Since Before the Stars Swirled

by The Real Darkness

He Visits

He came out of the otherside of the portal, immediately feeling all the magic in his red maned body with his white coat.

"Shadow Au-Pulsar Splash!" Twilight was right there ready to great him, "oh I don't know why Starswirl didn't tell me you were still alive!"

"Sunset?"

"Twilight, we're about to begin some illegal research, I need you to not seek us out. I beleive Sombra is in the midst of breaching into another world."

"You..."

"Huh, you don't look half bad as a unicorn either."

Pulsar knew all of his magic would be needed, and he no longer wanted to live the lie he built, he began dismantling the illusions enchanted upon his body.

His white coat faded to a dull red with grey shining shimmers in it, his mane began to take on a different color, one of a bright white with yellow and blue tinges in the tinest strands, it began to wave with all the magic at his horn.

His horn grew, five times its size and far past Celestia's, it curved slighted back and shined brilliantly, speckles of gray dancing over the deeper gray sheen of it.

"I...I take that back...I see why you had mares chasing after you at Unicorn Court," Sunset commented and Twilight sat in awe.

"I can feel the magic coming from you."

"I am very experienced in magics, but now is not the time for boasting. Sunset Shimmer will be accompanying me in this endeavor. You are not to come to my home while I research."

"For the sake of our world too, let's hope I can kill him," Twilight cringed at the master mage's words.

And Pulsar promptly teleported himself and Sunset to his home, sequestered away.

"You are welcome to ANY book here, any notes, any research so long as I am not using it."

A flash of magic, "Pulsar!" It was starswirl's voice..in his own abode's library and study.

"This is too much,"Sunset breathed out.

"I absolutely do not have time for you right now!" Pulsar Splash lit his horn up, the grey speckles dancing faster.

"Pulsar Splash, it's coming for you. The Evermore!"

"I don't care!" And with a zap of magic, he was gone and an anti magic field was put over his whole home.

"Sunset, we need to get busy," Pulsar looked to the massive ring table in the center of his library, his horn lit and notes flew everywhere with books and loose papers, ink flying from multiple palces and he walked to his table, beginning.

He transmuted it himself and there were multiple chairs attached to the oak table. a slot on one side to sit in the center of it, the ring going around him as he lifted papers and began reading things in front of him, "please alert me if you find something."

"O...okay," Sunset was intimidated, maybe even scared. She stood in a legend's library.

And the research began, Pulsar was making progress in some areas, but failing in others. He still couldn't replicate Dingy Coat's Sacred Solvent. Sunset had already immersed herself in his alchemy lab, checking his notes on sacred solvent after he duplicated it for her.

Pulsar knew how to perform the same dark magics as Sombra, but stopping them was completely different. IF he spent a week dedicating himself to developing it, he could probably learn more than him...master more than him.

"Pulsar! Pulsar Splash!" A voice shouted from his alchemy laboratory next to his massive library and he teleported himself inside it.

"Something wrong, Sunset?"

"Cute...you think I could mess up with potions?"

"I...was just concerned," Sunset punched his foreleg.

"Kidding, I like having you show concern about me. I think I've figured out how to do it, but I'm gonna need your help."

"Oh?" Pulsar was...pleasantly surprised.

"Dingy Coat used a special ingredient he didn't tell any of you about, two of them actually. One is really in my world, he was using the mirror far before anypony discovered it."

"Wha-what?" Pulsar stood in shock, "How....did I not ever notice?"

"Well, somepony still has a bit to learn about friendship proper," Sunset laughed, "our second ingredient, we can get right away. We need the magic dust of a mature alicorn."

Magic dust forms when a great amount of magic is used and Pulsar looked out the giant floor to ceiling window that connected the laboratory to the library, the sun was coming up.

"Sunset, I..."

"Let's go see her, Pulsar," she leaned onto him and teleported the both of them to Canterlot Castle.

They appeared right at the front gates and the guards bowed, opening them and the door further in were also opened, due to Sunset's influence.

"Hmm, I never really followed the security rules of any castles."

"Tragic," she rolled her eyes, "must just teleport right into the castle wherever you need to go."

