“I must say darling, you had quite the time with Braeburn.” As tea was set out before her and her friends, Rarity poured herself a cup and remarked, “I just wish that I had been able to provide some assistance.”
“Eh, don’t worry about it.” Applejack accepted a cup that had been poured for her. “You an’ Fluttershy an’ Pinkie were busy with the fair, after all, an’ even with jus’ the four’a’us, would’ve been overkill. Ah just wish Ah hadn’t taken so long to deal with that sidewinder.”
Fluttershy had frowned at Applejack’s word choice, but diplomatically noted, “Well, it’s all been taken care of.” Spike then climbed into a seat beside them as she changed the subject. “Anyway, how do you think Twilight is doing with her research?”
Golden Oak Library had been quiet with Twilight away, Spike having been left to his own devices. The building was still standing and kept in order, however, which the young drake considered a relief. Granted, most occasions had gone relatively smoothly, but he had no desire to see a repeat of the pet incident.
“No word so far, but research projects take time. I remember this one term paper Twilight did, took her weeks…”
A knock sounded at the main entrance, and a familiar thestral stepped inside. “Good afternoon, heroines of Equestria!” Pixie Dust was her usual perky self as she entered, dressed in her regular duty uniform rather than the full armor of the guard with sunglasses over her eyes. “How goes it?”
“No complaints from me, Lieutenant.” Applejack turned to face her. “Here to drop off a progress report on the reconstruction efforts?”
“Yep.” The newcomer flicked open a pannier with one wing and then produced a sealed envelope with one hoof. “Another copy’s been sent to Princess Celestia, but I figure that Princess Twilight will want to read it over herself when she gets back from Canterlot. Speaking of, any news?”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Like I just said, nothing yet.”
The newcomer cringed in embarrassment. “Sorry Spike. My ears are good, but this place has better sound-blocking.” The thestral shrugged. “Anyway, the sooner she gets back, the better. And hopefully with good news. I’ll sleep a lot more soundly once the Elements are in play again. Call it superstition or gut feeling, but something tells me we’ll need them sooner rather than later.”
Applejack smirked. “Worried the Pony of Shadows is gonna cause trouble?”
Pixie Dust rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses. “No. At least, not the one your Granny told you ghost stories about.” At the curious expressions of the others, she grinned. “We’ve got stories of our own Pony of Shadows back in Hollow Shades. Maybe I’ll tell them to you sometime.”
Another knock sounded at the door, and this time a familiar stallion entered. “Spike, I…oh good, you’re all here. That saves me some time.” Quiver stepped into the library and produced a weather-beaten tome from his saddlebags. “I think you guys need to see this.”
As Spike bustled to the stallion’s side to examine the book, Fluttershy asked, “Is something wrong, Quiver?”
“Don’t know yet. I just bought this book from Silver Spoon’s dad, and I think it might have a connection to Twilight’s research.”
Spike frowned as he looked it over. “Well, I can’t read it, but it does look like Old Ponish. And all these illustrations…” He turned to one such illustration depicting six encircled ponies. “Wait a second, these guys look familiar!”
The other ponies approached, and Fluttershy gasped. “That’s Mage Meadowbrook! I recognize her mask!”
“An’ that’s gotta be Rockhoof on the left, an’ Mistmane up top!” Applejack turned to Quiver. “Assumin’ this is legit, nice work findin’ it. Now we gotta get it to Twilight.”
“That’s not gonna be a problem.” Heads turned to Pixie Dust as she explained, “Princess Twilight’s fixed things so that a train can be ready to get her or anypony in her entourage to Canterlot at a moment’s notice. All we need to do is send word out.”
“Then we’d best get our go-bags, everypony.” Rarity turned to Quiver and grinned. “And that includes you, darling. We can’t simply leave you out of this.”
Quiver grinned right back. “I was hoping that you wouldn’t.”
-
Stygian had thought he was prepared for anything. The awestruck expression upon the face of Star Swirl the Bearded, however, was not something that he was expecting.
“My stars…” Star Swirl’s gaze swept over the gathered ponies before him, as though he could not believe his senses. “I’ve heard stories about each of you, but so many were so fantastic, so amazing, I almost thought that they were all tall tales, sheer legends…”
“I assure you, we are quite real.” Rockhoof stepped forward and politely spoke. “And while I cannae speak for the others, I would be more than happy to elaborate upon my life once I have the chance. Right now, however, we should see to the peril facing Stygian’s village.”
