‘Dear Midnight Blaze,
I fear you have stumbled upon the invasion of Lord Tirek and his brother Scorpan, the centaur and gargoyle respectively.
During my rule as the king of the Crystal Empire, before my fall to darkness, two monsters as you described came to Equestria from the Badlands.
It became clear that they had come to rob Equestria of magic, and they started with unicorns, whose active powers made them the first targets.
However, Scorpan soon saw Equestria as a paradise and as he began to love these lands, he was met and befriended by Star Swirl, who convinced him Friendship was a magic greater than any he or Tirek could ever have if they only opened their hearts to it.
Scorpan tried to convince his brother to stop their campaign but Tirek was unreasonable, his hunger for power insatiable.
So Scorpan alerted the Royal Sisters of Tirek’s transgressions, rallying Celestia and Luna against the demonic centaur. Scorpan returned to the Badlands for reasons his own while Tirek was forever condemned to rot in Tartarus for his crimes.
My apprentice, if you must help, then do so by helping Star Swirl to befriend Scorpan. Find the wizard and alert him.
I wish you the best of luck, my apprentice.
Prince Sombra’
Midnight read the reply a couple times to be certain as his goal became clear. He was reluctant, but he needed directions as he approached the room of Wright Forge. A brief knock and the blacksmith opened the door.
“Midnight?”
“I believe I have useful information regarding these magic thieves,” Midnight explained off the bat.
“But I need to speak with Star Swirl the Bearded, have you any idea where I might find him?”
“Master Star Swirl resides in his tower just outside Everfree Village,” Wright answered.
Using the enchantments in his cloak, Midnight knew exactly where to go to find Star Swirl without the need of a map.
Whenever he strayed from the correct path, he was filled with a sense of anxiety that would replace itself with a sense of assurance whenever he went the right way. However, the journey, even by wing, took him around two days.
He passed over what he guessed was probably Smokey Mountain and soon saw a familiar peak that was lacking a white castle built into its side because it hadn’t been built yet.
Nearby it was a vast pasture that felt familiar and he had an idea of what the location was. However, it was the forest south of it that had his attention. He saw the same roads he’d seen before, a few farmlands although some of them looked abandoned, and flying closer he started to see why.
The forest surrounding Everfree Village had grown since last Midnight was there, encroaching on some of the farmlands, and even the village limits. He saw the Castle of the Two Sisters but it was the tower distant that had his attention.
It was Star Swirl’s tower alright, and he panted in relief as he landed not too far from it. He hurried up to the door and knocked, “Star Swirl! It’s me, Midnight Blaze!”
The door opened after a few moments and Midnight found himself with mixed-feelings as he saw what was an older Star Swirl, just leaving middle age into his elderly years. His beard had gotten longer but he looked disheveled, and Midnight was certain he could smell a faint rank of booze, and the look on Star Swirl’s didn’t appear very excited.
“Ah, Midnight, it’s been long,” he answered in a slightly slurred voice.
“Uh, Star Swirl? …How are you?” Midnight had a feeling he should tread carefully.
“Oh I’m just peachy, Midnight,” Star Swirl answered sarcastically before turning back into the house, “close the door before some pests buzz in.”
Midnight hesitantly followed Star Swirl in and found the sitting room somewhat a mess. The sofa had a discolored spot on it that looked like it could have come from vomit, there were a few empty bottles here and there, and the fireplace was going out.
“Thirty-five years since I’ve seen you!” Star Swirl harrumphed as he slumped into his armchair and levitated up a bottle.
“Would you like a drink?”
“Um, no thank you,” Midnight sat on the side of the couch that was not discolored by what he suspected to have been vomit.
“Thirty-five years, really? Cause you don’t look quite that old…”
“When you’ve mastered magic like I have, you learn how to avoid old age for a while,” Star Swirl huffed as he peered into his bottle as though looking for something. He snorted in frustration and smashed the bottle behind him, startling Midnight with the noise.
“So what brings you here…?”
“Um, Star Swirl, I’m not if you’ve heard, but… two monsters have come to Equestria and are stealing magic,” Midnight brought up, tempted to tell Star Swirl the full scope but he felt apprehensive about it.
“I have been sensing a disturbance, as of late,” Star Swirl answered with a more focused demeanor.
“Explain what you know.”
