Since Before the Stars Swirled

by The Real Darkness

Rating: teen
Tags: Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, My Little Pony: A New Generation, Starswirl the Bearded, Romance, Adventure, Equestria Girls, Sunset Shimmer, Profanity, Discord, Slice of Life, Death, Alternate Universe
Length: 47115

Shadow Aura struggles to co-exist with an Equestria he has long since not paticipated in.

Shadow Aura, living under a different name, researches infinitely in his immortality, far away, secluded, and illusioned to never be found again.

One day, Friendship touches the master mage's doorstep once more and he will never know the same world again.

This is a heavy rewrite of A Foolish Friend. Rewritten from the ground up.

Published 2023-07-20 20:50:00 UTC
Last updated 2023-07-20 20:50:00 UTC

Everything Changed

"Shadow Aura?" He heard his pen name from the front door the second his next alarm spell went off and he teleported outside his home, his large red mane wafting in the breeze around his manor.

"Twilight. Sparkle."

"How...how did you know my name?!"

"I know everything of our history, I have it written down."

"The cuti-."

"Mark map lead you here to solve a friendship problem, there is none. This is my little slice of eternity and I will not be bothered by anypony, not even the Princess of Friendship. Find your way out."

And Pulsar Splash teleported the princess out of his woods and back to her castle.

Another alarm spell was set, specifically for her.

And that entire day, she tripped the alarm spell trying to get back in, unable to teleport in.

The next day, she walked again and again even though Pulsar set a spell to teleport her back to her castle everyday.

And the one after that, a shield was flung over her castle, barring her from exiting.

But Twilight Sparkle got crafty and she instead sent in a friend, Starlight Glimmer, who did manage to get past everything and the doorstep alarm triggered again. Pulsar Splash teleported back to the front of his manor and the moment he did, Twilight Sparkle was summoned out of an orb in Starlight's levitate spell. A pocket dimension to sneak past his specific triggers.

"How the fuck...Starlight Glimmer," he glared.

"So this is Shadow Aura? A lot less mannered than I thought he would be," the unicorn observed at the master mage.

He cleared his throat, "Twilight, I see you are crafty, crafty enough to be a thorn in my side," she pipped at the words,"I can see this being an ongoing issue and your constant interruptions to research would be an unwelcome occurance."

"Now you're just using polite words in your rude remarks," Starlight Glimmer grinned.

"My magic enchantments to keep you out have been removed, now what is it you'd like?"

"Like I said!" The purple unicorn strained her words to show her annoyance, "the map sent me here for a friendship problem and I think I've found it."

"Me?" Pulsar Splash gestured to himself.

"Yes! You've been isolated for Celestia knows how long! You need to get out there and make friends."

"I very much like my contributions to Equestria's magical knowledge in this manner."

"Noooo, it's time for you to meet somepony!" Starlight Glimmer spoke up this time and teleported the stallion mage far from his home.

"But...but I have a spell to prevent that," Shadow Aura, the pony hidden with a moniker mumbled to himself.

And Pulsar Splash found himself in the very room with the cutie mark map, he immediately began trotting about it in circles, observing it with his horn lit and a crystal from the walls already transmuted into paper and a quill.

"He's...a studious one, isn't he?" Rarity spoke up.

"I don't know if I like what he's doin'," Applejack followed with a worried look over her muzzle.

"He's just doing what every magic researcher has always done," Starlight Glimmer rolled her eyes, "too much like Sunburst if you ask me."

Pulsar raised his head to the unicorn, "I am nothing like that half-assed mage who can't even keep a checkbook balanced let alone write an efficient spell!" She had got him right in his pride like a needle into his hooves.

"What did you say about Sunburst?!" Starlight Glimmer charged her horn.

Shadow Aura smiled, if there was one thing the pompous unicorn enjoyed doing, was proving himself and flexing his horn.

Especially so since it had been more than a thousand years since he talked with somepony. His horn bled a grey light into the whole of the room, blinding anypony who dared to look at the magically polished horn of his.

