It wasn't long before Luna left the shrine. Twilight and Spike watched as she stepped outside. Her expression hadn't changed. Whatever had been said inside that shrine hadn't lifted her spirits. She wore a somber look on her face as she took to the skies.
"Let's go see what went on." Twilight said as she stepped out from behind the tree. They walked up the steps again and knocked on the door to the shirne. Star Swirl answered quickly.
"Oh, you're back." Star Swirl said. His own expression was as glum as Luna's had been when she'd left. "Is there something else you... you needed?"
"Um, yes, uh... it seems the Minister forgot something." Twilight said quickly.
"Oh! Yes, I've misplaced my... uh..."
"Your jar of dirt." Twilight added quickly.
"Yes! My... my jar of dirt?" Spike quirked an eyebrow.
"Yes Minister. The sample of Ponyville soil you got from that dirt vendor? Remember?"
Spike understood. "Yes, the soil sample. I think I left it inside. May we come in and look for it?"
"Oh, uh, of course." Star Swirl let the two enter again. His eyes were fixed to the floor as he lead them inside.
Twilight leaned over to Spike. "Just keep looking long enough for us to find out about Luna." she whispered. Spike nodded.
"So, that was Princess Luna?" Twilight asked, trying to start up a conversation.
"Yes... wait, hold on a second." Star Swirl turned around on them. "If you've met Princess Celestia, how could you not've met Luna?" he asked, suspicious.
"Oh, we just got here. We didn't have time to meet everypony." Twilight said. Technically, that was true too. She didn't like having to fabricate this story to keep Star Swirl from knowing but... she didn't know what was going to happen. It was best to stick to the story they had, whatever it was.
Her explanation seemed to convince him. "Oh. I, uh, I understand, yes. I'm sorry, I haven't slept well lately. I've been working a lot on this book and... it's taken a lot out of us."
Us. Twilight picked up on the subtle way he phrased his explanation. What did it mean? "It's quite all right, I understa-... us? Um, wha-" Twilight inquired.
"Yes, Princess Luna's been helping me with the book. She's even helped me write a couple of the spells." Star Swirl explained as they entered the main room.
"This shouldn't take long." Spike said as he started looking for the jar that in fact Twilight had tucked behind her right wing. She knew it would take as long as they needed.
"Is there anything Princess Luna has helped you on specifically in the book?" Twilight asked.
"Oh, just a few things. She helped me develop a special 'desire' spell, when used it can make any object wanted by everypony around it, even needed." Star Swirl said.
Twilight knew about that spell already. She thought quickly, she needed to get the conversation around Luna again. "Would you mind if I took another look at that book?" she asked.
"I don't see why not. I had no idea dragons enjoyed my work." Star Swirl levitated the book over to them both.
"Oh, they uh... they sure do. And they're uh... really looking forward to this one." Twilight said as she looked at the book. Star Swirl turned to his desk and Twilight quickly turned the book to the last page. Her eyes went wide. The half of the spell! It was there! He must've written it... in his sleep?
"Where did this come from? I, uh, I didn't see it last night." Twilight asked.
Star Swirl turned back to her. "Luna helped me add that... last night." he said.
"But Luna just got here this morning." Twilight said.
Star Swirl's eyes went wide. He looked as though he'd just said something accidentally but what had he revealed? "I... um, well, she comes to me in my dreams. While I'm asleep." he said. Twilight knew Luna was the gaurdian of the night. She had the power to enter ponies' dreams. But Twilight had no idea that she had entered Star Swirl's dreams that night.
"She helped you write that spell last night?" Twilight asked.
Star Swirl paused for a moment. "Yes. It was a couple hours after you both went to sleep. We... we were actually in the middle of writing it when you woke us up. That's why she came over so quickly." Star Swirl explained.
"Oh..." Twilight said, understanding. "What did she help you work on?"
"I...um, you're, you're asking a lot of questions about this and I-"
"Well, I was just wondering about anything knew she might've added for the dragon readers."
"I... right. She, uh... she helped me write a new spell." Star Swirl explained. Spike looked underneath the bed they'd slept in last night. He looked over to Twilight . She shook her head, gesturing for him to continue and he did so, turning the bed covers upside down.
"What sort of new spell is it?" Twilight asked.
Star Swirl turned to the book levitated before Twilight. He turned to the page and examined it for a long moment. He said nothing.
"The book is about remedy spells right? What does this one cure?" Twilight pressed.
"It's a cure for destiny." Star Swirl said at last.
The destiny cure. This was it! She was on the right track at last! "You mean it can fix somepony's destiny?"
"Something like that. It's supposed to allow ponies to change their destinies, change their cutie marks."
"But why would somepony want to change their... oh." The realization dawned on Twilight. Everything was starting to fall into place.
"Princess Luna... this spell is for her. She's jealous of her sister, she's tired of being the gaurdian of the night. She gets really lonely sometimes. I'm one of the only ones that will stay up and talk to her. That's kind of how we met... and fell in love." Star Swirl explained.
"But raising the moon is an important responsibility. If she doesn't do it, who will?" Twilight asked.
"Celestia can. She could takeover responsibility for raising both the sun and the moon. That way Luna and I could be together." he said.
"Why can't you be together now?"
Star Swirl closed his eyes. "We can only be together in our dreams. In the day, our duties keep us apart. During the night, she raises the moon and must be the steward of the night. We try to spend as much time together as we can but... we're only able to share a sunset now and then. The few precious hours of twilight before dusk." Twilight felt sad. She had no idea things were this complicated. This was why he was so obsessed with the spell. Why had he told her it had been about getting recognition?
"You're trying to change her destiny so that you both can be together." Twilight said.
Star Swirl nodded. "If this spell works... it'll change both our destinies. If my calculations are correct, it could make me an alicorn. And a prince. Luna and I could get married, live in Canterlot. We could spend every day and night together." He had tears in his eyes as he spoke. Were they tears of joy or sadness? Was he happy that he and Luna were so close to being together, happy their dream was at hand? Or was he fearful of the possibility that he might fail, forever be seperated from the mare he loved?
Twilight didn't know what Star Swirl thought at the moment but she did know the future. She almost cried too. "I know a little about magic. Let me help you work on it." Twilight offered. This must've been what Celestia wanted her to fix. She didn't know what impact it would have on the future... but she had to try something. Would it be okay if she just told him the last half of the spell? Or did he have to learn it on his own...?
Star Swirl was silent for a few moments. He levitated the book in front of him and looked at it. "Okay." he finally said. Twilight came over to his side and they took a look at the spell together. Spike gave up the ruse shortly after and silently sat on the edge of the bed, waiting until he was needed. They had a lot of work ahead of them.