The Elements of Virtue

by Rakoon1

The Element of Sorcery, Part II - Merlin's Testimony

In the past…

After the defeat of the Pony of Shadows, Star Swirl and Merlin returned to his library under Canterlot. With the former seating on a chair, resting after the big effort he did to perform the sealing spell, Merlin approached him with a cup of tea that he handed to his teacher.

“Here you go, master” he said. “It’s your favorite with two spoons of sugar.”

“Thank you, young one” Star Swirl replied, while taking the cup of tea. “That sealing spell really drained most of my energy.”

At that moment, the door of the library opened and Clover entered. He approached Star Swirl and Merlin, while saying:

“I received your message and I came as fast as I could, master. What happened? And why do you look so… Well, I don’t even know what to say. And that’s saying a lot.”

“It’s a good thing you’ve come Clover” Star Swirl replied. “I need your help for one thing. Merlin, if you please, could you make another tea cup for Clover?”

Merlin, however, knew that was a way for his teacher to make him get out of the room so he could talk with Clover without him getting to hear the conversation.

“Yes, master” he replied, heading then towards outside the library.

The young apprentice started to prepare more tea, but, while doing so, his curiosity regarding what Star Swirl and Clover could be talking about just got even bigger. Not being able to contain it any longer, he sneaked to the entrance of the library to hear what his teacher and Clover.

“I see…” he said. “So it came to this…”

“It was hard for me to decide to seal him, but it needed to be done” Star Swirl said. “There was no other way.”

“You know my opinion on that” Clover replied. “Maybe if you have talked with him…”

“Talk with him?” Star Swirl asked. “Clover, you’re too idealistic. That’s something I never particularly liked on you.”

“What you called idealistic, I call optimist” Clover replied. “But I guess discussing the existence of gray areas on morality was not the reason why you called me.”

“The seal drained away most of my power” Star Swirl told. “It will take some time until I can regain my full force. In the meantime, the Lord of Chaos may try something to get my book and get rid of me or worse… try to get me on his side. I need your help to prevent any of that to happen.”

“My help?” Clover asked. “But what can I do to help?”

“I have a plan that can prevent the Lord of Chaos from getting to me or my book, while I recover my strengths” Star Swirl said. “It’s a complex spell… one that mix both light and dark magic.”

“Both light and dark?!” Clover asked. “But… I don’t know if I can…”

“I need it to be you, Clover” Star Swirl said. “You’re the only one I trust and that is more capable with magic.”

Clover was a little conflicted regarding Star Swirl’s request. On one side, he wanted to help his former teacher, but the fact that spell was so complex that required both light and dark magic to work made him get a little concern. However, the trust Star Swirl was placing on him caused Clover to make his final decision.

“Very well… you can count on me” he said.

Star Swirl placed a hoof on Clover’s shoulder and told him:

“I knew I could count on you. Okay, let’s go, we need to carry on the plan.”

“What? Now?! With no preparation?”

“We need to act fast” Star Swirl replied, while getting up from his sit. “The Lord of Chaos is no ignorant to what we are planning to do and he will act accordantly by sending one of his nefarious villains. So, the faster we act, the better.”

He started to head towards the exit, while carrying the book he had used to perform the sealing spell. Clover sighed and then said, while following his former teacher:

“Very well… But don’t be surprise if I release some gas while trying to perform the spell. You know what happens when I get too much nervous.”

And so Star Swirl and Clover got out of the library, closing the door behind them. Merlin just wished he could know where they went…

In the present…

After reading that entry in Merlin’s journal, Star said:

“So Clover helped Star Swirl hide the book… It’s still hard to believe that the young Clover I met is actually Clover the Clever. But I just wished Merlin was able to know what Star Swirl and Clover did with it. But maybe… What do you think, Timber? Maybe Merlin wrote about it.”

But Timber, instead of answering him, just yawned before continuing to sleep. That caused Star to release a small chuckle, before focusing his attention back to journal.

“Come on, Merlin, I know you have the answers I need.”

He turned a few pages, before finding an entry that could be the one he was searching for…

In the past…

Merlin was in the library organizing some books with his magic, when the doors burst open, causing him to startle. He turned around and found Clover getting him, with his cloak worn out and with some scratches on his body.

“Clover?” he asked, as the former closed quickly the doors and tried to use a spell to create a barrier on it. “What happened? Where’s master Star Swirl?”

After finishing the barrier, Clover turned to Merlin and told him:

“Merlin, we need to use the emergency exit right now!”

“What?” Merlin asked. “Why?”

“Don’t make questions!” Clover told, approaching. “Just go! I’ll stay behind to…”

But before he could finish what he was saying, sounds of explosions started to be heard outside, with the door holding something that was trying to force it.

“Oh no, she’s already here…” Clover said.

“Who’s here?” Merlin asked.

“Just go, Merlin!” Clover told.

It was then that the barrier holding the door was broken and it burst open. Entering while hoovering a few inches from the floor was Pandora, who was levitating a sphere full of a dark energy that she was absorbing.

“Clover, Clover, Clover…” she said. “And I thought you were clever. You know pretty well you can’t escape me… especially when I have some of the Lord of Chaos’ magic backing me up and you have something I want.”

“Well, you can’t possibly blame me for that” Clover said, while shielding Merlin and retreating with him to the nearest back exit.

“So, what’s the plan?” Pandora asked, advancing towards them. “Lure me here, so you can’t trap me while you and your little friend escape.”

“Something like that…” Clover replied. “But you would have books to read. You can’t possibly say I’m mean.”

“How thoughtful…” Pandora replied sarcastically. “Let me return the gesture.”

