Midday
March 15th, 62 BNM
New Gryphon Empire, north eastern coastline
Port Talonsbury, outskirts
Royal Sisters' Sanctuary

The small trading port of Port Talonsbury was a fishing port and rest stop for cross-Muttlantic voyages made by many ships, as it had been for the past few dozen years since its settlement. The channel between the Cape Clawraign island it nestled on, and the New Gryphon mainland, was rich in fish and crabs, making the town prosperous.
Even so, it remained small enough to be inconspicuous to those searching for high profile individuals.
Discord's reign began with searching for the higher profile magic users to place them under 'controlled chaos', any number of ludicrous, often perilous situations, so he knew where anybody that might dare raise force against him uselessly was, for his own amusement, or more likely, to not be annoyed.
But here, inside a small repurposed monastery, three Unicorns lived together, known to the locals as merely an elder widower stallion and his two daughters, living a peaceful life away from Equestria. They had been wise to leave the nation, though unwilling to make the trans-Muttlantic voyage it seemed.
For all intents and purposes, this perceived family wasn't too far off the money.
Starswirl had come to see the two Princesses as more then just students, but he wouldn't go far beyond that. And they in turn saw him as a dear friend, master and father figure. Particularly in wake of their father's murder years ago, when there were still Alicorns.
Much had changed, and more would soon for the better. But they would lose just one more before they could begin to truly take their rightful place.
Yet for now, Starswirl wished to cherish a last few days of peace with them.

In the kitchenette of the small repurposed monastery, Starswirl had decided to indulge, against his better judgement, in a hobby that Celestia had picked up on.
He had long got used to the two sisters being Unicorns, and not Alicorns. But known only to him, they wouldn't remain that way for much longer:
"Pray tell what you have in mind today?" Starswirl asked, waiting patiently as Celestia deposited what looked like a rather simple loaf of bread and a knife before he and Luna at the table. With a smile, she explained as she sliced the bread up to serve them, her pink mane tied back as she'd been cooking:
"Rye bread mixed with sugars, some spices and a new type of glazing I found in the markets."
Arching an eyebrow, Starswirl muttered aloud:
"I thought monks in Eoropean faiths forced rye bread diets on misbehaving members..."
A sheepish smile came over Celestia as she added while Luna put slices onto her own serving plate:
"Yes well I made some adjustments to a food I thought got a bad reputation."
"It smells delectable Celly."
Her younger sister's remark pleased Celestia, as the older Unicorn gestured to the plate to both Luna and the grouchy Wizard that acted as their self appointed guardian:
"In which case enjoy. But I hope it turned out fine, this is a new recipe."
Hovering the slices of the flavoured Rye bread to his mouth as Luna did the same, Starswirl glimpsed the cloves of some leaves in the bread, along with a mismash of odd dots of colour from the other spices. Taking a bite, Starswirl paused as he tasted it.
Beside him, Luna paused as well, chewing as her smile slowly vanished. Biting into the bread some more, Starswirl felt the flavours erupt into his mouth. Or at least, something was erupting, something uncomfortable. And burning.
Coughing slightly as she chewed the slice of bread, Luna asked as her mouth started to dry up:
"Which markets were where you got the spices and glaze from?"
"The trading ports, where the imports come in."
As Celestia replied, Starswirl took a heaving breath, the Wizard trying to maintain his calm as his mouth turned hotter and hotter.
"It is, I think it could be... holy buck my mouth's ablaze! Water!"
A jug of water tore through the air beside Celestia's head as Starswirl summoned it, not even bothering with a mug or glass as he swigged it down into his mouth and throat. Clamouring for the water, Luna's own blue magic ripped the jug from Starswirl's soggy mouth as he breathed a sigh of relief, her own gulps punctuating the air as Celestia looked somewhat downtrodden from the other side of the table:
"Was it really that bad?"
Coughing as she finished drinking, Luna replied sensitively:
"No, it tasted, alright. But the hot spices overwhelmed it."
Taking another swig from the water jug, Starswirl murmured as he finished taking in more water:
"Slaughtered might be more appropriate wording."
Grimacing, Celestia sheepishly replied in keeping with good spirits:
"Maybe spicy foods aren't my forte?"
"Clearly." Starswirl grumbled, as Luna snatched the jug from him to take another few gulps. Seeing her downtrodden look, Starswirl offered this with a decidedly less grumpy tone, though his stinging tongue made it an effort for him:
"Everypony has their failures, otherwise they'd never learn from them. You can continue to experiment, but, perhaps try and taste your food before getting others to."
"I did."
"...Y-you did?"
At Starswirl's stammer, as well as Luna casting her sister a surprised look from across the kitchenette table, Celestia shrugged slightly as she hovered 3 of the slices towards her mouth:
"Yes. Look.."
Biting down and chewing thoroughly, almost effortlessly on them, Celestia swallowed the slices down without a hint of the hot taste bothering her. As Luna and Starswirl stared in surprise, Celestia remarked casually:
"See, its completely fine."
"Clearly you have more taste for spicy food then we do sister." Luna jabbed back, as Starswirl took another sip from the water jug, his mouth still tingling slightly.

