Timeswirl

by Fedora

Spiraling Stairs

Amid columns of stone architecture left abandoned among frozen northern wastes and spires of scraggly crystal outcrops reaching some fifty meters in places, the TARDIS materialized. About the time machine was a dark sky, and an unforgiving coldness. Whereas the snowstorm near the homes of the tribes was laid over an otherwise temperate climate, this place had been buried under the ice and snow for some time.

The Doctor was the first to emerge, swaggering out into the ice fields with a seeming ignorance for the frigid surroundings. Derpy flew out second, having replaced the rainbow eyesore of a jacket she had chosen earlier with a more insulating plaid wool overcoat. Somber Shadows and Starswirl exited the TARDIS last, both clad in their usual robes but wearing woolen leg warmers from the future over their hooves and forelegs. The Doctor had declined to tell them that they were actually mare’s apparel.

“This is about where they told us,” the Doctor announced. The wind did not whip past as ferociously as it had back in the village, and a glance to the sky did not reveal the telltale signs of glowing windigoes swirling the clouds.

“It looks as if the windigoes are all down south,” he said, “Which means nothing to stop us from taking a bit of a look-see.”

The trio of ponies led by a time lord split apart, tasked with examining their surroundings. Derpy went with the Doctor to examine the stone columns while Somber Shadows accompanied his mentor towards the base of the massive crystal spires.

“Interesting bit of history, this place,” the Doctor said, “One that I think explains why the windigoes like it so much.”

Derpy flew up and over his head, landing atop a stone pillar and brushing the accumulated snow off from the top. The pegasus stood erect, posing like a statue, and then glanced down to see if the Doctor approved. A grin was spread across his face, but he offered a tip.

“If you’re trying to be the Colossus, you’ve got to just stand on your hind legs only spread out across with a river going through the middle,” he said, “And be a stallion.”

Derpy flapped off from the top of the pedestal, landing next to the Doctor at the base.

“Mind you, I like what they did with the original far better than the reconstruction. Back then... well, a bit in the future actually- they didn’t have the kind of tools you lot will have by the 2020’s. Much more of an impressive feat making it by hoof.”

He withdrew the sonic screwdriver from his coat pocket, and held it with a single hoof. He ran the glowing blue end of it around the base of the stone pillar before holding it aloft, focusing on the side of the device.

“Just stone, though it’s remarkably old,” he announced. He moved on towards the next set of stone ruins still sticking out of the snow, which resembled a tower of unfinished stairs simply thrown in a heap to form a great mound.

“Doctor,” asked Derpy, “If these are really old ruins, then who lived here? And how did those Earth ponies know where this was?”

“To that last bit, probably legends handed down through the generations,” he answered. He repeated his earlier motion with the sonic, and declared that nothing unusual was to be found within the pile of stone steps.

“This society is Ancient. That’s not an adjective, that’s a proper noun,” he said, “The Ancients were around long before the ponies, and they existed in forms that could transcended the mortal flesh. It was the hub of art and culture in their day, some ten thousand years before now.”

“What happened?” asked Derpy.

“Well, the Ancients were very representational. They saw ideas as the most powerful tools, in a way they were abstract. I haven’t visited that particular era, but my guess is that they were introduced to one of the most basic ideas of them all.”

“And that is?”

“Hate,” the Doctor stated, “Hatred, Greed, and War. Imagine Hate itself being an actual thing, a being that lurks in the shadows and manipulates things, all the while remaining unseen. Can you imagine what it must have been like?”

“It sounds unnerving to me,” admitted Derpy.

“That’s what happened, I’ve looked up their history. Their biggest flaw was that they had to have a being representing every idea, and the negative ones took over and ultimately destroyed their civilization. That’s why the windigoes like this place so much, it’s like a feeding ground for them to fall back on. The well hasn't gone completely dry."

“But after ten thousand years?” Derpy said, “I doubt that whatever being that was so spiteful back then would still be around now.”

Their conversation was interrupted by Somber Shadow’s voice, which called out from over by the base of the crystal spires.

“Doctor! Derpy! come over here, Starswirl thinks he’s found something!”