"Sunset, are you here to see Celestia?"

"Yes, I am, my friend Pulsar Splash will be accompanying me."

"Proceed, she is having breakfast in the dining hall."

And after many stairs and turns, they got to where they needed to be. Luna stared sleepily at the pancakes in front of her, sipping on a cup of coffee while Celestia was wide awake, eating happily.

"Guards, who joins us?" Luna asked.

"Sunset Shimmer," Celestia began to look over, "and her friend Pulsar Splash."

Luna immediately jolted up and snapped her head over, incredible tension present in the room. The Princess of the Night down her remaining coffee and leapt up from the table same as Celestia, rushing over.

"It's just me," Sunset spoke as they galloped over and the two of them hugged Pulsar Splash tightly, tears seeping into the unicorns dense coat.

"What...what are the princesses doing?" Sunset asked.

The alicorn sisters released him before bowing, "good morning, Master Pulsar," a habit.

"No no, you two are alicorns! You aren't bowing to me anymore!"

"But...you were our teacher," Celestia started.

"Ooooooh, I see you weren't lying when you said you tutored them."

Luna began, "he taught us ever foundation of magic we know! He gave us such a good understanding and raised us to have such a good control over our magic that alicornhood brought us far fewer issues."

"There is nopony better at magic than Pulsar Splash," Celestia smiled.

"How are you still alive? It's been thousands of years and you're not alicorn," Luna questioned.

Pulsar sighed out, "when Starswirl first spoke of having met a lich to the court, that pony was me. I am no lich, but he was on a mage hunt for me. I am the father of all dark magic and created the incantation circle for it when I casted a spell that made me immortal."

"I held to the hope that you were alive...I could still traverse your dreams," Luna mentioned.

"I know, I felt it everytime you entered."

"Pulsar, I know this is a nice reunion, but we need to get that ingredient," Sunset Shimmer prodded his side.

"Have you...taken a new student?" Celestia asked.

"She is my first friend," Pulsar smiled, "and the pony who's helping me to rediscover myself. Celestia," the guards were all staring at the interaction, amazed that the princesses bowed to a normal unicorn by their standards, "may I see your horn?"

Her cheeks tinted, horn touching was a very romantic gesture among unicorns.

Pulsar levitated a cloth out of the adjacent kitchen and wiped from base to tip of Celestia's horn, a silver sparkle present on the whole cloth.

"Magic dust from an alicorn horn," he smirked, "would definitely explain with Dingy Coat was successful when you two arrived."

"Dingy Coat...that's a name we haven't heard in a long time," Luna spoke.

"We have to catch up at a better time. I get the feeling you two are far too busy to talk right now," Celestia voiced.

"Well, we have a Sombra issue in our hooves currently," Sunset laughed, "you two...didn't notice him missing from your courtyard statues, did you?"

They both deadpanned, "where is he?!" Luna was wide awake despite her eventful night.

"Beyond the mirror. I assume he thought enslaving and amassing an army there would be the easiest way to oppose Equestria and be victorious," Pulsar spoke, "the entire reason he was able to take the Crystal Empire was because of the dark magic I fathered, but I'll be righting that wrong soon."

"Pulsar, let's go back through the mirror again," Sunset teleported the two of them away before another discussion began.

"That was very unlike you and very much like me," he commented.

"Weeeell, you stick around long enough and you're gonna rub off on another pony," she smiled.

"Sunset! Pulsar!" Sunset Shimmer's saddelbag jangled while they began going through the mirror, Twilight's voice calling.

"See you soon, Princess Twilight!" Pulsar called as they were sent through.

Fluttershy greeted them on the other side with a surprised squeak.

"Hey, Fluttershy, we've almost got the problem solved, how are things over here?"

She pointed up, the sky was turning a sickening black and green, "not good, Sunset. Principal Celestia announced that school is out indefinitely and the mayor issued an ordinance keeping everyone inside for most of the day."

"Fuck," Pulsar breathed out and walked to the side of the school, seeing the ward around his diamond tumor flash brightly at random intervals, "he's almost formed here."