That seemed to rouse the sorcerer from his stupor, and he shook his head and collected himself. “Yes, of course, the peril facing Stygian’s village.” He then raised an eyebrow. “Kindly remind me, who is Stygian?”
The scholar turned crestfallen at having been forgotten so quickly, but Meadowbrook took up a place at his left. “Why, this fellow here.”
Somnambula took a place at his right and continued where her fellow mare left off. “Indeed. He journeyed across the realm to seek our aid.”
Flash Magnus turned Star Swirl’s attention back to the rest of the party. “And he is more than adamant that we are all needed to face this threat.”
“And given what we have been told of it, his concerns are not unwarranted.” Mistmane stepped forward and pleaded, “Please, Star Swirl. We need you. The realm needs you.”
The sorcerer frowned, then nodded. “Very well. Please wait for me at the Castle of the Two Sisters. I shall join you shortly.”
The party let out a collective sigh of relief as Stygian brightened. “Thank you, I…wait, what?”
Before further protests could be made, Star Swirl pulled a pendant from his robes and activated it with his magic. The six ponies gathered before him were swiftly enveloped in brilliant blue light, then vanished from his sight. The sorcerer then sighed. “Now to inform my charges…”
-
Twilight groaned softly as she closed another volume of Mage Meadowbrook’s diaries. She idly retrieved the next volume in her magic, only to pause and remark, “Maybe he’s right.”
“Who…?” Lyra looked up from an earlier volume that Twilight had just discarded, then frowned. “You’re not stuck on what that Neighsay jerk said, are you?”
The young alicorn set her current volume down, then gestured around them with one hoof. “Look around us. Star Swirl recorded stories involving himself and the other Pillars. We can corroborate what he wrote not only with what Celestia and Luna recorded in their old journal, but also with what’s here in Meadowbrook’s diaries. We know that they all met, thanks to this Stygian pony that Meadowbrook mentions, but why aren’t we seeing anything about Stygian anywhere in Star Swirl’s recordings?”
Sunburst looked up from his tome. “Admittedly, that does seem a little odd.”
“And it does suggest a disturbing trend, considering he’s not the only important thing from early Equestrian history to be practically forgotten about.” Her fellow Guardsponies nodded in agreement as Sunny Flare remarked, “And this entry here discusses some sort of magical project with Star Swirl, a ‘seed’ to be planted to help ensure Equestria’s future, but it doesn’t go into any detail about it beyond Star Swirl forbidding her to mention any details.”
Rainbow Dash groaned and banged her head on the floor. “Why write about it like it’s important, then not go into any detail about it? The stuff I studied for my test might’ve been boring, but at least it was detailed!” She suddenly felt a pang of regret in opting to help the research group.
“And it’s not the first time she’s done it either.” Sunrunner held up another volume. “This one talks about her curing an outbreak of swamp fever, back before she met Stygian and Rockhoof. It’s corroborated in Star Swirl’s written accounts about her, along with that zombie village he mentioned. But beyond it involving flash bee honey, Meadowbrook doesn’t elaborate on what the cure was. Those things are territorial, and getting honey from one of their hives is a lot harder than getting it from domestic honeybees. Even with modern beekeeping tools and methods.”
Dash lifted her head up from the floor. “Okay, hold up. Swamp fever?”
“It’s a very rare disease spread by pollen from specific flowers. A creature inhales the pollen, and catches the fever. After going through various weird symptoms, the afflicted is transformed into a tree which will drop and spread more flowers.” Sour Sweet hardly noticed the prismatic mare’s shocked expression as she turned to Sunrunner. “Quiver told me about it too.” She then turned back to Dash and explained, “Still, her curing it a thousand years ago is a good thing, considering ponies can catch it too. You don’t want to know how they’d treat it otherwise.”
“Yeah, let’s not go into detail about that.” Dash nodded emphatically at Pinkie Pie’s suggestion, suddenly glad the party pony had joined them before said pony continued. “Anyway, let’s get back to the important stuff here! You can’t give up on this, Twilight!”
“Heck yeah you can’t!” Dash sat up and looked dead at her friend. “I mean come on! You’ve come pretty far here already! Neighsay sure as heck didn’t dig up any of this!”
Moondancer snorted. “He hasn’t dug up anything.”
“Exactly! You went to Celestia and Luna’s old castle and found their old journal! You got copies of Meadowbrook’s diaries, diaries that got authenticated under the watch of one of Neighsay’s stuck-up buddies! And here we are, in Star Swirl’s study, with stuff that he found and recorded!” She then grinned and pointed at Flash. “Plus, thanks to you and Star Swirl, Flash and I know that awesomeness is genetic.”
