Canterlot castle gardens, nearly three weeks ago.

In a blinding flash of golden sunlight a solid spherical shield appeared and seemed to more so absorb the incoming blast than simply deflect it. The energy exploded in all the fury of its controller as it splashed over the obstacle.

The force of the explosion decimated the nearby trees and tore at the cobblestone path, boiling away the stones nearest the epicenter. A billowing cloud of wicked green fire rose hundreds of feet into the sky and showered the area in little sparks that sizzled and popped on their descent.

With a smile of conviction the Nightmare glanced over her shoulder. “Oh Celestia, I am so happy that you could join us. Star Swirl here seems to have gone down for a nap,” she said mockingly whilst turning around fully to scrutinize the approaching Alicorn. “So now it will be just the two of us. Will that not be exciting?”

Through the last of the remaining smoke and dust Celestia resolved as though moving the smoke for a dramatic reveal. Her mane and tail had abandoned their usual regal flow in favor of a faster more energetic motion with a heightened air of energy and authority behind it. She strode forward with a smattering of deep gashes covering her chest and legs. She began to close said injuries rapidly by releasing a wispy white magical mist.

She had a mask of determination and resolve on her face as she came towards what had been Princess Luna and set her jaw with teeth just visible. “I will only say this once,” she growled as her horn lit with a loud snap and the very air flinched away from her. “Leave my sister, or I shall tear you from her,” Celestia challenged. “She has no place in our bout.”

After a loud snap and crackle of its own the Nightmare’s borrowed horn lit as well and she began to advance and stopped a hair’ breadth away from the princess. “No Celestia, I think she is perfect right where she is. Right where, we are,” the creature said giving a twisted little grin with a soft, cruel laugh to match. She was suddenly hit with a torrent of levitation magic that sent her sailing through the air back across the stream. She crashed through the trunk of an old oak and tumbled into the side of a small gazebo. The oak, centuries old, groaned and fell with a thunderous crash.

Without a second thought Celestia was standing beside Star Swirls crumpled body. Kneeling down beside his still form she searched out his magical signature and gave a soft sigh of relief, it was still there, weak but there. She glanced across the little gorge at the gazebo as the rubble from the tiny structure began to shift.

Noting the green lines and splotches spreading across the unicorn’s body she worked quickly to do the one thing she could. A field of golden light formed around the healing mist of her body and channeled it into the fallen pony. Effectively stonewalling the curse within him.

With a sputtering cough Star Swirl opened his eyes and looked up at his savior in honest surprise. Clearly not expecting to ever take breath again he nearly forgot to breathe before he managed a halfhearted smile. “Took you, long enough,” he said weakly. He watched Celestia’s energy flowing into him with slight fascination.

She returned a warm smile of her own. “You shall not be able to escape from us that easily my friend,” she replied smoothly as she stood. “Can you manage?” She asked quickly stealing another look across the water.

Star Swirl gave his body a once over and nodded his assurance. “I can do more than that my princess,” he said standing and plucking his hat from where it had fallen to the stone path, the small bell at the end giving off a dull jingle as he did so.

Celestia tensed as she watched the pile of rubble shift further and start to slide apart. A pitch black wing slowly rising outward. “Good. I want for you to find the guard captain and order him to begin evacuating the area at once,” her horn intensified in brilliance as the power within it increased a dozen times over.

Star Swirl hesitated as he too caught sight of the wing as it shakily rose and gave a weak flap. “Celestia are you sure?” he said channeling a bit of power into his own horn. “Luna has…”

“Been taken by the Nightmare. I know, and I know that I must now be the one to stop her,” she said with determination as she took a step forward. “Now go, I lost you once, please do not ask me to do it again.”

Star Swirl lowered his head and nodded slightly with understanding at her tone. He understood the thoughts that were likely running through her head at that moment. He knew that losing Luna would destroy her. Truth be told, it would likely destroy them both. “As you wish, my lady,” he said turning away to leave her. “Please be careful Celestia, and bring Luna home. She is still in there despite whatever the Nightmare would have you believe.”

Celestia closed her eyes as she mentally searched the castle grounds for the captain of the guards. Star Swirl disappeared in the flash of a teleport the moment she found his magical signature. And not an instant too soon.

The gazebo’s remains blew outward in a green firestorm of rage-fueled destruction as the Nightmare got to her hooves and stretched her body with a happy sigh. “I am surprised at you Celestia,” she said mockingly standing in the magical fire. “Striking your own sister, such brutality. I believe I am going to enjoy this greatly,” the Nightmare sneered as she began to stalk forward casually. Her body began to glow a deep violet color as energy flickered off of her borrowed form.

Celestia moved forward as well, her own horn glowing so brightly it illuminated the forest surrounding them as the trees prepared to bear witness to the coming battle. The Alicorn gave the approaching creature a withering glare as her own great power showed itself for the first time in nearly a century. Golden rays of sunlight shone through her sides and her mane became laced with streaks of pure solar flames. The air crackled as waves of overpressure rolled along the ground away from her.

Neither mare took their eyes off the other as they approached each other, not for a second, not even as they reached the edges of the little gully the stream below them flowed within. They simply continued to walk straight ahead, both ignoring the lowly law of nature that was gravity and treaded on nothing but the air.

They came to a stop directly in front of each other, scrutinizing one another as one honorable warrior might look upon another. Their glowing auras sparked and fizzled as they interacted.

As one they lowered their heads and touched their horns together in a blinding flash of light and a sound of rolling thunder boomed across the sky above. They ground the appendages together in the form of an ancient dueling custom that dated back well before either pony could rightly remember, the action allowing the participants to outright feel for themselves the power within the other.

Several bolts of lightning shot away from them as they separated and again locked glares. The auras of both ponies intensified even further as they prepared themselves for what they realized would likely be the fight of their lives.

“No matter how this ends,” Celestia said eyes narrowing. “It ends today.”

The Nightmares grin widened further, exposing Luna’s new incisors. “Then please,” she sneered with fire in her eyes. “Let me end it.”

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

Canterlot Archives, three days ago.

Star Swirl staggered momentarily as he passed through the purple light and returned to the reality that he had left behind in order to reach the lost library. His breath came raggedly as the magical energy of the domain behind left him. Leaning on the wall for a degree of support that his legs seemed ill prepared to handle the pony settled himself.

He glanced longingly up the stairs as he finally convinced his body to move ahead. Warily a forehoof was placed upon the first step and shortly after another followed suit. Star Swirl moved with a heavy burden and he longed to get back above ground, he never had enjoyed tunnels much.

Leaving the light behind him to make his ascent the stallion again counted the stairs methodically. It would do no pony any good for him to simply disappear down here in the depths of a vault that only he himself still knew the location to.

Without ever fully acknowledging his upward travel along the stairs themselves Star Swirl nearly tripped when he reached the last step as his hooves fumbled in trying to continue the climb upward.

He froze in place. Biting his lip nearly to the point of bleeding as he made a realization. The memory of exactly how many stairs there should be, he could not find it. Such a small seemingly unimportant memory. Yet the implications of what its apparent lack of attendance were having a deeply profound impact upon him.

Feeling a now familiar warm trickle making its way sluggishly down the inside of his nose Star Swirl wiped away the dripping crimson with a hoof. Every time the two ailments would coincide, and every time they would rear their ugly heads, they were stronger.