Early Afternoon
Monastery gardens

Later that same day, Starswirl watched from afar as Celestia and Luna practiced their spellwork in the gardens. The sport they came up with between them involved casting reflective orbs and directing them about to reflect a spell that they fired in turns. Each time it reflected, it sped up, and whoever's reflecting orb shattered from the accelerated spell having gained too much power for the orb to handle, won.
But as a shadow was cast over the land, they ceased their spellwork, the stinging spell shooting off into the sky harmlessly as the orbs faded.
Glancing up, Starswirl groaned as he saw the moon moving fast across the sky, and had moved in front of the sun to cause an eclipse. But soon afterwards, the eclipse became bright, and dark, again and again.
"He must be moving the moon back and forth for his own amusement..."
"That creature, the nerve of him..." Luna murmured, while Celestia only wondered aloud:
"I wonder what this might cause if he's this reckless..."
"Whatever he is up to, he'll stop eventually. Now, you two were doing well, you nearly set a new reflection rebound record."
As he walked down to a stone bench, wearily parking his hunches on it, Luna and Celestia exchanged a look of uncertainty all of a sudden, as Starswirl took out his pipe to take a few puffs from the weed.
"Master, are you feeling alright?"
"I couldn't be better. Now don't let an old stallion enjoying some old weed stop your game, it is good practice as well."
Shrugging her shoulders slightly, the pink maned Unicorn began to charge a spell, as it was her turn to fire off the spell they would rebound. Forming the first spheres, Luna readied as Celestia fired off the spell.
Yet this peace, to them, was a masquerade. It was unspoken, but they knew there was a reason Stasrwirl was laid back today. He wasn't going to be around for long.

Other side of the world.
Wyvern archipelego

Holding on tight, the Wyvern fishers watched as their ship was swiftly carried down the shoreline, where a makeshift port city at the foot of the Wyvern's cliff mounted settlement had been flooded in a matter of minutes.
Their small fishing raft floated down the current, bumping into floating market stalls and debris as it went.
Perched atop a few trees higher up on the cliffs, the Wyvern leader shook his head as he shared a glance at his councillors:
"What devilry is that far off tyrant up to now...?"

Meanwhile

Sat on a floating throne, far above the clouds, Discord flung the string connected to his clawed finger back and forth. From the string, a tether thin line of light vanished into the endless abyss beyond.
As if on a yo-yo, the moon shuffled back and forth in the skies, as Discord's magic strained to move it as he wished.
"I wish this was easier, but its still fun anyway."
Cackling slightly as he was getting weary from the magic he was exuding, Discord continued to use the cosmos, or at least the nearest body around the planet, as his plaything. He had control over it, why shouldn't he use it to his amusement?

Next day
Late Morning
March 16th, 62 BNM
New Gryphon Empire, north eastern coastline
Port Talonsbury, outskirts
Royal Sisters' Sanctuary

