//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: The Land Before Them // by Fat1thatyoulove //------------------------------// Chapter 3 – Underneath the sky's ground The last step to the staircase comes and goes as Sombra moves to the center of the room, Star Swirl’s horn holds its brightness as he looks around the decent sized room filled with dark crystal's. Sombra's voice comes over the room in more of a bouncing echo as he talks, "I have found a spell that allows the heart to be safely guarded through here." The grey stallion slightly rubs to the small beard on his chin as he looks to a flimsy wooden door, "I do hope you will not mind my insight, but should not an item like this be more secure?" Sombra smiles to the comment as he answers it, "The door is cursed by..." He widens his smile a little as he nods his head, "By a spell only able to be broken by the use of dark magic." Swirl is a little taken back by the words as he looks to the dark gem crystal above the door, "You enhanced a door with a magic rarely taught anymore." His voice is not angry but more of an inquisitive tone as he cocks his head, "My friend as dangerous as that is I must say you have a very unique safety. Tell me, how did you learn such a magic?" "Before Equestria was founded I studied in rare forms of magic when I was a colt." His words stop as he looks over the stallion beside him, "Truly not much else to do but study when you are a colt unable to speak." Sombra darts his eyes up towards his horn as the voice rings around the room, "The door's spell was not the only spell I learned how to use." Swirl moves his hoof from his beard as he talks, "Sombra, you should give this spell a rest, you have help create your own hoofing that every pony in the Empire already knows...why do you insist on straining yourself?" Sombra's horn sparks up in a vivid dark green as he nods his head, "Sometimes a voice is helpful, even if its not your own." At the end of the echo the stallion turns back to the door as a cracking bolt of dark magic slams into it. The echo comes back in lowly as the door creaks open, "Star Swirl, this spell has made the door's curse dormant for as long as I am in the castle, you should have no problems entering into it any time you wish." Sombra's pace comes back as he trots into the brighter crystal room. The lighter grey stallion follows after him as he tilts his head up to a spiral staircase with a slight chuckle, "Sombra, I do hope you understand i'm not as young as I use to be." He turns to the stallion with a smile, "...And I do believe you’re no spring dragon." Sombra's horn glows a faint green as his magic runs to Swirl's body, the rush of magic and flash of light ends with a slight chiming bang as Swirl blinks around to the world around him. Theres a slight gust that blows to his mane as he and Sombra stand to the new bright crystal flooring, Swirl's voice comes back with a slight surprise as he looks around the sun setting world that lays around him, "We're outside?" The echo from Sombra is a little lower as the gust of wind knocks into Swirl's ears but he listens to the voice as best he can, "Yes, the heart was moved to the top of the castle that way no pony could take it." A slight chuckle comes from Star Swirl as he looks around, "Anypony but a pegasus my friend." A smile comes over Sombra's face as he nods his head, "No, this part of the castle does not exist...its nothing but a shadow brought on by magic." Swirl nods his head as he brings his turning head to Sombra, "I see, a mind spell?" Sombra shakes his head as the echo of his voice comes back, "Your mind has no altering my friend, you are simply standing in a place that is not and will never be. Much like a shadow it is only what you want to see that you see." A slight smile crosses Star Swirl’s face as he lifts his hoof to Sombra, "I do not get confused easily...but you have just done that and I thank you." From the words Sombra's mouth opens as a slight wheezing laugh escapes him, but Star Swirl's respectful gaze doesn't last to the dark grey stallion for long as he turns to a bright blueish crystal sitting on a pedestal in the middle of the stone flooring. Sombra loses the smile as he turns to see the item Swirl's eyes have pinned to. "Tell me Sombra...why does this Crystal heart sit so openly?" Swirl turns to Sombra as he continues, "If this place is just what we want to see then why do I see it open for grabbing?" The gray stallion holds his pinned eyes to the crystal for a moment before he turns to Swirl, "I have no answer for you Star Swirl." The grey stallion moves his hoof to his beard for a moment as he feels Sombra's own intense stare to the heart coming over him, "Now how do I get back to the castle?" Sombra breaks his stare as he nods his head, "The door is enchanted to teleport after exiting, you will arrive in the throne room's entrance just as if you passed through it." His eyes look down a little as his echo comes forward a little, "I only ask of you what you can...nothing more I want you to know this Star Swirl." Swirl nods his head as he talks, "I promise you Sombra, I shall try my best." A respectful nod comes from Sombra as he turns to the staircase at the back of the platform, "I must go, tomorrow is the start of Equestria's future and there is no way I can battle wit with the other three if I'm to tired." "Goodbye Sombra." A few moments pass as Swirl holds his gaze to the dormant blueish crystal heart. - - - My observations of the crystal heart have become rather... Star Swirl looks up from his sitting position as he stops the quill beside him for a moment, the low chime of his magic rings around the room but the outside world is dark with night as it holds its quiet tone over the world. The quill is dipped into an inkwell for a moment as Star Swirl puts his head back to the pages, ...Strange, the heart looks nothing like it did before, no aura and no glow. Again his head comes up as he looks over the stone with squinting eyes, Despite my better judgement I feel a foolish eager to entice... A slight smile comes over his face as he start to stand from his position. His bag sits neatly against the wall near the book and ink well, but the grey stallion moves from these items as he stares to the crystal heart. "Hmm, tell me why do you act so dull today?" His voice goes unanswered as a smile crosses his face, "Silent are we?" Swirl moves a little closer as he stands in front of it, a low chime comes to his horn as he looks over the crystal heart. With a slight lower of the head a small stream of magic runs to the crystal, but the stallion's ears bring more than his own magic as a great magical chime comes from in front of him. Swirl hikes his eyes up as he watches the crystal heart taking on an aura of magical glow, but a heavy uneasy feeling comes over him as his horn's spell spikes up without his own command. The rush of magic burst to the room around him as he grinds his teeth trying to cut the spell from himself, with a sharp jerk of his head the spell breaks with a loud resonating pop as Star Swirl is left with a panting breath. The pop of the magic doesn't last long as the crystal heart again goes dormant and its dull color comes over it. Swirl is speechless as he blinks to the stone but the motionless feeling only last a moment as he moves to his things as he floats the book next to him with the quill, I may have taken on something I am not yet prepared for, after my foolish attempt at activating the stone there seems to be a block to my magic. Swirl shifts his eyes between the page and the stone as he tries to justify his last words, Yes, there must be a fail safe spell Sombra put in place, most likely formed by a magic I have little ability to combat... Leading me to believe this block is a dark magic spell Sombra must have put in place for that safety. Truly an ingenious way to make sure the Heart’s powers can not be so easily obtained, seeing as how even I have no real knowledge of this old magic... I shall continue my observations tomorrow and conclude this thought. His horn glows a very faint gold as the satchel bag comes to him slowly and the book, quill and capped ink well slip into its pocket. Swirl holds his gaze to the stone for a moment before he starts down the stairs. End of chapter 3