The mystery of the dark lands

How, when and why. Those were but the three core words of the multitudes of questions raised by this unexpected discovery. One can't help but wonder - was this even the actual source of the earthquakes? Or simply something that happened to be located in the very center of the dark lands by mere chance.

It would be almost funny to imagine the look on the faces of Rarity and Applejack after they ask Twilight and Rainbow Dash if they found the cause of the earthquakes, and got a reply like - "Yeah, it was Star Swirl the Bearded."

"Hello! Earth to Twilight," Rainbow Dash said as she waved her hoof in front of Twilight's face.

Twilight started shaking her head and finally got out of her state of trance, although she still remained rather stupefied. "I can't believe this...No matter what way I look at this from, this doesn't make even the slightest amount of sense to me."

Rainbow Dash felt like she should give Twilight's mind a moment to process all of this. She would have done just so, but the lava pool below them seemed to be getting more active with every passing second. "Unless you know how to break whatever spell he's under, I suggest we figure out what to do next when we get back home...Woah!"

Rainbow Dash barely dodged an incoming magma rock in time. Apparently it damaged the white bubble surrounding them, and Rainbow Dash could feel the air getting hotter again.

"You're right," Twilight replied and started flying backwards, still keeping the statue in her sight. "There's nothing we can do about it right now." Twilight turned around and started flying at normal speed. Rainbow Dash followed her without hesitating.

The journey only became harder to take, but neither one of them was about to  slow down. "Sorry, Rainbow Dash, I don't think I can perform another protective spell without collapsing," Twilight regrettably admitted after seeing her friend panting and sweating.

"Don't worry about me, Twi. You just lead the way." Rainbow Dash got a sudden uneasy feeling after looking to her left and right and seeing nothing but lava everywhere. "You do know the way back, right?"

"Of course," Twilight replied right away. Although that answer didn't make Rainbow Dash feel any better, the first sight of land in front of them arrived soon enough, and even though it was about the ugliest piece of land you could find in Equestria, it was still quite a sight for sore eyes.

                                                                                 ***

As the air got lighter, flying became easier, and before long, Rainbow Dash already found herself sitting in Twilight's personal quarters and watching her in her usual thinking routine - walking back and forth on the same spot.

"Anything yet, Twilight?"

"No..." Twilight replied. "The only thing I've acknowledge at this point is that it's not entirely impossible for that to have been the actual, one and only Star Swirl the Bearded."

"Well...It's a start, at least." Rainbow Dash realized her pep talk didn't work after Twilight looked back at her with an unfriendly expression. "Sorry."

Twilight continued her routine. "I tried to convince myself it wasn't him, I tried to think of anything from what I've read about him that could prove that he couldn't have ended up there, but out of all the books and records I've looked over, there's not a single one that says anything about his final days," Twilight explained. Rainbow Dash kept listening and had nothing to add.

"Hmm..." Twilight stopped walking.

"You figured it out?" Rainbow Dash ascended from the floor and asked in an excited tone.

"Not entirely..." Twilight slowly replied. "But if I could somehow get my hooves on anything that says something about Star Swirl's final moments, or future plans, maybe a journal, or personal notes, or something of the sort...Maybe then we could begin to get to the bottom of this!" Twilight got all excited at first, but her joyful mood soon faded.

"What's wrong, Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Nothing, really...It's just that I doubt such a thing would be easy to come by," Twilight explained. She looked at Rainbow's expression and practically read the words "So...what? You're just gonna give up?" off her face.

"But that doesn't mean I won't try!" Twilight added after a short pause and started searching for various useful objects around the room, as if getting ready for a journey.

"Where are you planning to go?" Rainbow Dash seemed surprised at how quickly Twilight seemed to figure something out.

"To Canterlot...I'm gonna need a bigger library than my own for something like this," Twilight explained while still packing her things.

As if yours wasn't big enough... Rainbow Dash thought to herself "Canterlot, eh...That's a nice change of scenery. Want me to fetch Applejack and Rarity too?" She spread her wings, ready to fly off right away.

"Actually..." Twilight stopped packing for a moment while she responded. "I was sorta hoping to go on this trip alone," she replied with an awkward smile on her face.

"Huh? Why?" Mildly disappointed, Rainbow Dash closed her wings and descended back to the ground.