Blinking rapidly to clear his momentarily blurred vision Star Swirl could not help but laugh quietly to himself at the irony. Of all the horrible and senseless things that he had lived through, and helped to achieve in some cases, it would be the work of his own two hooves that would eventually be his undoing. Oh how the universe was a truly cruel mistress. Indeed.

He removed himself from the last stair and the hourglass at the bottom began its long grinding ascent. Once it stopped at the top and clicked into place he double checked the layers of enchantments and gave the artifact an approving nod.

It gave no remarks of its own as you might expect. Just simply stood there idly as it always did. The sand ran on ever downward, never seeming to deplete itself from the space at the top. Though those who might have looked upon it on a daily basis could have easily spotted the illusion for what it was. But would likely never understand the importance.

Of course, there were only a hoof full of ponies who ever saw the interior of this room at all. Then again, that was the point. Was it not?

Sighing heavily the old pony turned and made his way further into the room. He traveled past row upon row of shelves to a place completely random, yet it seemed almost to call to him as he drew nearer. Stopping abruptly he scanned the shelves around him before nodding in understanding.

With horn glowing in the dull light of the row the clasp on his saddle bags unhooked and a scroll floated up to his face for one final inspection. The parchment was dull and tattered with age as it had been written many hundreds of years ago, by an old friend.

Star Swirl smiled warmly as he placed Silver Spark’s creation in amongst the dozens of other scrolls that lined the dusty shelf. There it would wait, ready to set everything in motion the next time around. Another key piece in an ever expanding puzzle.

He closed his saddle bags and made to leave but a dull glimmer caught his eye as he passed another row of shelves.

Standing alone over in a relatively out of the way place was a mirror. It stood perhaps twice the height of your average pony and roughly a third as wide as that. A hammer molded golden frame wrapped about the reflective surface. The design was simple in nature as the frame started out square at the bottom then flared out slightly before reaching the top.

The reflection staring back as the pony approached was nearly alien to him. So old was his appearance, gone was the fire from his eyes, and the sleekness of his coat replaced by thinning graying hair.

As he looked upon its surface and gave a small amount of focus however, the image began to shift and change. Slowly the years left the reflection and new life seemed to flow into it, returning it to the way he used to be all those years ago. Before time and war and loss had destroyed the stallion he had been. Before they had destroyed the few he had once called, friends.

As the years continued to leave the reflections of other faces became visible and began to shed years as well. Each one looking more and more as he remembered them. One by one they were eventually all accounted for.

First came Silver Spark, his silver mane and coat glowing with that odd iridescent quality that had made him quite a spectacle to behold in the right light. Always the foal of the group he could cause any pony terrible fits of laughter, nearly no matter their mood.

Star Swirl shivered slightly as the haggard old face of Stardust Jade appeared. As always her somewhat vacant eyes sent a cold chill down his spine as even now they seemed to track his movement.

Several others appeared, each one releasing a floodgate of memories as they took their places in the widening group picture that was developing around his own reflection. So many warm familiar faces, so much joy and love. And then.

His breath caught in his throat as another familiar form took shape in the mirror. Discord. But not the Discord that had destroyed the ones who occupied the space around him now. This was a much younger, much more handsome and, far less disturbed looking creature. His face was kind and his demeanor showed nothing of what he had become. He was as he should have been, an innocent, kindhearted, friend.

Star Swirl just stood there, he did not know how long. He did not care. He was transfixed by the sight of the young Draconequus, the mirror displaying him as Star Swirl’s memory had preserved him. Not as he had become, not as he was now, standing somewhere out beyond these walls encased in stone.

Despite himself Star Swirl allowed his face to return the rather goofy grin of the reflection. Remembering how much more personable Discord’s face had looked with both fangs still in place. It was rather surreal to think about, considering the majority of these memories were older than the last generation of ponies. Not to mention this generation.

He could not resist the thought of wondering how Celestia managed them all. True her alicornian mind was meant to handle extreme age and therefore would last her the length of her existence. It was another thing entirely to keep everything straight. Organized.

She would certainly fare far better than he had. Star Swirl had already been fairly advanced in age when he had volunteered to be the test bed for Luminescent Star and his insane idea for an agelessness enchantment.

“Many a pony has wasted away in front of that mirror, Star Swirl,” came a voice from behind and slightly above. “In the pursuit of things lost to them along their way,” the tone of sympathy underlying the warning it accompanied.

“Who ever heard of enchanting a living pony?” Star Swirl mused aloud. “It simply is not done. Wards certainly, curses pile up every day, and hexes are plentiful as well as easy,” he grumbled. “Living beings just are not meant to be enchanted, nopony had ever figured it out before. Nor since.”

“Luminescent seemed to have the concept well in hoof, it would seem,” came the voice from above once more, growing closer. Owlovard slowly resolved in the reflection as he landed next the unicorn and ruffled his feathers before smoothing them out. “Though possessing a power to rival the average Alicorn may have, furthered his success,” the bird said raising his eyebrows at Star Swirls reflection. “I must admit, I am somewhat surprised that you never figured it out for yourself. Was that not the special talent of the great Star Swirl the bearded?”

Star Swirl hazarded a hasty glance over his left flank, the cloak there covering his view. He had not bothered to look at his mark for a long time, to him at least, it had lost its meaning. The pony snorted and without a word returned his gaze to the mirror.

“Ah. I see, so that is what it has come to then, is it,” Owlovard sighed sadly tilting his head back slightly to better observe the faces above him in the reflection. “And here after all these years, I had truly hoped that you could look beyond your failures and move on,” he brushed a wing over the glass before him causing the magical surface to ripple like disturbed water.

“Why are you here, Owlovard?” Star Swirl asked with a hint of detachment on the edge of his tone. This was to be a special moment alone for him, a moment to make his farewells. Something he had been denied for most of them.

“Why are you? I think is the more important question,” the bird said fixing his gaze upon the image of Luminescent Star. “Might it have something to do with that constant need of yours to fix the past?” he seemingly ignored the pony’s growing sense of annoyance and continued. “Or, perhaps this goes deeper than that. Perhaps it stems from that foalish desire of yours to challenge every little detail of what the fates throw at you, to question the very laws by which all are governed,” he turned to look the pony over. “And tested.”

Star Swirl’s eyes narrowed as they glanced in Owlovard’s direction. “I am in no mood for one of your puzzling proverbs Owlovard,” he said sighing pointedly in obvious contempt of the conversation. “Even if I were, I haven’t the time.”

“Of that I have no doubt. You are indeed running short on time my friend,” he said turning away and scrutinizing the distant shelf upon which lay a recently placed scroll. “You are soon to be tested yet again, though not by fate. Entirely at least,” without looking the bird could sense the pony next to him shift in place as the emotions built within him. “Luminescent has left one final task behind that even he himself could not achieve. And now, it must fall to you.”

Stomping a hoof Star Swirl rounded on the comparatively tiny bird and gave another snort. “No!” he growled dropping his head low to look the bird face to face. “I know of what you speak, Observer. I know what you would have me do in place of the one truly meant for the task!” sighing through his teeth the pony drew back slightly and closed his eyes for a breath. “Do not ask this of me. Do not ask it of a pony who has tried so hard for so long to see beyond the results of his own failures,” opening his eyes again they once more found the owl. “I cannot, no, will not, place the fate of this world in my own hooves again. Not for you, not for Luminescent. And certainly not for Him!” Star Swirl nearly screamed.

