Metamorphosis

by Fabella

Eclipse

All was silent as Starswirl slowly opened his eyes as he laid against the doors of the chambers. He groaned as he placed a hoof to his head. It pounded slightly from the impact and as he tried to move, he fell back against the doors.

"D-damn it."

His side was in a fair amount of pain. The sudden shatter of Celestia's horn had sent him spiraling into that of the ebony coated doors. He got up slowly, groaning under the small shocks of pain that graced his side. He touched just behind and around the front of his leg where he could see a small coloration through his fur. Surely an internal bruise but one that did not seem to signal immediate medical intervention.

He touched the top of his head and realizing his hat was gone looked around for it.

Eyes gazed along the now destroyed room.

Curtains were ripped, dressers and drawers were toppled over and parts of the roofs ceiling laid on the floor as debris. Along with the once beautiful, crystal chandelier that that once adorned it. It laid shattered and broken, no light or grandeour emitting from it at all.

He saw his hat laying there by the toppled over dresser and smiling internally, used his magic to levitate it over to where he was. Placing it back on his head the way it should have been.

Starswirl saw in the distance an oval like figure hanging from the ceiling in the middle of where all the hell had broke loose from. The room was dark and there was little light to behold upon the sight.

He furrowed his eyes and lit up his horn. Creating a spark of light that stayed at its tip.

He made way towards the figure limping that laid in the shadows and walked around it. Taking in whatever feature the object or...creature he could.

The object was a cocoon of pure green.

Starswirl frowned at it as he used his light to try and take a peek in. The object inside was unseeable as it was covered by a pair of large mix matched wings which was all he could see.

One seemed to be of the purest white like a rich white dove seemingly having the most softest feathers. The second one however, carried fathers just like that of the other but only at the top as the rest descended to the shape of a bats.

There was nothing else the old, aged, unicorn could take in afterwards. It was too dark and dim to see much else and the cocoon the unknown creature was in, was too thick to see completely through. Not as though it mattered as it was doubly encased by wings.

He was tempted to use his magic to open it up as to gain a peek at exactly what laid behind that set of beautiful wings but he stood cold.

Unable to decide and unable to move.

His body was willing to do it but his mind stopped it from doing so.

It simply wasn't safe, he didn't know what it was.

Nothing good could have possibly have come out of the likes of Celestia's sad doing.

The blood moon, the eclipse, the blood...her destruction.

It was unknown, it could be anything, it could be a threat.

"Starswirl!"

The doors of the moon's chambers were opened as Starswirl noticed his apprentice alone.

"Starswirl!"

"Calm your wits child I am here."

"Starswirl!"

He rolled his eyes as the unciorn mare came hurling upon the old lad with a death gripping hug. He flinched as her limbs came in contact with his bruised side.

"Oh Starswirl! I thought you would done for!"

"I will be if you keep...suffocating...me!"

She realeased her grasp. "Sorry, I-" Her eyes scanned her teacher.

"What...happened to you?"

"Me? Look around you Clover, this whole place is a mess."

The mare's eyes wandered over the view of the room. Taking in the messy, disorder, chaotic sight of their surroundings.

"I was blown back by Celestia's energy. I tried to rush towards but obviously such a thing was unwise. I suffered a small injury to my side.

He turned and showed her.

"Its discolored. Is there bleeding?"

Starswirl shook his head. "No, I doubt it. More than likely, a pretty bad bruise. I tried to stop her but she didn't heed me. She was lost Clover. There was nothing I could do. I tried talking some sense into her, trying to get her back into her senses but it was futile. There was no use."

"Celestia! Where is Celestia!"

"It was no use Clover! Mare did you not hear a word I said? She's gone."

"Your telling me she just...just vanished? How is that possible!"

"For crying out loud Clover we live in a world where ponies live off of love! Anything could be possible!"

Clover looked at him with large eyes. Unbelief clearly showing on her face.

Starswirl sighed. "She was fading. The power of her own magic and the magical force of every single one of the elements of harmony was too great for her. She broke like pieces as if stone. Like glass..."

"And just like that she's gone?"

"....I suppose you could say...she isn't gone.

Starswirl turned his head to the image in the shadows and glowed his horn once more. Allowing his apprentice to see the new discovery.

Clover looked up at it.

"A-A cocoon?"

"Yes."

"There seems to be something inside of it...wings?"

"Wings of something. Of what I don't know."

"You didn't look?"

"I'm afraid to. After all that happened...it could be anything."

Clover walked around it and gazed over the object.

"I don't know if that thing is Celestia or not. Of what it is I do not know. I want to tear it open but i am afraid that doing so may cause more problems then anything.

Starswirl looked down.

"The elements..."

Clover turned her focus back to her teacher.

The magical circle that the being stood upon was gone saved for the blood stain. The elements were a dull grey color and lacked any type of magical pulse.