"There's actually a number of reasons I could name. Mainly it's because this will be just an ordinary studying trip that involves a lot of reading..." Twilight paused for a moment to rethink something after noticing that Rainbow Dash only raised an eyebrow at her statement. "And I'm not talking about any Daring Do books!" Twilight added with in a slightly sarcastic tone.

Rainbow Dash didn't say a word, she just maintained a serious look on her face as she rubbed her chin. Maybe coming along isn't all that good of an idea after all... She wondered.

"So..." Twilight interrupted Rainbow's thinking and drew her attention towards her. "Unless you've got a sudden craving to sit in a corner and watch me walk around and read books all day..." Twilight noticed how swiftly Rainbow Dash reacted to what she just said. It only took a few seconds for her to imagine the situation, and that was all the anti-motivation she needed "I suggest..."

"Actually," Rainbow Dash interrupted. Twilight didn't seem one bit angry about that. On the contrary - she was counting on it. "I think I've changed my mind." Rainbow Dash got up and was ready to fly off again, only with a completely different destination in mind this time. Nothing particular, just somewhere away from here. "Sorry, Twilight. You're on your own."

"It's probably for the best," Twilight replied contently.

"Anything you need from me before you go?" Rainbow Dash offered to help, although her question was actually more rhetorical.

"Nothing springs to mind right now," Twilight replied. "But if I think of anything I'll be sure to let you know!" Twilight added in a loud voice as she saw Rainbow Dash already flying off.

"Yeah...you do that," Rainbow Dash replied without giving much thought to it and dashed away through the window. "See ya, Twilight!"

As Rainbow Dash flew off, Twilight was about ready to do the same. She had already finished packing, the only thing she still needed to do was find Spike to let him know he's in charge. Naturally, Spike was curious about why and where was she going and when she'd be back, but the only reply he got from Twilight was "No time to explain!"

                                                                 ***

Twilight was absent from Ponyville for more than a full day. Rainbow Dash took the opportunity to let Applejack and Rarity know what had happened on their last journey to the dark lands...Needless to say, they had a hard time believing it as well.

While Twilight was gone from her castle, Spike's curiosity got the better of him and he practically begged Rainbow Dash to tell him what was going on. Since she didn't think it would change a lot, nor did she get any warnings not to tell this to anyone, she decided to fill him in as well.

Spike took the whole thing surprisingly well for some reason. He didn't even ask any additional questions, apart from "Star Swirl the Bearded? You sure it was him?"

Twilight returned to her castle late on the next day's evening. She didn't tell anyone about her return, and so the only pony that knew about her being back was the one that saw her on her way back - Rainbow Dash. It was late, and Spike was already asleep, so Rainbow Dash decided to keep her questions for tomorrow.

Between the morning and noon of the next day, Twilight was up and her eyes were already lost in the pages of another one of her books.

"Didn't you already do enough reading over the last two days?" Rainbow Dash asked as she approached Twilight from behind, startling her as a result.

"Agh!" Twilight shouted out and dropped the book she was reading. "Rainbow Dash! Don't you know how to knock?" she scolded her friend and stared at her reproachfully.

"Knock?" Rainbow Dash asked with a raised eyebrow. "I doubt you'd hear if I knocked on that giant door of yours." Rainbow Dash giggled and walked closer to Twilight. "So, found any new records about Star Swirl?"

"No..." Twilight replied, still maintaining her angry look. "But I think I have a good idea of how we might get them now."

"Man...a day and a half of searching and reading, and all you've found is just another lead?" disappointed by Twilight's reply, Rainbow Dash responded in a serious tone.

"Hey!" Twilight protested. "It's not my fault! I..."

"No, that's now what I meant," Rainbow Dash interrupted her upset friend. "What I meant to say is...All this work, all this flying around and searching for a solution, but the only thing we keep on finding is new leads and even more questions in need of answers!"

Twilight calmed herself after realizing she had clearly misunderstood Rainbow's argument.

"I mean, come on!" Rainbow Dash shouted with her hooves raised up. "Can't we get just a bit of luck for a change?" Rainbow Dash sat down heavily with her back against a wall and crossed her hooves.

Twilight walked over to her and placed a hoof on her shoulder. She stared right into her face, even though Rainbow Dash wasn't looking back at her. "Hey...I know you're upset..."

"Aren't you?" Rainbow Dash swiftly asked back and turned her attention towards Twilight. "I mean, you're the one that's been doing all the research around here...All I've done so far is just tag along, and even I'm starting to get annoyed by this whole thing!"