The owl’s brow furrowed and his eyes set with determination. “And what of Celestia then? Hmm?!” He asked sternly. “Or Luna?” he paced closer. “Or every other being on this world for that matter! Would you truly just abandon them, leave them to ruin in the face of the coming darkness? You say that you know of what I would ask!” He said stopping and ruffling his plumage in a manner that demanded attention. “You are the last of your kind Star Swirl! There is none other to be asked!” In a final loud huff of anger the bird smoothed his feathers and calmed his features as best he could and looked to the floor. “And I am not the one asking, the world Star Swirl, the world is asking. It is asking you to do that which all those before you have done. The world is asking you to stop running from the past, from all your transgressions and failures. To do that which you were born to do, and help save the future.”

Without a word Star Swirl turned to leave and trotted away from the mirror, all the collected images fading away as he did so. The reflective surface seemed to dim as he went.

“You are afraid. I know, I can feel it. But if not you Star Swirl, then who? Who would you have asked?” the owl questioned from where he stood.

Star Swirl slowed his retreat and then finally stopped at the end of the row. He stood there for a moment, a torrent of conflicting thoughts running through his head. Finally after a few moments of deliberation, he spoke. “A month ago, I would likely have given you the answer you were searching for. I would have jumped at the chance to assist in the protection of this world. To once again stand beside Celestia, Luna, and you,” he pawed absentmindedly at the marble floor. “Now however, I can tell you with conviction, that I am not the pony for this task,” he turned and gave his friend a weak look of longing. “To exactly when it happened I cannot say with certainty, though I do have some idea,” he turned halfway back and his eyes saddened. “I broke, Owlovard. In spirit as well as in body. I have not the will anymore. To do that which the world would ask is now beyond my ability, as it likely always was,” the pony took a step back the way he had come, a new look of realization creeping up the side of his face. “Truth be told, I had long since lost my belief in the old teachings. And therefore…”

Owlovard smiled warmly as he nodded. “Lost your belief in yourself. Star Swirl, if one thing has ever remained clear to me it is that everyone is tested differently in the hard times. It is what we decide to do during those times that defines us, and while it is true that we may make mistakes along the way, the important thing is that we learn from them.”

“And never cease in pushing forward,” Star Swirl whispered.

“Because, nothing is impossible to a willing heart,” the owl finished the passage. “Is that not what you Star Order unicorns are always going on about? How there is nothing impossible to those who truly believe in themselves, and have a willingness to protect others.”

Star Swirl nodded. His eyes giving away the battle raging inside of him. The never ending conflict that had consumed him for so long.

“Your friends all believed in you Star Swirl. They believed that nothing was impossible, and every single one of them proved that. They accomplished the impossible during the great war. You, accomplished the impossible! We all did,” he hopped forward a short distance and relaxed his wings lower on his sides. “And now someone needs to do it once more, my friend. I know I said I would not ask you to fight for this world again, and I will not. But this world needs the impossible to survive what’s coming,” Owlovard met Star Swirl’s gaze. “I need help, Star Swirl. Will you help me, to do the impossible? Just this one last time.”

Star Swirl gave a soft chuckle as he shook his head stiffly. “And who is the bigger fool? The fool, or the fool who follows him,” he said smiling at the ground around his hooves. “You once asked luminescent a similar question as to whom he would send.”

The bird then gave a soft chuckle of his own, knowing that he had been found out. “And to what did he answer me?”

Star Swirl looked up and found the owl’s eyes with his own and a new look of intensity burned within them. “He told you that only he himself would go, because for him to ask somepony else would be to put them in harm’s way. And that is something that he would never do, and that he would never ask another pony to endure something that he was unwilling to endure himself.”

“So he did. So he did,” mused the owl as he again scrutinized the pony before him, the last of the students hoof trained by the high master Luminescent Star himself, and nodded. “So then, what say you?”

Star Swirl took in a deep breath and closed his eyes for the briefest of moments. One side of his mind screamed at him to simply walk away from here, leave and go find his peace somewhere out beyond the wastes that covered much of the land. Wash his hooves of all that had befallen him. To flee.

The other half, however, stood firm and slashed at the other more cowardly half. It reminded him of all those that trusted in him, and those who depended on him. It forced through the visage of weakness the lesser half always attempted to rectify around him, to drag him down.

He knew there could be no hiding from this fight, it would always be within him. All that was needed of him was to decide what to do with what little time that was still given him. So, he decided.

The barrier of the lesser him within his mind shattered as courage and resolve pushed forward in one mighty last ditch effort to win the fight. Every memory of friends and family was summoned and came crashing down on his doubt and misery, forcing it back and then down to a place he could lock it up tight and move on. Something he had never before been able to do. Yes he was afraid. Yes he was doubtful of himself and his abilities. Instead of focusing on those aspects however. Focusing on what he could not do. He instead began, for the first time since Luna’s banishment, to focus on the things he could do.
Star Swirl tentatively moved through his mind now, unlocking places that he had long ago sealed and began to brush off the cobwebs, so to speak. If he were to go through with this, everything needed to be up and running. He opened his eyes and exhaled the held breath before giving his answer. “You realize the path you seek for us is suicide, and will likely lead to our end?” he questioned.
Immediately the bird perked up at his tone. He could sense the change within the pony, and knew at last he had gotten through. Partially at least. “Without doubt, my friend. It may in fact, lead to worse.”
Star Swirl stepped closer and smiled the first genuine smile to cross his face in days. “Then Observer, I must tell you that I have no answer to your question of who I would send as that pony is no longer within our reach,” he said standing straighter. “Seeing as you are robbed of Luminescent, I humbly offer my services in his stead.”

“And I would indeed be the bigger fool to deny you,” Owlovard said with a smile as he straightened out his feathers. “I knew the old Star Swirl was still in there somewhere. I just needed to do some digging,” the bird paused for a brief moment before adding. “Luminescent was right about you, he truly was.”

“That remains to be seen, I know he thought very highly of me, and I know that he would never recommend any pony unless he fully believed in them,” Star Swirl said with a slow nod, as if finally comprehending something for the first time. “I am not the pony I used to be Owlovard, I have lived, I have loved, and I have lost. I have failed. I have failed this world on more than one occasion, and it was nearly lost. You yourself nearly paid the ultimate price for your loyalty to the world and its inhabitants, now here the evil is again, trying to take it all away as if the war never even happened. I may not be as I once was. In fact you are right to name me afraid, in truth, I am terrified,” he flexed the muscles in his shoulders as if attempting a shrug. “I may no longer be capable of all I was before, but I will help you hold the line any way I can,” a somewhat thin smile crossed his lips as he whispered under his breath. “‘Till the bitter end.”

“You truly are an amazing pony Star Swirl,” Owlovard nodded with a quiet chuckle. “Claiming to be so broken, yet here you are, ready to once more stand in the defense of those completely unknown to you. I think you are still far more capable than you realize, and when the time comes, you are going to show the world just how right your master was.”

Star Swirl shook his head slightly and let out a shallow breath. “If it is all the same to you my friend, I will simply settle for seeing the world safe once more so that I may finally be free of this wretched oath, so that I may go and rest.”

The bird raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly. “The oath would have broken long ago my dear Star Swirl, if truly, you believed that. It persists, because you yourself remain unable to let go. You still see them as the little fillies playing amongst the legs of their parents. As do I.”