The light was even sent down the hall through the door cracks, causing Spike to rush and open the chamber doors just to lose his eyesight.

"Is this a duel you're challenging me to? For his honor?" Pulsar grinned.

"I...uh I-I,"

"Didn't know you would obey the unwritten laws of ancient unicorns," Starlight's horn dimmed and Pulsar Splash let his magic seep from the tip of his horn back into his body, "a wise decision. I am nothing like the researchers Equestria has working in magic. I'm a master mage, I research the things nopony would dare in Equestria," and his head was propped up a little all on his own.

"And this is why I asked you girls here, I don't this I can handle this pony on my own."

"Twilight, what do you mean?" Fluttershy questioned.

Pinkie Pie chose to sit in silence, she had no idea how to interact with an ancient pony, especially when she didn't know his birthday.

"Well, Fluttershy, I'm certain of it now. We need to help make him some friends."

"I'm only here so you can attempt whatever you will and I can go back to my peaceful life."

"Well, we can always start with him meeting somepony that might get along with him."

And Pulsar Splash grimaced, he hated chatting with ponies back then, why would it be different now.

And so it began, he met with many...many...many ponies and with zero interest. Prince Blueblood was first because they both found each other to be so pompous.

Though, at heart, Pulsar Splash was never a pony with a big head, just a lot of pride in his magic and he wanted to come off as annoying as possible so everypony would leave him alone.

"Okay, you've met blueblood, Zecora, my brother, Trixie, Maud, Big Mac, and so many other ponies I can't remember their names...this is impossible! Why can't you just be open minded?!" Twilight screamed at the pony as the trotted the streets of Ponyville.

"Glad you see it my way, all my friends are dead, leave me be to my own pages. Magic is my only interest now."

And that's when an alarm went off in Twilight's head and they were both teleported immediately to Fluttershy's cottage.

"Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Can you get him to Discord's home?!"

"Dis...cord?" The first hint of curiousity Pulsar Splash displayed.

"Oh...um, sure."

Flutershy retrieved a charm discord gifted her with once upon a time and blew it like a whistle, an orange portal opened and Twilight physically shoved the unicorn in, the gate closing behind him.

And his home laid right in from of him, no where to go, no known way to get back, at least not without Discord's help.

He was also curious about the unique being, he had never met him back then and maybe there would be something they could relate about...maybe.

He knocked and Discord called from within, "Flutershy?! Oh you can come right on in!"

He was silent...and eventually Discord opened the door with a giant grin only to frown when he saw the unicorn.

"Who...wait!" He summoned some book...definitely untitled...and it's pages were even blank, but he flipped through it just as quickly all the same, "Pulsar Splash! Friend...ex-friend of Starswirl! The master mage who disappeared just before Celestia and Luna took power...surely you saw me get defeated the first time to them! I didn't have a picture of you to consult and you look a little different since the first time we chatted all those moons ago. Did you do something with your horn?"

"Discord, while I know you are a being of pure chaos, I need you to address me as Shadow Aura to other ponies."

The draconequus teleported the unicorn inside and onto the upside down couch of his immediately.

"There we go, comfy now, right? I'll keep your secret, Pulsar, no need to worry," he grinned, Discord was well known for his monologues and the moment Pulsar Splash opened his mouth, "so, why didn't you just tell those six that I planted those seeds? How come you didn't help Celestia and Luna defeat me? Where were you when-," Discord smiled.

"It's be-,"

"You're immortal! Finally I have my own forever friend."

Pulsar Splash found him slightly annoying, but he was entertaining the idea of keeping him around as an acquaintance.

"Discord...how is it that your magic...functions, again?" Pulsar transmuted more paper and a quill for more notes, wanting to check and see if maybe he had more information himself since he two vacations in a statue.

Socializing with ponies was becoming a good point of information collection, and Pulsar was slowly coming around...but he scrunched his brow as Discord began his explainations and remembered the pains of...talking.

