By this point the Chosen Undead had to accept that waking up in jail cells was going to be a recurring theme in her life. After the asylum, Seath’s prison and now this, she could pretty much consider it a habit, not of her own volition but rather because the powers that be apparently were in desperate need of a chuckle.
“I…uh…hope you’re okay?” The lavender alicorn queried from the other side of the bars. The newly resurrected husk reached out and touched the glimmering rods that divided her from her captors; crystal, freshly formed, and for good reason. She looked around and found herself by the bonfire she’d first used to enter this new realm of ponies, now with a make shift cage formed around it, guarded by several royal sentries.
“I sincerely apologize for…what Seath did. We all gave him an earful about it afterwards and let him know things won’t end well if he tries anything like that again.” Twilight awkwardly continued. The Chosen Undead looked down at herself and noted she again had been stripped to nothing but the leather rags she wore under her armor. Guess that was also something she’d have to get used to.
“Here, he said to give this to you. We’ve got the rest of your gear inside the castle. We’ll let you have it back as soon as we’re assured no one’s going to be killing anyone else okay?”
Twilight reached between the bars and set down a humanity sprite. Still feeling the pain in her chest from being gored by the Moonlight Greatsword, the Chosen Undead snapped it up, absorbed it into herself and then reached into the flames. Twilight stared in rapt fascination as the hollowed zombie again restored herself to a healthy flesh and blood human.
“For what it’s worth, I really am sorry for having to do this. I know you probably think we’re all mad for trusting Seath, based on what he’s done, but…well, he’s not been the same dragon since he came here, if that makes any sense. I don’t mean to keep you from fulfilling your quest and saving Lordran, but Celestia and Luna are convinced there’s more at work here than that. Something we need Seath alive and well for. Until we can figure out what, well, we can’t let you do anything to harm him, or let him harm you again.”
The Chosen Undead noticed several cushions, pillows and blankets had been placed in the cage with her, along with a selection of reading material. Looking to the sentries she noted they stood facing outward, with their spears poised as if to protect her rather than keep others protected from her.
“And the Bed of Chaos?” She asked.
Twilight cringed.
“That you’ll have to take up with Discord. He’s grown quite attached to her.” She admitted. The human sighed and buried her head in her hands. “You have to believe we really don’t want to have to do this, but something, somewhere is intent to see that whatever is going on involves us as much as it involves you.” Twilight said, more as a means to try and cover for the ineptitude of her previous response.
“I don’t know what to believe at this point. For the last few weeks, or maybe it’s been a few months, or years...I’ve told by everyone that I was selected to undertake the most crucial quest in history, that I would be the savior of Lordran and finally end all the problems that plague it. Now I’ve had no less than two sources claim that’s a complete lie, and you telling me there’s something even greater in the works, meaning my role is nowhere near as vital.” The Chosen Undead replied. Twilight tensed her jaw and thought fast. As a princess of Equestria she needed to become experienced in diplomacy, and if she couldn’t even handle speaking to one solitary being then she had no hope of negotiating with souls of real power.
“Well, hopefully, we can help you find answers as we try to unravel this mystery. Just let me and my fellow princesses work out what to do. Then we’ll release you and fill you in.” Twilight replied. The Chosen Undead took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
“You need fear nothing from me at this moment. I have too much to ponder and no means of presenting a threat. Just please don’t keep me waiting for too long.” She replied before giving Twilight an apologetic gaze. “And, again for what it’s worth, I’m sorry for the trouble I caused back in the marketplace.”
Twilight nodded and respectfully bowed to the human.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can! In the mean time if there’s anything we can do to make you more comfortable just ask one of the guards.” She darted towards the castle and the human settled in for a long, hard session of thinking about what she knew vs. what she believed.
“So, how is our…prisoner?” Celestia reluctantly asked as Twilight trotted back into the throne room.
“Doing well, for a girl who just got a giant blade through the chest. It’s exactly as you said would happen, Seath.” The lavender alicorn glared at the white drake. “Though that doesn’t excuse your actions.”
Seath hmphed and continued staring out the windows.
“Thou made thine displeasure clear, and unto thee I gave my apologies. All debts between that husk and I hath been settled. No further ill will do I bear her…for now.” He darkly replied. Taking this as the only show of remorse she’d get, Twilight rolled her eyes and climbed onto her throne.
“Okay, so what do we do? I really don’t want to have to keep her caged out in the backyard like an animal.” The lavender alicorn said. Luna nodded in agreement.