Pulsar Splash looked to Sunset, "where is that last ingredient?"

"It's the root of a flower called Lost Cosmos's children, Dingy Coat was the one who named it," Sunset mentioned, "it's in our Everfree Forest. Dingy coat mentioned some stone building, but I've never seen one in our world."

Pulsar pressed his hand to Sunset's head and casted a memory spell, expending a lot of his magic energy in this world.

And he was searching for places of magic before he found one that somewhat matched the description.

"I know of a place, but I'm not gonna be able to long distance teleport there. That cave where you found your geode," Pulsar spoke.

"That might work, let's get going, I'll send out a text," Sunset began jogging down a street away from the school and toward's Applejack's farm.

Pulsar chased right after her.

There was only panting after a while, but much to Pulsar's relief, Rarity stopped next to the sidewalk, "Darlings, get in. It's ridiculous that you'd try to run there."

"Rarity, you don't know what this pony is capable of," Pulsar entered the back seat with Sunset soon after. Before the door even closed she sped away.

"Then tell me," her voice dared him.

Pulsar breathed out, "he dropped the Crystal Empire to it's knees, made the whole fuckin' thing disappear. He can corrupt ponies, show them the things they are most afraid of. He rules through fear and slavery, he can twist you to work willingly for him with just a gaze."

"Slavery? That's outdated, come now, Pulsar."

"Rarity, all these things happened in Equestria."

"My fault, too, I'm not letting him get away with it."

"You're so critical of yourself, dearie."

Sunset laid her hand on his, "listen. We all fuck up and make mistakes, it's what we do. Starswirl did when he ostracized you, prevented Equestria from having one of her most loyal mages," she smiled at him, "but stop depreciating yourself for this. You've made contributions to Equestria that nopony else could and you have friends to help you fix your problems, you're never alone no matter where you are."

Rarity's eyes were in her rearview while she was clearly breaking multiple traffic laws.

"Th..thanks," Pulsar smiled at her.

The embodiment of empathy pulled him close by his labcoat, pressing her lips hard to his for more than jsut a moment before she let him go.

Rarity smirked upon seeing it before she turned her eyes to the road, "we're here!" she turned into the camp and they hopped out.

"Rarity? Sunset?" Timber Spruce came out of the camp office, "something wrong? You drove in here like you were mad!"

A police officer had tagged Rarity earlier and pulled behind her car, staring at the fashionista, "ma'am we need to talk."

"I don't have time for this!" Pulsar grabbed Sunset, "and neither do you!" He tugged her along until she ran of her own accord to the crystal cave, ignoring the pleas of Timber Spruce and the officer.

Pulsar scanned the cave, it was very pretty, but he was here to look for a specific flower, "this is the place, right?"

"Yeah...I don't know if you-."

"Pulsar Splash! Over here!" A familiar voice rang out from a corner of the cave and Pulsar went directly to it.

"Di-."

"Smash right at this corner, please! Drop down, I swear on Starswirl's pompous ass that you'll be safe."

He knew this pony, he knew this kind of talk, too. He raised his hand and flashed an offensive bolt at the corner, it gave way and rocks fell down, the two could hear the splash of water way down below.

"When...how long was this here?" Sunset asked.

"I know who's talking to us, I'm going."

"Never been afraid of anything, Pulsar Splat," an inside joke. Pulsar jumped down and Sunset, after hisitating a good while, after him.

And after an incredibly long fall, their bodies were slowed down before gently landing on stone. Pulsar attempted an illumination spell, but he no longer had magic reserves to draw from.

"Could you-," Sunset had already cast multiple around them before he finished, "thanks."

Illumination revealed that there was an incredible amount of dead flowers all over the building...an ancient castle, bearing striking resemblance to the twin sister's castle, "uncanny...this whole world is uncanny, Luna and Celestia's insignias are everywhere."

"Who knows how our world is connected," Sunset muttered over the dripp of water from the cave ceiling far above them, puddles were everywhere.

A soft light came from what could recognizably be the equal of the alicorn's throne room.

"You made it!" That same voice. A ghastly figure was at the throne chairs. "you think they'd ever believe my little ole self made it to the throne room?"

