//------------------------------// // Impossible Things, Epilogue: The Legend of Star Swirl. // Story: The Crown of Night // by Daedalus Aegle //------------------------------// The present day. Canterlot Castle Library, the Star Swirl the Bearded wing. “It's strange how different everything seems, in hindsight,” Celestia said as she pondered the fragments of the burning eggshell in the chest. “At the time, I thought his voyage was a complete disaster. It seemed like Star Swirl might have destroyed a kingdom, and permanently weakened my diplomatic influence. The political fallout in Saddle Arabia turned into a bloody civil war that shook every corner of the country. It would be decades before we could attempt a closer friendship again.” “What happened after the fight?” Twilight asked, hanging on every word. “How did Star Swirl get back to Everhold?” Celestia winced at the memory. “That was not one of my most gracious moments.” – – – “What is this?” Celestia asked as the guard ponies lowered the enormous rolled-up carpet to the floor of the throne hall. “A present from the King of Saddle Arabia, your highness,” said the foremost guard, and presented her a scroll of parchment bearing the seal of the Khalif. “How delightful! Please unroll it and let us take a look.” She opened the scroll and began to read. “To their most revered majesties the Royal Sisters of Everhold, from his august highness Hassan al-Rashid, the Khalif of Saddle Arabia, we regret to deliver... oh dear...” Her smile faded. Then her eyes widened in shock. “Capital offenses including but not limited to... Banished from the kingdom in perpetuity on pain of...” The ropes holding the carpet roll were loosened, and the carpet practically unrolled itself in a grand sweep. There in the center, bound and gagged, with a magic-suppressing ring on his horn and looking absolutely livid, lay Star Swirl. “Your highness?” the captain of the guard began. “What news? Is Everhold under attack?” Celestia looked up from the letter, all good cheer gone from her face. “No, no thanks to this— step away from him.” This last was a command aimed at the guards who had approached Star Swirl to loosen his bonds. “He can stay right where he is for a while longer, I think.” “What are your orders, your highness?” “Tie the carpet back up, with him inside. Bring it to my sister's office. He is her adviser, so let her deal with him.” She glanced back down at the letter. “I will speak with her later. First, I must speak with the ambassador.” Star Swirl glared at the princess and cursed through his gag as the guards rolled the carpet back up around him. – – – Luna had found the carpet in her office when she woke up some hours later, with a note attached that simply read: “Take care of this. -Celestia.” The first thing Star Swirl had done when he was released was leap for the jug of water on Luna's desk and guzzle it down. He hacked and coughed and gasped for air. “I needed that. Could I have some more?” “Star Swirl?” Luna asked. “What has happened to you?” “I had a disagreement with the Saddle Arabians... I'm sorry, let me try to do this properly,” he coughed, his voice cracked and weak. Then he stood to attention, or as best as he was able to, and bowed to her. “Your highness, I have returned from my mission and I am ready to deliver my report.” “Please do so!” “Strictly speaking the mission was a success. I gained entry to the royal palace and examined their artifact to try to find out if any outside force was somehow subverting it.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “The answer was no.” “Well, what on earth happened? Why were you tied up like a prisoner?” “I was a prisoner. It's a long story. Never mind that, that's not important,” he muttered, as he cast his eyes about the room. “Your highness, I need ink and parchment. Lots of it.” – – – When Luna stepped out of her office she found Celestia outside the door, waiting for her. “We need to talk,” the elder alicorn said, and in spite of the sun her voice was cold enough to freeze oceans. “Celestia...” “Perhaps now we can agree that this appointment was a bad decision, Luna?” Celestia asked matter-of-factly. “Now that your new astronomer has single-hoofedly undone years of careful diplomacy in a matter of days?” “Celestia—” “The Khalif's government is in an uproar!” she cried. “The Khalif is demanding that we keep him here, while the Sphinx is demanding that we send him back to face the death penalty! She is threatening upheaval in the state if the Khalif will not support her demands! Frankly I am seriously considering giving him to her as a peace offering. One of my most experienced diplomats is dead and all his work is undone!” “Celestia, listen to me!” Luna shouted, holding up a piece of parchment. “Star Swirl just wrote this, and you need to see it.” “Is it a letter of resignation? If not, I am not interested.” “It's a magic spell,” Luna said. “I want you to read it.” “What, a homework assignment? He already dropped out of school, it's a little late for that.” “This is important, Tia!” Celestia sniffed, snatched the parchment from her sister's grip, and began to read. As she read her face turned from anger to horror, from horror to curiosity, and from curiosity to disbelief. “Is he serious?” she asked once she reached the end of the sheet. “Completely,” Luna answered. Celestia's face contorted into a scowl. “This is forbidden black magic, Luna.” “Yes, it is. How many lives could it save?” “Lives.” Celestia clenched her eyes shut tight, and drew a deep breath before she spoke. “Little sister... do you have any idea what the Sphinx could do if she turned against the Khalif?” she took a step forward, and Luna took a step back. “We will lose Saddle Arabia for a generation. There will be chaos. Lives will be lost as well as saved. Do you want to do math with lives, Luna? I have done so before. It is a grim work that has no answer.” “I believe in him,” Luna said, meeting her sister's eyes. “If any charges of dealing in forbidden magic are forthcoming, I am prepared to bestow a royal pardon. I will not give him as a sacrifice to the Sphinx, or strip him of his title.” Celestia stared down at her sister. “This will not only be on your head, Luna. If this fails, you are going to drag all of Everhold down with you.” “I know,” Luna said, stepping closer. “That's