Flash Sentry grinned at that. The news that he and Rainbow Dash might be very distant cousins was something that had gone over well for both of them. “She’s right, Twilight. You can’t give up.”
Twilight smiled. “Thanks. And I’m not denying that what we’ve found isn’t important.” She then sighed. “But it’s less about giving up and more about acknowledging when I’ve hit a wall.” She gestured around and explained, “All of this, it’s like a big jigsaw puzzle, and we aren’t just missing all of the pieces, we’re missing the box.”
That sank in for a moment, before Sunrunner sat up. “Well, maybe it’s time to take a step back and look at the overall puzzle.” Heads turned to her as she elaborated. “Let’s look at the timeline here. We know from the journal that Star Swirl showed the princesses the Tree of Harmony some eleven hundred years ago, right?”
Moondancer nodded. “And based on the illustrations in that journal, it was smaller then. That implies that it grew, and the Elements were formed in the interim between them assuming the throne and Discord coming into the picture.”
“Well, what are the chances that Star Swirl directed them towards it as a means of stopping Discord?” That got the group’s attention as Sunrunner continued, “We already know that Star Swirl knew about the Tree. Maybe he had a hoof in helping it grow? Or he was monitoring it?”
“Maybe, but if he did, I never found any mention of it in his athenaeum.” Moondancer turned to Sunburst and remarked, “I’ve used the same search methods that you did once Twilight read me in on this, and there isn’t a single mention of him monitoring the Tree. Plenty about studying artifacts related to the Tree, and objects he called empathic gemstones, but beyond that, nothing.”
Pinkie pouted. “Then I guess we’re missing some pretty big puzzle pieces.”
“And if I were paranoid, I’d think that Star Swirl was deliberately hiding them.” Twilight sighed again. “Well, Meadowbrook’s diaries are all we have to go on for now. Maybe one of the later entries will have something.” She managed a half-smile as she remarked, “We can’t give up hope.”
-
“I dinnae understand why we couldnae simply wait for Star Swirl back at the capital.” Rockhoof looked about the courtyard of the Castle of the Two Sisters. “Not that this is not unpleasant, mind, but teleporting us here just seems wasteful.”
“I am certain that Star Swirl had his reasons.” Mistmane looked about with approval. “In any case, this isn’t a poor place to wait. This castle might not be the ideal place to host a government, but it does make for a fine home for the Royal Sisters.”
“Ah actually like it more than the castle in Canterlot.” Meadowbrook tapped at the ground with one hoof. “It feels more stable compared to the other castle.”
“Yes, but at the edge of the Everfree Forest?” Flash Magnus frowned as he considered the wild, untamed part of Equestria. “Better there than here, if only to avoid flight hazards.”
“Perhaps, but I think that both castles have their merits.” Somnambula turned to Stygian and asked, “What of you, my friend? What do you think?”
Before the scholar could answer, Star Swirl appeared before them in a pop of blue light, the same pendant from earlier in hoof. “Forgive my abruptness, but had you lingered in Canterlot, you would have no doubt attracted the attention of the Royal Sisters. I have no doubt they would have wanted to follow along on this adventure, bothered you incessantly with questions and queries, and likely put themselves in danger. And Equestria cannot afford to lose them, not in its practical infancy.”
“How in the Maker’s name are ye doin’ that?!” Rockhoof shook his head. “Poppin’ in an’ out like that out of the blue! That cannae be easy!”
“Teleportation is taxing, yes, but I have fortunately found ways around the limitations of a pony’s magical potential.” He gestured towards a glowing blue stone embedded into one of the spires of the castle. “This pendant is linked to a series of magical stones scattered throughout Equestria, both during my travels and after them. One such stone is here at the Castle of the Two Sisters, while another is in Canterlot.” He then turned to Stygian and asked, “Now then, where is your village?”
“On the coast of the Southern Ocean, near the tip of the bay.”
Star Swirl nodded as he pulled a map from his cloak and unfurled it. “Fortunately, another stone is near that location.” He tucked away the map and called out as he retrieved his pendant, “Gather close, everypony.”
Once more, the group was enveloped in blue magic, and the party found themselves shifted from the grounds of a castle to the nation’s western coast. Stygian looked about and sighed. “I know this beach. We are about a day’s walk north of my village.”
“Excellent. Kindly lead the way.” As Stygian did so, Star Swirl then pulled a scroll and quill from his robes. “Now then, Rockhoof. I have some questions. The shovel you carry now, is it the same one which you used to save your village from the volcano, or do you have several of them?”
