Star returned to the Canterlot Castle with Timber and reported to Celestia and Luna his findings. After hearing what happened to Clover, they became quite shocked.
“I cannot believe it…” Celestia said. “We’ve heard Pandora had been able to defeat Clover the Clever, but…”
“But we didn’t know she had been able to banish him to the Fog of the Lost” Luna said. “That is a very nefarious fate, one that I would never wish to any of my enemies.”
“So you know it as well?” Star asked. “Kurama told me it’s a very nasty place, but he didn’t tell me the details.”
“The Fog of the Lost, for what we know, is like a prison where those inside are forced to live their worst nightmares and darkest regrets for all eternity” Celestia replied. “Believe us when we say it’s a place you’d like to even approach.”
“But unfortunately I need to do it” Star said. “Not only to find Star Swirl’s book, but also because of Clover. He’s my friend and just that compels me to try to save him.”
Hearing him saying that, the two sisters traded a confused look and asked at the same time:
“Friend?”
Star remembered they didn’t know that he and Clover had met during their time inside the Bermikun Triangle and were on the same crew led by Dusk.
“It’s… a long story” he replied. “What’s important now is how I will get to the Spirit World. Princess Luna, do you have any idea? After all, you can get into the Dream World.”
“Unfortunately, my powers only allow me to enter the Dream World” she replied. “I have no idea how could be possible to reach such place.”
“I see… then maybe Discord” Star said. “I don’t have the best of friendships with him, but he is from there.”
“We’ve tried to reach him, after learning about the appearance of the Pony of Shadows” Celestia replied. “But it would appear he is out of reach. However, I do believe I have a solution for you, Star. There are other ways to reach the Spirit World, like portals around all the Pony Reality. But we don’t have the time to search for them. So, we’ll have to resource to another alternative. There’s one pony in this castle that may have a way to access the Spirit World.”
“Who?” Star asked.
Soon after, Star, followed by Timber, went to isolated part of the castle’s gardens. It looked very peaceful and beautiful that was amazing that there was no pony there. At certain point, he heard Timber growl a little bit and Star looked to where he was staring. Sitting in a meditating position on a rock was none other than Hepheus, who had his eyes closed. Seeing him like that made Star’s stomach turn a few times.
Despite knowing he was under the Lord of Chaos’ influence, that didn’t change the fact he was the General of Chaos, the same one that invaded and destroyed the Light Kingdom, that started the Great War and awakened the Ten-Tails.
“Do you really need to ask him for help?” Kurama asked Star.
“Come on, Kurama” he replied, in their plane. “He’s no longer the General of Chaos.”
“That doesn’t mean I have to be happy about this” the tailed beast replied.
Ignoring his tailed beast’s remark, Star took a deep breath and approached Hepheus.
“Of all the ponies that would come to me, you are certainly one of those I least expected” Hepheus said, still with his eyes closed.
“I need your help, Hepheus” Star told. “We’re in a situation and you’re the only one I can turn to.”
“I must be” Hepheus said, while opening his eyes. “There’s not that many ponies that would want to approach me for help.”
“Well, I…” Star started to say, not knowing the words to use.
Hepheus released a chuckle and then said:
“Don’t worry, young Star, I’m just teasing you. I understand the situation I am in. It has passed only a year since… Well, since the war and ponies are still getting used to be around me.”
“I understand that” Star said. “Maybe my situation can’t be compared to yours, but I can relate in having ponies giving cold stares and not be wanted. Not only that, but there’s also the remorse of hurting those I love and care about. When I was learning to control Kurama’s power, I’ve hurt ponies… like my father and my cousin Gleaming.”
“And me” Hepheus added. “Just because I was being controlled by the Lord of Chaos, it doesn’t mean I don’t remember that.”
“But, in the end, I was able to prove myself” Star continued. “Maybe you can also do that. Only through your actions you can show ponies that you’re not the General of Chaos anymore.”
“And how will I do that?”
“By helping me. You must know that the Pony of Shadows is back. There’s a way to stop him, but, for that, I need to go to the Spirit World. There’s somepony there that can help me in that. Princess Celestia told me you know how to get there, so I came to ask you to help me get there.”
“I see…” Hepheus replied. “Okay, I can do that. But I’ll need to go with you. The Spirit World is a rather tricky place, if you’re new there or if you’re not careful.”
Star nodded with his head, accepting his condition.