why I need your support, sister. Just this once, will you please trust me?” Celestia winced. “You truly believe this will work?” “Yes.” Celestia sighed, exasperated, and shook her head. “I swear by Mother… Fine then. So be it. We will take what comes.” “Thank you, sister.” Celestia nodded. “This discussion is far from over, little sister,” she warned. “With this spell you have purchased your astronomer's life today. Now we will see how long it lasts, and if it was worth it.” – – – Twilight listened with rapt attention as Celestia spoke. “The Mared was a master of flesh-crafting,” Celestia said. “It was among the cruelest and foulest of the forbidden arts. She preyed upon outcasts, brought them under her sway, and turned them into monsters, to instill terror into the hearts of all who looked upon them. To know this magic was a capital offense. All those who had been touched by the Queen, and wielded her magic, were condemned to death. “What Star Swirl had figured out was that he could take the same spell the Mared had used to create monsters, and use it to explore the inner workings of living bodies without harming them. He stripped the ancient sorcery of all malice, adapted it to unicorn magic and used it to create a biological scanning spell that became standard for unicorn doctors worldwide. “In no time flat, our understanding of medicine made vast leaps forward. Birth defects could be easily corrected. Many common diseases were wiped out. Injuries that would previously have left a pony disabled for life became treatable. Average life expectancy increased by twenty years. “He called it the 'Amniomorphic Spell'. Amniotes: four- or six-limbed land creatures, such as birds, ponies, griffons, and dragons. Morphic: pertaining to form. It was the greatest leap forward in unicorn magic that the world had seen in centuries. “And yet... In the middle of the noise and bluster of Star Swirl's return, we didn't even realize the most important thing of all. Star Swirl himself didn't find the egg-shells tucked away inside his robe for weeks afterwards, and it would be years before we saw it.” As Celestia spoke, her pet swept in and perched on the desk beside her, and leaned in so the alicorn could stroke her beak. Celestia looked on the bird with love. “Torn free from the Mared's cage in the final eruption… Out of fire and ashes the Phoenix had returned to the world.” Behind her, Twilight still stood deep in thought. “What ever happened to Womeluki?” “She continued on her own voyage, and eventually reached her own destiny,” Celestia said. “She escaped the Queen's lair with the surviving ghûl and led them back to the capital city, including Prince Mussadas. With the Mared gone their minds returned to them, but they still kept the powers she had given them. The Sphinx wanted to see them all hanged as wielders of forbidden arts, including the prince. But the Khalif was loath to execute his only son. Thanks to Womeluki and the prince, the ghûl were united as a faction in Saddle Arabian politics: the Order of Blood Magi. They became known as defenders of the downtrodden, and as terrifying adversaries. In time, Womeluki traveled between three continents and fought both the Sphinx and the Gorgon in defense of her homeland. She is quite unknown in Equestria, but in Zebrica she is a national heroine.” “I just thought of something,” Twilight said. “You remember that first Nightmare Night after Luna returned, when she came to Ponyville to make friends?” Celestia nodded. “I was dressed as Star Swirl the Bearded, but you know my zebra friend Zecora? She was there too.” Twilight's eyes were lit up with sudden realization. “She was dressed as a witch. A zebra witch with spiders in her mane.” Celestia smiled. “Perhaps if you ask her she would like to tell you the stories herself.” “I will. Gosh, she must know so many stories that ponies have never even heard about.” Twilight grinned at the thought. “But what happened next? What about the peace talks? Did something happen there?” Celestia laughed softly. “Am I Scheherazade, that I should always start a new story just as the night is ending?” Twilight's eyes and ears both drooped at the thought that the story was over. “All right… the history books don't tell it anything like this… Wait.” Twilight stopped in her tracks. “Can I ask just one more question?” Celestia smiled. “Just the one, then.” “Did Star Swirl the Bearded really kill Discord's mother?” Twilight asked her teacher. “Does Discord know? How does he feel about that?” Celestia paused, and for a few moments was deep in thought. “To be quite honest, Twilight... It is one of my greatest hopes that someday Discord will come to feel anything at all for his mother. If he does… I think that will be the final proof that he is ready to be something other than a monster.” “Fluttershy swears that he's getting better,” Twilight said. “I'm still not sure.” “She has achieved something incredible,” Celestia said. “But Star Swirl was wrong about one thing. Contrary to what he believed, the Mared didn't actually die. Things like her are not killed easily. When Star Swirl broke the connections feeding her magic she lost the power to take a physical form, and to bend others to her will. She has never risen to her former strength again, but she is still alive. Even now, she floats half-sleeping in the mists under the stalactites of Tartarus.” Celestia looked up through the window at the moon, and Twilight saw a multitude of lights glittering in her eyes. “I've thought about going down to see her, you know. To tell her that her son is free, that her war against us is long ended… that even the wild things have a home in Equestria now. But I think the message would mean more coming from him, and as yet he has shown no interest in the matter.” They were silent then for a moment, before Celestia yawned and stretched her wings, Philomena mimicking the gesture on her back. “I think that's enough storytelling for tonight. I'll tell you the next part some other time, about the peace talks, and the conspiracy… Come on, I'll show you to your guest room.” Twilight nodded, struggling to restrain her own yawns. It was long past midnight, and Luna was working in the halls below the library tower. They left the library behind, and Twilight was still thinking about the story as she drifted off to sleep.