“Well, after another time-jump, I arrived in the middle of scenic nowhere,” Midnight went on about the village and the unicorn he met who told him of the monster centaur and gargoyle, how they’d robbed unicorns, as well as a few pegasi and earth ponies of their magic, and had left the village in ruins.
“…and I felt I should come to you. I thought of going to the Sisters but they might not recognize me.”
“Ugh, don’t bring up the sisters to me right now,” grumbled Star Swirl, “those lackadaisical ingrates…”
“Whoa-whoa! Where’s that coming from?” asked Midnight, sounding like he’d been the one insulted.
“Some time after I last saw you,” Star Swirl explained, “Celestia came upon a unicorn colt during winter. She brought him to me and we nursed him back to health. The colt introduced himself as Sombra.”
Just hearing that name earned Star Swirl Midnight’s undivided attention.
“Celestia convinced me to make Sombra another of my students, saying Sombra could maybe serve them in some way after the gained their crowns as princesses. And Sombra was an exemplary student! He quickly showed a natural talent in geomancy, particularly with magic concerning crystals. But as I trained the three of them, I soon saw how Celestia was growing closer to Sombra and further from Luna, I saw Sombra returning Celestia’s feelings and Luna appearing envious.
“I told Celestia she should focus on her studies and what was expected of her rather than Sombra, but she paid me no heed. Alas, one night, after the three of them had grown into adolescence, I came home and found Sombra attempting to kill Luna in a blind fit of rage, Celestia terrified, and Luna screaming.
“I was forced to enchant them all to sleep but it had been a close call. I later learned that Celestia and Sombra had intended to mutually surrender to the other their purity but Luna had glamoured herself to appear as her sister and tricked Sombra. I forbade the three of them from spending time together and quickly saw a rift growing between the sisters as well as one between Celestia and Sombra. Before long, Celestia came to me, asking for guidance. She acknowledged Sombra was not at fault but couldn’t help but feel betrayed.”
“And you advised her to end the relationship,” Midnight interjected, Star Swirl gaping at him incredulously.
“Celestia told me this herself.”
“I see…” Star Swirl sighed heavily. “Then you know that she heeded my advice and Sombra was so heartbroken he left us.”
“You should have helped them mend their broken bonds,” Midnight said with a hard tone, narrowing his eyes, “not driven the wedge deeper.”
“And what would that have served to accomplish?” Star Swirl snapped, sounding defensive. “They were not the ponies you probably know them as, Midnight Blaze! They were teenaged foals who were expected a great burden! That boy, Sombra, was a distraction, and I was tutoring the fillies who were expected to rule an entire nation, over three tribes that had for so long warred and fought out of paranoia and pride! Their focus had to be entirely on serving these tribes and uniting them into a single society! I was not about to let some hormone-crazed love triangle ruin that.”
Midnight fell silent as he considered Star Swirl’s words, and of various circumstances. Here he was, a pony out of time trying to get back to his own, and already he’d witnessed a few significant events and passed up several chances to push history into another direction.
However, both Star Swirl and Sombra had both expressly told him not to.
He understood changing history was wrong, for better or worse, but it still didn’t assuage the guilt of what he could have prevented, what might have been, and what could have been avoided.
He could’ve left Tia a warning of Woona betraying her and tricking Sombra, but thinking back on that it would have only driven a rift between the sisters throughout their childhood. He could have told Star Swirl this would happen but he might have refused to take Sombra in to begin with. Thus, Sombra would not have learned magic in such a way only the wizard could have taught him and he might not have earned his mark of destiny for crystal magic.
The temptation was infuriating, like a constant itch that wouldn’t go away until he gave in and scratched it. But it was for that reason that Midnight easily grasped the understanding that to change history was wrong.
Sighing, he asked, “So how are the Sisters now?”
“Honestly? They’ve been growing distant,” Star Swirl huffed as he levitated a new bottle to his mouth and took a long swig. He grunted in satisfaction after he finished it and wiped his mouth.
“Luna is shtarting to become truculent, and I can tell she is growing envioush of her shister. I should’ve sheen it coming, and maybe I might have prevented her from acting like a whore, but then it might not have been necessary if Celestia had focushed more on her responsibilities and lessh on her foolish crush!”
Hesitantly, Midnight suggested, “Well… perhaps they needed a father, not a teacher.”