"Don't worry," Twilight replied in a sincere tone. "I've got a good feeling we aren't far from getting to the bottom of this!" Both ponies still hadn't broken the link between their eyes, and Rainbow Dash saw that there wasn't a trace of doubt in Twilight's eyes as she spoke.

"If you say so." Rainbow Dash stood on her four hooves again and cheered up a bit. "So what's this good idea of yours you mentioned earlier?"

"You see..." Twilight walked back to the table with her book on it.

Wasn't that the same book she was looking at right before we left for the dark lands the last time? Rainbow Dash started wondering after giving it a closer look.

"I may not have had any luck finding Star Swirl's journal, but I did happen to find out that he never let it out of his sight," Twilight gladly explained.

"Great..." Rainbow Dash said with a grumpy attitude. "So, basically, we're right back where we started?"

"What makes you think that?"

Rainbow Dash paused for a moment, unsure of whether Twilight was being serious. "You do realize that this means that his journal got trapped in stone along with him, right?"

"Of course!" Twilight happily answered. Her cheerful attitude left Rainbow Dash rather confused.

"You seem awfully cheerful considering that we have no way of recovering that journal."

"That's where you're wrong!" Twilight answered with the same confident look on her face as before.

"Huh?" and Rainbow Dash asked with the same confused look as well.

"What? Did you really think I spent nearly 30 hours just to confirm that there wasn't a journal to be found anywhere?"

Twilight's words put Rainbow Dash in a rather embarrassing situation. "Uhm...no...I just..."

"Oh you," Twilight interrupted before Rainbow Dash could come up with an excuse. "I found that out nearly right after arriving in Canterlot! I spent most of my time there trying to figure out how to acquire it," Twilight explained.

"So you're saying there's a way to get that journal?"

"Even better!" Twilight's face lit up as she revealed her intentions. "I think I've found a way to bring Star Swirl back to life!"

"No way!" excited about the news, Rainbow Dash shouted out, barely able to believe what she just heard.

"Temporarily, of course," Twilight quietly added.

"Oh..." Rainbow dash instantly calmed her excitement and got her hooves back on the ground.

"But that doesn't mean we won't be able to bring him back to life for good!" Twilight tried to reignite Rainbow's interest. "If we could just talk to him, maybe we can find out what was his initial plan and help him succeed!"

"Or succeed where he has failed," Rainbow Dash added. "That wouldn't be the first time you'd be doing that, ya know."

Twilight smiled at the compliment and even blushed a bit.

"Anywho..." Rainbow Dash continued after a short while. "Should we head out right now?"

"Yes," Twilight quickly replied. Her cheeks returned to their normal color right away. "If you're alright with coming along, that is."

"Hah!" Rainbow Dash laughed. "I can't let you have all the fun, Twilight."

That kind of response only made the smile on Twilight's face even more solid. She was very happy to hear that she wouldn't have to do this alone. "Then lets not waste another minute!" Twilight said with a tone that would befit a battlefield commander. She lifted up from the ground and was ready to fly off.

"Way ahead of ya, Twi!" Rainbow Dash saluted to her friend and bolted off through the open window. Twilight didn't hesitate to follow her.

                                                                            ***

The situation was no different from last time. The two ponies flew with the same speed, reached the dark lands in about the same amount of time, and Twilight also performed her protective barrier spell as soon as the air started getting hard to bear.

The journey was a bit easier for Twilight this time, since she had already performed the spell once before. And it's a good thing too, because she needed all the strength she could get if she wanted to break Star Swirl's curse. As the two ponies reached their destination, both of them stopped in mid air and just stared at the statue for some time.

Twilight took a deep, long breath before beginning, "Whew...alright...here we go."

Rainbow Dash moved a small distance away to give Twilight some extra room.

After another long inhale, Twilight started casting the spell. Her horn started shining brightly. It shined brighter and brighter with each second, and after that, a blinding flash of light filled the area. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and put her hoof in front of her face, taking it away and opening her eyes again after the spell was done. She didn't even need to look to realize the spell had worked, because she heard it.

"Khe, khe, khe!" a loud cough came from the pony that was still but a stone figure just seconds ago. "Huh? Wha, who, where..." The old sage started shifting his head to the right and to the left. "What in the?" he asked after looking down and seeing an unending pool of lava under him. "How..." he asked again and directed his attention to the two ponies in front of him. "Oh...I see..." he quietly said to himself.

