//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 // Story: The Land Before Them // by Fat1thatyoulove //------------------------------// Chapter 12 – Seeding the thoughts Star Swirl's pace that has carried him down the winding stairs that lay hidden under the crystal castle along with his own quick teleportation spell have made Sombra's slight maze nothing more than a brisk trot. The still warm air from the world around that lays around the crystal castle's highest point comes calmly to where Swirl stands on the long and wide platform of stone. But Swirl doesn't take in the world around him as he buries his snout to the book feverishly manipulating the quil to the pages as the gold light of his horn lights to his work. ...I had thought King Sombra and his Queen would take the necessary time to arrive, but no time for me has been wasted. I have once again tried my spell to the dormant and lifeless crystal heart, and like before the reaction was the same... The chime of Swirl's magic calls through the night as the pages of the book flip to his whim, his auburn eyes quickly run through the pages as he takes in his old entry. Another chime rolls around the room as the book comes back to the fresh page. Swirl's hooves and legs have not yet stopped there trot as he paces back and forth from where his bag sits and the top of the staircase, but his impatient body plays in his favor as he darts the tip of the almost dry quil back to it's inkwell. The page only lays blank for a moment as the gold chiming light runs back to the page. ...Yes, the same reaction occurred. A brief influx of magic that quickly subsides once the spell is able to be broken. Like before I have a slightly uneasy feeling but I attribute this to my own inability to halt my self. Swirl's head is brought from the book and his trot finally subsides for a moment as a loud pop of magic rolls to his ears from behind him. The stallion's eyes quickly move to the two ponies as he looks them over. Sombra still wears the dark blue cloak he has had on for the duration of the day, but Queen Apatite does not wear the same cloak to her coverless body. But the warm air and her own tired mind keep her from truly worrying about it as she brings herself to speak before Swirl or the stallion she slightly leans to can, "Sir.Swirl?" Her questioning tone holds as she slowly moves her head to the dark gray stallion beside her, "What’s this all about? I am in no way dressed for company." Swirl holds an excited expression as his voice cuts through the tired and low sounding mare, "Nonsense Queen Apatite, there is no need for dressing formal for this." The pink pegasus shakes her head as she brings her own stance to herself under Sombra's watching eyes, "For what? Why has my husband so abruptly-..." Her words come to a halt as her light purple eyes finally place the room. Her words no longer hold there slight confusion as her tone turns an almost surprised tone to the dark grey stallion beside her, "This is where you have locked it away?" Sombra nods his head as the light green magic comes to his horn, "Yes, I have placed the heart here until the problems it presents can be fully understood." Apatite blinks to the comment for a few seconds but nods her head, to the nod Sombra's eyes turn back to Swirl as his thoughts become heard to the room, "Sir.Swirl, I would like to know why you needed Apatite when she should be at rest." Swirl waves his hoof to the comment as his glowing horn snaps the book closed in his hold, the items in his hold drift towards his bag as his voice comes out, "Yes yes I am aware this is all a little odd, but I believe the answer to this problem is nothing more than something so simple we have all been overlooking it." The pink mare goes a little wide eyed to the comment as she glares to Sombra, "You've told him?" Sombra is a little taken back by her tone but he tries to combat it with his own compassion, but even though his expression speaks his mind the unchanged echo is what's understood, "I can not bear a burden like this for so long, I have come to no answers of my own and I know of no other pony with a great knowledge that can surpass Star Swirl's." To the words Apatite goes silent as she looks over the stallion's worn down face, but she does't have a chance to speak as Swirl comes closer, "My Queen, no other ponies know of your condition, and Sombra was wise to summon me here...this is no ordinary weakness nor is it any ordinary sickness." Apatite turns her head to the stallion's words as the unfazed and sure tone speaks deeply to her, "...King Sombra and yourself have been the only two ponies that know of these spikes, and I believe I know why." Swirl brings his hoof up as he points to the dormant stone still resting on its pedestal, "...The Crystal Heart contains its own form of magic, a magic unlike any known form...something that truly can alter the world it resides in." A smile quickly springs from the stallion as Sombra and Apatite hang to his long winded words, "...This power has changed the inhabitants of this land to a new form, one no longer bound to the ways of old...But at the same time it has created an idea that each race is not separated but trully one. This simple and unique stone represents harmony, and that same power that created harmony has also begun to take its toll on you." Sombra's echo comes up over Swirl's as he speaks, "I