“I likewise still doubt that’s actually going to do any good.” The moon princess mused. “Is that what happens every time she…erm...dies?”
Seath nodded mournfully.
“If her life is taken from her the flames will simply give it back. E’en if she were to go hollow, she has no hope of finding release from her curse.” The white drake replied. Those around him had the good grace to look sickened.
“Then it is even more imperative that we earn her trust and her cooperation. The question is how.” Celestia mused as she paced around the room. “She seeks a means of curing her curse, however, by your admission, Seath, that’s not possible, correct?”
The dragon furrowed his brow as his wings twitched in random directions.
“Seath, is that correct?” Celestia repeated. The white drake closed his eyes and stroked his chin. He didn’t seem to be trying to evade the question so much as come up with an answer that wasn’t just wild mass guessing.
“There is none...that I know of. Thousands of years of research hath revealed unto me little more than dismal failures, yet, I cannot say for certain that a solution does not still exist.” He finally responded. “I can only, in truth, state that the means she hath been instructed to undertake will not yield that solution. By linking the fires she will only buy Lordran a little more time at the price of her own eternal suffering in the Kiln, if that.”
Celestia sighed sadly. “And now some force seeks to prevent even that from coming to pass.” She grit her teeth and snorted in defiance. “There has to be something we can do for her!”
Again Seath returned to his furious musings. Twilight narrowed her eyes as she began to pick up on how his body language betrayed what was running through his mind.
“You know there is, don’t you, Seath?” She half asked, half demanded. The drake glowered at his pupil, but he also nodded out of respect for her intuition.
“I have cause to believe. Only one course of action on this have we yet heard, and a most biased perspective it hath spawned from.” The white dragon replied. “But as a coin hath more than one side so doth prophecy. Frampt did approach the Chosen Undead first, but as I hath stated, t’was another primordial serpent that approached me before.”
Luna raised her ears. “Yes, the serpent I saw in your dreams, you said his name was…Kaathe?”
“Yay. I can promise not that he will give any different view on what can be done for Lordran’s sake, but nevertheless he is the same as Frampt, and we have not heard his version yet.” Seath replied.
“Okay, so where is this Kaathe?” Twilight asked, much to her teacher’s aggravation. It was so frustratingly fascinating how the lavender alicorn could prove herself to be of such incredible intelligence, yet still ask the dumbest and most obvious questions. Then again, who was Seath to judge, as one who had fathered an entire practice of magic yet could still be so easily lead astray by his own blind anger?
“Where all of Lordran’s most ancient and darkest secrets reside no doubt: somewhere that even the strongest and bravest souls deem too treacherous to enter.” The dragon replied. Another round of sickened looks were shared.
“So you’re saying that if we wish to contact him we must do as you and those who followed you have done? Leave our own world for yours?” Celestia reluctantly asked. Said reluctance only grew when Seath turned and nodded solemnly. “Is that even possible?”
Seath removed his glasses and stared at them in contemplation. “Much of what I hath seen of thine lands and thine abilities doth laugh in the face of what I previously knew to be possible. If a mere human can deduce the function of Gwyn’s flames to send herself here, I see no reason why thou cannot do the same in return.” He slipped his glasses back on and gave both Celestia and Twilight a soft gaze of assurance. “There are some exceptionally fine minds and strong souls among thine people.”
Twilight sighed and let herself blush, partially from the praise, partially because she felt awkward about her next question.
“And if we were able to travel to Lordran, would you accompany us, Seath? We can hardly hope to survive in your world without a guide.” She said. Seath’s wings wilted as his face went taught with opposing feelings.
“Thine world is strange indeed, but in a way that I welcome more with each passing day. I cannot deny now that thou presumed correctly that I wished to never go back, Luna, yet by the same notion I did fear that fate would take the choice out of mine hands as it always does.”
Seath put his glasses back on and looked to a side table, on which was the silver ring that the Chosen Undead had been given by Princess Gwynevere.
“And then there is this: an offer of hope long since abandoned. If Gwynevere hath returned, if the information of my channelers hath been proven false….” Seath shut his eyes in pained desire. “If we may at last be able to make up for where we hath both previously failed….”
Twilight frowned in sympathy.
“Well that’s a decision to be made when the time is right. We have other options to explore and I still have yet to fill all the relevant parties in on what I know of this matter.” Celestia replied as she sat down next to Twilight’s throne. “Seath, as you said, the Chosen Undead deserves to know the truth of what she’s been entrusted to accomplish. If I bring her in here do you promise to behave yourself?”