“Which, I suppose is why I cannot simply walk away now,” the pony pondered somberly while nibbling the inside of his cheek in thought. “Old habits, and what not,” he said smiling.

“I think then that there is but one last thing yet left for the two of us before the game can begin. The pieces are assembling, ours, and his.”

“The board it would seem has been laid out,” Star Swirl agreed. “And Twilight Sparkle, is not in her proper place now, is she.”

“Then you know what must be done about the mare. History will forgive you, but it will not survive without her presence where she belongs,” he said hopping into the air and fluttering over to land on Star Swirl’s back. “I see you understand the importance of her timely return.

“Not to worry, you pesky thing. I have several of Silver Spark’s spells in mind that should do the job of sending us back just fine.”

Owlovard’s talons twitched slightly at the comment and he hooted out of curiosity despite himself. “Us?” he parroted.

“I know the way that bird brain of yours thinks Owlovard my good fellow. And while I can say that plan you most certainly formulated up there involving my relatively inevitable compliance is possibly quite brilliant. I honestly doubt you took into account my inability to actually live long enough to see it done. Therefore, while you were going on about how Luminescent was right about me and all that drivel, I made a few slight changes.” He said turning to the exit. “I am merely placing my own piece one space ahead of the rest.”

The owl gave a faint smile as he shook his feathered head. Already planning ten steps ahead of the other players, truly, the old Star Swirl was still in there. All it would take was one more good solid push, and he would surely come forth from whatever place he kept himself hidden within. And Owlovard knew just the pony for the job, to bad she was still bound within the moon. No matter, it would seem Star Swirl was still just as easy for him to manipulate as he had always been. If he did manage to steer him into following Twilight through the corridor, then maybe this plan of his could work after all.

A cold chill ran down the bird’s spine as they moved to the room’s door. It was piercing, dark, and very familiar to him. It tingled and coiled around him as he reached out with his senses and inspected it. He reeled at the overwhelming power it contained, and knew immediately from whence it came. It seemed almost to taunt him in the manner it moved and denied him the right to touch its borders. The feathers along his wings curled in on themselves as the power caressed them.

Star Swirl, oblivious to the presence amongst them looked over his shoulder to the bird as he felt Owlovard’s body tense. “Is something the matter?” He asked in near amusement. “Or did you finally come to your senses and realize the folly of this whole endeavor?”

Owlovard began to shake as he looked to meet Star Swirl’s gaze with widening eyes. “Something is happening at the grove, I think...” He gasped as a wave of pain struck his mind and he stumbled slightly as it pushed against the barriers he kept in place to ward off such attacks. His eyes ignited in a golden glowing aura and his breath caught in his throat. “The book! Someone has opened the book! They, they are reading the passage… It’s Twilight!” He collapsed and slid from Star Swirl’s back to the floor, never once closing his eyes. “It is taking her, she is reading! We must stop her at once before she can finish!”

With not a moment’s hesitation Star Swirl levitated the bird back to where he had been riding and snorted. “Hold tight!” He snarled before blinking them away in a flash of light.

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

Only to reappear a heartbeat later just outside the mouth of the little cave that held the entrance to where their problem lie. Instantly they were buffeted by the wind and snow as the light of the teleport faded away.

Star Swirl scowled as he charged into the cave’s dank interior. He cursed the barrier’s ability to block any incoming teleport, it had never been anything but an inconvenience to him. With not even a thought the wizard dove through the illusionary rock wall at the end of the tunnel and continued to run towards the house. “Are you certain she’s reading the passage?!” He shouted over the howling wind.

As if wanting to beat the owl’s answer to the punch the mountain began to tremble under the pony’s hooves as he galloped at full speed for the front door. The tree house before them started to groan audibly and a few of the larger branches warped and curled as if brought to life by the shaking.

“Hurry Star Swirl! If she finishes all our efforts will be for not!” He called, the yell cutting off suddenly as they teleported yet again.

Star Swirl grunted as they appeared right in front of the door at a dead sprint. He jumped and threw his shoulder into the door, using his momentum to add to the door’s speed as it attempted to open for him. His hooves slammed to the floor and he bolted for the stairs. Before he even reached the first step there was another flash and they were gone… Only to appear at the top step still at a sprint and then flash again to the top of the stairs leading to the library.

Panting heavily as the exertion built upon him he channeled power for one last teleport as he charged the library door. There was a thickening of the magical field here that was somehow manipulating his ability to teleport. It was like he was trying to move them through sand, and it was growing stronger with every step. The power focused near the very tip of his horn and split the fabric of the space around him. Quickly he tore another hole as close to the center of the room as he could, the distance was little more than a jump, but it required the power of a mile.

As the light faded away around him his brain kicked into high gear as his eyes took in the situation in an instant. The room was shaking violently and the book was indeed open. It lay there ominously, sheer power radiating off of it in waves as water might lap upon a shore. The Black fire surged and writhed in multiple directions at once, feeding on the very energy within the room. And at the very center of it all, was Twilight Sparkle. The mare had a look of the purest terror he had ever witnessed on another ponies face. Worst of all he noted, she was reading. By the way things were looking, she was nearly done.

The pages were beginning to glow a mixture of golden light and blackness that coiled and twitched with every word she spoke. Whatever was happening, Star Swirl knew that it had to be stopped. So, still moving forward, he put his momentum to work and dove for the mare just as an arm of the fire moved up to grasp at her.

He fought back the urge to close his eyes as the light of the book blinded him. They collided together in front of the great tomb and slammed into the floor some distance away before skidding to a halt.

Owlovard leapt clear and dove out of the path of the flames as they made another reach for the mare. He watched as they licked and coiled through the air upon failing to reach the lavender pony just out of their reach. They could not surpass the distance.

The owl breathed a sigh of relief as the flames slinked back to where they came from. In one deft motion the covers of the massive book slammed shut with a massive burst of overpressure and excess magical energy. His full attention was glued to the book as it sat there, looking as though absolutely nothing had ever happened. Just like last time.

He was dimly aware of the two pony’s discussion as they lay on the floor somewhere behind him. A small portion of his mind listened in but he was otherwise occupied by what he saw before him. Concealed deep within the fiery mass surrounding the book were a pair of eyes, familiar, and very angry. They lasted for but a moment in the dancing flames before fading away from view.

As though nothing were ever different from earlier the book floated calmly, waiting for the next chance to come along. There would always be other chances. And it was very patient.

Owlovard carefully reached out with his mind and pressed gently against the fiery barrier. He found the book to once again be truly dormant, at least for the time being. He withdrew from the fire and allowed himself a slight bit of relief at knowing, for the moment at least, it posed no immediate threat to them. He was then made remotely aware of someone calling his name, it sounded distant somehow, as though they were somewhere else. Lost in fog.

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

“Owlovard!” Star Swirl called again as he desperately channeled his magic. He formed a ball of hard light energy and proceeded to attempt a process he had seen Stardust Jade perform for several of the others in the past. He split a piece off the top and stretched it into a long string. He added additional magic to it in a manner of reinforcement before attempting to use it as a form of temporary suturing. “Owlovard get your feathery ass over here! I need your help with this!”

Still reeling from his recent revelation Owlovard was just turning when a magical aura surrounded him and pulled him over to stand beside the bleeding pony. Not much caring for the somewhat rough treatment he flexed his wings out slightly and broke the magical hold over him with a huff of agitation. “Yes, yes, what do you need?” He groused, looking back over his shoulder at the book.

