me. “Even if what you are telling me were true, why would anypony wished to be known as the Princesses of Friendship? It's nonsense.” “What makes you say that?” “True power, the one I used to save the Realm many times, does not come from friendship.” Hearing me saying that, the sorceress winked at her companion, smiling. “May I know the reason of your sudden joy?” “You'll find that out yourself, after spending some time with Twilight. Anyway, we should move so that we can get to CHS before anyone else. We'd like nobody to see you entering the portal.” After the two teenagers had turned around and starting walking toward the door I suddenly understood that the time had come for me to reveal what my true intentions were. “Wait!” I exclaimed, before the two of them could reach the exit. “Yes?” “What is it?” “I wish to be brought back to the Realm I know.” Both of my hosts remained shocked by what I had just inquired. “Sorry, what was that?” The red-haired one questioned, probably believing that her ears had deceived her. “I wish to go back to the Realm I know.” Once again, the teenagers' jaws dropped in shock. “Starwirl I simply don't think that is possible.” “Plus, why would you want t do that?” “If there's no chance for me to free my squad from limbo now and if, as I had predicted, our sacrifice was indeed necessary for the safety of the Realm, then I wish to try to rescue them in the past, while we were still together.” “That sounds dangerous, darling.” “Too dangerous to risk your neck. You'll remain trapped in limbo, too, this time.” “I am aware of the risks, but I wish to try anyway.” After a minute of silence, the sorceress, Sunset Shimmer, went on saying. “Are you completely sure you wanna do this?” “Yes” “Sunset, darling!” Rarity exclaimed at that point. “Don't tell me you really agree to this. You'll be sending him into a trap from which there is no escape.” “I am not saying that I agree to this, in fact I still believe it's madness, but I can't help but understanding what Starswhirl is going through.” “But, Sunset.” “If any of you girls remained trapped in another dimension, I would do anything to safe you.” “I am well aware of that, Sunset, since you came to rescue us when Juniper had trapped us all into her mirror and you got captured in the attempt. In the end we had to thank Starlight for saving us before it was too late. But this time there'll be no rescuer for Starswirl and his companions.” “I understand your worries.” I intervened, trying to reassure my young host. “However my mind is made up. I won't leave my companions alone, even if that means my own sacrifice.” Seeing my determination, Rarity did not speak another word. “So” The sorceress, Sunset Shimmer, began to talk, as soon as we had sat at her table. “According to my books you disappeared one thousand and twenty two years ago, meaning in the Pre-classical era of Equestria.” “That's specific.” The white-skinned one exclaimed, stunned by her companions abilities to remember precisely such a complex date. “I've read a lot of books. Now our objective is to bring you back to the time and place where you came from.” “Exactly” I added, determined to reach my goal. “And we can't make any mistakes. These kind of travels are highly dangerous. Any minimal error could cause great consequences.” “That's why we need to come up with a relatively simple spell. There's no guarantee of success if we try to pull out something complicated.” “I agree. Even I did not manage to create a powerful spell for time travels, for its effect lasted only a few minutes.” “I believe it may be useful though” The sorceress intervened .“How so?” “If we wanna be absolutely sure that you go back to the time and place you want to, considering that you'll need to go back more than a thousand years ago, plus travel to another world, our best shot is to use the power of the very same spell that brought you here.” “Of course!” I exclaimed, once I had understood the sorceress 's plan. “ A spell like that must have left something behind. Some kind of magical track.” “If we cast your time travel spell on the spot where you first appeared, we might as well manage to recreate that same portal that brought you here. Then you'll have a few minutes to jump into the reap and go back where you came from.” “It does sound dangerous, yet I believe that it could work.” “Excuse me...” Rarity suddenly intervened. “...But I fear I am not following.” Soon after we had finished discussing our plan, my new companions and I set off to the place where I had first opened my eyes in the new world two nights before. On our way we passed CHS, or at least that is the name that Sunset Shimmer had given to the place of our first meeting. “Tell me something, Starswirl.” The red-haired sorceress asked. “What is it?” “Why did you come looking for me, when you needed help. We had never met before and obviously you do not know any of my friends but Rarity just yet. Who told you that I had experience with magic?” It was a certain blue-haired teenager.” “Did this one wear a black jacket and white t-shirt?” “He did.” “It must have been Flash then. It's good he told you to come looking for me, even if our first meeting was not exactly pleasant.” “Indeed it was, Sunset Shimmer.” I replied coldly. “Indeed it was.” “Can I ask you something now?” I then asked the red-haired teenager. “Sure.” “The one who told me about you spoke of you as a powerful sorceress of some sort. I suppose he was right, since you've figured out a way to bring me back to my Realm with great ease. Not to mention that you expect to be able cast my time travel spell which obviously requires enormous power. Now my question is: what's your secret, Sunset Shimmer? How can you manage to keep all of that power, while I lost mine, when I arrived into this world.” After reflecting upon my question, the sorceress replied with a smile on her face. “Starswhirl, I do not know what expectations you have of me. But can assure you that I am not that great. All my knowledge comes from study, plus...My true secret is right in front of you.” After the sorceress had mentioned those words, I heard many voices greeting as. Before me stood a group of young “meres” who welcomed us with great kindness. Each of them looked so different from one another, yet they all seemed to be so close nonetheless. After showing them the spot where I had rested two nights before, they hold each other's “hooves” together with Rarity and Sunset Shimmer and a rainbow of colours came out of their bodies, hitting that very spot. Instantly a reap was opened: I knew that was the chance I had been waiting for. Before going through though, I turned around and smiled upon those who had helped me throughout my struggle. I might not yet understand what was that magic that had opened the portal to my Realm or how they managed to love one another so much, yet inside of me I knew that someday I would need to find out... The following part does not belong to my original notes, yet I chose to add it to this diary, as Twilight Sparkle told me about it, after she and her friends had rescued me and the pillars from limbo. “So we really helped an Equestria legend?” Fluttershy asked, as soon as Starswhirl had left. “Yup, the greatest Equestria has ever know, though certainly not for his humble nature.” “You guys, we gotta throw a big party to celebrate another of our great accomplishments!” “Sure, Pinkie Pie, dear.” “Right now we need to get back to school, before we're late for class.” Rainbow Dash reminded her friends. As soon as the girls had arrived to CHS, a glowing light came out of the mirror-portal and a very anxious Twilight appeared. “Where is he?!” The Princess of Friendship exclaimed, running toward Sunset and the others. “Where is he, Sunset?! I need to speak to him and take my notes, I need all that knowledge.” “Relax, Twilight.” Her red-haired friend replied, seeing Twilight in that state. “He's already gone. He desperately wanted to go back home, so we helped him out.” Hearing those words, the Princess of Friendship's jaw dropped, right before the girl could scream in desperation. “Noooooo!!!!”