The dragon reluctantly nodded. “I do.”
“Very well, Lieutenant Green Bean, how goes the cataloguing of the human’s possessions?” Celestia called to an adjacent room. Out of it stepped a bewildered and very exhausted sentry.
“We’re…still in the process of searching that box she was carrying. We'd actually like to ask Seath about it since we’re a bit stumped as to how one small case can hold so much stuff. So far we’ve found enough armor, jewelry, weapons and random equipment in it to resupply the entire Royal Army, and there’s even more left for us to get through!” Green Bean turned to the drake and shrugged in defeat. “I mean it didn’t even feel like it weighed more than a pound or two when we brought it in. What manner of sorcery is that thing enchanted with?”
“That which caters purely to the villainy of avarice. It is specifically designed to hold an infinite amount of objects, via a pocket realm sustained within its craftsmanship.” The dragon stated. Green Bean exhaled and whistled in awe.
“Doctor Whooves is going to be so jealous to know he's not the only one who can pull that sort of trick. Well, while I’m here, may I ask permission for us to move into the grand dining room, Princess Twilight? We’re going to need the extra space.” He asked.
“Sure, Green Bean, feel free to use whatever parts of the castle you need to. Just if you come across some clothing that’s stylish and has no deadly hidden surprises please bring it here. I’m going to have the Chosen Undead join us for this discussion and she deserves some more adequate attire.
“As you wish, your highness.” Green Bean bowed and headed back into the room.
A little while later the three princesses, their dragon guest, and the human undead were settled comfortably around a selection of tea and cookies that had been brought into the throne room. The Chosen Undead looked considerably more at ease in the handsome traveler outfit taken from her gear. Indeed just being treated like something more than the lowest dregs of society seemed to have calmed her bloodlust, considerably. Despite still being flanked by armed guards, and getting several distrustful sneers from Seath, she drank her tea and savored the treats with quiet contentment.
“Now that we’re all here, I can finally explain what I know, or at least what I believe is related to the goings on here. I confess the accuracy of this tale I’m about to impart is still up for debate as it was told to me mostly as an after thought several centuries ago, and is based on very meager scraps of information culled from our historical records. If anyone is in doubt about this, please don’t hesitate to tell me, I’d appreciate having a more well rounded opinion to work from.” Celestia began. Seath and Luna, having heard this tale already, nodded they would speak when it was polite to do so. Twilight and the Chosen Undead just leaned forward to give their full attention as the sun princess delved into her revelations:
***
Giving his flowing beard a thoughtful stroke, Star Swirl looked over his revised notes again.
“Okay, this time for certain.” The mage declared as he stood to face his crystal ball. “I’m certain I will find something!”
He placed a hoof on either side of the opaque sphere and concentrated. A beam of magical energy flowed from his horn into the crystal, charging it with a fiery power.
“Somewhere out there…somewhere…”
The magic swirled and churned under Star Swirl’s careful control, slowly forming itself into rough semblances of shapes. The mage narrowed his eyes and concentrated harder, willing the shapes to take on definition, color, and detail. Admittedly he wasn’t entirely sure what he was going to end up with, but that was the whole point of the experiment. Star Swirl’s goal was to explore and discover, to entertain a theory set to him by his dear student, Clover, and see if indeed there was something beyond what ponies knew of the living world.
Little by little the shapes became more discernible. That was clearly a leg there at the bottom, and a foot…but not a hoof, interestingly. And there, that looked like a…a hand? Holding something? Something long, tapered, and sharp? A sword!
Star Swirl pressed his face to the crystal ball, peering intently as smaller details revealed themselves. He was doing it! Bridging the gap between his world and another! There was what looked like a head, or possibly a helmet. It was very square shaped whatever it was. Next was another limb…a hand! Holding…well, something large and bulky! How utterly fascinating!
The unicorn mage smiled in delight as he finally made out the form of a warrior, one possessed of a very different anatomy to his own. This was a remarkable discovery! Clover would be elated to know her ponderings had borne fruit! Allowed ponies to venture beyond the boundaries of their civilization and see what lay in the wonders of elsewhere! They’d have to work at it, of course, determine where was this place they were seeing, and when, then catalogue what else it could offer for study, set up a means of communication perhaps with its the inhabitants! A chance at first contact with a whole new world!
Star Swirl was getting so involved with his planning for the future he failed to notice the point when the being in the crystal ball turned around, no longer staring at something behind it but rather at the one observing it. Its square head tilted slightly to the side, then it promptly stepped back as if shocked to discover someone was spying on its actions.
