//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Fall of A Great Wizard // Story: Fall of Star Swirl The Bearded // by Game Design //------------------------------// Weeks latter as the friendships of the seven grew, and time went on, Star Swirl continued to work on his spell. He was getting even closer to it when he became stumped again. "Aww, Tarderus!" He erupted. Clover just so happened to walk into the room. "What is it dear?" She asked. "This blasted spell." He let out a sigh and lowered his head. "I get close, and then once i become close, I become stumped." He blew his hair out of his face. "Maybe i should just stop and work on a different spell." "Nonsense." Clover protested, sitting next to him. "You've been working so long, you cant give up now." She leaned in and kissed his cheek, receiving a smile from him. "Just keep trying and I'm sure you'll get it." She stood up and walked back towards her work she had in the other room. He smiled as she walked away. He began to think of how important she was to him. Then his friends, and how impotent to him they where. As this went on, he began to write. "I've got it!" He yelled. Clover ran in and jumped with anticipation. "You do, what was missing?" Star Swirl nodded and let his quill fall. He got up and began his preparations. He turned to Clover and smile. "I must ask something of you my love." "What is it?" "I want you to get our friends." He took a step towards her and put his hoof on Clovers. "This spell will bring good to this land. And i want all of our friends to experience it." Clover smiled and hugged him. A tear fell form her eye. "I love you." She whispered. The older stallion was surprised for a moment but then fell into the embrace. "I love you as well. Now go get everypony, and bring them back as soon as you can." With a look of determination she nodded and was off to gather the leaders of the pony tribes. ~ ~ ~ The others arrived just as Star Swirl was finishing preparations. He turned to see them and trotted over towards them. "Excellent your here!" He chimed. "Yeah, what's this about SSTB?" Hurricane asked. "Well, you all know that spell i have been working on, correct?" The six mares nodded. " I believe i have finished it! And what it dose will work wonders for the land." Clover stepped forward. "What dose it do Star?" She asked. He smiled at her and the others. "This spell, can turn any normal pony into an Alicorn!" "An Alicorn!?" The others yelled. "I know it seems like much. But just think of what it would do for Equestria. If the leaders of the tribes where to become a race of pony that where a combination of all three? The strength of the earth walkers. The speed of the flyers. And the wisdom of the magic users." The room fell silent, but the look on the faces of the mares was a look of approval. "I'll do it!" Hurricane announced. "As am I." Princess Platinum announced after. "Me too, me too!" Puddinghead chimed. Star Swirl smiled and looked to his other two friends. They returned to the smile and nodded. Star Swirl felt a hoof on his own, he looked over so see Clover the Clever smiling at him. "And I'm always with you" She said, stealing a kiss. Star Swirl smiled, and directed everyone to their spots. The stood and waited for Star Swirl, as he stood in the center. As what had happened before, he called to his magic and three thin circles surrounded him, and then the other mares. As all of this happened the mage pony began to think of his friends and how important they where to him. "My friends." He whispered, as a flash erupted with in the cottage. ~ ~ ~ Star Swirl rose slowly rose from his slumber, pulling his blanket off of his body. He rubbed his head in confusion. He could have sworn that he was just awake, and with his friends. [Did the spell also fast forward time? He questioned in his mind. He then tried to stretch out his wings. Unfortunately, he couldn't fell anything. He let out a sigh in disappointment, then grew a look of fear. The spell was incomplete, witch means that it would have a different effect then what had been expected. Suddenly he heard a crash the erupted from down stairs. He quickly bolted for the sound. He entered to see Hurricane pulling herself out from under a book shelf. With great concern he trotted over to her. "Hurricane, are you alright?" He asked helping her up. She smiled and smacked her chest. "Well of course lover, we Pegasi are built tough." She leaned in and was about to kiss him, when the gray stallion stopped her and pushed her away. "What are you doing! I'm wi... Wait lover!?" "Yes, do you not remember last night?" Star Swirl began to recall last night. He traced all the way to when the spe-. "The