Some ponies could be so exhausting to just speak with, even when the conversation is an interesting topic, not like it was with Starswirl or Dingy Coat. They always knew how to add a lightness to all their serious conversations.

It was as if harsh sarcasm meant you were an evil pony now, but the language he spoke could be very different from modernized languages.

Pulsar Splash was at least now open to the idea of talking with somepony, but Discord's habits were already grinding him down after hours of conversation.

"Discord, I must get going, could you-."

"Show you the way out?" He snapped and an orange portal appeared all the same, "of course!"

Pulsar went through the portal, landing right back at Twilight's castle...right at the cutie map with only Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer present.

"The pompous unicorn is back," Starlight announced.

"There's no need to be so rude, ex-tyrant," he hoped to sting back at Starlight, but in a playful manner and she sulked. Not the exact response he hoped for.

"You were gone for quite a while, Shadow Aura," Twilight looked up from her book.

Pulsar teleported his notes back home to be sorted and poured over later, "I had banished the prospect of meeting Discord, but his personality is tiresome at length. Is there somepony similar to him? Maybe somepony who can talk at length about magic or similar research?"

Twilight looked at the table in a shortlived stoicism, "Starlight, do you think I can trust him with the mirror?"

"The mirror that Starswirl banished the sirens to? The one that had such a magic anomaly it almost collapsed our universes into each other?" Pulsar seemed visibly excited.

"A student as much as a scholar," Starlight observed.

"Well, clearly you know about it...you know more than any other pony alive. Do you know who Sunset Shimmer is?" Starlight looked to her teacher with an inquisitive look.

"I...don't," Pulsar answered, his mind was already busy and drunk on the idea of a new world filled with new knowledge.

"Then you may use the mirror. You may want to make a few preparations," Pulsar shook his head.

"I always keep a backup rune on me for emergencies, it's warded to prevent magic loss or use by anypony but me," Pulsar Splash began to canter through the castle, Twilight and Starlight quickly following after him, "I know where this mirror is, always figured I'd need your permission to ever use it and now that I do...I may be gone for a couple days."

"Wh...what?" Twilight stuttered, this was a completely different stallion, it's as if his stubbornness melted away.

They arrived at the mirror chamber and Pulsar Splash put his horn to Twilight's, "apologies for the intimate intrusion," and he copied some alarms to her, "I put you in charge of my magic alarms over my residence, feel free to utilize my library as a return favor, but do not re-organize anything, put it exactly back the same, disorganized way I had it," Pulsar activated the mirror with a blush still on Twilight's face.

"Shadow Aura! Wait a moment!"

"Magic researchers have no need for social boundaries, welcome to the world, Twilight Sparkle. Apologies again for that interaction," Pulsar passed through the mirror and went through the rainbow tunnel down into this different world.

It took him a few moments to come to, but once he did, he saw the giant brick building in front of him, "a university already?"

And he looked at himself, "bipedal primate like body...clothing...sophisticated. I suppose I was adjusted to fit this world," Pulsar Splash saw the lab coat, khakis, and dress shirt he all wore and in his left pocket, his rune sat, so his hand slipped in and kept a grip on it.

His head swivelled, this was a world dominated by technology, that much he could tell, he could not sense any magic, even after using his rune as a sensitive focus.

"Right...friendship or whatever...but first, magic research."

He began walking right up to the school and very quickly he was beset upon by someone, "you! Stop!"

A man, dressed in some official uniform jogged to him from behind the statue, "I have no idea how you got past me, but I was instructed to guide all visitors myself to Principal Celestia's office," Pulsar knew this would be an interesting world already.

With new, maybe fun social constructs in it. But the idea of Clestia as a measly school principal intrigued the unicorn.

So, Pulsar Splash went along with it while he was led into the building and to her office, the security personnel stepped out and left down the hall he guided Pulsar down.

"Another trespasser," she sighed, "so, he said on the radio that you got right by him and were suddenly at the statue coming up to the school."