They breathed no life.

"The elements...they are.."

"Dead."

Clover looked up at him. She had never seen Starswirl carrying such a pained expression. She was use to his rather stoic looks, and stern gazes. Not one to be expressive of any type of emotion.

"That pony..." he growled. "All she had to do was listen to me! None of this would have happened! I should have better secured my door I should have never trusted her!"

Clover watched on as the years old stallion lost his usual composure.

"Now what will Equestria do! The elements are gone and we know not of who else may take them!"

"The elements of harmony chooses their own weilder Starswirl you know that."

He simply growled in response.

"Celestia did in fact say that she dis this for reason! To help Equestria! To restore harmony!"

"Horsehit!"

Clover flinched.

"Sneaking into your master's room, stealing his spells, mixing them in a risky move and forcibly controlling the elements of harmony is not, and by no means not, doing anything for the good of Equestria! It is disrespect and stupidity to the highest degree!"

"She wanted her sister back Starwirl, she was alone. She has no other like her in all the land and she is still young."

"She has a duty! Her sister chose her path! It is no fault but her own. Celestia must suck it up and deal with it. That is what it means to be a royal. At least one who is kind."

Clover stood silent as she and her teachers eyes interlocked with one another.

"That's the same attitude you carried towards her when her sister was banished. She came to you seeking comfort and you provided none. Of all ponies she thought you would understand because you have lived before her and for three centuries. No wonder she did what she did."

Starswirl felt an arrow pierce straight into his heart at the words. He couldn't deny them, he couldn't fight them. He knew exactly what it meant to lose a loved one. What it meant to outlive those who grew close, to remain hurt. Did one continue opening their hearts and allow pain to swell up when a loved one passes? Or does one close themself off to no longer feel pain. Starswirl had chose the latter and in the process it had caused him the grief in knowing that he may have just played a part in Celestia's despair.

One whom he loved and treasured as a daughter.

"What the?"

Clover touched her head as she felt something else, a liquid, as well, hit her against the top of her head. She looked down at her hoof only to see a thick, black mucus staring right back at her.

Starswirl looked from her and slowly towards that of the cocoon.

"Is it..."

"Leaking?"

Clover used a part of her cloak to remove the liquid and moved from next to the cocoon. Starswirl did the same, standing next to his apprentice as they stood in front of it.

"Why is it leaking?" Clover questioned.

Starswirl furrowed his eyes and looked on.

The cocoon was moving, bulging, as if something was trying to break out.

"Clover! Be on your guard! I think it is erupting!"

"W-What!?"

"Aim your magic ready!"

"Y-Yes sir!"

Starswirl and Clover stood still as they poised their horns directly at the viscous object. Horns a lit with strong magic as they readied themselves for whatever may come out.

"If it is anything...kill it."

Clover said nothing as beads of sweat came down her temple.

The hanging sac begun to bulge even more, doing so multiple times in multiple places causing black fluid to drip out more from being under stress.

Finally, a white hoof tore through as black liquid came gushing forward.

The unicorns stood still as they had no idea what exactly it was.

Starswirl could only watch, recognizing the hoof.

Celestia?

Clover was ready to aim but not before Starswirl stopped her.

"Clover no! Wait."

"But you said-"

"I know what I said! Just...wait."

More bulges kept happening until the whole entire cocoon shifted and turned in different ways back and forth. A wing like a dove busted through the side of it, coated in black fluid. The next wing, its brother, burst through the walls of it's encasing showing itself as the black, bat wing it was.

However, the rest of the creature seemed to struggle for although it had managed to get both its wings and a hoof out, it still suffered under the strength of the sac. It was too weak and Star Swirl could sense that it was dying...

It was suffocating.

The bulges had died down and there no longer seemed to be a struggle.

"Destroy it! The cocoon!"

"Only the cocoon?"

"Yes!"

Doing as told, Clover joined in her teacher as they use their magic to tear the cocoon apart piece by piece. The mare winced as she could feel through her horn, the thick, grotesque, viscous fluid that stretched at her pulling.

They removed piece by piece until the head of the creature erupted through. Hanging out with blood, clear and black fluid like a newborn child.

It was white, and it was no doubt a pony.

Starswirl and Clover continued, tearing apart the sac that latched onto the creature that dangled out until finally, the bottom gave way and erupted forth blood and fluids and the very pony itself onto the floor.

The two ponies ceased what they were doing and looked on with heavy laden breaths.

Sweat dripping down their foreheads.

They approached the pony that laid limped upon the floor on its belly. Wings furled out, covering it's birthing liquids.

"Just looking at it makes me queasy." Clover shivered.

Starswirl walked towards it and seeing this, the mare did the same.