have believed the stone was the blame for this, no power so great can be tapped without a great cos-..." "No no no..." Swirl waves his hoof to the words with a laugh, this strange power can not take? This is nothing more than a simple enchanted item that a powerful unicorn must have created." Sombra squints a little suprised to the comment as his words chime to the stallion, "But Star Swirl? You believe just like myself magic is not so onesided?" "Correct!" Swirl's excited tone finally burst as he takes a step back, "I do not! And this is why the stone's magic has created this problem!" He quickly takes a step forward as he holds his hoof out to the pink mare, "You Queen Apatite not only were struck by the stone's surge of unused magic, but you also controlled it yourself!!" The tired mare shakes her head as she stands in with her confused stare, "I-I do not understand Sir.Swirl?" Swirl nods his head happily, "Thats good!" His voice starts to calm down a little as he continues, "Queen Apatite you do not understand because magic is not properly taught to a pegasus. Yes you were struck by the magic, but you created your own sickness." Both Sombra and Apatite stare unable to follow the stallion's words, Swirl turns his gaze to Sombra as he wiggles his extended hoof, "My friend, you know as well as any unicorn that when a spell is not properly performed the user is harmed and slightly left drained." To the words the darker gray stallion's ears perk up as he begins to follow, "Yes, but that does not explain why Apatite would feel its affects even before the last spike." Swirl puts his hoof to the ground as he nods, "Precisely why this stone has acted in the ways it has!" His voice trails on as he turns back to the pink mare, "You where the first pony to find the Crystal heart, a pegasus...NOT a unicorn, a pegasus. Proving that all ponies have their own forms of magic explaining why talents are so dependent on that particular pony." The stallion's voice calms down to its wise old tone as he takes a breath, "Because you found the crystal and you sought to use its powers the stone reacts to you...The magic that has come from it is nothing more than your own spells, you are weak because you have yet to complete the spell you created when the first Crystal celebration was held." The word sparks Apatite's eyes to snap back to the stone as her stare goes a little distant, but Sombra nor Star Swirl notice it as the dark gray stallion feels a smile run across his face, "Sir.Swirl...that would be correct...A spell not properly performed drains a unicorn, it's possible the stone has just continued to ricochet the uncompleted spell." Swirl nods as he comes to Queen Apatite's side, "Precisely why you need to complete your spell my Queen." Queen Apatite snaps from her fixed gaze as she blinks to the stallion leading her, "B-But how do I know I am doing the right spell?" "Magic is thoughts and emotion...all you must do is believe it and it will be done." Swirl gives a wise smile as he backs away from the pegasus. As Queen Apatite moves her gaze to the crystal she has been lead closer to a low blueish glow starts to spark up from the center of the stone. Sombra holds a slight bit of worry to the glow as he shifts his eyes between the pink mare and the stone...but his stance remains next to Swirl as he looks over his friend's confident stare. Queen Apatite's eyes go half closed as she turns her whole body to face the stone, the chime of the magic runs a little louder as the glow begins to take over the color in the room. But the hypnotizing low chime doesn't last long as a loud cracking magic sound burst to Sombra and Swirl's unprepared ears. A blinding light comes from the sight and they turn away with there eyes held tight as the loud screaming chimes of magic run through the room. However just as suddenly as the magic started up the room goes to a steady low quite as Sombra quickly darts his eyes back to the mare now facing toward him and Star Swirl. Queen Apatite's eyes glow a bright white and a sweet smile comes over her face as her undefined eyes stare to the two stallion's, a voice comes from her mouth as it opens. But the sweet or tired sound the two stallion's expected does not ring out as a very ominous feminine echo rolls from it, "Thank you my love..." Another high pitched chime runs from the stone for a moment as the two stallions grind their teeth a little, but the sound again comes to an abrupt halt as Queen Apatite falls to her side not moving. Sombra's heart stops in the brief moment as the pink mare hits the ground hard without a flinch, but his shock doesn't last long as he rushes to her side. The spell to his horn pops to his building emotions that he can't just scream out as he blinks hard to the mare. "I-I do not understand..." Swirl is motionless as he stares to the two ponies, his vast knowledge does little to the situation as he continues to shake his head unable to bring an answer, "Perhaps we-..." His voice is cut off as Sombra's horn sparks up in a bright green as his and Queen Apatite's figures disappear in a loud resonating pop. Swirl's body shakes as he darts to his journal, "N-no there must be something! I-I must have missed something is all...S-she must just be recovering from the spell...yes recovering!" His words go unanswered as he looks back to the vacant room only he resides in. End of chapter 12