****

At the base of the great crystal spire, Starswirl had melted the snow and ice down to reveal a smooth surface beneath, engraved with a circular indentation. Somber Shadows focused a burst of magic from his own horn to reflect off the crystals above, attempting to bounce his magic onto the circle and cause it to come loose.

“I think there is something underneath this circular indentation, Doctor,” Starswirl announced upon the time lord’s arrival.

“These crystals,” Somber Shadows began as he released his magic beam, “they’re extraordinary. The things are just packed with untapped energy. I only just figured out how to place magic energy into crystalline structures, and here it looks like the Ancients were doing the same thing centuries earlier!”

“Fantastic, good for you,” the Doctor said, clapping a hoof against Somber Shadow’s withers. He descended over the circle, withdrawing the glowing sonic screwdriver and running it about the engraved edge of the shape, taking it’s reading and examining it.

As the Doctor examined the circular indentation with his sonic screwdriver, the end of it lit up brighter and began whirring and warbling in a different pitch.

“Doctor, what is that thing?” asked Somber Shadows, peering over the time lord’s shoulders at the curious device.

“A screwdriver, it’s sonic,” the Doctor said, “only I modified it…. nearly beyond recognition. It does a lot more than just install cabinets. Like right now for instance; it says that there’s a vertical shaft right below this disc extending over 200 meters, and a significant power source at the bottom.”

The teenage stallion blinked. Starswirl bent down and rapped a hoof on the ground where he was standing, listening to the sound it made. He then stood in the center of the circle, rapping his hoof again. This time the sound was deeper.

“He’s right, it’s hollow underneath this… apprentice, help me to move this. Derpy, Doctor, you two should stand back.”

Derpy and the Doctor remained back near the pile of stair pieces, while Somber Shadows took position across from Starswirl at opposite ends of the circle. Each unicorn bent his horn down, touching the tip of it against the groove separating disc from stone. A multicolor blend of each unicorn’s magic enveloped the structure, and it began to rise up from its position. With concentrated effort, the pair maneuvered the heavy disc out from above the newly-revealed hole in the ground, placing it over a patch of snow-covered ground to their side.

Opening their eyes, the two unicorns found themselves at the edge of the hole, looking down into a black abyss extending deep into the earth below. The sides were jagged and cut out of the stone.

“How deep did you say this was, Doctor?” Somber Shadow asked with a bit of trepidation in his voice.

“Over 200 meters, about 276 to be exact.”

Starswirl smiled from beneath his large brimmed cap.

“You know, Doctor, “ he said, “I only just came up with that measurement system last month.”

Derpy hovered over the hole in the ground, and flapped her wings a bit slower to let herself sink down into it, until she was at the edge of the blackness. She looked up above her, and made a motion with her head. In response, Starswirl sent an orb of bright magic down, whizzing past Derpy an illuminating the shaft. It continued to fall, and fall, growing fainter and fainter the deeper it descended until it seemed swallowed up by the blackness below. Derpy’s ears drooped, and she flew back up to land herself aside the Doctor once more.

“That’s really far down,” she remarked.

“And with only one of us being a Pegasus, I don’t see how we’d manage to get down without steps. I wouldn’t want to take the TARDIS, either.”

“Why not?” asked Starswirl, frowning, “What’s down there?”

“A strange source of energy, one I’ve seen before. It’s like… a portal of some kind, but at the same time it also is dynamic. If I put it side by side with brainwaves, they’d match up.”

“Brainwaves, what are brainwaves?” Somber Shadows asked.

“That’s not important,” the Doctor said, “What it means is that whatever’s down there is alive, and most likely it’s in the form of an energy-based being. I don’t want to risk having it come inside the TARDIS, so we’ll have to walk.”

“How?” the other three asked, nearly in chorus.

“Look behind me, what do you see?” the Doctor said with a grin.

“A pile of stones?” suggested Starswirl.

“Nope, “ the Doctor said, “stairs.”