Star Swirl was duly punished for his peeping when the crystal ball flared with a brilliant light and exploded. The mage found himself hitting the wall of his study at speed, papers and books scattering across the floor as the released magical energy formed itself into a swirling vortex before him. Out of it stepped the one he had been observing, allowing the bearded unicorn to at last get a proper, full on look at his new discovery.
“What the…oh…oh my!” Star Swirl half whispered and half gasped as he took in the scale of his guest. It bore a bipedal body, encased in what appeared to be chainmail with a tattered white tunic worn on top. Looking upward, Star Swirl saw the shape at the peak of the body was indeed a helmet of some manner, with a fine feathered plume arching over its cylindrical build like that of a knight. In one hand the being clutched a heavy, lethal looking sword, and in the other a large mountain of scrolls and leather bound tomes.
“Well, you certainly are a most welcome sight! Greetings strange one!” The warrior exclaimed. Star Swirl’s jaw fell open, then snapped shut again.
“You…I…I mean, uh, hello! Forgive me, I was not expecting…uh, company!” He stammered while getting back to his hooves.
“Yes I do apologize for my abruptness. I sensed your admiring gaze from beyond and…well, honestly your presence could not have arrived in a more timely manner!” The warrior enthusiastically stuck his sword into the floor and knelt before the unicorn. “I hope you do not think this too forward of me, but I believe we may be able to help each other out.”
Star Swirl held his voice for a moment. His excitement from before was returning with gusto at not only having made first contact with a new race but now being offered to work with them on an important manner. He looked around his study and lamented that neither Clover nor Princess Platinum could be here to share this momentous occasion with him, before realizing he was still needed in the conversation.
“Help each other?” He asked.
“Yes, given the fortuitous timing of your finding me, I have cause to believe our fates may be intertwined. The meeting of two souls from different worlds at this exact moment cannot be mere chance.” The warrior chuckled as Star Swirl looked confused. “Don’t worry I know how crazy this must sound. If you don’t believe me, I don’t blame you in the slightest!”
Star Swirl blushed and tried to hide his reaction. Whoever this alien being was, at least he seemed a jovial, lighthearted sort.
“No, no, I assure you I’m fully on board here. It’s merely just shocking to have such an incredible meeting come upon me, seemingly at random.” The mage smiled and bowed. “I am known as Star Swirl the Bearded, court wizard and trusted confidante to her royal highness, Princess Platinum of the Unicorn Tribe!”
The knight sighed as if relieved at this information.
“Good, then you are just the open, educated mind that I was hoping to find! My name is Gwy-erm…no, wait.”
He paused and looked down at the mass of documents clutched to his chest. Slowly he let his arm and its load fall away, revealing a brilliantly colored sun painted on the chest of his tunic.
“Oh dear, now I really am sorry! I’ve had need to change my name from the one I was originally christened with and am still getting used to my new moniker.” He tapped a fist against the sun. “Just call me Solaire…of Astora!”
Star Swirl nodded. “A pleasure and an honor it is to make your acquaintance, Solaire! I believe we have much to discuss!”
The knight’s cheerful demeanor faded a bit. He cautiously looked at the portal behind him and sighed.
“Indeed, however, as always, I fear time is not on our side. Or rather it’s not on my side! You probably still have a while. Hee hee hee.” He hastily affirmed. Star Swirl looked confused again. “If I may ask, where exactly are we?”
The mage looked around his study and cleared his throat.
“This is the castle of her royal highness, the aforementioned Princess Platinum. You stand in the heart of the unicorn tribe territory, in a land we…shakily refer to as ‘Equestria’.”
Solaire tightened his fists. “And…how long has this land been known as such?”
Star Swirl thought. “Not long unfortunately. The tribes only began to entertain the prospect of unifying into one nation a scant few years ago. We sadly remain a divided kingdom in all but name currently.”
Rather than sadden Solaire this seemed to elate him.
“Then I am not yet too late! Oh praise the sun for such good fortune!” He declared. Star Swirl cocked an eyebrow.
“Praise the sun? You speak of the stellar body supposedly commanded by the mythical Princess Celestia?” He asked.
“It and any other sun there may be! You know not of what wisdom and prosperity the sun may bring yet, do you?” Solaire queried. Star Swirl shook his head. “Worry not my equine friend, you shall soon enough!”
He knelt again and set down the scrolls and tomes before the mage.