"It's obvious you're an Equestrian," this looked striking like her, for all intents, she is Celestia in a different life, "so what are you doing here? Is this an accident."

"Celestia."

"Principal Celestia," she glared.

"Listen, where I hail from, you're a princess and I'm older than you, I have no idea why this world didn't reflect my actual age, but that's magic for you," she blinked and opened her mouth, "Princess Twilight Sparkle sent me here, rather I mostly sent myself, to learn about friendship and I guess to better integrate back into Equestrian life."

"Then why send you here?" She looked inquisitive now.

"Well, in Equestria, I am the most talented mage and would have kept her at bay indefinitely, so instead, I decided to entertain her notion for a single attempt at friendship and so she sent me here, where I am on an almost equal level to others."

She stood silently for quite a while, staring at Pulsar, "I see. I'm sure you know this is a school."

"It appeared to be some kind of university, very well built," Celestia laughed at his interpretation.

"No no, this is a high school. Canterlot High School to be precise. I see no reason to enroll you or send you to classes, you seem far above our education levels. I'll give you free reign as long as you don't interrupt classes of learning here at CHS," Pulsar bowed in thanks to her as part of a habitual reaction.

"Thank you, Principal Celestia, I appreciate having your blessing to walk these halls, I'll be exploring shortly and will ensure I do not disrupt the activities here, you have my bond," Pulsar Splash spoke quickly on his way out before shutting the door quietly.

He got what he needed, an authority's agreement for him to roam, that's all he needed.

"Wa-," the last thing Celestia got out and he didn't even care.

While the school was definitely interesting to him, he would wait until after classes to explore it, firstly was the city. Promptly after this affirmation enter Pulsar Splash's head, he teleported using his rune to the street in front of the school and began walking down it.

As Told By the Stars

"Hmm, this town is starting to bore me...so much technology, but yet still, not enough new knowledge."

"Their applications could be useful, I guess."

Pulsar ruminated to himself, closing his eyes as he began walking back toward the school, thinking back on how he could use some of their perspectives for new spells, efficient magics, it wasn't like this place was without new ideas for him, but it beg-.

"There you are," a deep feminine voice came behind him while a hand landed on his shoulder and his mind was filled with the memories of his arrivals and happenings here, "left Celestia as soon as you got her permission, huh?"

Pulsar Splash tried to teleport, but his magic was gone, sucked away from his rune when he attempted the spell, he tried again and the same action occured.

"You're...you're a unicorn," he breathed out before smiling, "and...you're overriding my locks."

"Princess Twilight said you were coming, but you are a lot more mischievous than she let on," her hand stayed on Pulsar Splash's shoulder.

And soon the memories flooded Pulsar Splash's mind of when he first casted his immortality spell, "and...looks like you're hiding something."

Pulsar Splash whipped about and readied his rune for offensive magic, "who do you think you are?!"

"You should know, you're the immortal eye over Equestria."

"Sunset...Sunset Shimmer, ex-student of Princess Celestia, fallen from grace. I see you had access to the restricted section," he did a mind read spell on her to gather information.

"Starswirl's journal mentioned you, Pulsar Splash. Your name change was mentioned in it as well, you're really trying to cover up your sin, huh?" She approached him and grabbed his rune, controlling the magic to rest itself back in the artifact.

"You're well versed in magic despite no having been a unicorn in years," Pulsar Splash observed, intrigued by this pony in front of him, "I redacted my new moniker from it..how did you ever manage to figure that out?"

"You searched all over this town for something interesting to study and the most intersting thing of your day was me," she smirked, "Princess Twilight, I owe you for this wonderful occassion. Listen, silly, your ways of spellcraft and handwriting, the logic you use...you read enough and you learn about a someone's habits and when something is their work or not. Those reactions had your magic all in it of course."

Pulsar gripped the rune tightly and ripped it out of her hands before he took off running toward the school. Sunset Shimmer could easily keep pace, the master mage could not use this new body as effectively as her and teleporting would be useless if she could use the magic from his rune, too...and if she could search through his memories, there must have been a lot more she could do.