“Well, that one was destroyed by a baby cherufe. This is one of several that I made to replace it since.”
“Really? Could you tell me about that adventure?”
Stygian frowned as Rockhoof recounted the tale. It was a good tale, one that Rockhoof had told him earlier in their travels, but it being recounted as he led the group onwards, with Star Swirl hardly paying him any heed, left him with an unpleasant feeling. He had hope for his village, and yet…why did he have this feeling of dread?
-
Celestia’s expression was polite and genteel as she sat upon her throne. “Chancellor, I really do wish that you would reconsider this.”
Chancellor Neighsay’s expression was similarly polite. “And as of yet, I find myself with little reason to do so. Discipline in schools is something that needs to be enforced, often with firm measures. If one is tending a garden, then one must get rid of the weeds before they drain nutrients away from the plants one wants to grow. And the zero-tolerance policy is a tool for that.”
“A tool that has no guarantee of working, especially if it isn’t properly utilized.” Luna’s expression was a clear glare at the bureaucrat before her. How much of it was simple irritation at him and how much was due to her having been roused from her slumber early was unclear, though the latter was at least eased by a cup of coffee.
Neighsay frowned as he turned to the younger princess. “With all due respect, Princess Luna, you have no business commenting upon this. Princess Celestia, at least, runs a school. You do no such thing, and thus have no say in the policies of education.”
“Are schools not places where the young are helped to become able members of society?” Luna set aside her cup and declared, “I and my sister both swore an oath to this nation and its citizens when we assumed our duties, and those duties include looking after the well-being of the young. Nopony is arguing against the need for disciplinary action against miscreants, Chancellor. It is the methodology which you are suggesting be standardized across the nation to which I raise objection. And this zero-tolerance policy, assuming it is even properly applied, seems less like a means of administering discipline and more a blanket solution to problems that can be solved by better means, an easy and quick resort for the lazy who care not for solving real problems. As the expression goes, when all one has is a hammer, it is a matter of time before all issues are treated like nails.”
Neighsay, to his credit, actually seemed to be considering her statement before he spoke. “Regardless, the pilot program that has been implemented in Indianapoloosa has demonstrated some clear merit. And I have yet to see any case where it has been poorly utilized there to address an issue of discipline. Until I have data showing otherwise, I am inclined to go ahead with the program.”
Celestia sighed. “Well, then I suppose that concludes our business.” The door to the throne room opened, and she called, “Yes, Kibitz?”
“Princess Twilight Sparkle and her research team and escorts to see you, ma’am.” The old unicorn stepped aside to allow the group access.
Luna’s expression brightened at the sight of the group, and Celestia herself smiled. “Wonderful.” She turned to Neighsay and asked, “Chancellor, if you would be so kind?”
“With all due respect, I would prefer to stay.” Neighsay looked to Twilight and admitted, “I am rather curious as to how Princess Twilight’s research is progressing.”
Celestia’s expression went unchanged as she turned to her protégé, who looked up at her with regret. “I’m afraid that while our research has turned up some very interesting information, we haven’t accomplished much based on what we have available. What we do have does corroborate, but we’ve yet to find anything substantial regarding the end goal of our efforts.”
“Which is hardly a surprise.” With all the air of a long-suffering parent explaining something for the umpteenth time to an obstinate child, Neighsay turned to Twilight and said, “As I explained before, all researchers can find themselves at a dead end. Whatever this bit of whimsy you are entertaining is, I suggest that you set it aside. I’ve no doubt that able scholars and academics can…”
The sound of the door opening once more drowned out the sound of Luna’s cup of coffee shattering into broken porcelain, and Kibitz again reported, “A party from Ponyville to see you, Highnesses, escorted by one Lieutenant Pixie Dust. They say they have urgent business to discuss in relation to national security.”
Celestia nodded, and the newcomers entered at a brisk pace with a familiar thestral in the lead, now clad in her armor rather than her duty uniform. “Hello everypony. I hope that this isn’t unpleasant news?”
“That’s our hope as well, your Highness.” Pixie Dust slipped off her helmet, then gently nudged the lone stallion among the newcomers forward. “Go for it.”
Quiver Quill nodded, then pulled a weather-beaten tome from his panniers. “I acquired this book earlier today, and assuming it’s legitimate…”
“Excuse me?” Neighsay raised an eyebrow at the stallion before him, whose expression swiftly turned into a bitter frown. “You barge in here and waste the time of royalty over an old book, something for which you have no means of determining legitimate value? For all we know, this is some sort of forgery…”
“Shut. Up.”
