//------------------------------// // A Possibility? // Story: The Pain of Celestial Immortality // by Songbrony //------------------------------// I hold no power to save those I love whose lives flicker in the scale of mine. "You mustn't be serious sister? Thou must know it isn't possible. What happened to us was something special and shalt not occur for a long time." Luna said, trying to discourage me. I told her what I wanted to happen, and she clearly did not agree with me. "Is that why you wanted her to go to the Empire with only her friends to guide her?" "Yes. She controls powerful magic. It's magic that, like Cadance's, could potentially unite all the kingdoms in the world." I said, trying to explain my reasoning. "But sister, there is no possible way of her being able to-" I cut her off. "Must I remind you of what happened to us? And that of Cadance?" I inquired. She sighed. "Celestia, there aren't many forms of magic left to discover and create. Think about it. We control the cosmos, Cadance controls Love, and Discord controlled chaos before his transformation." she pointed out. "I doubt there are anymore harmonious magics left to discover." "Don't tell me about Discord's change. I know full well the ramifications it had on me- on us." I said. "Star Swirl was on the verge of discovering the last magic of harmony before..." I couldn't finish the statement. I should explain the meaning of chaos being a part of the harmonic magics. You see, chaos has and will always be around to trouble ponies. But only if it goes uncontrolled and unchecked. Star Swirl had figured out a way to harness that chaos and to keep it under his control, that way the world wouldn't have to worry about it. But chaos takes a lot of energy to control and once you have it in your possession, it becomes a part of you. If one loses control of that power, it corrupts them. "And he failed. Because it does not exist. I'm sorry, sister. But your hope to keep Twilight around so you don't have to be alone is futile." Luna said. "And remember. You aren't alone. I've lost just as many family members and loved ones as you have." With that, she walked out of the room so she could survey the night, as was her duty. I wanted to send Twilight to Saddle Arabia, in hopes that she could prepare herself in foreign relations. Maybe Luna was right. Maybe all I am doing is fruitless. Am I wanting too much? Is my desires of keeping Twilight with me selfish? I drove the thoughts out of my head with a quick meditation technique that Star Swirl had taught me. I refocused myself on the task at hoof. I had a delegation meeting I had to attend in Saddle Arabia. In all retrospect, sending Twilight may not be the best idea. She's never been there and reading books can only do so much for you if you don't know the informal customs and courtesies. I'll let her stay in Ponyville and work on the entertainment. For some reason, Luna's comment about Discord had me thinking about him. I thought back 1000 years ago. Star Swirl and I were having a picnic together. He was bragging about finding a new form of magic, one more powerful than all of ours combined. When I inquired further, he said that if he could harness it, or come to understand it, he could give Equestria true harmony. Upon hearing this, I was excited to tell Luna about it. But she met me with her own grave news. "I stopped by his office today to see if I could borrow one of his Astronomy books. When I discovered he wasn't there, I figured I could find it on my own." she said as she lowered her head. "Tia, I don't think we should allow him to continue his studies." "What do you mean? He's telling me how he's close to giving Equestria true harmony. He thinks he's found the last part of the harmonic magics." I said. "What could he possibly be doing that could make you believe he shouldn't continue in his studies?" "Follow me. The only way you'll believe me about him is if you see it yourself." she said. I followed her to his office on the far side of the castle. We walked in and it looked like a normal office. "Luna, mind telling me exactly what I'm supposed to be looking at?" I asked. "Go to the bookshelf and pull the fourth book on the second bottom row." she instructed. I decided to humor her and play along. I did as she said, but when I pulled on the book, it sounded as if a lever was being pulled. A wall to the right opened up and had a staircase leading down. I looked at my sister, who just nodded for me to venture down. I walked down the spiral staircase and found a table that had incantations written on papers along the tables. "What in Equestria..." I said as I looked around. There were drawings of a toad with rabbit ears and a dog with bat wings. A curtain was hanging on one side of the room. I heard moaning coming from the other side and slowly pulled the curtain back. I gasped in fright by what I saw. Ponies were trapped in cages with horrid disfigurations on them. A green mare with a yellow mane had a beak and talons while the stallion next to her had dragon eyes and sharp teeth of a Timberwolf. There was a commotion upstairs and a loud thud. I hid behind a column that held the basement up. Star Swirl walked down the stairs and looked around the room. "Celestia, please. Come out. I know you're down here, but I can explain everything." he said. I slowly began to show myself from behind the column. He noticed me and smiled gratefully. "Swirly...what is this?" I said as I motioned around with my hoof. "It's transfiguration. Or, more accurately, the study of its effects. You see, being the ruler of chaos has kept me from making many friends. You and Luna are the only friends I really have. But the name "Ruler of Chaos" seems to put many ponies on edge. I had to figure out a way to see if I could change my entire appearance and make it possible for me to make friends." he explained. "But what about your findings about the last harmonic magic? What about that?" I asked. "In order for me to find that out, I need to be able to make friends. It's the only way the spell will work." "But you're going about this the wrong way-" he cut me off. "No. I've completed the work on transfiguration. Soon, I'll be able to change what I look like at will and be able to make as many friends as I want. No pony will recognize me as Star Swirl, the ruler of chaos. I could be anypony. Or any creature." he said. I looked away from him. I was ashamed. He experimented on ponies, his own species, just so he could make a couple of friends. I turned from him and began to walk up the stairs. "Don't worry Celestia. Tomorrow you will see my new ability and how I can finally bring about true harmony in Equestria." However, when the next day came, he wasn't Star Swirl the Bearded anymore. He had left us in a fury and ran off to cause chaos around the world. My sister tried to convince me that we needed to defeat him, but I was wary of it. I knew that the real Star Swirl was somewhere inside. I was reluctant to fight him, in hopes that he might remember who he was. Alas, the time came where I had to decide when enough was enough. We went out with the elements of harmony and turned him into stone. I cried for months because I knew I had just condemned him to life eternal in stone. I returned from my flashback with a sudden realization. The spell! The spell is how I'll make it work. I grinned as I thought about how I might be able to keep a friend and not lose all hope for myself. I devised a way for me to keep testing her abilities without sending her to a foreign land. I grabbed a paper and quill and began writing my letter to the one pony I knew would try her hardest to get back at Twilight. I finished the letter and sent it to the rock farm that she was at. I knew this show mare had a grudge against Twilight and knew if she were to get the amulet I told her about, she would be able to test Twilight's dedication and intuition. I sent the letter with a spell as Luna walked back in. "Look, Celestia. I understand that you and I view our fates separately, but I urge you not to follow through with these ambitions of yours. It's not putting another pony through what you are going through." she said. "But she may not end up like me. She could be like you, fearless about the possible fates she will have to watch over. She may relish in it. But it doesn't matter. If what I plan succeeds, then I know I can trust her with the final task." I said. "Celestia, what are you planning?" Luna asked. "Patience, sister. I'll go to Saddle Arabia and leave Twilight in Ponyville. But in the meantime, she'll have an old 'friend' come by and help her in her studies." I told her. She looked at me quizzically. "What old friend?" she asked. "Somepony who visited Ponyville a few years ago. She will assist Twilight in her studies." I said. "Now, go to bed, Luna. You have a long night." She walked away while giving me a questioning look. I walked to my bedroom and prepared for bed. If I'm lucky, the letter will have reached Mr. and Mrs. Pie and their new helper will be heading for Manehattan to take the element. I thought as I slowly drifted back to sleep, where I could die and see my family once again.