The Land Before Us

Chapter 23 – False Peace

The journey into the underbelly of the castle has become damp and sparsely lit by only a few torches ever so often. The tight staircase hallway has become more of a cell then the real cell Preston, Clover and Swirl have left. The only sound that plays around the hall is the sound of hooves clapping against the cloudstone floor.

The blonde haired man's ability to keep his voice down is starting to fail as he walks further into the seemingly never ending staircase down, "Do you think we're close?" His eyes squint to the purple mare walking beside him as he whispers to her.

The mare turns her head a little to look to him as she whispers back, "How should I know?"

Preston nods his head as he talks back to her, "Its not going to get tighter is it?"

Clover squints to his words as she talks, "Why?"

He swallows as he talks, "I don't like tight spaces."

She gives a slight giggle as she turns her head back in front of herself, "It can't be too long."

Preston nods his head as her words come across him, "Good....I feel sick."

The constant hoof clapping is starting to become dwarfed as the hallway starts to open a little wider around the group. Preston breaths a slight breath of relief as he looks over the hallway slowly becoming wider.

Clover's ear perks up as a low swirling chiming sound starts to slightly echo just above the hoof clapping.

The few moments of guessing are brought to an end as the end of the hallway comes into view past Star Swirl and the rest of the group.

Preston has the best view over the ponies in front of him as he squints his eyes to the bright goldish light shining from the bottom of the stairs.

The low chiming now is starting to become the main sound, but only for a moment as Emperor Gust's voice comes up, "Sir Star Swirl, you are about to see something no unicorn has ever seen before." The stallion's voice is proud but the regal tone carries the feeling to the situation.

Star Swirl and Emperor Gust are the first to take these steps into the brightly lit room, as Gust moves into the light his jewel studded cloak sends small halo like reflections of light into the hallway. Preston moves in front of Clover and Pansy as he takes his steps to the room.

He's speechless as he looks around the room, the walls are a round blue-silver cloud like bowl that don't seem to differ from the ceiling and the floor. But he focuses on the streams of light high above this large room. The rainbow was not what he thought it would be, instead it looks more like a aurora borealis of gold and light purple blended with a pale pink.

Preston stops as he walks a little away from the staircases down, his voice is in a pure almost kid like bliss as he looks up to the fading and returning lights, "whoa..."

Swirl and Clover share the moment of awestruck wonder but the moment is quickly over as Commander Hurricane’s voice chimes over the light's sounds.

"Star Swirl, your bag."

The blue pegasus in dark armour walks over in a slight out of breath pant as he hands the satchell over to the old stallion. It takes Star Swirl a moment to realize the bag being hoofted over to him but he quickly nods his head as he talks, "Oh yes, thank you."

Star Swirl nudges Clover who is still in the same stunned state as Preston, "Come Clover we are not done yet."

Emperor Gust stands next to the exit with Pansy as he forces his eyes to the old stallion, "You have ten feather flaps Sir Star Swirl, be as quick as the wind."

Preston takes his still smiling head from the lights as he looks at Swirl and Clover removing the horn bands from each other's horns, "H-how are you going to get up there?"

"Up there?" Star Swirl gives a little laugh as he shakes his head, "My weird friend how would you capture light? Light is energy you can't capture that."

The blond haired man blows at the comment as he looks to the few guard ponies standing like statues around the room, "Sure you can, its like solar energy."

Swirl ignores his words as he places the satchel to the ground and begins to open the flap, "...We are getting a rainbow shard, not the rainbow Preston." The old stallion dips his hooves into the bag for a moment, "Ah, here we go..."

He pulls his hooves out of the bag as he brings a gold crown like object. The crow is shiny and looks to be made of gold with nine blue sapphire like stones tracing from side to side. The tip of the crown comes out in gold wisp that extend from an empty star like emblem.

Star Swirl gives a light chuckle as he holds the crown up to Preston, "A shard will be put into the center piece."

The old stallion floats the crown next to him as he turns his head back up to the lights, "Now we just need to find where the light stops...Ah there."

Emopore Gust and Pansy stare at the gold object in his grasp as they slowly trot themselves in the direction Preston,Clover and Swirl are heading.

At both ends of the room the aurora borealis light seems to touch the sides of the cloud bowl walls, this is where Swirls fast pace is leading. The chiming from the light seems to be echoing from the wall as they get closer.

Star Swirl slows his pace down as he holds his hoof to Preston, "You need to stay back, your magic is not the same as ours and I don't want any problems."

Preston nods his head as he watches the two ponies walking closer to the colored light expelling wall. As he stands there Pansy and Emperor Gust slowly trot themselves beside him still watching Swirl in a slight bit of confusion and wonder.