That caught the older stallion off-guard. “I beg your pardon?”
The younger stallion didn’t even turn to face him. “I said ‘shut up’. It means ‘shut up’.”
The bureaucrat choked briefly, then scowled and blustered, “Do you even know whom you’re addressing?!”
“Chancellor Neighsay of the Equestrian Education Association, the utmost authority when it comes to Equestria’s schools and how they’re run.” Quiver’s scowl was just as fierce as he rounded upon his opposition. “And also a short-sighted, hypocritical bigot whose actions are doing far more to hurt Equestria than he’s ever done to help it! Now shut up and stand aside!” With Neighsay now left in stunned silence, Quiver politely ignored the approving smirk on Luna’s face as he approached Twilight. “Now as I was saying, assuming this is legit, I figured that you’d want to see it.”
Twilight took up the tome in her magic, then lightly went through its pages. “I can definitely see why you thought this could be important.” She then passed the volume off to Celestia and Luna. “Could this be genuine?”
The elder alicorn examined the pages herself. “I imagine we’d want to get a second opinion with someone accredited, but yes, I believe this is. I recognize Star Swirl’s horn-writing.”
“Indeed. He would often work to make it clear for another pony, but his natural horn-writing is here.” Luna gestured to the caption on one image. “He rarely worked that hard with the captions.”
“Then this could be a missing volume from his study!” Sunburst turned to Quiver and asked, “Where did you find this?”
“An antique shop, of all places. But I doubt the proprietor is engaged in anything shady. Or at least, I have no evidence to believe that’s the case.”
“No accusations are being made, Mister Quiver Quill.” Celestia then passed the journal to Sunburst. “I’m afraid my Old Ponish is a bit rusty. Sunburst, would you be so kind?”
The scholar nodded, and opened the journal to the first page and read the translation aloud. “‘The best elements within us can spread light and virtue, and I know ponies who represent them all. Strength, bravery, healing, beauty, hope, and sorcery. Myself and these Pillars of Equestria were gathered together by another to maintain and share the light of these powerful ideals, and protect this nation against all who would threaten them. The first such threat was against a Siren, called Basso Profundo…’”
-
“Stygian? Are you alright?”
Meadowbrook’s words shook the scholar from his reverie. They had covered the distance from where they’d arrived at the coast to a short distance from his village, very near to where he had first met Basso Profundo, and during that time, Star Swirl had quizzed and questioned the others in the party about their adventures, seeking out little details. And all the while, Stygian had been neglected.
“Not really, no. I feel…left out, I suppose.” Stygian’s gaze went to the ocean as he admitted, “It makes sense that Star Swirl would devote his attention towards you and the others. Your exploits are the stuff of legend, after all.”
“But your village is the one in direct danger, and your concern is for your friends and their safety.” At her friend’s nod, Meadowbrook gave him a reassuring smile. “Well, Ah am certain that your efforts were not in vain. And Ah am also certain that you have given some thought about how to stop Basso Profundo. As troubling as it would be for you to repeat those thoughts, perhaps you would like to share them with me?” Stygian gave her a surprised look as she elaborated, “To help organize them.”
Stygian managed a small smile. “Well, that does sound like a good idea.” He took up a loose stick and started to draw in the sand. “When I saw Basso Profundo earlier, he appeared to be drawing power forth from the ponies under his spell.” The drawings became a rough depiction of the Siren, surrounded by ponies with arrows pointed away from them. “If we can pull ponies away from him, give him fewer to draw from, it could weaken…”
“Ahem.” The two turned to find the rest of the party had joined them, with Star Swirl at the head. “Forgive my interruption, but I believe you are going about this the wrong way. While the lives of your neighbors are indeed something to be concerned with, we cannot risk dividing our attention.” A wave of magic swept away Stygian’s drawings as the sorcerer set to work. “We need to go back to the beginning.”
Stygian bowed his head as the rest of the party gathered around him, his mood clear to all but Star Swirl.
“I have been developing a theory, that the best elements within a pony can spread light and virtue.” The sorcerer started drawing circles in the sand, with those circles containing rough pictures of their own. “When brought together, by ponies who best demonstrate these elements, they can create a power capable of protecting the realm from all manner of threats.”
Flash Magnus grinned. “Stygian was talking about something like that.”
Star Swirl briefly eyed the pegasus. “Clearly why he sought us out.” He then continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “Sorcery is, of course, the element which I represent. The others are Strength, Bravery, Healing, Beauty and Hope, which the five of you represent.”