“My duplication spell is insufficient to work with something as finite as living blood,” Star Swirl said with concentration thickening his voice as he worked the thread fine magic in through the holes left by the old sewing job. “Can you…?” he started.

“Already working,” the owl replied as his whole body began glowing a soft golden hue. A small drop of blood lifted from the mare and floated in front of his face, the liquid glowed a similar color as the magic surrounding it and slowly expanded as its volume increased.

“I am really beginning to dislike this particular part of the job,” Star Swirl muttered as he finished and moved to inspect the other lines of stitching for any signs of damage.

The owl chuckled indifferently to the situation. “At least you are getting a lot of practice at it,” he said seeming not to give his work much interest.

Star Swirl frowned as he looked up from his task and shot the bird an annoyed scowl. “Don’t patronize me,” he said turning back to his work and adding in a whisper. “Avian.”

“Quadruped,” Owlovard muttered in retort as he slowly eased the newly created blood into the mare’s body.

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

“Alright, again, and this time with less fire on me if you could,” Owlovard said tiredly as Star Swirl set aside the sweaty rag and moved back to the center of the large basement below the tree house.

“Perhaps you would prefer another lightning bolt then, hmm?” the stallion teased as he stretched and sighed as his spine cracked and popped. “Or maybe instead of just sitting there you could, I don’t know, actually help with this.”

After ensuring Twilight Sparkle’s survival the pair had spent the last two days attempting several of Silver Sparks temporal manipulation spells, all of which had backfired spectacularly. The last had nearly burnt the entire basement after covering everything in fire, including a certain owl. Needless to say that had left them with mixed results and a newly re-found respect for the Silvery pony who had created them. Unfortunately said pony had constructed his spells to be as difficult to understand as possible, he had been very paranoid of misusers.

“I could, or, I could let you pass this trial on your own as you are meant to,” he said simply while wiping ash from his slightly charred wing. “I have already done far more for you than I was supposed to.”

“And for that I thank you greatly, but these spells are built to be purposefully difficult in the extreme. Silver Spark had a hard enough time using these. And he created them,” Star Swirl reminded as he crouched and lit his horn.

“Well that is your area of expertise is it not? To figure out troublesome spells,” Owlovard remarked dryly as he summoned a shield to ward off whatever might next come his way. He had learned quickly after the explosion of orange flames that had manifested out of nowhere. “I would however like to suggest a greater matter of discretion on your part. It is apparent these spells are all the more dangerous the further you wish to travel. How she survived her mistake is beyond me.”

Star Swirl licked his dry lips as he studied the floating scroll for the umpteenth time and frowned. “Normally I would agree with you Owlovard, this variant however appears to require a much more direct approach than any amount of discretion will allow. Silver saw fit to name this as a corridor rather than his more usual names. It apparently, for lack of better words on his part, simply claws its way through rather than delicately negotiate the path as most others do,” he frowned at his colleague’s rather, blunt, description of his work.

“Ever the linguistic artist that one,” Owlovard lamented as he eyed the lit horn. “Still, perhaps you might, shield yourself from this one,” He said edging away slightly. “Not that I doubt any of this of course.”

Flashing away the scroll to a safe place Star Swirl rolled his eyes and called on his power. His horn flared and the air popped and sputtered around him as the energy burned with the smell of ozone. It burst forward towards the far wall and coalesced into a spinning sphere nearly the height of the room.

“Almost there Star Swirl, another twenty percent should do it!” the bird called over the crackling sound of the forming portal. He could sense the power levels evening out and condensing just the way they should.

Star Swirl dug deeper and found more power to throw at the nearly finished corridor. He gritted his teeth under the strain and gave one final push to force it past the pinch point. A flash of light filled the room followed by a tremendous cracking of the air around them.

The sphere imploded inward on itself to form a gyrating ring of multicolored energy just large enough for the passing of a pony. At its center was a blackened area that seemed to go on forever and would flash with the occasional burst of starlight. The corridor flashed a few more times before finally stabilizing.

Star Swirl tentatively reduced the amount of power being fed into the construct to keep it in place. He nodded to Owlovard who then moved forward and rather scientifically tossed a rock into the glowing orifice. Immediately he jumped backward and crouched in anticipation of the worst, and waited. Nothing happened.

They both relaxed slightly as they glanced at each other with slight relief. “I think we may have found a winner,” Star swirl said as he ran a check of the portals pattern stability. The energy flowed perfectly in every way it was supposed to.

Owlovard moved closer and ran his own check to be sure that the destination was correct and that the stone had ended up where, and when it should have. “Strange,” he muttered softly as his magic continued to search the portals interior.

“I know,” Star Swirl said nodding as he disconnected himself from the now self-sustaining portal. “Remember this design was never fully finished. There are bound to be a few discrepancies within the inner conduits,” he said turning to collect his rag and summoned the scroll again.

“No,” Owlovard said puzzled. “It’s not that, there seems to be a…” he was cut off as the small stone flew back out the portal entrance and smacked him square in the beak. He squawked in surprise and hopped backwards into Star Swirls chest as the old pony turned to see what the fuss was about.

“What in all o…” The pony tried to say but stopped as a sonic boom sounded off from somewhere inside the depths of the portal. A wave off pressure burst forth into the room and smashed them against the wall as the rotating energy around the corridor began to overload and flash rapidly.

“That is not good!” yelled Owlovard over the wind now assaulting them from the magical maelstrom forming in place of the corridor.

Star Swirl struggled to get his hooves under him and braced himself against the force of the energy coming at him. He took careful aim and fired off the failsafe spell he had already created to counteract this specific event. In an instant the swirling vortex collapsed in upon itself and vanished in a loud snap, leaving no trace.

The pair collapsed to the floor as the pressure straining them dissipated. They glanced at each other and grinned stupidly for a moment before the sound of a rock striking the wooden floor behind them brought their focus back to reality.

“That wasn’t supposed to happen,” Owlovard said with annoyance as he rubbed his beak with a wing tip.

Star Swirl moved over to inspect the rock with growing interest. “Very astute Observer. You miss nothing do you,” he said chuckling under his breath as he levitated the smoking chunk of granite to his face for closer study. He then tossed the rock over to his cohort and added. “I do believe I have found our culprit,” he with a sigh.

Owlovard plucked the rock out of the air with a wing and investigated for himself. “Chaos magic?” he said with a surprised tone.

“Anomalous temporal chaos magic to be precise,” Star Swirl said scrutinizing the floor where the portal had been a moment ago. “The entire timeline between now and then appears to be saturated with it,” he stooped lower and scuffed at the floor with a hoof. “Flux energy residue?” the pony mumbled raising an eyebrow at the substance smeared over the end of the limb.

“Certainly explains why our attempts at these spells continue to blow up in ‘my’ face,” he grumbled sourly as he moved up beside Star Swirl to look over the charred floor. “It would seem as though someone does not want for you to succeed my friend.”

The pony’s ear twitched slightly at the comment as he scrutinized the rapidly disintegrating goo on the floor. “They may get their wish, I am afraid that was the finest spell for the job.”

“What now then?” asked the owl with a touch of concern hinting at the edge of his voice. He began to shift uneasily on his talons as the pony thought.

Star Swirl closed his eyes as he went over his options. They were few and he slowly crossed them off one by one. “I, do not know,” he said finally opening his eyes.