Only after a minute or two of running did Pulsar stop in a heavy pant, "yeeeah, figured you'd come to that conclusion. You're here to learn friendship, so you might as well stick around and give up on running."

"Where....are those other...six?" He heaved out.

"Nowhere close, they don't even know you're here. You don't seem like one to socialize so I figured this was the best way to get you to co-operate, Pulsar Splash," a knowing smile crossed her face.

It was as if politics of old were right in front of him again, "what do you want?"

"To keep your identity a secret? I want you to stay here for a full week," she outright demanded, still expecting a heavy resistance from the uni-.

"Done," her expression changed to one of shock, "I know when I've been bested and somehow you bested me without even the need for proper magic."

"Wow...smart with common sense, too. How is it you stay away from ponies?" Sunset Shimmer spun him around and clapped his back, prompting him to walk down the street with her, "you'd be quite a hit with a lot of unicorn mares."

"I actually was, way back then. It was a constant battle to keep mares away, for Starswirl and I at least. It was awful when they discovered where my tower was," Sunset was making him reminense quite well, "but they were all just distractions from my true pursuit of magic."

"Well, you accomplished that now, with that immortality spell you wrote. Soooo, why not now?" She asked.

"I...magic research never stops."

"True, but haven't you got an eternity? Albeit you might outlive some, why not make memories?" She posed a different notion and Pulsar Splash fell quiet.

Maybe he had grown into an anti-social bitter pony who could not stand others from all his isolation. That would make him some kind of mentally ill, but his fortitude was something he prided himself on. He came to a second conclusion.

Sunset Shimmer was a very wise...somepony to be so direct and straightforward about it all.

"Something on your mind? Celestia would make a similar face."

"Guess where she got it from."

"Starswirl? And that was a thing between you two? And Dingy Coat?"

The mage stopped, staring up at the clouds, "Dingy Coat."

The master mage dug through his hair and retrieved a small vial of white liquid that was kept tied to the hairs close to his scalp, "Dingy Coat, I was always kind of jealous of him."

"Sorry, bad memory?"

"He was the best alchemist Equestria ever knew and so many of his projects were lost. Every Saturday of mine is dedicated to performing the same experiments he discussed to rediscover and publish his works under his name to be found once more."

"Some of Starswirl's journal in the restricted section...it mentioned a lot of your exploits, especially how much mayhem all three of you caused at King Bullion's and Princess Platinum's balls."

Pulsar laughed...aloud and continued walking. It was a strange sensation, "Sunset, you may end up coming back to Equestria with me. You're a breath of fresh air," Pulsar was slipping back into his old self talking with her.

"Thanks!" She smiled wide while they began walking into the other side of town, the commerical area, "so, you think staying isolated for more than a thousand years changed you?"

"No, not exactly. It was when Starswirl rejected me as he rejected all those ideas of lower thinking mages. Friends can just toss you the moment you've become something they despise."

"Yeah, I know...I uh, kinda caused that to happen to some people and felt it firsthand."

"I see, that explains why you don't see me as some huge asshole who made the laws of nature his plaything."

Sunset laughed, "I didn't make myself immortal, but I almost marched on Equestria as a demon with an army, but you would have stopped me right?"

"Actually...no. I decided to not take part in Equestria's history, but to only dedicate my knowledge to her and her inhabitants, so they can live better lives."

"That's noble...you've definitely lived an interesting life," Sunset looked to the mage, "I didn't expect to talk with you this well."

"Well, you were very much like a metaphorical slap in my muzzle. You're making me question everything I've built in the last thousand years. If I only stonewalled you...neither of us would find the week passing quickly, so why not indulge you some. It's also a great learning opportunity. "

"Is this what's called a mid-life crisis?" Sunset chuckled.

"I suppose so. Are you still gonna make me stay a week here?"