“But what of Stygian?” Somnambula turned to the scholar and asked, “Surely he has something to contribute. He brought us together, after all.”
“Perhaps, but perhaps not. His presence in all of this might simply be providence, or it might be simple luck.” Star Swirl’s gaze turned to Stygian as he prodded, “Unless, of course, you have some hidden talent or skill that you have not disclosed?”
Stygian almost said something, but paused. “No.” He then bowed his head again. “I am nopony special. Anypony could have done what I have done.”
“Well, there is no fault in that. Not every pony has it in them to be a figure of legend.”
“I beg to differ.” Star Swirl’s gaze turned to Rockhoof as the mighty stallion recounted, “Perhaps anypony could have done what Stygian did, but the fact remains that it was Stygian who did it. He braved the journey to recruit each of us, with no guarantee of success. That takes bravery, and strength not of the body.”
“Ah agree, an’ Stygian started this journey because he had concern for his neighbors. Ah wouldn’t be much of a healer if Ah did not show proper concern for mah patients.”
“And it was brave of him to step in and interrupt a clash between my forces and those of the dragons.” Magnus grinned with approval. “Not many can do that.”
“And I might not have known him as long as the others, but I cannot deny that he has a certain beauty of spirit.” Mistmane was of similar mood as she smiled at the scholar. “He has put himself in danger for us, and for the ponies of his home.”
“Indeed. He brought us together, and holds us together even now.” Somnambula spread her wings for dramatic effect as she declared, “Perhaps it might not be the stuff of legend, but Stygian has united us in friendship. And friendship is certainly important.”
Stygian’s mood brightened at that. That these legendary ponies considered him a friend filled him with something that he hadn’t felt in a long time, a warmth. The dread that he’d felt had eased.
“Perhaps, but again, perhaps not. There’s no guarantee that we will even see one another after this adventure.”
And the dread returned, and Stygian’s spirits flagged.
“Regardless, I believe that the values I have discussed are the things which shall hold Equestria up. Pillars, if you will. Individually, they have been enough to best the forces of nature, cure terrible illnesses, defeat beasts, restore beauty and bring hope. Together, used in harmony, they can provide a raw magical power unlike any seen before, one that can maintain that harmony for generations to come.”
“And counteract this Siren and convince him to end his destructive actions.”
“I beg your pardon?” Star Swirl looked at Somnambula as though she had grown a second head. “There is such a thing as false hope, Somnambula. This creature came to our land, enslaved ponies and bent them to its will. I have learned this in my time studying magic, that while you can change the shape or color of something, you cannot change what it truly is. This Siren is very powerful, and very evil, and must be dealt with. Permanently.”
“Now Ah must beg your pardon.” Meadowbrook stood firm as she protested, “Ah am a healer, Star Swirl. An’ Ah have sworn an oath to preserve life, not destroy it.”
Star Swirl shook his head. “I have no intention of forcing you to end another creature’s life, Meadowbrook. If this Siren indeed draws strength from magic, then we can simply banish it somewhere that is without magic.”
“Does such a place exist?” Rockhoof eyed the sorcerer uneasily. “And assuming such a thing can be done, how do we know the Siren won’t simply menace the inhabitants of whatever land he’s banished to?”
“I know spells that allow for the transit between worlds, or to the gap between worlds, where magic cannot be found. And regardless, we have few options before us.” Star Swirl’s gaze went to Stygian. “The final choice lies with you, scholar. You came to me, seeking my wisdom, and I have shared it with you. What say you?”
Stygian paused, and considered. Basso Profundo certainly hadn’t demonstrated any willingness to act differently, and was certainly a threat. A part of him wondered if there was more to this, however, something they were unaware of. But still, his village…his neighbors…perhaps his nation.
Stygian bowed his head. “Star Swirl is right. It’s too dangerous to allow Basso Profundo to continue. He has to be stopped.”
“An intelligent decision, young pony.” Star Swirl’s gaze swept over the group as he elaborated, “Now, I can open the portal, but all of you must act to lead the Siren into it. Stygian spoke of it having a hypnotic voice. Meadowbrook, do you have a potion that can counteract it?”
“Yes, but not a lot.” Meadowbrook pulled a bottle from her pouch containing a glowing potion. “The main ingredient is a very rare plant, and Ah only have so much. The only other option is to fill our ears with beeswax or render ourselves deaf, but if we do that…”
“The potion will suffice. Each of us six shall take a dose. How long will it last?”
“Not long. An hour at most.”