****

The Doctor and Derpy stepped carefully down, one step at a time as Starswirl and Somber Shadows worked together to construct the staircase. Because of the limiting diameter, they had chosen to construct a spiraling staircase by attaching the stone slabs to the wall via magic. Somber Shadows stood at the top of the hole, levitating stones from the pile and cutting them to size. He would then pass them to Starswirl, who attached the steps into the side of the wall.

This went on for quite awhile, the minutes turning into half-hours, and the half-hours dragging on tirelessly. Magical glows from Starswirl’s magic lit the way, allowing the Doctor and Derpy to see in front of them.

Upon reaching the bottom, the three were greeted by the sight of a simple wooden door, embedded into the side of the rock and crystal walls. Starswirl raised his head, shouting up to his student above with an echoing voice.

“Somber Shadows, that’s enough rock! We’re down at the bottom!” he yelled.

Derpy was the first to approach the door, reaching for it gingerly with one hoof to pull on the metal knocker.

“The other side of that thing is what’s giving off the huge readings,” the Doctor said, “I’d be careful.”

“What, is it going to explode?” Derpy asked.

“No,” the time lord answered, “But I don’t exactly know what it will do.”

“Defensive positions?” Starswirl suggested, “You on one side, I on the other? In case something jumps out?”

“Right,” the Doctor said, buckling his legs and clutching his screwdriver between his teeth.

Derpy opened up the door, which resulted in a blindingly bright flash of light. She had to squint, but as she stuck her head through the threshold she found herself inexplicably in Ponyville.

The Ponyville of the future, the one she had been in prior to meeting the Doctor. It seemed different, much quieter. The chirps of the birds were gone, the background noise of ponies going about their business was absent as well.

She recognized the nearest building as Sugarcube Corners, a pastry shop with garish decorations that was run by a newlywed couple. She cautiously trotted in through the front doors, expecting to find the face of Ms. Cake at the front desk over a display of her favorite chocolate chip muffins.

To her dismay, the case was empty, and nopony was to be found.

“Hello?” she called out, looking in to see if anypony was in the kitchen. Nopony responded, and she couldn’t see a sign of anypony being there.

Derpy left the bakery, slightly unnerved. She didn’t like being alone, and never had. She tried the library next, and upon entering the hollowed-out tree trunk found that it too was empty.

“Maybe the Librarian’s out on lunch break,” she said. A paranoia began to tug at the back of her mind, and as she explored the small town she continued to find places deserted, abandoned, and quiet. She flew over to town now, flying faster as her heart began to race.

“HELLO?!” the terrified pegasus cried out, landing on top of Carrot Top’s cottage, “CAN ANYPONY HEAR ME?! CARROT TOP? LYRA?! ANYPONY!!!!”

There was no reply. Derpy sunk down onto her haunches, burying her face in her hooves and beginning to sob. Why did the door lead here, to a ponyville devoid of life, of all of her friends and neighbors?

Then, she heard something. A faint voice cried out in return, seemingly far away.

“Derpy! Can you hear me?!” it said. Derpy recognized the voice, the strange accent.

“Doctor!” she yelled, “Where are you? I can hear you!”

She turned around, and found herself back at the bottom of the dark hole, with the Doctor looking at her oddly.

“Doctor, there you are!” she cried, jumping at the time lord and squeezing him tightly. She didn’t like what she had seen; being alone was one of her worst fears.

“What were you looking at?” he asked, “I tried talking to you, but you just stared at the blank wall, all silent-like. Then you started yelling, and I...”

“I was in Ponyville, Doctor!” she said, “It must be a time portal, it brought me to ponyville, except it was all empty....”

“Let me see,” he said, moving to stand in front of the door. The Doctor’s expression shifted as he stared at the rock wall beyond. Derpy saw some kind of crystal structure at the top begin to glow, and the Doctor continued to stare.

“No....” he said, “No, this can’t be.”

“Doctor, are you alright?” Starswirl asked.

“No,” the Doctor spoke, “I was.... I know.... NO! I WON'T DO IT! NO MORE!”

“Is that was I looked like?” Derpy asked, looking at the Doctor’s saddened, blank stare. She tapped him on the shoulder.

The time lord shook his head, his eyes returning to normal as he glanced at Derpy.