“We must send her back Star Swirl,” Owlovard said with a frown. “Before the plan becomes damaged beyond repair. Her presence here has already introduced far too many new variables,” he scrunched up his face and ventured. “Perhaps we could as…”

“No,” Star Swirl cut in rapidly. “That creature holds no love for the likes of us, Malithion would watch this world burn before going against her precious charge,” He fumed gruffly. “She will not help. We must do this, alone.”

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

In some manner of mercy the wind had died away to just a soft breeze that swirled the delicate flakes of snow as they drifted past the two ponies on the ledge overlooking Canterlot. It lazily cruised by, fluttering the ends of their cloaks and tails as it passed before moving on to wherever it fancied next.

The ponies stood in the near silence, gazing down on the lights of the city, both lost in some form of inner turmoil. They had remained silent for some time as neither seemed willing to speak.

Finally regaining some form of composure Twilight glanced around before asking. “Then where are we going?” she questioned. “You said there is still a way, so what is it?”

Star Swirl hummed softly under his breath as he took note of the trail before them. He gazed longingly at the gently downward sloping switchback trail that would lead them to the gardens, and then the warmth of the castle beyond them. He thought that maybe he could have overlooked something, some spell that could be coaxed into delivering the desired results. That he could still do this himself, and make up for some of the recent problems caused by all this.

His mind noted the space just past the trails first turn where the brush and stone of the mountain suggested the presence of a naturally occurring trail that instead twisted and climbed its way further still up the mountain, to a place long since forgotten by most.

“You could always visit, her, you know,” Owlovards voice said echoing through his mind. “If there is but a single way yet to send her back to the proper time then you know exactly where to find it,” Star Swirl hated to admit it as, this time at least, Owlovard was right. No other option remained. “No reason to waste your day by dragging poor little Twilight back to the city archives to look for something we both know you would not find.”

He knew that was true, knew it as well as if it had already taken place. There were indeed several spells that, under extreme circumstances could be used for temporal transportation. But their limitations would render them next to useless with the discovery of the chaos magic somehow burrowing its way through everything. That would make nearly any attempt at time travel simply impossible for anyone.

So of course that left only the one option. The trail up the mountain, and the being who manifested there.

Star Swirl had faced this kind of thing numerous times before, on many other mountains, at the bottoms of deep valleys, and the great plains of the world. A cross way in the roads of destiny that would change his life forever. A chance to do something for the better of himself, or for the better of the world.

He did not know where either road may take him, nor did he know the trials he would face along the way. And there would be trials, of that he was always certain. Perhaps that was the reason all along, his reason to continue.

The pony stomped a hoof as he turned and faced his crossroad. The easy downward stroll to a fruitless end, or the long arduous climb to what could end in agonized failure, but was also, their only chance at success.

Without another thought to slow himself further he moved to where the two trails split, and turned left up the mountain. Crossroads be damned, destiny was what you made of it. Star Swirl was in the mood to piss it off till his last breath. If destiny wanted to continue to be cruel then it would just have to keep up. He glanced back over at the confused mare following him and laughed a surprisingly genuine laugh at the sheer absurdity of his situation. “We are going to go ask fate for the chance to change Infinity,” he said shaking his head at his own words.

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

Twilight cringed as her leg slid out yet again on the ice and she panted heavily from the exertion of the climb. The unmarked path had all but disappeared as far as she could tell, yet Star Swirl trudged onward never once seeming to lose his way amongst the boulders and scraggly brush trees that claimed this portion of the mountain as their own. Fortunately they were now moving into a place that appeared to be sheltered from the worst of the elements by massive cliffs of stone.

A short distance ahead outlined by his little lantern Star Swirl blazed the trail in silence, he had not said a word ever since the lookout over the city. He had not so much as looked at her, even after she had asked about his odd statement about fate. What did that even mean anyway? Hadn’t Celestia said that there was no such thing as fate?

She slipped again and nearly cried out at the burning sensation that shot up the disgruntled limb. After a few moments of gently trying to massage the muscle of the leg into working again she half trotted half slid her way forward to catch up with the stallion who had disappeared around a large rock face ahead of her.

Rounding the giant wall of rock she found herself standing on the edge of a large flat area pressed up against the mountain. It was neatly tucked away and free of the accursed wind that had been slowly relieving her of bodily warmth. She sighed tiredly but was grateful to see Star Swirl waiting for her beside a jumble of loose rocks. She peered past him at what appeared to be a sheer cliff face that dropped down into the inky blackness below them.

With a slight look of confusion she moved up next to him and plopped down to rest. There did not seem to be anywhere else to go from here, maybe he just took a wrong turn somewhere. She looked over and tried again to get the old pony to speak. “How much further?” she asked. “I really need a breather, can we wait here a moment?” they had been climbing for several hours now and she was nearly drained of energy.

Star Swirl glanced around and nodded. “Rest while you can child, for we are here. Now it is simply a matter for the one we search for to take notice of us,” he said absentmindedly as he turned to the sound of something scuttling around under the rocks he rested against. “Ah, here he comes now.”

Twilights curiosity quickly turned to puzzlement as a small lizard like creature moved out from under the pile of stones. It climbed up next to Star Swirl and stared at them intently for a few seconds before proceeding to lick one of its own eyes.

“This is why we hiked all the way up here?” Twilight groaned as she stared at the creature that had just elevated itself to the ‘icky’ category. “To look at some stupid salamander thing!?” she said pointing at the slimy thing looking at her with dull soulless eyes.

“Lady lady please, newt,” it said raising up onto its hind legs and crossing its forearms a crossed its chest. “I prefer not to associate with those, riffraff. Terrible house guests they are.”

Twilight stumbled backwards onto her rump and stammered out something incoherent as Star Swirl chuckled to himself. He quickly stifled his laugh as he attempted to calm the situation. “Twilight Sparkle my dear, allow me to introduce Tillook, keeper of the door stones, guardian of the hidden realm, overseer for Infinity’s four, and fate of mischief,” he droned.

The mare continued to shrink back in fear as her eyes widened. “His magical signature… It’s,” she cut off as the new comer smiled maliciously with teeth that had no business in the body of a newt.

“So, the young lady is capable of sensing my power hmm,” the bizarre creature said with mild interest before turning to look over the other pony with something near contempt. “You’re late,” he said dully. “And that is spirit of mischief to you, pony,”

Star Swirl raised an eyebrow as he spoke. “One can hardly expect to be on time when one does not know they are expected,” he said

“His aura is almost the same as Discord’s!” Twilight blurted suddenly. “It’s… It’s full of…”

“Chaos magic,” Whispered the diminutive little being as he appeared next to her ear. “I am flattered that you would compare me to the illustriousness that is Discord dear girl. He is a servant of chaos,” he floated back away from her and took a bow. “As am I.”

Instantly Twilight was back on her hooves and assuming a defensive stance. Tillook simply returned to the ground and watched the mare with a slightly bemused expression. His little stubby paws flexing slowly.

Choosing to ignore the two Star Swirl simply cleared his throat to regain what little attention span the newt had for him. “Tillook if you say we are late then you know why we are here,” he said not wanting anything to escalate. “I… I need to see her.”

“Yes, I know,” the newt replied still scrutinizing the mare before him with subdued yet obvious interest. “She waits for you, in the third plane,” he said motioning toward the rock wall of the mountain.

“Then, the doorway, if you please,” Star Swirl said moving over to the face of the cliff.