“Then we shall need to be swift.” Star Swirl looked to Stygian. “Should we fail, you will need to return to Canterlot and notify the princesses.” He produced the very pendant that he had used to aid their transit and passed it to the scholar. “Under no circumstances, however, are they to attempt a rescue themselves. If we fall to this Siren, then it will be unstoppable. Even to an army of alicorns, let alone two young ones just barely having gained their Marks.”
“Yes.” Stygian accepted the pendant. “Of course, I understand.”
A part of him, however, felt wrong. He could see the logic behind Star Swirl’s thoughts, but was he right? He seemed so certain, however, and that was hardly a bad thing. Still, the others had been open to other opinions, been willing to see his view, and it had all worked for the best. Was he making the right decision now, acceding to Star Swirl’s experience and wisdom?
Perhaps he was. Perhaps he wasn’t.
-
“Oh my stars, I…” Sunburst had a giddy look on his face as he looked up from the tome before him, one matched by Twilight and the rest of the research team. “This is amazing! What’s recorded here, it matches up with what we’ve discovered in Meadowbrook’s diaries! The assembly of the Pillars, their fight with Basso Profundo and how it played out, all of it!”
“And in Star Swirl’s own words.” The journal floated back towards her, and Twilight took it up in her hooves with reverence. “This is…” The instant it touched her hooves, however, the book took on a bright glow, and Twilight gasped. “Oh my gosh! This is…!”
“Exactly what happened with Meadowbrook’s mask!” Fluttershy then awkwardly looked about and managed a sheepish smile. “Oh, I’m sorry, did I just speak out of turn?”
“You did no such thing, fair Fluttershy.” As she and her sister approached the gathered ponies, Luna’s tone was comforting, and more than a little eager. “Though this does raise its fair share of questions.”
“Ahem!” Heads turned back to Chancellor Neighsay, who looked more than a little frustrated at the proceedings. “If everypony is done being excited over this yet-to-be-verified text, could somepony kindly explain what the significance of all of this is?”
Applejack smirked. “Ah’m guessin’ the chancellor ain’t been read in on the particulars?”
“Indeed, though given he has stuck his nose into this, perhaps we had best honor his request.” Luna turned to Neighsay. “I assume that you have recollection of the plundervine incident from the recent Summer Sun Celebration?”
“Yes, and Princess Twilight did a commendable job of handing that crisis, but how does it relate to this research project?” He then turned to Twilight and asked, “Or to national security? According to the newspapers, the Elements of Harmony were used to stop the plundervines.”
“A half-truth intended to help prevent a national panic.” Celestia gestured to Twilight and explained, “In order to stop the plundervines and free myself and Luna, Twilight was forced to return the Elements of Harmony to their place of origin, the Tree of Harmony. There they have remained, inaccessible to anypony. Including their bearers.”
The explanation sank into Neighsay, and his expression shifted from irritation to genuine shock. “The Elements are… gone?”
“They aren’t gone, Chancellor. We just can’t remove them from the Tree. At least, not yet.” Twilight then turned to properly face him as she continued, “But when we returned them, the Tree produced something that we’ve come to call the Chest of Harmony. I’ve been working since then when possible to determine how to open it, and my research, naturally, has been focused upon the Tree of Harmony and its origins.”
“Star Swirl showed us the Tree very early in our reign, and Twilight’s research eventually led to her looking into any potential collaborators from his era. Mage Meadowbrook was one, and while I admit that my endeavors regarding her were motivated in part by self-interest, they have by all accounts been a welcome aid in her efforts.”
The chancellor took in a deep breath as he processed this new information. “My stars.” He then recollected himself and turned to the Princess of the Night. “Princess Luna, I believe that I owe you an apology. Perhaps your actions were motivated by self-interest, but regardless, they were also clearly in the national interest.” He then turned back to Twilight. “This Chest, can you describe it?”
“I can do better than that.” Twilight produced a copy of the chart detailing the Chest and its design based on her own examinations. “As you can see, pretty unusual.”
“A polychoron.” Neighsay then reasoned, “And clearly, the locks cannot be picked, otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation. And you were looking into the origins of the Tree because you believed that doing so would lead you to the Keys.”
Applejack nodded. “Can’t know where you’re goin’ if’n you don’t know where you came from.”
“Which led you to Star Swirl, and thus…” The chancellor frowned, then reasoned, “But there’s no mention of the Tree of Harmony in what you’ve uncovered, is there?”