“What was it, Doctor?”

Sweat had begun to trickle down the Doctor’s forehead, and he sighed.

“I saw..." he paused. Derpy waited to hear what he would say next, but he never elaborated.

"This doorway isn’t a portal, it’s a mirror. A mirror that reflects the worst fears of the being that gazes into it.”

“Suppose you’re not afraid of anything?” asked Starswirl, “What then?”

Another voice called out, standing above the group on the stone steps. It belonged to a shadowy figure, clothed in the same ragged cape Somber Shadows had worn.

“Then it would reach down into the deepest depths of your soul, and find something. Some dark secret, a past deed, something one does not want to admit to themselves.”

“Are you alright Somber Shadows? you sound different,” Starswirl said, worried for his student.

“Alright? I feel better than I have for thousands of years!” the figure boasted. He leaped down the remaining stairs, staring Starswirl in the face. Somber Shadow had transformed, his mane becoming wavier, and his pupils had turned a solid crimson. The whites of his eyes phased in and out of a greenish tint. The monstrous unicorn grinned, revealing a pair of fangs beginning to show underneath his lip.

“For ten thousand years I have waited within that prison, waiting for that door to be opened. And now that I am back, none of the Ancients can re-imprison me. I am without equal.”

A sharper, upward-turned horn formed over the top of Somber Shadow’s and crackled with massive potential energy. Starswirl stood his ground, glaring at the being.

“Who are you, and why have you taken over my student- my friend’s body?” the wizard said with a stern face.

The Doctor motioned aside to Derpy as the two powerful unicorns faced off, and the scared pegasus leaned in to listen.

“This isn’t gonna be pretty, Derpy. I know what’s going to happen, this is a fixed point,” he said in a whisper.

“What’s going to happen?” she replied, glancing back to the crackling unicorn monster every other breath.

“Nevermind that, as soon as I say run, you run, er-fly. Up to the top, and back to the TARDIS.”

“And what about you?” she whispered.

The two unicorns encircled each other, glaring at the bottom of the dark pit. The features of the monstrous unicorn began to melt momentarily, then flash back even stronger and more defined, then melt again. For a moment, he appeared as Somber Shadows once more, looking utterly terrified and mouthing the words ‘help’. This was very fleeting, for the dark unicorn was back with another crackle of magic, and did not fade away again.

“I have taken his form as my own. It is fitting that I take one so young, yet so powerful, as his form was the physically strongest here. As for my name....”

“Your name is Hate,” the Doctor interjected, standing opposite both the unicorn and Starswirl to form a triangle, “Hate, Evil, Darkness, whatever moniker suits you. You’re the physical embodiment of negativity and hardship, and that’s why the Ancients imprisoned you.”

“Very informed,” Hate said, “But I don’t think the name suits me anymore. After all, every name is a promise, isn’t it Doctor?”

The Doctor tensed, and his jaw tightened.

“I don’t think making a promise simply to hate everything is very becoming, isn’t it. Hate can only do so much.”

“Let my friend go, Hate!” Starswirl ordered, “That body is owned by a pony named Somber Shadows, a bright, intelligent young stallion with enormous potential.”

“A potential I am robbing him of as we speak!” taunted Hate, “Even now, Shadow’s life force fades. Hmmm, Shadows. I like the sound of it, for I appear as a shadowy figure, do I not?”

“STOP THIS!”

“...But ‘Shadow’ is simply not enough,” the unicorn said. He began to move about, a purplish smoke trailing from the remnants of Somber Shadow’s cape. The cape itself seemed to be eaten up by the smoke, becoming itself a hazy cape of dark magic that solidified itself back into a flowing red cape, but now one of kingly magnificence.

“I shall be royal, yes, KINGLY! LORD OF THE NORTH!” the figure cackled. The magic that had been crackling and snapping about him ceased, and he glared at Starswirl.

“You are a thing of the past, Starswirl. Aged, ancient like the ruins of the culture you stand amongst.”

A blueish cloud began to form above the group, and hazy creatures began to swirl about the staircase. The already chilly temperature plummeted as the windigoes set in, circling the group like a set of hungry wolves.