“You know I demand payment,” Tillook called after him never taking his eyes off of Twilight. His lip curled up into a wicked little grin.

Star Swirl chuckled quietly to himself. “As you can see, Tillook, I have brought payment,” he said glancing back at Twilight. “One young innocent. As per your demands.”

Tillook rubbed his little amphibian hands together with excitement and nodded. “The payment is fair,” he said smiling. He snapped his little fingers and instantly a part of the cliff simply ceased to exist, revealing a long tunnel leading into the mountain.

Twilight’s expression turned to a mixture of questioning and terror as she and the little creature vanished in a flash of light. Star Swirl hoped she was as capable as he thought, it would be her only defense now. He turned and strode into the caves dark interior. He was expected, and it would be rude to keep his host waiting.

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

He walked for what felt like hours through the dim light of the tunnel, the glow of his lantern faded away and seemed to be absorbed by the walls around him. He checked over his shoulder and found he could still make out the exit behind him, as if he had only just entered the space.

The further he went the more distant the walls became, they were slowly receding into a silvery blue gray fog that wafted up from the floor. After a few minutes more the walls were gone from sight completely. He could feel the magical field leave his senses, almost imperceptibly at first, then all at once as he approached a place that was somehow again hewn from rock with no trace of the misty fog to be seen.

As he entered he took in the room’s detail from the top of a short set of stairs that led down into a central lower area. The room was well lit from the light of multiple torches and candles that were positioned in clusters around the room. Some sat atop tables covered in old rolls of parchment and tomes thick as he was tall. Several of the large books sat open with feather quills writing away on their own free will.

Star Swirl quietly moved down the steps and edged closer to a chair, the size of which forced him to jump slightly to reach its seat proper. He waited there patiently for a few minutes remaining as silent as was possible.

“You are far too quiet for one who bears such burdens, my young Star pony,” came a voice that managed to be soft yet authoritative. It came from everywhere, and nowhere at once.

“I did not wish to interrupt your work,” Star Swirl said, eyes tracking to look for the source of the sound. “My apologies if my timing is poor,” he added as he inspected the candle next to him, noting how the flame did not move even as he blew upon it.

All around the room the free writing quills ceased and lay themselves next to their tasks. “My work, Star Swirl, is never over,” the voice answered him from somewhere across the room, as well as near another entryway to the side. “And your timing has no meaning here. Nor can you ever truly interrupt me.”

Star Swirl nodded as he fished around in a saddle bag. “Tillook said I was expected, does this mean you intend to help us?” He queried with a hint of hope on the edge of his voice.

“That would depend on the manner of aid you seek,” the voice said with detachment from somewhere directly in front of him, one of the giant tomes lifted and floated away to a shelf as the voice continued. “You are, I trust, aware of the rules to which I abide.”

“Perfectly. That is the reason I even considered this option,” he said pulling out the burnt little stone from the failed corridor. “I have come to humbly request the assistance of Infinity.”

“What is this you bring with you wizard?” The entity inquired as Star Swirl felt a presence approach him. “It smells of old chaos, and temporal flux,” the rock floated up out of the pony’s grasp.

“It was sent through a time corridor the day before, in an attempt to calibrate the spell’s intended destination,” he was cut short as the stone was firmly pressed back into his hoof.

“You meddling ponies never learn do you?!” There was great power behind those words and Star Swirl could feel the rock beneath his chair shake. “Time travel has been forbidden to you mortals for very good reason, yet here you are about to ask me to help you achieve it. Why?”

Star Swirl held out a hoof in a defensive gesture as he set the rock aside. “Meddling was never my intent,” he said carefully. “My only wish is to repair the damage that has been done recently by the arrival o…” He immediately silenced himself as the voice interrupted him.

“Of Twilight Sparkle,” it finished for him. “And of what significance is she?” The voice said in a pondering tone almost as if asking itself rather than him. “Surely you would not risk further damage to your precious timeline for the sake of one mare.”

“Further damage may be unavoidable. She came to me by means far beyond her ability,” he said as the presence receded away to the far corner. “I wish only to send her ahead to the correct time, nothing more.”

“Indeed,” one of the many quills began writing again. “I take it that you have decided against your plan with the Observer then,” another large tome lifted from a nearby shelf and floated past the pony.

Star Swirl straightened in his seat. “I have not, true his plan may be rash. However I believe it to be the fairer choice of action in this regard.”

The quill’s motion ceased mid-stroke and it remained upright for some time before laying down across the page. “No.”

“Pardon?” Star Swirl asked as he leaned closer to the voice that had chosen to whisper the last word.

The quill stood once more and twirled as if in the hand of someone thinking artfully with the object. “My answer to your request. It must be, no,” the barely feminine voice explained with little to no emotion. “I cannot allow you to alter that which must happen, Infinity has written. And I must see that it is so.”

“Then what would you have me do?” Star Swirl asked as his demeanor drooped visibly. “She must not stay here, surely you can see that,” he stood from where he sat to see over the book the quill wrote within. “She is…”

“Of no consequence,” the quill said increasing its speed over the page. “To past or future. The trouble that worries you so will remain unchanged by her safe return,” the quill stopped again and was pointed in his direction. “Or by your timely arrival. It has already been written and what shall pass, shall pass.”

Star Swirl slumped lower into himself and sighed. He had expected this, known from the start that this would be the answer. But he didn’t care. “Would we make a difference?” He asked, just barely over a whisper.

There was silence for what seemed a very long time before an answer was given. “If you went now, help you could. But in the end, all will come to pass as it is written, Star Swirl. I understand this desire you have to help all those around you. This however, is something even you cannot accomplish,” the quill fell to the table and the presence approached once more. “Your intentions are pure, Star Swirl. I see that in you. I, however, am unable to help you in this regard.”

“But we could make a difference,” Star Swirl repeated, catching on to what had been said.

“At tremendous cost to you, and those closest to you. Yes,” it said from somewhere across the room and behind him at once. “The finer details are always subject to change, such is the way of life. In the end though, it hardly matters.”

“In my experience, it is often the finer details that can have the more profound impact on the end of a story,” Star Swirl said as he stood to leave, his eye catching the slightest shimmer in the air across the room from him. “I had hoped to add some for the better.”

“Of that I have no doubt, under differing circumstances it may even have been possible for things to have worked out differently,” the tome being written in closed with a dry creak of its binding.

Star Swirl hopped off the chair and made for the exit, then stopped. “I would say that I am surprised by this,” he said turning back to where he thought she might be. “But then, refusing to help those you could easily benefit is nothing new for you is it?” With that the pony headed forward again.

“As to your question of what I would have you do,” the voice called from multiple points around him. “I might go so far as to tell you to collect, on some hard won favors that you are owed.”

Star Swirl paused and looked back over his shoulder at nothing in particular. “And from who would you suggest that I collect?” He said scouring the room for any sign of the creature he conversed with. “On the off chance you have not bothered to take notice, my collection of ponies owing me anything has grown rather short as of late,” he then turned and started up the stairs.

“By my count, it stands at one,” the voice said, as it seemed to fade away.

Star Swirl turned once again to deliver a swift retort, but found nothing but a wall of the silvery mist from before. “Why do they always do that?” He grumbled to himself in annoyance. He turned back to leave and nearly had a heart attack.

“So Swirly old boy what did the haggard say?!” Tillook queried from the space he occupied directly in front of the stallion’s nose. “Oh please tell me you went and pissed her off and now yer heading for tartar sauce.”