spell!" He shouted. He jumped close to Hurricane and put his muzzle against her's. "Tell me, where is Clover the Clever?" "She is at Cloudsdail, as she is the leader of the Pegasi." The wizard wasted no time. He quickly grabbed his hat, and cape and ran for the city of Cloudsdail. Sure enough, Clover the Clever was in charge of Cloudsdail, with Princess Platinum as her adviser. He checked the Unicorn tribe to see witch of his friends had been there. As he feared, Puddinghead and Smart Cookie where in charge of the unicorns, witch could only mean one thing. "No." He whispered to himself, and bolted for the earth pony tribe. Star Swirl ran into the tribe to see that Pansy was being banished. He began to gallop after her, but before he could get close she began to fly away. Star Swirl shrunk into a depression, and turned to return home. Celestia called the leaders together, and asked for them to relinquish their power. They all agreed, also handing over their control of the Elements of Harmony to Luna and Celestia. With the finishing of this The Alicorn sisters became princesses of Equestria. Celestia had one last task. She traveled to the Everfree. She came to his cottage and flew down. She knocked on his door, and wait a second to hear the sound of hoof steps. When she heard only silence she knocked again, this time calling his name. "Star Swirl the Bearded, are you present." Celestia, not hearing a reply, slowly opened the door and went in. She looked to see the house was empty. The candles where unlit, the books looked as though they had not been touch for days. Celestia let out a sigh and lowered her head. She was about to turn and leave when, she noticed a letter, laying folded on a small table, the same table she had seen him working on when she came to talk to him all those days ago. She walked over to it, sat on her flanks, and with her magic she lifted the paper to her eye, unfolded it, and began to read. Dear, Inhabitants of Equestria I, have committed treason on this land. I apologize, this phenomenon was not my intuitions. I only meant to bring pace to this land. At this I have failed. For my treason, I have cast myself deep into the Everfree. I will work my to my full potential to fix the horror i have caused, but I will not return any sooner. To one magic user in particular, i want to... to see this. To Clover The Clever... I-I never meant to hurt you. Though all my work, all of my stubbornness, you still stood by my side. And with that you showed me friendship, and love and i will never forget that. Sincerely Star Swirl The Bearded Towards the bottom where the stallion had talked about his lover, where two tear stains that had propped onto the letter. Celestia let out one last sigh, rolled up the letter, and returned to the city of Canterlot, sending the letter to all, but only letting Clover seeing the last of the letter. _ _ _ Star Swirl laid alone in the forest. It had been year that he had worked to undo the horror the spell had caused, but with his age growing older his magic began to deplete, and soon he could no longer use the spell. He was about to just lay, and let live take its course, when he remembered a spell, a last shoot attempt at saving his friends. With the last of his strengh, he stood and cast his last spell, to save his home. Clover The Clever walked at a normal pace as she headed for Star Swirls cottage, when a flash flicked in front of her. She rubbed her eyes, then she looked to see a much older Star Swirl then she remembered him. He was standing, but then quickly fell. She flinched and ran over to him. "Star Swirl! Are you alright?" She asked helping him to his hooves. He slowly looked up to her. "C-clover.." He announced in a weak tone. "Y-you must... Not let me go, you have to keep me... You must... You.. you must..." Before he could finish, another flash came, and the older stallion was gone. Star Swirl returned to his original time. He fell over, with the last of his magic gone. He began to cry, softly and quietly sobbed. "I-I have failed.." He laid still, and let the let his life force fade, but then smiled, as he had remembered the good times he had with his friends and lover. Clover was surprised again, and pondered on the words. "Don't let me go, I must keep him..." She echoed. She realized that he was in a horrible state, and that she mist do what he has asked so that what ever event that had happened could not ocher. She then smiled and nodded. "Then I'm sure, i am certain I must get him to go to the Summer Sun Celebration." She said with a confident look. She then continued her normal pace to her minters house, hopping to keep the event the future stallion had warned her about.