Stood at the door, late breakfast having finished now, Starswirl stared at the two Unicorn mares who had come to the door with him, their eyes alight with mourning, hurt, and even pleading.
"You both knew this day was coming. I have to go."
"We know. But must you?"
Luna's question hurt Starswirl, as he knew it had to be done. Beside her, Celestia looked similarly saddened, her pink mane hanging down in the same way Luna's pale blue mane had lost its lustre with their moods. With a slight sigh, Starswirl added as he stared proudly at both of them:
"I have taught you all you know, all you must know. But I cannot do anything myself. I tried, I truly have. But if Equestria, the world, is to be in balance, or at peace, you two must take Discord down. Too many have gone, your family, my friends... Its time to make things right."
A small glint of tears came into the sisters' eyes as they remembered their father and mother, as Starswirl stoically refused to remember his history for now. Celestia carefully probed the Wizard, curious about this mysterious hope he had told them of:
"And these, Elements of Harmony, as you called them?"
"When the time is right, you will receive a vision. They will lead you to them. The power they will grant you, it will help you overthrow Discord. Return Equestria to even a semblance of peace and stability."
"That power, will also restore your Alicorn state. Out of necessity, to handle the power these Elements possess."
Starswirl's words consoled the two sisters only slightly. He was always cryptic whenever there was something he was trying to keep hidden from those who would disrupt it. But it was Celestia who gulped back a lump that formed in her throat to ask the obvious:
"And what about you master?"
Starswirl hesitated. He knew he couldn't say exactly what he would be doing. They would never fully understand, or like it. But it was his choice. So he decided to deceive them, for their own safety, and in case of prying eyes and ears. But it was lies laced in with the truth of matters:
"I will travel the world, searching for solutions. Even if you overthrow Discord, the Sun and Moon cycles will still need tending to. The natural order has been disrupted by the Alicorn cataclysm. When you take power, that duty to maintain the cycles will fall to you two."
Celestia and Luna both nodded forlornly as Starswirl explained, though they perked up slightly as their saddened eyes saw the glint of hope in his own, even if his tone remained grave:
"My travels, I do not know how long they will be. But I will be seeking ways to repair the damage done. I don't expect to return anytime soon, or in the foreseeable future. But when I do return with a solution, I only hope Equestria and the world are in a better state then they are now. But if you two lead them, even if you still have to tend to the day and night... I think they will be in good hooves."
Slowly walking forwards, Celestia and Luna both wrapped their forehooves around Starswirl's similar body size, their Unicorn downgrade for now making them shorter then they once were. The stoic wizard seized up at the contact, but he soon relaxed, letting them engulf him. Slowly, his own forehooves wrapped around them both, and a ghost of a smile crept across his muzzle.
Pulling back, as he opened the door to the monastery, Starswirl took a last look at the two sisters he now left Equestria in the hooves of, once they accomplished it with what he would put in place.
He turned, and stepped out the door. He never looked back, he didn't need to. He knew they could do it. He'd taught them all they needed to know.
All that remained was to ensure what he left them was completed.

That was the last Starswirl expected to ever see of the two sisters.
He didn't expect to return.
Yet history would prove him wrong on both counts.
But for now, Starswirl had unfinished business to attend to.

Next day
Late Evening/Nightfall
March 17th, 62 BNM
Equestria midlands
Everfree forest, deep forest
Harmony alcove

Taking a breath, the Wizard was clad in only some underclothing robes. His blue robes and hat, both the set the sisters had adorned with decorations years ago in peacetime as mischievous students, and the unmarked copies they made, were shrunken and stored in his saddle bag. He would not need to be wearing much where he was going, but he wanted his memorabilia with him wherever he ended up.
Before him, the alcove that held the tree of harmony glowed brightly before him, like a fallen star in the blue/grey orichalcum laced rocky cavern marred with vines and plants.
Yet from the 6 glowing vine husks on the ground, laced within the roots of the Tree of Harmony, 6 objects glowed as they were levitated out of their vine wrappings. Their imprinted power from the ones who gave them, even if the most recent was unknowing in doing so, had been given to the tree's 'fruits', the Elements.
Starswirl's blue magic took each artefacts, shrinking it as he bagged it. Each time it passed his eyes, Starswirl's memories surfaced, a slight smile of mourning, missing a simpler time, yet knowing in the end their examples would serve him well.
"I guess the prophecy was right, just not in the way I envisioned."
Starswirl's words came from his mouth with a tremble, as he saw each artefact as it shrank.

"Mashri, the loyal soldier."
He saw the stalwart Saddle Arabian horse, a Romane soldier, having proved her loyalty to her empire over her barbaric family ties, standing strong in the Coliseum as a freed gladiatrix where she reminded the world of where she stood, when doubt was made of her loyalty. Her red eyes glinted as her essence vanished, the red gem in the tree clouding his mind.
Her gladius sword shrunk down as he deposited it, as his eyes drew to the next.

"Hinai, the valiant sorceress."
He saw the gold and jade striped serpentine dragoness hovering proudly, unleashing her power against that corrupt sorcerer eastern dragon that killed her family for power, protecting him and Siral by unleashing the power she hid out of duty. Her pink eyes were all that remained undissolved in his mind as the star shaped gem he saw in the tree clouded his mind like the one before.
Her golden and jade stoned family amulet glinted as it too shrank.

"Claupe Frello, the merry musician."
He saw the black, tall and throat scarred, mute Faroench stallion dancing at the festival in the Pahrii square, his lame legged son applauding as he played his music in time with the mare he would eventually come to marry, unashamed of his exposed scarring as punishment for his gypsy family past. His blue eyes dissolved to become the blue tree gem.
His scarf that once protected his throat scars vanished into the bag.