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

Star Swirl gave a sheepish smile as he exited the cave and spotted Twilight glaring at him from over by the little pile of rocks. The purple unicorn looked very unhappy with him, her mane was disheveled and she appeared to be rather sweaty despite the fact it was still snowing rather heavily. That and her cloak was nowhere to be seen.
Tillook skated past him on the snow and skidded up to the mare in a shower of tiny fireworks and streamers. “I, told, you, so,” he boasted while laughing maniacally. He scooped up some snow and began to juggle the oranges that formed from it.
Twilight ignored the little maniac dancing around her hooves and looked to Star Swirl. “Well? What did she say?”
“Tillook may be many things, Twilight,” the pony said pawing at the snow. “But a liar is not one of them, Malithion will not help. She is rule-bound to ensure that Infinity’s writings are carried out to the letter. Unfortunately your return is not part of the written plan, I’m sorry.”
Twilight dropped her head in final defeat. Everything had been riding on this, this one last hope that had been given her. Now that too was gone. A single tear rolled down her cheek and landed in the snow.

“Yah know,” Tillook said, taking a bite out of an orange, peel and all. “Her arrival here is not written either,” he said smirking up at them. “If miss fussy bitch in there was really interested in keeping with the ‘rules’,” he mused making the quote marks in the air with his digits. “One would think then that she would want this little discrepancy resolved. Post haste, as it were.”

Star Swirl grew a dumbfounded look on his face. “Tillook, do you mean to tell me that this,” he gestured at Twilight. “Was not meant to happen at all?!”

The newt grew an even bigger smile. “Oh, I never said that. I only said that it was never written. Of course, Infinity would never miss a detail like that now would it?” He said looking off into the distance with a wistful sigh.

“Tillook,” Star Swirl said venomously with a sideways grin. “What are you not telling me?” He questioned irritably.

Tillook sighed and glanced up at Twilight. “He really is getting slow in his seniority,” he said with an evil little laugh before turning back to look the wizard in the eye. “Think about it you old goat!” the newt groaned floating up and swatting Star Swirl across the end of his nose. “Between Malithion’s hints and my obviously superior, well. Everything. We have all but spelled it out for you.”

Twilight just looked between the two of them. Not comprehending what was being said. She realized that Star Swirl however, was on the edge of something big.

“You do not mean to say…” The old pony trailed off into thought before he could finish his words.

“Oh, I do. I do indeed.” Agreed the bouncing little creature as he nodded vigorously.

“You would have me call out my favor so that you could abuse your power. And allow you to go against the very decree of quite possibly the single most powerful being left in this world. All so that you can get back at her?!” Star Swirl cried out, nearly panting.

“Maliciously abuse it. Yes,” he said extending a tiny little newt hand. “And to help out a friend, of course.”

“We are not friends,” Star Swirl muttered darkly as he extended a hoof.

“I was not referring to you,” he said giving the grasped hoof a single solid shake. “Now, what use can I be, oh pony of the great star ass club?” He said snidely.

Star Swirl gritted his teeth and ignored the jibe as he thought through his plan one last time. With Tillook’s help, it would now be possible. “I need you to find a way to send us forward to her time, through the chaos magic.”

Tillooks face sank to a look of disappointment. “Really Star Swirl, really, that is what you came all the way up here for? Oh Forger, you have lost that last marble that you had rolling around in there,” he said putting a paw to his face and closing his eyes. A moment later the ponies realized they were no longer standing on the side of the mountain.

Star Swirl spun around as he took in where they were. “The archives?” He said with raised eyebrows. “What are we to do here? No spell in this room can take us there.”

“Did you ever pay even the slightest bit of attention to Silver Spark when he spoke about his work?” Tillook asked from atop the giant hourglass in the center of the room.

Star Swirl moved past Twilight who was spinning awestruck from seeing the room. “Of course I did, his work was extremely interesting. So why does that… Matter?”

Tillook nodded as he saw the look of understanding spread across the pony’s face. “Exactly the point I’m getting at,” he said motioning to a slightly charred place on the floor. “The elusive temporal corridor, possibly the most dangerous, difficult to perform, and yet.”

“Easily the most versatile and elegant temporal spell possible,” Star Swirl said beginning to see where this was going.

“And the number one thing about temporal corridors is?”

The pony’s entire demeanor changed as he finally grasped the mad little creature’s idea for himself. He chuckled quietly. “They are continuous until they depolarize,” he said nodding.

“Bingo,” Tillook said with a snap.

A brilliant flash of light filled the room to reveal a glowing, gyrating, and stable temporal corridor. The very corridor that had delivered Twilight nearly a week ago to the day.

“How?” Twilight asked as she moved closer and stared at the magical creation before her. “If the other spells would not work, then why does this one?”

“Quite the mystery purple one, I can only conclude this corridor was constructed before the chaos energy flooded the timeline,” came Tillook’s voice from Twilight’s back. He sat across her withers bareback style in a sleuthing outfit complete with a smoking pipe and magnifying glass. “By someone with extraordinary skill I might add,” he said peering at the colorful portal over her shoulder and exhaling a cloud of flies.

Star Swirl frowned at the corridor as the flies disappeared inside. “You knew about this, didn’t you?”

“Maybe,” Tillook replied with a snicker.

“Is it, safe?” Twilight asked taking a hesitant step forward, her hope visibly building. She glanced back at Tillook with a questioning look.

He nodded and she jumped through. “Of course, it does open whenever she was when she came through,” he said with a shrug and a slight grin. “How safe it is there I really can’t say. Oh well,” he turned and looked at Star Swirl who was staring at where Twilight had just been. “And just what are you still doing here you twit? After all the trouble you made over this you’re really just going to stand there like a mare hood?”

Star Swirl shook his head and looked at Tillook with a look of the purest hatred before turning and making for the portal. He had not taken more than a few steps when a mass of blue fabric hit the side of his head and fell to the floor with a soft jingly chorus. He looked down to see the ceremonial master’s cloak laying at his hooves.

“Figured you might need that when you’re going, you will need all the help you can get Star Swirl,” Tillook said with a chuckle as the pony stared at the cloak and hat. “And watch your left!” he called crazily as he shoved the pony into the corridor with a sudden burst of magic.

Star Swirl yelled some form of a profanity with Tillook’s name attached as the corridor closed and vanished from view. The little monster turned away and smirked thoughtfully to himself. “Love you too you stupid star ass,” he said moving up to a window and watched as a light began to rise over the horizon. He sighed softly as he felt the warmth already moving over the world. “All hail the great sun but,” he whispered just as the sun showed itself for the first time in weeks. He closed his eyes to teleport away, as he did so he whispered quietly with another evil little smile. “You’re late.”

Author's Notes:

Ok. Well I’m glad that’s over, took far longer than I ever would have thought possible but now it’s over and I can get on to the next action chapter. Just kidding, we have one last little thing to take care of first. Don’t worry though, I promise the wait will be worth it.

Anyway the reason you are finally getting another message from yours truly is that I wanted to personally announce our new miniseries. It will be a sister story to Infinity’s End and will go into greater detail on certain things mentioned in the main story, as well as lead to more background for some of the characters. You can never have too much background for a good character.

Those who are interested should look for ‘the Star Order Chronicles’ coming sometime mid-February. Thanks again for all the love and support everyone. Dollars out.