“Okay then, sit” Hepheus told, while Star sit in the same meditation position as him, with Timber lying down beside his owner. “When I go to the Spirit World, I use meditation. In it, my soul is transported to the Spirit World, where the laws of magic and physics are very different than the rest of the Pony Reality. There, the spiritual becomes corporeal. But you have to know that doing this does have its drawbacks. If your soul leaves your body, it will become vulnerable, even more than when you try to gather natural energy. If something happens to it, then you won’t be able to come back. And the same goes for the other way around. You may not die per say, but the longer you stay out of your body, the greater will be the strain on it. So try not to get trap there. Fortunately, you possess a lot of energy, even without the Nine-Tails’ energy.”
“I understand all that” Star said. “And I’m ready.”
“The easiest way to get in the Spirit World is meditating in a place full of spiritual energy” Hepheus said. “The gardens of this castle were once Discord’s home during the time he was turned into stone. They absorbed much of his spiritual energy during those centuries. That’s why I meditate here. In time, if you keep practicing, you’ll be able to grasp any spiritual energy wherever you are to get there. Now, close your eyes and concentrate. Unlike with gathering natural energy, you’ll try to distance yourself from what’s around you, instead of becoming one with it. Every sight, every sound, every scent… everything. Only then, your soul will be able to detach itself from your body and travel to the Spirit World.”
Internalizing Hepheus’ words, Star closed his eyes. Before he could start detaching himself, he turned to Kurama and told him:
“Hold on the fort for me, okay? It’s unlikely we’re having an attack here, but Timber will be here to protect my body.”
“Please, as if I would trust on a timberwolf to protect me” Kurama replied. “Just hurry up in returning.”
And so, Star started to do what Hepheus told him to do. While getting completely immobile, Star started instinctively gathering natural energy. Once he realized that, he stopped and started to detach himself from everything around him. It was not a very easy task, but he was able to focus on his task. Suddenly, he started to feel something different around him.
“You can open your eyes now” Hepheus told him.
Star did so and became amazed to where he was now. He could see himself at a desert with many rock formations and filled with many colorful cacti under a night sky filled with many bright stars.
“So this is the Spirit World?” Star asked. “I never thought it was so… dark.”
“Don’t be fooled by the sky” Hepheus said. “The Spirit World is not guided by concepts of day and night. This part is called Nocturnal Desert, right in the middle of the Light Side.”
“The Light Side?” Star asked, confused.
“The Spirit World is a realm that belongs to both the Lord of Order and the Lord of Chaos and, because of that, is divided in two factions: Light Side, where the good spirits live, and the Dark Side, where the… less good spirits are” Hepheus explained. “Where is it that you want to go, exactly?”
“The Fog of the Lost” Star replied.
Hepheus didn’t get very happy to hear that, saying:
“Right in the middle of the Dark Side… Great. Unfortunately… or fortunately, I don’t know where the fog is.”
“Can you take me to the border of the two factions?” Star asked.
“I can, but not knowing where to go…” Hepheus answered. “You can get lost… and you know time is not at our side at the moment.”
“But I have to do it” Star said, starting to flap his wings, but found himself unable to fly. “What the…”
“Yeah, flying is tricky here when in your spiritual form” Hepheus replied. “And you can’t perform magic too.”
“Great, so… how will I be able to get to the Fog of the Lost?” Star asked.
“Close your eyes” Hepheus told.
Despite a little frustrated, Star did what Hepheus told him to do, closing his eyes.
“Focus on your need for help, for guidance” Hepheus instructed, while Star did just that. “Think of nothing else, but that… and when you’re ready, just call the first name that comes to you.”
Thinking of his need to get to the Fog of the Lost, Star prepared to say something. But he hesitated, unsure of what to say. When he overcome that doubt, he ended up calling:
“Crosswart!”
But it would appear nothing happened.
“Should I call again?” Star asked.
“Just wait a moment” Hepheus said.
After a few seconds, Hepheus looked behind Star and the latter noticed he was looking at something. The young alicorn also turned around and then came across of something big, twice his length, and strong-looking. He was a creature that appeared to be cross between a lion and a bear, having the hind legs, the tail and the mane of the former and the body, arms and head of the latter. His fur possessed bright colors, possessing shades of orange and green with some white outlining, darker spots on his back and belly and yellow and red triangular marks on his forearms, while having a white mane, palms and soles. He had dark crimson eyes.
“Hey there, buddy.”
His sudden appearance startled Star that caused him to position himself in a defensive pose.
“Oh… hold on your horses. I’m a friend, Star. Sorry about the pun, by the way. Sometimes I can’t help myself.”