"Absolutely. You're already this interesting to me. So, tell me, what has Equestria seen since I left?"

Pulsar Splash began filling her in on all the adventures Twilight Sparkle had, how Celestia and Luna grew and much more that happened during the time she was gone.

"My, they're quite busy...but, what have you done?" Pulsar grew quiet at the mention.

"Nothing quite so grand, huh? Have you ever thought of even going on such a big adventure as everypony else does?"

"That would involve Equestria and I co-."

"That's a poor excuse, Pulsar Splash," he didn't want to admit it, but he enjoyed being challenged by this ex-student.

He even grew a fondness for her company and conversation, she was the pony that did draw out who he really was after all, very much like his past two best friends.

"Yeah...I really did just grow into this bitter pony when Starswirl tossed me out," the rune left his pocket to be stared at in front of him, "it's time I live again, huh?"

"Equestria has been deprived of a most important pony and only by sheer luck...and Twilight, has it survived. You're a line of defense there, Pulsar, even if you don't know it."

"I see why the cutiemark map sent Twilight to me. Sunset, why take the time to even try and change my mind?"

"You remind me of some old tutors I had once
growing up...it was fun to talk informally to someone like them," she smirked, "and because I was like that for a while, not nearly as long as you, but afraid of interacting with people again."

And so they talked and they talked. Pulsar Splash learned more of Sunset Shimmer and of the new world they were walking the streets in. He felt ready to go back to Equestria, but he had made a deal to stay in this world for a week, and no unicorn worth his salt goes back on his word.

"I admit, I didn't expect you to be this open, Pulsar."

"I like you, you're just good company," Sunset smiled at first at his words before she stared at the vial he still held.

"So...what's that?" She pointed.

He raised the vial, "well...it was made a really, really long time ago. It's an alchemical recipe I've never been able to replicate."

"But...what is it?"

"Hold on, mare, I'm getting to that point," Sunset felt...timid at his response, he didn't see her as exactly a friend.

If she learned anything over the years, it's that people choose their words on purpose whether they know it or not and this connation meant more.

"It can be rubbed as a salve, drank, diffused...everything still has the same effect. Dingy Coat made it, picked a silly name, too. It can cure any disease, illness, prevent death from any wound. He called it Sacred Solvent."

"That's...a lost Equestrian knowledge, then. Why haven't you released knowledge of it?"

"It's in the restricted library in Canterlot, only as small recording that it exists, not anyhing more on how to make it or what it is composed of. Dingy Coat...he went through a lot of failures that I and Starswirl had to bail him out of when he tried to make it."

"Oh...how long did it take him to make it?" Sunset inquired and held her hand out to ask to hold the vial.

Pulsar Splash stopped walking and held it up so she could see it more clearly, "took him twenty years working on and off to make it. It's a very special recipe. He even had to ask Starswirl and I to pull some strings for him to make it, used to be more, but we had to use a lot during a crisis nopony knew about."

"Could I see it?" Sunset held her hand out with a smile.

"Sorry...it's too important to lose," Pulsar solemnly said.

Sunset's cheeks took on a tint as her curiosity got the better of her and she held his hand that gingerly gripped the vial and moved it closer to her eyes and then against the sun.

There were specs of constantly changing colors, glimmering in the sunlight of this liquid. She had the impression there was something magical in it, but she couldn't deduce what it was at all.

"It definitely looks interesting...what crisis did you use it in?" Her attention was directed to the liquid and all the hues swirling in it.

"When the Crystal Empire first disappeared, there was nopony aware that it went for the first day, Sombra planted corruption in the snow and that coruption was spreading at an alarming rate."

"Sacred Solvent was the only thing that could treat it?" Sunset guessed.

"Of course! Nopony had seen this magic and when Dingy Coat made the suggestion, the crystals covered in it vanished...just vanished with the liquid as if it had never happened."

"What about that healer legend? Mystical Mask?" Sunset Shimmer questioned.