“How about a challenge?” suggested the wizard.

“What? You? Challenge me?”

“You pride yourself on your power, so prove it,” Starswirl said with a grin.

“A duel? We need stakes, and you have nothing to bargain with save your life. A life I would destroy regardless of your victory.”

“My life,” the Doctor piped up. Derpy speechlessly stared at him. Sombra shifted his gaze to the Doctor, grinning a fanged grin.

“Your lives?”

“Yes,” the Doctor said, “You win, I die.”

“Doctor you musn’t!” Derpy cried, darting to stand between the shadow king and the time lord.

“It’s the only way, Derpy!” he replied, pushing her aside, “If Sombra wins, I die. If Starswirl wins, then I go free. Do we have an accord?”

“Doctor, I can’t agree to this,” Starswirl said, “I can’t risk your life as well as my own.”

“Starswirl the Red, that is not your place to decide!” gloated Sombra, “Doctor, the terms are set, the duel is made. En Garde, Starswirl!”

The two met with a brilliant clash of magic, Sombra’s a dark colored with crackles of bright green, and Starswirl’s a bright scarlet. The two beams interconnected, canceling each other out with a bright flash.

Sombra reared back, floating himself in midair and commanding the darkness and shadow with his magic. As he beckoned, crystalline towers sprang up from the rock and stone.

Even as the crystals appeared, multiplying the evil unicorn’s power, Starswirl was quick to lash out and kick them, causing the crystals to shatter and burst around Sombra.

“Very good,” Sombra said, but how’s your age spell?”

The dark unicorn shot a blast of magic at Starswirl before the pony could counter, lifting him up and twisting. Starswirl writhed, screaming out and wincing as his body was assaulted and altered. The healthy red of his mane and coat drained and faded to a darker gray color, and a filthy beard sprouted from his chin. He screamed as if the hair growth was being violently pulled from his face, but then he was set down by Sombra.

“You see how I have made you old, decrepit, and near death?”

In Starswirl’s place sat a gray stallion, wrinkly and filthy-looking. He sat on the ground panting, struggling for breath. The ancient-looking wizard responded by enveloping himself in a bright white magic, floating above the ground and transforming himself. His wrinkled, old muscles strengthened, and regained a youthful appearance. His beard seemed bleached a solid white, and when he placed himself back onto the ground he had regained an intense youthly vigor.

“See how I have recovered my spry energy? You may have altered my appearance, Sombra, but you have not bested me. And, in the spirit of renaming I feel I should rename myself, in honor of my slain student. Henceforth, I shall be known as ‘Starswirl the Grey’.”

“Oh, come off it,” the Doctor muttered to himself.

Sombra growled, shooting at Starswirl again with a beam, which became intercepted once again. The two remained there, pouring more and more magic energy into their respective beams of magic just to hold the lock even.

“Now Derpy!” the Doctor cried. Derpy took off flying, zipping straight up and past the cold windigoes toward the opening. At Sombra’s command, the windigoes moved quicker, encircling the top of the hole and freezing it over with ice. Derpy remained close to the top, but trapped beneath a layer of ice and unable to escape.

Even so, the distraction of commanding the windigoes had cost Sombra the magic lock, and the full power of both beams send him sprawling against the wall. His guise began to fail, and the dark unicorn melted back into Somber Shadows.

“...aster....” he gasped and choked. Immediately, Starswirl bounded over, leaning above the dying form of his student.

“Somber Shadows, why?!” he cried, “Why you?”

“Do not mourn, master,” he uttered, “I will.... be at peace...”

“He.... Sombra.... he’s taken your body! How is that at peace?”

“...can wrench that from me, but my soul he cannot harm,” he sputtered. The dying pony sat up, looking at Starswirl and smiling.

“ naming yourself after your color is rubbish, Master...”

Starswirl found himself weakly smiling despite the streams flowing down his face and beard.

“....the door..... use the door! QUICKLY!”

Starswirl levitated the limp form of the unicorn, sending him towards the door even as Somber Shadows began to transform back into Sombra, this time permanently. As Sombra passed through the threshold he let out a bellowing cry, a cry that scattered the windogoes and shattered the ice cap they had created.

