Chapter 17 – Simple
The sun of the day has come over the Crystal Empire as Star Swirl quickly makes his way through the empty city streets. There emptiness most likely is caused from the still dissipating dark clouds that now look to almost be surrounding the city's sky and from the castle that has yet to fully return to its normal color.
But the empty streets have made Swirl's pained journey a little easier as he nears the house his mind has rested to. Swirl’s body is beaten and his legs buckle with every moment they are made to stand, and even though his mind has not fully processed everything he has done or seen a very real thought has stuck to it as he knocks to the door.
To the noise the door waste only a fraction of a second as it opens to the pegasus mare that quickly grasp to the grey stallion as she moves aside, "STAR SWIRL?!"
Swirl moves himself into the house with a little help from Aura as he speaks, "I am fine Aura i'm fine."
Her voice is rushed as she tries to speak over his, "What's happened Sir.Swirl?! The castle has become a sickly color and the clouds above the city stir with no pegasus controlling them?"
Swirl sways his hoof lightly as he speaks, "Aura listen to me..." He brings his hoof to rest on her sporatic chest as he sighs hard, "King Sombra and Queen Apatite are dead..." Aura's eyes stay wide as she hangs to the deep voiced stallion's words, "...You need to come with me, you need to leave this city now. Princess Platinum and I will be departing from the castle soon and you must come with me."
"W-what? I-I can not just leave?" Aura blinks confused to his words as Swirl shakes his head, "Aura, please...This city without Sombra is now part of the Unicorn province and will be given a new ruler by Princess Platinum, you need to come with me until the city has settled."
Aura is silent for a moment before she nods her head, "Ok Sir.Swirl..."
The grey stallion moves his hoof from the mare as she trots from him, but she doesn't continue her path as she moves back to Swirl, "Y-you need to rest." Swirl doesn't fight her lead as he moves to the seat of the couch as Aura's slightly forced light tone comes over her, "You know I will be awhile." A slight smile comes over her as Swirl looks it over. He knows that what he’s asking is hard but at the same time he can't think of anything else.
Swirl returns the smile as he gives a slight laugh, "I-I will not forget to get Wispy either."
A faint laugh comes from both of them as Aura slowly moves her trot back towards the staircase, Swirl's body still trembles from all the magic he has encountered so soon but he rest his head with a slight sigh as he stairs to the crystal ceiling above his seat.
- - -
Star Swirls head now rest tiredly to the wood of the rocking carriage as the journey through the cities streets starts to near its end. His mind rest a bit calmer as the rock of the wheels begins to get a little more prominent to the lacking road they roll over.
But his mind stays alert through his closed eyes as he listens to the crystal mare beside him, "...What will happen while no ruler is in power?"
Platinum's normal regular voice holds as she answers the question, "With no ruler or rulers in power the next in line will come to power, which because King Sombra did not have an air means the power falls to the highest adviser until a new ruler is placed."
Aura nods to the comment as Platinum continues to speak, "The advisers should be able to hold the city until the introduction of Celestia and Luna can be properly-..."
"Princess Platinum! Princess Platinum!"
The carriage comes to an abrupt halt as the stallion's voice from outside stirs Swirl to being awake, the door of the carriage comes open as sergeant Stone Hooves speaks up, "Something has happened over the Crystal City!"
Star Swirl is the first to move from the carriage as he looks to the crystal buildings that have become a fair distance from where he stands, above the city the dark clouds that Swirl had thought were dissipating have collected and are beginning to swirl around a little.
Platinum and Aura come next to Swirl as the white mare speaks up with a slight gasp, "Is it the pegasus?"
To the words Aura takes a few hoofs forward as she squints to the sky, "N-no we pegasus never fly in that direction with storm clo-..."
Aura's voice becomes cut from everyponies ears as a loud thunderous crack comes from the the direction of the Crystal city. Swirl like everypony around him stares to the distinct but still large standing castle as a very bright greenish light starts to shine from the tip of the crystal poking from the top of the castle.
But Swirl's tired mind keeps him from speaking up as he blinks to it confused, a cold gust of wind slightly knocks into him like everypony else as he looks up to the sky. As his head goes up his eyes meet the same clouds that cover the city, but before even the slightest whisper could come from him another loud crack of magic is heard from the distance.
The sound is followed by another much powerful gust of cold air as the dirt around them is kicked up. However the wind was not stirred normally as he stares wide eyed to the almost dome of green magic that has seemingly poofed in front of him.
Princess Platinum and the other ponies around him back away as they all gasp to the bubble...but Swirl can not bring himself to move as he looks to the crystal pegasus mare that had taken only one extra step past him.
Aura now resides behind the dome as she looks back to Swirl through the green shimmer with a forced smile.
Swirl is unable to talk as he holds his unblinking eyes to the mare, his heart pounds hard as he watches her lips and mouth moving, but the only sound he hears is from the magical wall that has sprung up between them.
Aura finally notices that her words have not come to the stallion, her mouth closes as she moves closer to the dome's wall as she puts her hoof to it. Swirl takes the one step needed as he places his hoof over where hers lays, he can't feel her hoof and a low chime of magic rings from where his hoof rest on the magic. All the gray stallion can do is hold his eyes to the mare for the moment...but his gaze is that, only a moment as the sound almost like a wave receding back into the ocean comes over the world around him.
In a blink of an eye the dome, Aura and every last sign of the Crystal Empire has disappeared...leaving nothing but a barren wasteland of empty fields.
The chatter from behind Swirl sparks up in a high pitched tone with Platinum ruling over it as there voice calls out, "What happened! Where has the city gone!!??"
No answer comes from Star Swirl as he turns his defeated and straight face back towards the carriage, the chatter of the ponies around him goes blank to his ears as he moves back to the carriage completely silent without a tear to his unblinking eyes.
But as he sets himself to his seat the world around him spins as he moves his head to his hooves that cover his eyes as he shakes to his building emotions.
End of chapter 17