"She...she um...didn't come close to what Dingy Coat could do. A lot of our knowledge was lost during the tragedies Equestria faced and a lot of it hidden or locked away as we know the current Equestria back then could not handle that kind of information responsibly."

"So...why not make it available now?" She smiled.

"Hidden away meant Dingy Coat and Starswirl both hid their research and didn't tell anypony where it was, not even me. Sometimes we would share our research amongst each other if we thought it was safe enough, but a lot of times, we jsut shared the struggle of our pursuits. My knowledge ends up in the main libraries and most often Princess Twilight's library as she is always going through it, it's bound to be discovered."

"And you're still not on good terms with the Princess?"

"No...she's much too excited for knowledge and doesn't focus up. The excitement comes in the application, not the research."

"Still sounds like you would have gotten along."

"Maybe I could tolerate her..."

Pulsar Splash pulled his hand out of Sunset's, who until now was enamoured with the Sacred Solvent. Pulsar reached into his hair and tied it back close to his scalp once more. He hadn't mastered the use of his fingers so he used his magic to tie it for him.

Sunset withdrew from the conversation and the two walked quietly down the street.

Interferring Elsewhere

Sunset and Pulsar had carried on down the street for quite a while with no words said, reaching the commercial area and going even further, even to the point they ended up in upper class residential houses.

"You'll get sick of hearing this, but it reminds me of all my time spent as fledgling mage, researching away. I'd go for these outtings often with other ponies."

Sunset was silent.

"And we'd just continue on for as long as we wanted and teleport back when we were finished. It was an infinite thing, there was always somepony trotting the same paths through the wilderness, always some mage looking for mental clarity, to unwind, to clear their head, or to hit the next epiphany in their research."

The fiery girl still did not respond.

"Something on your mi-."

"Sunseeeet!" It was a voice familiar to both of them. A Rarity, at least of this parallel world came bounding down out of a house that obviously suited her and she beamed at the two of them, "oh darling, did you snag a new man? He's quite a catch."

"I-I..." Sunset shied.

"Joking! Just joking! He looks too sophisticated for you, but maybe not for me," Rarity held her hand out and Pulsar looked to it for a second or two before shaking it, "Rarity, pleased to meet you."

"Pu-Shadow Aura, I've met your parallel universe half, Rarity."

"Ooooo, an Equestrian," Sunset looked like she was internally steaming at the purple headed fashionista, "we haven't seen Twilight in a loooong time. What brings you to us?"

Rarity gestured them to go into her home and they began walking up her driveway, "Princess Twilight sent me."

"Judging from Sunset's reaction, I imagine something is wrong there?" Sunset kept her head down, her eyes staring at the groun and at her name she sprung up, brought out of her daze.

"Not at all. Princess Twilight simply sent me here for the goal of having me make a friend and integrate back into Equestrian life and occurences."

"Integrate? Make a friend here? None of that logic makes any sense," Rarity spoke.

"He's immortal, Rarity. Twilight sent him here because she believed my personality would mesh well with his," Sunset explained.

Pulsar looked to her, a little shocked she chose to speak for him. In the age he lived, every unicorn was expected to defend themself in social conversation.

The world must have changed a lot then if they do this here and Twilight adapted so well to it.

Then Equestria is similar to here in some manner, so talking with ponies shouldn't be nearly as much as a headache as he first imagined, but he still concluded he'd rather do away with the uncessary frivolties altogether.

"Oh..." Rarity's spunk drained right out of her, "no matter!" And a quick recovery, "Welcome to this side, Shadow Aura, a pleasure to have you," the three of them entered her home and were ushered to the immediate sitting area, just two loveseats across from each other with a tea set in between on a marble topped coffee table.

"So, what do you usually eat, Shadow Aura?" Rarity asked.

"I...don't quite know how to answer that. May I borrow your lawn, Rarity?"

"You...eat grass?" She was taken back, "I've...even Twi-. I'm being a rude host, I suppose there are some patches that could get a trim."