"Nahia, the honest huntress."
He saw the tigress standing strong as she prowled the jungle, no longer acting as fierce, having been honest with herself, knowing the shame in being truthful and asking for help was far less then a lifetime of lying to one's self and others to protect yourself. Her family prowled the jungle with her, as the yellow glint in her eyes dissolved to the yellow gem glowing in the tree.
Her tuft of fur shrank in his magic to fit in his bag.

"Irvin, the generous sea-scourge."
The fox's grimace was plastered in Stasrwirl's mind as he leapt off the ice cliff, the rope hoisting his long time friend and father figure to safety with his fallig weight, and the treasure he could have escaped with. Giving up his life ambition of wealth to make the ultimate offer of saving one's life. His purple eyes glistened to become the purple gem in the tree in Stasrwirl's mind.
The compass span slightly as it shrank into Starswirl's bag.

"Chack, the merciful warrior."
The hazy image of Chack's act was all he could muster, but the silhouette of one Chack hurt, as he submitted in the face of what his rage brought on the innocent, let him offer himself as repayment to the one he ruined, and sent into the embrace of Siral's evils, letting her help heal by seeing what it was she wanted, not Siral. The Being of Envy struck down, but his act protected him with enhanced magic. As she became embroiled in the evil he drove her into, he attacked, fighting to drive the evil from her, freeing her. His green glint as he strove to help his greatest enemy he ever faced became the green gem imbedded in the tree.
His katana glinted with its slightly dissolved blade as it shrank, the last artefact to vanish into Stasrwirl's saddle bag.

Staring ahead, as the tree glowed in its beckoning, Stasrwirl took a deep breath, as Everfree's faded voice rang out from the tree:
"I am ready. After this, we both fade, the forest will endure without me, and your pupils without you."
"Yes. Lets finish this, a last hope."
He breathed, and stepped forwards. But before his hoof went a step further, Stasrwirl had one last memory.

Him and Siral. Sat on the hillside at the Oracle meeting, so many centuries ago now. Years of friendship, marred by a journey which divided them over duty and curiosity, one being deceitful out of duty, and losing the greatest friend he ever had.

"I'm sorry Siral. I truly am."
Starswirl's last whisper carried across the alcove as he regained his stoic composure.
As he walked forwards, light swirled around him like rivulets of pure energy, engulfing him in ribbons of light. Warmth and cold engulfed him, as Starswirl felt reality slipping away. Around him, the alcove warped, only the tree's six glowing artefacts remaining solid in his view.
To an outsider, a Unicorn wizard slowly dissolved into pure light, slowly ripped apart as he submitted to the power of the tree before him. He turned blue and white like the hottest fire, and was sucked to the tree's ever brighter structure.

To the Wizard, the 6 gem lights became 6 stars of varying shades in an empty void, circling faster and faster around him in a perfect circle. Soon, the circle of 6 colours became a single white/blue ring, as it closed ever more into a thinner ring around Starswirl's now blindingly bright body.
As the ring absorbed him in the void, Starswirl lost all sense of time and space. This was not like a time jumping spell, he was going beyond it.
With his eyes shutting in acceptance, he was assimilated into what he considered a willing oblivion.

The Tree of Harmony began to glow brightly, a wind rustling as the tree lit up like an ignited star in deep space, before settling down into a steady glow, hidden in the alcove vines of the Everfree forest.
Inside its branches, the 6 gems glowed brighter then ever before, and a single, pulsing white/blue source spread throughout its structure, feeding into the gems and feeding off them in turn.
All that was Starswirl was gone, as was the spirit of Everfree. The forest spirit gave what power he had to complete it, and now, his essence went on, passing like a sigh out of the forest.
Overhead, a single supernovae glow that came whenever an Alicorn died, lit up the night sky for the first time in 6 years. The only Alicorn not caught by the cataclysm due to him not existing in a body as the others did.
Everfree became a wild forest now, but balanced. As for the Wizard, his essence now endured, the host of the Elements, his legacy.
Yet with his essence, his spirit, his body and mind, endured, in a realm between the living, and the dead, between past, present and future. He was everywhere at once, space having no meaning. And yet, he couldn't comprehend it entirely.
He simply endured in the void, the Elements being his window into the real world, wherever and whenever they were used, or those affected by them acted up.
Starswirl's unsung legacy, the Elements of Harmony, would serve their purpose. His gift to the world.
A gift that would change the world in ways nobody could have imagined, not even himself.
As history would show, nothing ever happened as predicted or arranged.

Author's Notes:

This is not the final chapter, but it is the last chapter set squarely in the past. The next chapter will be when Starswirl finally takes the leap. What happens there will tie into a later volume I will publish [volume 2 for reference].