Immediately, he realized he’d said the wrong thing as Star Swirl glared at him and yelled, “I am not their father! I am their mentor! I teach them what I have to offer, and they use what they learn to overcome their own trials! I told you before, I am not some soft motherhen who coddles and soothes, I teach my students the tools of the trade and then they are on their own!”
Sighing, Midnight pressed, “Regardless, the issue here is the magic thieves! From what I learned, they are a centaur named Tirek and a gargoyle named Scorpan, hailing from the Badlands.”
“Well, at least you have something to show that you are not here to waste my time…” Star Swirl growled before he raised a brow expectantly.
“Star Swirl, I believe the best way to handle these two is to focus on Scorpan,” Midnight brought up.
“Ah, take out the weaker half, you say,” Star Swirl sounded appealed to the idea only for Midnight to shake his head.
“No! I mean, we, or better yet you, should approach Scorpan and convince him that what he and Tirek are doing is wrong, and win him over in friendship-”
“Friendship?!” Star Swirl snapped incredulously. “You are suggesting I make friends with an animal?! A monster! A thief of magic, a threat to Equestria! They day I do such a thing is the day you will kiss my shaggy gray rump!”
“Star Swirl! Consider what I’m saying!” Midnight admonished in an almost pleading tone. “Why would I suggest that you specifically be the one to carry out the suggestion I’ve just made, and why would I even make such an unorthodox idea to begin with?”
Midnight had hoped the implication would help Star Swirl see reason but the wizard was just too wasted to acknowledge the very idea of reason.
“Who are you to tell me what to do?! Just because it happens in the history you know you think you can order me around like a common pawn?! That you can tell me what I should do or who I associate with?!”
“Star Swirl, please!” Midnight was honestly starting to get scared, the sight of the buzzed unicorn making him stand up and distance himself.
“This is a moment pivotal to history! A moment where the role you play is key!”
“YOU THINK BECAUSE YOU ARE FROM THE FUTURE YOU CAN DICTATE ME??!?!?!” Star Swirl screamed, pulses of mana erupting form his horn and breaking some of his possessions in the sitting room.
“I’VE HAD IT UP TO MY HORN WITH THE FOOLISH CONCEPT OF FRIENDSHIP, AND YOU DISGUST ME BY RELYING ON IT!”
“ Star Swirl, please calm down!” Midnight begged but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
“YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL AND TALENT TO BE THE GREATEST MAGE OF YOUR GENERATION AND YOU ARE SQUANDERING IT! AND FOR WHAT? FRIENDS? THAT WORTHLESS WHORE YOU PINE FOR FROM YOUR OWN TIME?! SHE WILL RUIN YOU, JUST AS SOMBRA HAS BROUGHT RUIN TO THE SISTERS!”
Those horrible words blew any sense of respect and patience Midnight had out the window as he shouted back, “Oh yeah?! Well perhaps if you’d treated Luna like a daughter rather than another student to be done with she might not have tricked Sombra and betrayed her sister! And had you supported their relationship rather than been against it Celestia and Sombra would have made you proud! Instead all you’ve done is serve to drive a wedge between all three of them and it will scar the nation like nothing you’ve ever seen! All the lives lost and ruined because of your short-sighted arrogance is on you!!”
Star Swirl and Midnight glared angrily at each other, their horns flared as though ready for a fight.
“…Get out of my house!” Star Swirl whispered angrily, Midnight starting to protest, only to cringe when he felt a spell miss his head and Star Swirl bellowed, “GET OUT!!”
“Stop!” Midnight cried in fear as he backed away from Star Swirl.
He levitated his armchair and launched it at Midnight, who barely dodged and ran for the door, as Star Swirl roared, “GEEEEETTTT!!! OOOOOOOOOUUUUUUTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!”
Midnight ran, terrified, his heart in a tangle of emotion. He felt anger, sadness, confusion, and didn’t stop running until the tower was long out of sight.
Panting and attempting to still his pounding heart, Midnight took a moment to gather his thoughts, as he slunk to his belly and honestly felt hurt. Since he’d met him, and based on what he’d read, Midnight had always thought of Star Swirl as a wise and well-intended wizard.
But he recalled how Celestia once told him how Star Swirl never understood friendship as well as Midnight and his friends do.
He’d thought perhaps after what they’d been through, Star Swirl might have considered Midnight himself a friend.
Midnight felt a tear slide down his face as he now knew better.