Starswirl and the Doctor both grabbed the door, which was being pushed open by the evil unicorn trying to prevent his imprisonment. The Doctor cried out, and slammed at the door with an energetic push simultaneously as Starswirl, forcing it closed with a thunderous crash of magic, followed by an echo and then, silence. Starswirl panted, blinking in the darkness. The Doctor was likewise winded, but helped the stallion to his hooves so they could both ascend the staircase slowly.

****

Inside the TARDIS, the three ponies were silent. Starswirl sat on the dingy old sofa the Doctor had placed inside the alien craft, and wiped his eyes.

“He died saving us, you know,” Derpy said, “Somber Shadows.”

“Yes, he committed the last of his life force into draining Sombra’s efforts to escape,” Starswirl said solemnly, “I can only wonder if he is truly trapped inside there, sealed away beneath the ice and snow.

“Until the door is opened again,” the Doctor said, “Which given the magic mirroring trick you placed on the crystal seems unlikely to happen anytime soon.”

Starswirl smiled.

“He said ‘Starswirl the Grey’ was no good. I’ve been thinking...”

“Yes?”

“Well,” the older unicorn said, “I’ve been thinking of changing it to ‘Starswirl the Bearded’. I think it has a nice ring to it, hm?”

“I think it sounds fantastic,” the Doctor beamed, “ absolutely fantastic.”

****

They landed outside the field where the Doctor and Derpy had initially crash landed, to see Starswirl off. It had regained its grassy appearance, as the windigoes had been scattered with the fall of Sombra. Starswirl the Bearded shook hooves with Derpy first, giving her a quick hug, and then saluted the Doctor.

“I have much work to be done, Doctor. What with the windigoes being scattered, I have to prepare the three nations. A peace must be brokered.”

“Any more students?” Derpy asked.

“Perhaps,” Starswirl said, “There are more very talented and very bright ponies out there, and I’ve been receiving correspondence from a young mare by the name of Clover. She heard of my work on a time spell, and was most intrigued.”

“Don’t get yourselves into trouble,” the Doctor said with a grin, “Time is tricky stuff.”

“And what of you, Doctor? Out to wander the cosmos again?” asked Starswirl.

“Yep,” he replied, “I keep moving, It’s a traveler’s duty to.”

“Next stop?” Starswirl asked curiously.

“He’s taking me home briefly, I have friends I want to visit for a day or two before we keep going off through time and space,” Derpy answered.

“I wish you both the best of luck,” the wizard said. He tipped his floppy cap to them, and turned to walk away. Derpy entered the TARDIS first and the Doctor second, about to close the doors when he was interrupted by Starswirl.

“Erm- Doctor?”

“Yeah?” the time lord responded, looking at him curiously.

“What’s a ‘Bad Wolf’?”

“Excuse me?”

“‘Bad Wolf’,” Starswirl said, pointing at the side of the TARDIS.

“Oh, that,” the Doctor said, “Nothing to worry about, just a bit of graffiti. I’m gonna paint over it as soon as we touch down.”

“Oh,” Starswirl said, looking down, “Alright then, thank you!”

“And thank you!” the Doctor called back to the retreating wizard, “You and your student saved the world today!”

Starswirl retreated toward the castle slowly, but halted as he heard a deep thumping. He turned his head, catching the cool breeze and watching the TARDIS begin to fade out of view entirely. The light on the top flashed bright blue, and the ship groaned with the sound of ancient engines. In a matter of a few seconds, the TARDIS had vanished entirely, leaving Starswirl alone in the middle of the grassy field.

Comments

[themouthofmush]

got to say, nice work. the way you incorporated sombra, aka somber shadows, and starswirl was great. the story was nicely done as well.

also couldn't help but chuckle a little when starswirl aged. knew that there might be a "the gray" reference in there and when it did, cracked me up.

[crystalflower0029]

At the beginning of the battle, when you described the magic beams, my mind immediately thought of Harry Potter vs Voldemort

[TRUSTeT34M]

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