"Sweet Celestia..." Sunset breathed out, "it's just like it."

"Dingy...Coat?" the brown coated unicorn stood proud.

"The one and only! You still got that little vial?" He asked and Pulsar pulled it out of his hair, "hell yeah! Hope Starswirl is doin' okay. Listen, I uh...borrowed your immortality spell but used it with Starswirl's time spell...I guess we're all capable of one great feat, right?" He laughed.

"You listen and you listen well," Dingy Coat pointed his hoof at him while he walked down, "I knew! I fucking kneeeeew! You and Starswirl wouldn't figure out my genius! Your marefriend one upped you on it and found out more than you could with millenia to do it!" He trotted down proudly, "that's right, out done by me! Ooooole Dingy Coat! Master Alchemist!"

They both sat in awe, "so I made myself an immortal ghost before it was my time to go and well, ghosts go when their purpose is done so you come over here, right now."

"Was he...always this commanding?" Sunset asked.

"We were the only two to ever listen to him...nobody gave him the time of day because he wasn't doing magic, he was doing alchemy...even King Bullion only saw his worth once we pointed it out to him."

"Bullion did us good, Pulsar," the ghost smiled, "and she's goin' you good, too," he pointed at Sunset Shimmer.

"I hear from the Evermore now and then. I hear about you a lot now recently, big changes coming. I hear a lot about her, ex-student of Celestia. I know where you're here...for Cosmos's Lost Children," he knocked over a stone box.

"Yeeeah, I can kinda influence things in the place I've been bound, don't ask, haven't figured it out myself. All these dead flowers, they draw on magic to live, I set aside their seeds in that you might grow them, but I kept one flower cultivated here so you might use it when you need it most."

"But, you're not even using it, she is," he smirked, "I'm gonna be gone soon...come here," he raised up and opened his hooves.

And Pulsar received his hug in tears, "I miss you."

"I know you do, Pulsar."

"Where are you gonna go?"

"Evermore, like everypony ever."

"O-okay."

"Take care, Pulsar Splash, I'll address you proper next time," he began disappearing, "you're in good hooves, Sunset Shimmer, you take care of this idiot."

"I will, Dingy Coat. It's a pleasure to meet the best alchemist Equestria ever had."

"Ha! Ha ha haaaaa! Someone recognizes me!" And then he was gone.

Pulsar Splash let his tears flow for a little longer before he bent down and picked the flower, handing it and the pouch of seeds to Sunset.

Sunset sat down with her bag and began mixing it that moment, taking the alicorn dust and spread it over the flower petals gently.

The flower, the most beautiful either of them had ever seen, yellow long petals in a whorled formation, similar to asters. The stamens reached out from each whorl, bright grey ending with a deep blue pollen tip. IT was a cluter of flowers arranged all over in an orb, not a single eye could see past it, the stem was woody and reached down out f the orb, almost unseen.

Sunset Shimmer pulled from her bag, the potion that Zecora used for Twilight's memories and put the flower, whole, into it with the dust spread on the petals. The moment the dust touched it, the petals changed to a red shade. Sunset added the more materials and the liquid turned to a bright red before it turned to a pitch sparkling white just as the actual Sacred Solvent.

And the cave rumbled.

"Sunset, I know this is a big req-." and they were teleported to Canterlot High School, the diamond tumor shattered completely.

"We're....we're too late!" Sunset shouted and began running with Pulsar to the soccer field, a blackened mist rising and the unicorn Sombra formed in front of it, the glint of evil in his eyes as the sky was a complete black with green scars.

"Pulsar...thank you for making this magic and giving me the means..."

The mage's eyes dilated hard after hearing this news, first scared and then calm.

Drink

Pulsar Splash snatched the whole liquid from Sunset and drank greedily, chugging the entire bottle before going slack.

"AND ASCEND"

Pulsar disappeared, snapped away in a white flash, the empty bottle gently landed on the soft grass.

Sombra's laugh echoed.

"Pulsar! Pulsar Splash!" Sunset screamed, feeling the tears come to her eyes.