“Contained within these works are the Annals of History from my homeland. I was tasked with preserving them during these troubled times, however, I have since been forced to admit that I am not worthy of such an important duty. Blessed am I to have found a better soul in such a dire moment!”
A strange, unearthly roar emanated from the portal. Solaire quickly stood again and grabbed for his sword.
“Ah but the calamity threatens to destroy everything in my absence. I must return and lead our forces to victory!”
He retrieved a shield from his back, painted with the same sun motif as on his tunic, and turned to leave.
“Wait!”
Solaire turned around in query.
“You’re just going to leave the history records of your entire civilization in the hooves of a soul you just met?” Star Swirl asked incredulously. His guest chuckled and nodded.
“You wished to know about my world do you not? Everything there is to learn about it is in those documents. Trust me, it is knowledge you need more than we do, though you may not realize it yet, and indeed may not do so for some time!” Solaire chuckled again. “The important part is I cannot let such knowledge fall into the hands of our enemies, nor can I take the risk of what may happen if such a calamity befalls your kind before you’ve had time to adequately prepare! Oh dear, I don’t know if I should have said that part! Hee hee hee, sorry!”
Star Swirl looked at the wealth of information just sitting before him like a pile of gold left discarded in the street.
“You’re sure about this?” He asked to another eager nod.
“Fate clearly intended for you to be the bearer of great things! And your descendants will be grateful when the time comes! Don’t worry, if anyone asks me what happened I’ll just say the annals were lost. Those that are dear to me feared they might be anyway, and as I said before, I was not worthy of protecting them! Indeed until I find my own sun there is much I am unworthy of!”
Another roar brought Solaire’s mind back from his wistful musings.
“Ah but now I really must return to the battle! Look, just keep passing that knowledge down through your future generations! Don’t let it be forgotten! And remember, PRAISE THE SUN!”
The knight held both his arms up over his head with the palms facing outward. Star Swirl only had a second to ponder if this was meant as a salute or some sort of farewell gesture before his guest charged valiantly back into the portal and it snapped closed behind him. The mage braced himself against the gust of wind as his guests’ means of traversing worlds vanished into nothingness, leaving him alone with a treasure he’d never have thought possible.
“Praise the sun? What could that mean?” The mage looked down at the annals. As much as he still questioned the wisdom of having such sacred texts entrusted to him when they had nothing whatsoever to do with ponies, his ears twitched in curiosity, and his hoof subconsciously stroked his beard in pondering.
“Well, I suppose it can’t hurt to see if the answer might be in here…somewhere.” The mage unrolled one of the scrolls and began to read.
Several hours later, he finally pulled himself from his studies, as there came a fierce knocking at his study door.
“Master Star Swirl! Sir, I’ve got dinner on the table! Would you care to join me? I haven’t seen you all day!”
The mage looked down at the tome open before him, his body feeling queer indeed as he looked at the numerous scrolls and books he’d already plowed through.
“Master Star Swirl?” The door creaked open, revealing a mare dressed in simple robes and a hood. “Sir, are you okay?”
The mage pressed a hoof to his chest as he finally turned and registered who had disturbed his reading.
“I…I suppose you could say that, Clover. At the very least I am feeling considerably more enlightened than I was this morning.”
Clover peered suspiciously at the documents spread out around her teacher, taking note that there were also slivers of broken crystal littering the floor between them and that she could sense the residue of a massive expulsion of magical energy in the air.
“What have you been doing in here, Master? And what are these? This is not your hoof writing.” She noted. Star Swirl chuckled softly.
“Your powers of observation remain as astute as ever, my student. I can only describe these as a gift from another time, and another land, a result of my investigating your theorems of trans-world observation.” He replied. Clover blinked in shock.
“My theorems? But, but you said they were too radical! A creative but ultimately ridiculous line of thought!” She protested, earning herself another chuckle and a stare of paternal affection from Star Swirl.
“That I did, and afterwards I considered that you proved several other similarly radical theories to have at least some grain of truth in them. As such I decided it was worth conducting a small test of your work, and now I will gratefully admit you have once again proven yourself to be as clever as your namesake.” Star Swirl grinned as he turned back to the book. “The information in these records is…magnificent! Avenues of thought I never considered before! Possibilities we could never have imagined to exist! I believe we may have here the very knowledge we need to make possible the prospect of a glorious and unified Equestria! Not to mention advance our magical techniques by thousands of years!”