"Clover holds this for a moment." Swirl passes the crown to her as he rubs at his beard. His auburn eyes look over the cloud wall as he stands silently.

Emperor Gust grows a little impatient as he moves closer to the two unicorns, "I would remind you , this room is very sacred...what are you in search of? The rainbow is above you."

Swirl turns back as he talks quickly, "The power for this rainbow is generated from the light that is collected in this cloud, we require a shard of one of the stones that generates this light. The reason we need this kind of stone is because no other kind of stone is moldable enough to fit into the crown."

The grey pegasus squints to the words as he talks, "But pulling too big of a piece could disrupt the rainbow and destroy our city!" His voice comes out almost in protest but he holds his eyes still in question to the old stallion's motions.

Commander Hurricane is silent as he stands in front of the staircase still listening to the pony's voices that echo around the bowl cloud room's walls.

Star Swirl nods his head as he talks, "Yes, which is why we must carefully pick only one."

Emperor Gust straightens his posture as he talks, "If your hoof even rubs against another you will pay Star Swirl."

The old stallion gives a smile as he turns back to the colorful wall of stones, "That is why I can't be rushed."

Swirl is silent as he stares to the wall of glowing cloud stones. But as his hoof comes up to the wall the room drops to a new found silence as the chime of the rainbow takes hold around the room.

With a slight pull at the cloud wall a tiny round glowing piece of cloud like stone is pulled from the wall, "Clover the crown."

The purple mare quickly floats the crown to his extended hoof as he puts his flank to the ground. The crown is placed on the ground as the still purpley-pale pink cloudstone is pressed into the empty star emblem.

As the cloud like stone is pressed into the mold it moves light glimmering water as it starts to fill up the star shape.

Emperor Gust and Pansy stare at the glowing tip of the crown in confusion as the stallion speaks up, "What is it doing?"

Swirl smiles as he looks to the blue stone embedded in the gold crown starting to glow, "Its magic..."
His words are cut off as the rainbow of light above them starts to take on a heavier chime.

Everypony and Preston looks up as there hearts drop a little. But the rainbow does not shift from its tracing across the room for a moment instead it just rumbles for a moment, but as the sound reaches its peak fast a bolt of white-rainbow light is sent down to the gold crown resting on the ground.

Clover, Pansy and Emperor Gust jump back as the light cracks against the crown and seems to be absorbed by the light purple-pink stone that now glows a brighter color.

Swirl lets out a happy coughing laugh as he stands from the ground hovering the crown next to him, "It worked! It wo..."

His celebration is cut off as he's knocked to the ground by a flying pegasus. But the pegasus is not a normal pegasus, the sleek black pony flaps its bug like wings over toward where Commander Hurricane is, the crown is clutched in the fanged jaws of the changeling as it lands next to the blue pegasus in black armour.

"Guard seize them!" Emperor Gust's voice echos around the room, but none of the guard ponies move.

Preston quickly moves over to where Swirl is as he and Clover help the old stallion up.

Empore Gust again calls out in a louder tone as he talks, "Guard! I said..."

His voice is cut off as Commander Hurricane calls over his, "Guards seize these traitors!" The stallion points his hoof to the group as his words echo around the room.

The guard pegasus all give a smile as they spring forward, but as they do the armour and previous mane and coat color vanishes in a green spiral.

The small group looks around the room of new challenges as the rabid dog-ponies give out a low growl and hiss.

Pansy freezes up as the sand-yellow mare looks around to her new surroundings. But Emperor Gust calls out to Commander Hurricane almost unfazed by the surroundings, "What is the meaning of this Hurricane?"

The blue stallion cocks his head as he focuses his blue glowing eyes to the grey stallion, "Is it not obvious? The Element of Harmony is mine, and when I bring this power to my Master I will be rewarded."

Emperor Gust shakes his head as he talks, "Master? W-what are you talking about Hurricane?!"

The blue stallion doesn't shout back as he talks, "Master will be pleased with me..."

"Master will be pleased with me...."

"Master will be pleased with me..."

Commander Hurricanes voice keeps repeating as his blue body starts to change into a dark black sleekness like the other changelings...But unlike the other changelings Commander Hurricane is larger and has a stub of a horn along with wings. His mane no longer has its color as it takes on a dull blue-grey.

Star Swirl’s horn glows a bright gold as he leans his head down, "Give us back that crown Hurricane." His old voice is not loud but it carries its weight over the chiming rainbow.