“You… know my name?” Star asked.
“Of course I know” the creature replied. “After all, it’s my duty to help and guide you.”
“That’s your spirit guide, Star” Hepheus explained. “Spirit guides’ duty is to help those under their tutelage in any way possible. They can be the little voice in your head telling you the right thing to do, that little feeling that tells you something is wrong or where to go… or they can be the ones to help you navigate through the Spirit World.”
“I see…” Star said, turning then to the spirit. “So you’re my spirit guide?”
“You can bet your feathers I am” he replied, while making poses. “The name is Crosswart. I’ve been watching you and your family for generations… well, your father’s side at least. We spirit guides are tied to the patriarchal bloodline, created to a family to watch over its members. But I have to say that you and your brother and sisters are the ones that made this job much more entertaining.”
“I see… well, it’s good to meet you, Crosswart” Star said.
“Up high!” Crosswart exclaimed, extending his hand.
Smiling to that, Star extended his hoof, but Crosswart was too tall for him. Because he couldn’t fly, he couldn’t reach it, but the spirit guide just lowed his hand so that Star could reach it.
“So, Star, what can I do for you?” Crosswart asked.
“You don’t know?” Star asked back.
“Well, I may be a spirit guide, but I’m not omniscient” he replied.
“I need to find a friend” Star told. “He was banished here… to the Fog of the Lost.”
“Oh…” Crosswart said, taking a more serious tone. “I see… Well… the Dark Side is not exactly my favorite of places… and I shouldn’t take you to a place where you can get lost for all eternity…”
There was a pause, where Crosswart adopted a thoughtful look, before replying:
“But I guess you wouldn’t do it unless it was very important. Okay, I’ll take you there.”
He placed himself over his feet and hands and told Star:
“Hop on. I will take you there.”
Star went on his back and Hepheus did the same, getting behind the former.
“Okay, guys, hold on tight” Crosswart warned. “It’s been a while since I carried someone.”
And so he started to run.
The Lord of Chaos was seeing that through one of his mirrors and he was not very satisfied. Knowing Star Knight as he did, the chances of him succeeding in finding Clover and, by extension, Star Swirl’s book were very high. If he managed to do it, then another of his plan would be ruin again.
Waving his hand, he made the reflection of the mirror to change and show him Chrysalis, Scorpio and Obsidia, who had stopped to rest after what happened in their kingdom.
“Chrysalis!” he called.
Noticing him, Chrysalis said, while she and her mutants bowed:
“Master…”
“How shameful…” the Lord of Chaos reprimanded. “How could you let that half-breed and that weakling traitor of yours that you were unable to eliminate dethrone you and transform all the other changelings?! Not only that, but they were also able to retrieve Mistmane’s flower and bring her back!”
“I… I’m so sorry, master” Chrysalis said. “I have no excuse.”
“Yes, you don’t” the Lord of Chaos replied. “Your luck is that I am in no position to waste any possible villain. But, we can still prevent those children from gathering all the Elements of Virtue… Prince Star Knight is at this precise moment in the Spirit World… or at least his soul. If we manage to trap him there, not only he will be unable to get Star Swirl’s book, but he will also eventually die and stay in the Spirit World… forever. And I shall use this for that.”
He summoned a vial with a dark purple liquid inside.
“With this potion, Star Knight’s soul won’t be able to travel back to his body.”
Using his magic, the Lord of Chaos made the vial to approach the mirror and pass through the glass, being transported to where Chrysalis and the mutants were. After that, it approached Scorpio.
“Scorpio, dip your sting in this potion. After that, I will send you to the location where Star Knight will be. Sting him and he will be trapped. Oh, and see if you do it to Hepheus as well. He’s helping that disgusting alicorn prince. It will be my personal revenge against that traitor.”
“Of course, my lord” Scorpio replied, while taking the vial. “But won’t I be stuck there as well?”
The Lord of Chaos made him a cold look that caused Scorpio to get very nervous and he hasted to say:
“And I would be glad to make that sacrifice for you, master… But you just said you need all the villains available, right?”
“Nice save…” Obsidia commented, in a whisper.
“Zip it!” Scorpio hissed at her.
“You're right, Scorpio” the Lord of Chaos said. “I do need every help at this moment. That’s why I’m going to tell you how to escape the Spirit World. However, you need to have in mind that Prince Star Knight probably will search for the same exit. So, your job will also include the need to keep him there. Am I clear?”
“Yes, master…”
“Good. So, what you need to do is this…”