Channeling the power of her master, Pandora casted a powerful beam against Clover and Merlin. Despite the latter reacted by closing his eyes, Clover was able to create a defensive barrier that started to block the attack. While doing so, he pushed Merlin away and told him:

“Merlin, go! I’ll secure her!”

“But I can’t help…” Merlin started.

“There’s nothing you can against Pandora” Clover replied. “Just go!”

Before he could say anything more, his barrier started to crack and broke, causing Clover to be thrown against a wall, causing books to fall from their shelves on him. Merlin reacted to that by hiding at the first place he could find, while observing the scene.

Clover used his magic to move away the books from him, but the impact of the spell, the wall and the books limited his movements very much. Pandora approached him, while exhibiting a wicked smile, and said:

“Why don’t you end this foolish attempt to battle me and tell me what I want to know. Where are Star Swirl and his book? I know you know the reason for his sudden disappearance. After all, you are his trusty sidekick…”

“I’ll never tell you anything” Clover said. “You can torture me how much you want.”

“Okay…” Pandora replied, noticing then Merlin hidden. “If you won’t tell me anything, then maybe your little friend there can. Isn’t he also a student of Star Swirl?”

“No!” Clover exclaimed, trying his best to get up. “Don’t you dare hurt him, Pandora!”

“You don’t have to tell me anything” she replied. “You’re in no position for that. And since you won’t tell me anything, you’re of no use to me. But don’t worry, I won’t kill you. That would be too easy… and merciful. Instead of that, why don’t I send you to place both horrible and escape-proof… right in the Fog of the Lost, in the Spirit World.”

She channeled her magic again and prepared to cast the spell. Clover looked to Merlin and gave him an encouraging look and smile, as if telling him to be strong. Pandora casted the spell and, once it hit Clover, he just vanished.

“No, Clover!” Merlin called.

“Well, that takes care of him” Pandora said, turning then to Merlin. “Now, it’s just you and me. Are you ready to play?”

Merlin had never felt so much fear in his life, as one of the Lord of Chaos’ most notorious villains in the Pony Reality approached him. But before she could do any harm to him, sonic waves hit Pandora, causing her a great deal of pain and lose concentration of her magic, causing the sphere to fall and break and the dark energy to disperse.

“No!”

She turned around and noticed Purple Smoke and Melody.

“You really should watch your things” Purple Smoke said to Pandora. “You never know when they can just… break.”

“You’ll pay for this!” Pandora shouted.

She prepared to use any of the dark energy she had left on an attack, but Purple Smoke casted his poisonous smoke that weakened Pandora gravely.

“I don’t think so” Melody said. “And, if you don’t want to be capture and sent to Tartarus after you lose your consciousness, you better scram… now.”

“But, please, be welcome to stay” Purple Smoke added. “For what Golden Paladin has told me, Cerberus is in great need of a new companion to look out for. I have to say… I almost feel sorry for.”

Despite her desire to fight the two Generals, Pandora knew that was a battle she couldn’t win, especially without the power of her master or her box. So she decided to use her last remain of dark energy to teleport away.

“Uh, fortunately, she went away before showing that ugly face of hers…” Purple Smoke sighed in relief. “I don’t want to have nightmares in the next time I got to sleep.”

But Melody was more focused on Merlin than what Purple Smoke was saying. She approached him and extended her hoof, while making a tender smile, asking:

“Why don’t we take you to another place?”

Despite still in shock for what he had seen, Merlin knew he could trust on Melody and so he took her hoof…

In the present…

Star was finishing reading the last entry of Merlin on his journal:

“Soon after that incident in master Star Swirl’s library, I came to know that he had suddenly vanished. To me, it was obvious that had something to do with his plan to prevent the Lord of Chaos from getting to him and his book. Seeing how someone as skilfull as Clover had a lot of trouble to even stand against Pandora made me realize the importance of the measures master had done… whatever they are. It’s a good thing Melody and Purple Smoke were able to find Pandora again and capture her before she could reach to her box. That was a great relief to me. However, I still don’t know what was the master’s plan… And I’m worried about Clover as well… I just hope he is okay. I write my last entry in this journal, leaving it here before returning to my home realm, hoping it and everything in it falls on the right hooves…”

After reading that, Star closed the journal, still processing what he had read.

“I can’t believe that Pandora…” Star started. “…that she did that to Clover.”

“Looks like your old friend Pandora was very naughty…” Kurama commented.

“At that time, she was still a villain serving the Lord of Chaos” Star replied in their plane. “I can’t possibly condemn her for every crime she had made. But that doesn’t change the fact Clover was… banished.”

“And not to a pleasant place” Kurama told. “I’ve heard about that Fog of the Lost. Believe me when I say the name doesn’t make it justice.”

“If you know the place, then you can tell me how to get there.”

“Are you kidding? Haven’t you read what’s written in that little book? The Fog of the Lost is located in the Spirit World. Not me or any of the other tailed beasts know how to get there… not that we had any interest in it. But then again, having in count that’s Discord’s original home, not to mention that ugly spirit that poisoned your princess friend back in the Triangle, only a foul would dare to visit that place.”

“You mean a foul like Heartbeat?” Star asked. “She was your jinchuriki and we both know she likes to cross between realms, even those that are sealed. She never went to the spirit world while you two were together?”

“No, she didn’t” Kurama replied. “Believe it or not, the other Generals had her in their sight all the time because… Well, you know.”

“Then I’ll just have to find another way” Star told. “But one thing is certain. Clover is the only one that knows where I can find Star Swirl’s book, so, if he is in the Spirit World, I’ll do whatever it takes to go there as well.”