Commander Hurricane stops his senseless chatter as he looks to Star Swirl’s horn, "You can not fight me, you could destroy the city."

Star Swirl’s horn doesn't stop its glow as he squints his eyes. Clover follows his lead as her horn takes on a light purple glow.

The changelings around them lower their heads as they wait for a command.

But before Commander Hurricane can speak up a bolt of gold magic is sent towards where he stands, only its not sent towards Commander Hurricane, instead it strikes against the changeling that holds the crown.

As the bolt of magic strikes against the crown a bright white light springs from the crown in an almost explosion like way. The changeling is sent flying back to the cloud wall and Commander Hurricane is stunned for a moment.

The changelings that surround the group quickly shift their heads back to the bright light. But there moment of confusion is not allowed to last long as Clover and Star Swirl quickly send pen pointed bolts of magic to them.

Each changeling is caught off guard by the quick succession spells, each bolt cracking against the sleek black pony sends it back and sliding against the cloud flooring.

Clover's horn glows a bright purple as she swings her head around, "Is everypony ok?"

Emperor Gust and Pansy shakes their heads slowly as Preston erupts in a jumping holler, "Fuck ya!" His voice is heightened by his adrenaline pumping body as he looks around the changelings that lay fainted on the ground.

But his excitement and astonishment along with everypony else is brought down as Star Swirl falls to his front hooves.

"Master." Clover holds her hoof to him but he quickly shakes his head as he talks in a tired old voice, "I'm fine i'm fine...."

The old stallion's voice is cut off as a laugh echoes around the room.

Clover turns her head to the changing alicorn as she watches him struggle to stand up.

"You think this means the end?" Commander Hurricanes dark coat still has the element of harmony's magic shimmer to it as he pushes his upper body up. His voice is pained but he speaks up a little more as his legs buckle, "...This is nowhere even close." He collapses back to the ground as the light around his coat fades.

Clover still holds her horn's glow as Star Swirl stands to his hooves, he focuses his eyes to the glowing crown as he stands silently for a moment, "Preston....get my bag please."

The blond haired man hesitates for a moment before he drifts from the group.

"Emperor Gust!...Emperor Gust!" The stallion's voice echos from the stairs as the armored pegasus comes into view, he stops as he looks around to the changelings on the ground.

Emperor Gust's voice comes back quickly as he talks, "Get everpony from upstairs down here to detain these...ponies."

The pegasus nods as he takes himself to his wings and zips back to the staircase.

Clover's horn finally loses its glow as Preston walks back to Swirl, "Here." He holds the open satchel to Swirl for a moment.

"Thank you." Swirl's horn glows a low gold as the open satchel is hovered over to the glowing crown. The chiming from the element is cut off as the satchel scoops it up and closes.

Emopor Gust's voice comes back excited as he talks, "We must get this news out! I have been made a fool! I must go tell the other tribes." He turns his wide eyes to Swirl as he talks, "Thank you Sir Swirl, is there anything we can do?"

The old stallion gives a forced smile as he talks, "A bed and a quick way to the unicorn capital tomorrow would be much obliged."

Gust nods his head as he turns to Pansy, "Adviser Pansy, ready a room."

The yellow mare nods her head as her still slightly shaken voice speaks up, "Y-yes Emperor Gust."

At the end of her voice the armored ponies have come back down the staircase, Emperor Gust turns his attention to them as he trots away.

Star Swirl hovers the satchel back to him as Clover speaks up, "We did it Master, just like you said this has stopped the war!"

The old stallion nods his head as he talks, "Yes..."

Preston cuts in as he looks up at the rainbow of light above them, "Ya and we didn't cause a city to drop out of the sky either." He gives a light laugh to the still weird words that just left his mouth.

Star Swirl again nods his head as he holds his hoof out as he tries to pick his voice up in a happy tone, "Yes just like I said." He taps at his head as he hovers the satchel next to him, "You just have to believe you will and you will."

Clover picks up on his voice as she talks, "Master what's wrong?"

Preston looks between Clover and Swirl as he waits for the old pony to speak up. Swirl takes a deep breath as he smiles, "Nothing, i'm just tired that's all."

The purple mare still holds a skeptical stare as the old stallion starts to walk away, "Come now you two, i'm far too old to not get some sleep."

The old stallion's trot is halted as Emperor Gust steps away from a few guard ponies, "Sir Star Swirl, tomorrow you will be taken by pegasus chariot to the unicorn capital, I will not be able to accompany you tomorrow but do tell Princess Platinum I will be arriving there soon."

Swirl nods his head as he starts back up in a walk to the stairs with Preston and Clover behind him, "We will."

End of chapter 23