“No, and what we have about Meadowbrook doesn’t even say anything specific about what happened to her, or Star Swirl, or the rest of the Pillars.” Twilight turned to the Princesses and explained, “Her last entry talked about wanting to check in with you alongside Mistmane, and it was dated to shortly after Princess Luna’s fall from grace.”
“Star Swirl would often keep us in the dark regarding what he and the Pillars did.” Luna turned to Celestia and offered, “Perhaps he kept them in the dark as well, about what we were experiencing?”
“If so, then Star Swirl may well have inadvertently led to more needless trouble than we had first believed.” Celestia then turned back to her protégé. “Skip to the end of Star Swirl’s journal. Maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll find something there.”
Twilight nodded, then passed the book back to Sunburst. “If you’d do the honors?”
The bespectacled unicorn took up the book in his magic and turned to its final pages. “‘Dark days have fallen upon us, as it has become painfully clear that the very pony who brought us together now seeks our powers for himself. We had cast him out, but now this power-mad pony has turned to darkness to satisfy his thirst. Transformed into a Pony of Shadows, he has returned for revenge, to extinguish the Pillars’ light and rob the world of hope. To stop him, the Pillars and I must make a grave sacrifice. We have already left behind a seed in the hopes that one day, it will grow into a force to stand against the darkness for all time. For now, however, we must face the fiend with the only plan we have. I only hope it will be enough.’” Sunburst closed the journal and reported, “And that’s it.”
“Wait, so, there was a real Pony of Shadows?”
Pixie Dust snorted at Rainbow Dash’s anxious tone. “Anypony back home who paid attention to the old stories could’ve told you that.”
“But regardless, it’s clear that the Pony of Shadows was defeated.” Rarity waved a hoof in emphasis. “Equestria is still a land of light and hope, perhaps now more than ever.”
“Yes, but how? And where did they go?” Twilight frowned and noted, “And what is this ‘seed’ that Star Swirl’s talking about? I mean, it might be the same one from Meadowbrook’s journals, but we don’t have any way to confirm it.”
“Let’s tackle this one question at a time.” Celestia turned to Sunburst and noted, “I suspect that the pages of this book will at least be a start.”
The bespectacled unicorn flipped to the end of the book and explained, “Well, there is an illustration here at the end of a circle of standing stones, but I can’t make out the caption.”
“May I?” Heads turned to Quiver as he offered, “I can’t read Old Ponish, but I can read chicken-scratch. Both my father and I have lousy hoof-writing.”
Sour Sweet nodded in agreement as Sunburst passed the book back to Quiver, who sat down and held the book in his front hooves. “This is true.”
Quiver’s eyes narrowed on the caption until Pinkie provided a magnifying glass. “Thanks.” He took it up and continued, “Okay, I hope that I don’t butcher the pronunciation, but let’s see. ‘Hearg sylfum se Ponehenge’.” He looked up in shock at Twilight. “Ponehenge!”
“The Temple of Ponehenge!” The young alicorn looked as though she was ready to suck all the air out of the room. “That place is a legend! There are stories that say it predates the very founding of Equestria!”
“I know, I remember them. And about how nopony knows exactly where it is.” Quiver turned back to the journal and continued, “‘Toward dol grimlic of Fola Firgenbeorg’.”
Sunburst urged him on. “At the base of Foal Mountain…”
Quiver’s tone grew quiet as he finished, “‘User endemest scield’.”
“Our last stand.” Twilight turned to her gathered friends and declared, “Alright everypony, we know what to do now. To the base of Foal Mountain, and Ponehenge!”
“Now wait one moment!” Neighsay had apparently recovered himself enough to declare, “You won’t be going anywhere without me!”
“Oh?” Quiver had stood back up at this point and closed the volume. “Planning on being there to gloat in case this is a fool’s errand?”
The bureaucrat scowled at the stallion and noted, “As has been made abundantly clear, this could very well be of vital interest. Ponehenge, bare minimum, is something that should be approached as a proper archaeological site, and somepony with authority will need to be there to accredit whatever is found there.”
“Then perhaps Luna and I should come as well.” Celestia smiled as she reported, “Star Swirl was our teacher, and the other Pillars our friends. To finally learn what happened to them would be welcome.”
“And that puts aside the possibility of the two of you coming to blows.” Luna turned away from the gathering and called out, “Kibitz, cancel all of Celestia’s meetings for this afternoon! We are away on matters of national import, and shan’t be available for the remainder of the day!”
Celestia rolled her eyes and turned to Twilight. “You of course have no objection to our joining in?”
“No, of course not. But something tells me we can’t get there by train.”
The elder alicorn smiled. “I think we have a solution for that.”