Starswirl is gone. Right now, as it were, we are picking up the pieces of the disaster that would have nearly plunged Equestria into chaos.
I realize that in all of this tampering with darkness, Starswirl has inadvertently provided the perfect rift for beings from other realms to seep in. Stygian was stopped, but we've been so distracted by new threats day in and day out that I feel there is a possibility that we have missed one that has been hiding from us right under our noses.
Alyosha.
In truth, I am not afraid that they would deliberately try to harm the world. But I am afraid of what would happen if somepony else has gotten to them first with less than the best of intentions. With any luck, our fears of him will be unfounded. Who knows, perhaps the tower has simply been maintained by him this entire time, patiently waiting for our return.
But I am still worried.
There have been scout reports of villages that have appeared out of thin air. They are not ruled by us, nor any sort royal governing body. They are not colonies either. They're hamlets that never stay in the same location, filled with friendly faces who hold not an ounce of evil in their bones. I've not yet had the pleasure of visiting, but there have been reports of stranger things that run alongside the ponies in the mysterious villages. Ponies wrapped in a thick cloak of shadows, insectoid shapeshifters and bipedal cat-folk. A rumored town in the far southern Whitehoof Plains has a cat with flaming tails that speaks.
It makes me wonder if perhaps the child created these mysterious places and creatures out of loneliness, like imaginary friends made reality. But with each new friend, the darkness in the world increases, and the balance will continue to shift until we are once again under fear of falling to the shadows.
I will be plotting an excursion to find the little one as soon as the situation here becomes stable enough for us to leave. With my sister, I will search Starswirls tower, and collect his effects.