Clover looked down at the tomes again, her eyes catching bits of paragraphs here and there. It certainly seemed to be a very thoroughly researched and well laid out collection of reference material.
“Will…Will you show this to Princess Platinum?” She asked.
“I feel I must. Her, Chancellor Puddinghead, Commander Hurricane, and Princess Celestia!” Star Swirl gasped as realization dawned. “Praise the sun….could he have meant….could she be….Yes, YES everypony must know about this! And how you made it possible, my fine student!” The mage declared. Clover hesitantly blushed.
“Well, as wonderful as it is to hear that, can I persuade you to have something to eat first?”
Star Swirl’s thought process abruptly broke off as he thought about the prospect and felt a very angry rumble coming from his tummy.
“Erm…yes, that might be wise. Yet another reason you are rightfully considered to be clever!” He sheepishly smiled as the two stepped out of the study.
***
Celestia sipped her tea slowly, gauging the reactions of those around her as she finished. Seath looked resigned to some grim, subtly inferred message from her story, Luna still looked adorably dubious, The Chosen Undead just looked bewildered and Twilight looked positively starry eyed.
“Does…anypony wish to comment on this?”
The human pinched the bridge of her nose and flinched in concentration.
“There is…an old folklore about what happened to the Annals of History. But all I know from it is a child of Gwyn was blamed for their loss, and was subsequently stripped of his godly status and left to wander the land as a mortal. I know nothing of any Solaire. Certainly never heard any mention of him from Astora on the odd occasions I visited that province.” She mused.
“Tis no mere myth…not entirely. A firstborn did Gwyn sire before Gwyndolin and Gwynevere, and charge me to teach. Vanish did he under most sudden circumstances, but mine own information did state he was sent to scout for a new haven of the Gods when the flames did first fade. Their departure was made possible by what he found and claimed in their name in distant lands.” Seath stated with subtle skepticism.
“Well I demand to know why such a tale is never mentioned in any biographies or texts of Star Swirl! That’s incredible, Celestia! Why would anypony want to keep it secret?” Twilight asked with the same enthusiastic manner as a fan addressing the celebrity they idolized (which wasn’t far off all things considered). Celestia looked to Seath and shared an eye roll.
“Think about it, Twilight. Would you want to admit that a sudden bevy of glorious new discoveries and resources you wanted to share were courtesy of someone else? That an invader from another world just handed you an entire library of new knowledge for vague reasons? How do you imagine others would react to that? How do you think it would make you look to them?” She asked. Twilight’s excitement smoldered as realization descended upon it. “Star Swirl wanted to share the truth, but Princess Platinum feared what the reaction might be if the other tribes knew unicorns had been in contact with races outside of Equestria, not to mention the need to maintain their own superior grasp on magic. They brought the three tribes together and rationed what aspects of the annals they saw worthy of sharing. Over time it did the job of instilling a sense of trust between ponies, thus paving the way for the unified kingdom we now live in.”
Twilight pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes.
“But still they lied about its source?” She asked with disapproval. Celestia nodded softly.
“There is no other account of any humans or beings from Solaire's world sighted in Equestria. Over time it seemed his visit was indeed a random, one off occurrence so the need for the truth to be revealed eventually became irrelevant. I don't agree with that, myself, but again by the time this was told to me it was too late to do anything about.” The sun princess’ poise faltered. “However, the annals also told that we should still be wary of any signs that the calamity which he mentioned may reappear one day, and that, like him, it was not bound by the limits of its own realm.”
Celestia looked to Seath. “The power you wield over souls, the concept of being ‘undead’, both were foretold by the annals, as was Queen’s abilities to command fire and chaos. Even if what remains doesn’t state HOW the aforementioned tie into things it was enough to give me concern for what may follow now.”
The white dragon nodded somberly. “Thine reaction when first I did demonstrate my skills suggested as much.”
Twilight swallowed hesitantly. “So, where are these annals now?”
Celestia sighed and poured herself another cup of tea.
“That is where this story grows muddled, and dark. Once what was deemed safe from the contents of the annals had been passed around it was decided they needed to be kept secure as Solaire had requested, somewhere fortified that could only be accessed by those who could be trusted with such powerful knowledge. Perhaps, erroneously it was decided the most fitting place was a territory to the north, a nation recently welcomed into the fold on request of its king…”
Celestia paused to let the truth smack everyone in the face.
“You don’t mean…” Twilight gasped to a sad nod.
“Yes, the Crystal Empire.” Celestia replied. “You can all guess how Sombra put such a gift from us to use afterwards.”