Both Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle stared back at the pony of legends with wide eyes, but Twilight simply couldn't hold her excitement in any longer. "Aaah!" she shouted out like a young fangirl and grabbed her cheeks. "Oh my gosh! It's really him! It's Star Swirl the Bearded! I can barely believe it!"

The old unicorn looked at the overexcited mare and raised his eyebrow.

"Ahem..." Twilight quickly calmed down. She felt slightly ashamed of having reacted like that. Even Rainbow Dash got a slight smirk on her face as she watched her friend dance in the air like a filly that had just learned to fly. "Good afternoon, my name is..." Before Twilight could start a fresh conversation, Star Swirl interrupted.

"I'm sorry, but we have very little time for this nonsense!" Twilight stared back at him with an utterly confused and slightly unhappy expression. "Tell me, how long have I been trapped?"

"Uhm..." Twilight rubbed the back of her head as she tried to figure out a way to answer that question.

"Never mind," Star Swirl interrupted again and made a slightly different approach, "How old is princess Celestia?"

His alternate question could be considered both a harder and an easier one. Nevertheless, Twilight felt slightly ashamed for not knowing the answer to this one as well. "Well..." she slowly started her answer. "Can I ask you something instead?"

Star Swirl hesitated to answer. He seemed a bit confused about this, but definitely not displeased. "If it's of relevance to the matter at hand, then I see no harm in that," he politely replied. "But do so quick!" he yelled at Twilight.

Twilight ignored the harsh tone and asked right away. "Do you know anything about Luna's imprisonment on the moon?"

"No..." Star Swirl slowly replied, unsure of whether this question really wasn't out of place. "What has this got to do with anything?"

Twilight paused for a moment. She was almost afraid to answer, but Star Swirl's piercing gaze convinced her to speak up. "Then that means that you've been here for no less than a full millennium."

Star Swirl kept his eyes on Twilight's face for some time. He was almost certain that he either heard her wrong, or was being played for a fool, but the eyes of the young alicorn held no lies. "Sweet mother of mercy..." he quietly whispered and hung his head. "How is it not already too late?" he swiftly raised his head back up after a moment and asked.

There was no answer, but he wasn't expecting one. This wasn't a question that could be so easily answered. Judging by the way things were going, it seemed as though all hope was lost. The one and only lead Twilight still had seemed to have lead to a dead end. Both Twilight and Rainbow Dash kept staring at the wise, old unicorn and hoping that he would still have a solution for them...For if he didn't, then this truly would be a completely lost cause.

"I'm afraid there is nothing that can be done to save this world, young princess..." Star Swirl said in a tone full of despair.

Just like that, all hope faded away at the blink of an eye. Twilight could only sit and watch as her spell started failing, and as the hooves of her beloved scholar started slowly turning back to stone.

As Star Swirl looked at his own hooves, he realized just what spell had been used to temporarily set him free. He looked around and also noticed the white bubble around them. "I must say," he said to Twilight. "Keeping up both of these spells and still looking fighting fit...You are quite the talented magic user, Miss..."

"Twilight Sparkle," she proudly introduced herself. Even at this desperate moment, a word of praise from her idol was enough to raise Twilight's spirit, if even for just a short moment.

"Twilight Sparkle," Star Swirl finished the sentence he began before. There was still one thing on his mind - one crazy idea, one final resort when all other options had already been used up. A desperate plan that he decided to reveal after realizing there was nothing left to lose.

"Ahem...Miss Sparkle?"

"Yes?"

"You wouldn't happen to know any dragons...would you?" Star Swirl asked. All of a sudden, he got a weird feeling in his gut that kept telling him that he was about to get a positive response.

"Why, yes...Why do you ask?"

Could it really be? Star Swirl wondered. His face froze up for a moment, and he whispered a short sentence without closing his mouth, "There's still hope..." He seemed so taken by his thoughts that he barely got to snatch a book from his backpack in time, right before it turned to stone. "Here! Take this, it will explain everything!" Star Swirl pushed his journal into Twilight's hooves, and then his own hoof turned to stone right before her eyes.

"Huh? Wait! I don't..."

"Time is of the essence, Twilight Sparkle! You have the power to save Equestria!"

"Wait!" Twilight shouted, but it was already too late. By the time Star Swirl finished his last sentence, his entire body had already been turned back to stone. Come to think of it, it almost looked as though he shouted out the last word already after his face froze up.