The pony before them was of large size and seemed to be a mare by its shape and features. It was pure white save the fading of black at its hooftips. Its joints were more detailed and horse like than that of the standard pony and its mane and tail, soaked and wet, sparkled and seemingly flowed from its body in a brilliant array of shiny golden orange like the day to a dark blue starry night that showed constellations of stars.

It had to be one of the most intricate manes they had ever seen.

Its large wings accounted for its size as they showed themselves elegantly to the two unicorns. One was as pure and white as a dove save for the blemishes of blood black mucus that laid upon it but the other was like that of a bat wing. Carrying upon it a glimpse of the universe as stars and nebulas shined.

It was as though it had captured a piece of the universe.

The newborn mare blinked and with blurred vision slowly lifted its head at Starswirl who placed a hoof under its chin to keep it's shaking head up.

It seemed cold.

The mare blinked at it, allowing its vision to come in balanced.

It spoke with the sound of two voices speaking at once. Two voices that sounded all too familiar.

"W-who are you?"

Grey eyes met heterocrhomic blue and gold ones as they looked back at each other.

Starswirl narrowed his eyes at it.

He took note of the cutie mark, its voice and its features. He hoped that it wasn't what he thought it was. He hoped it wasn't what it probably is.

"Celestia...?

No sooner had he said that name did images flash before the mare's mind. Pictures of two alicorns playing together, laughing together, ruling together. Images of two alicorns that seemed familiar, two alicorns that she had memories of but did not know why.

"Celestia..."

"Do you have any memories? Any memories of us?" Clover asked.

Tears streamed down its face.

But it knew not why.

"Two sisters that played, laughed and ruled together. One of the sun, the other of the moon. Those are our memories....and they are happy ones."

Clover looked towards Starswirl who stood silent. Hoof still placed under it's chin.

"What is your name?"

The being stood quiet before responding.

"We do not...have a name."

Starswirl sighed and looked up at the moon that was no longer black nor red but a shining silver with no mark of Luna's banishment.

He looked back down at the mare.

"You shall be called Eclipse."

The mare looked on as her tears begun to become intermixed with the tears of the one who held chin.

Starswirl's lipped quivered until finally no more could he contain his emotions.

He collapsed in front of the mare and his apprentice. Head in hooves as he covered his face. Weeping as he tried his best to restrain his sounds.

Clover approached him and taking off her cloak, placed it on top of him along with a gentle hoof.

"Clover! Miss Clover!"

Clover turned her head as she looked at the door entrance.

There laid a small group of ponies. A collection of maids, nurses, guards, and servants that had helped with evacuations and getting ponies to safely as well as the maid that looked for her.

"Miss-"

The mare stopped as she saw Clover comforting weeping Starswirl and standing infront of an unknown pony.

"...Clover."

The unicorn shook her head. "Not now. Just not now. Bring silence for now."

As the small group of ponies looked on and Clover comforted her mentor, the newborn mare stood up on shaky limbs and faced the sky. Large wings dragging by her sides.

Something was calling her, something drove her to do her duty!

You must lower the moon! It is your duty!

Her horn glowed a mixture of blue and golden shimmering light as dusk begun to make way for dawn.

All the ponies looked on as an eventuful and horrifying day came to a final end.

"Eclipse..." the mare spoke.

"...we like that name."

---

Thanks for reading

Author's Note:

I said very short chapter but you never know what you may end up writing in the end. Everything of this story poured out of me like a glass of milk. Just typing, typing, typing away. This was only suppose to be a short one chapter story but alas that was not so. I'm thinking about making a small epilogue with Twilight learning about Eclipse but I'm not sure as of right now.

Comments

[Auron Solaris]

very interesting story, Will we see more of it or is it done?

[Fabella]

8078625 Its done. forgot to change the status. im interested in doing an epilogue but thats all. wish people would comment more so i know what they like and didnt like since its a new take for me. helps improve writing and such and clear up misunderstandings if there are any.

[0]

I can't be of much help with the 'technical' aspect of writing, but I must say I really enjoyed it. Even though what kept the tension was the mystery surrounding the spell, which was kind of spoiled with the title and image, you managed to keep the story flowing.

[Fabella]

8086888 Glad you enjoyed it but the spell? I'm assuming you thought she was using a meta-morphing spell or something but lol everything actually went wrong if you caught that part. she was trying to bring her sister back yeah but not in a sense that they'll be one.

[0]

8088084
As in the result, not the intent. But yeah, I was confused for a bit.

[Fabella]

8144527 May you show me a few examples?

[Fabella]

9488727
Thank you. I appreciate the feedback. The comment you responded too never got back to me as to what I could improve on which I find to be poor criticism. Criticism isn't constructive if no one is willing to offer improvements. Note that this is a pretty old story and thankfully, my grammar and sentence structure has improved since then. It will be a while before I will bother to get back to it however. Thank you very much for the comment, truly.