Pulsar Splash dug into his lab coat pocket and lifted his rune up, he began using it and Sunset placed her hand over it with a tint and started canceling his spell.

"W-what?" She muttered, "hey! I don't know this spell! What are you casting!" Knowledge of how a spell worked was crucial to cutting off someone's attempted cast through a focus.

That was advanced knowledge of itself, but this was beyond that, it was something only master mages could figure out quick enough to cancel.

"Sorry, this is something I developed far before we started relying on the earth ponies for food," Pulsar pointed out Rarity's front door and saplings began growing from the manicured lawn, mulch around them, it was still a perfect front yard, even with Pulsar's intervention.

And when the plants reached maturity, oranges, lemons, bananas, and more began growing, "I eat an incredibly sugar rich diet with a lot of vitamins. These plants contain all the dietary supplement one could need and will continue to live indefinitely."

Pulsar Splash teleported some of the fresh fruit inside and began devouring citrus after citrus, talking between bites, "oranges and lemons have always been my favorite and even became a source of light poking at me," the juices from the orange he was currently consuming dripped down to his chin before being cleaned free via magic, "Shadow Aura! All that fruit is the true reason why you're so bitter!" The mage spoke in a mocking voice.

"Wha...how did he?" Rarity was looking over the fruit and took a bite to meet the best tasting banana she ever met.

"I don't know! I'm still trying to figure out how he did it! No unicorn has ever been able of casting something this...this...ourageous!"

Pulsar Splash withdrew his rune from Sunset's hand and put it into his pcoket again, having peeled all the fruit and eating it still.

"I...I want to go see your research, your manor! I need to know what else you can do!" Sunset stared sternly at him.

"I...uh..."

"Sunset! You can't just invite yourself to a gentleman's house! You need to let him get to know you!" Rarity again made a romance joke aimed at the two of them.

"Rarity, I barely know anything of love and romance. I didn't do any of those things at any balls I went to."

"Sorry, dearie, those are mostly aimed at her. Just look at little Sunset," she gestured with her hand and all Pulsar Splash could see was a red faced Sunset hiding her face in her hands.

Pulsar...laughed, a chuckle escaped out of his lips. The feeling didn't even feel foreign, "oh...how I remember now," he kept a look on her, "Sunset, if you are as inquisitive as you say you are, you may visit my estate. Just be warned that if you ever try to visit on your own, my enchantments will prove very troublesome."

Sunset kept a red blush to her face, "really?"

"Yes."

She smirked, "then how did Twilight make it through?"

"That alicorn...she had been studying my spells since she was a filly. Right from the canterlot library. Of course she'd make it through, she read everything I published," Pulsar took a sour face, "well...not everything. There's some hidden things in the restricted section."

"Oh! Oh! You mean!" Rarity was very much feeling like the broccoli on a child's plate. Sunset had run to the kitchen and came back with a bottle of mustard and a napkin, beginning to draw something on it.

"Sunset, is that necess-."

"Hold on, Rarity! This could be the chance for a magical discovery of a lifetime!" Sunset finished and withdrew from the napkin that laid on the coffee table.

Pulsar paled at the illustration, "something like this, right?!"

"Su-Sunset...you didn't tell anypony about that, right?" Pulsar stuttered.

Sunset looked to him, concerned, but more curious than anything.

"That incantation circle is the mother of all dark magics ever created."

"What?!" Rarity shouted, "get rid of it!"

"It's harmless unless you know how to use it," Pulsar Splash clarified, "I only left it there as the symbol, no context, hidden in the archive machine and only accessible by a certain combination of inputs. It was only meant to be found by those who had the most awareness of their surroundings...so they would know it was meant to be a secret."

"You...made it? Shadow Aura, how?"

"It um...I made it using a bunch of different research. I'll never divulge that. It was the abse of the spell that I cat for my immortality."

And silence went over the room. Pulsar Splash was quick to levitate the napkin into the garbage.

Complete quiet.

"Yeah...I indirectly created dark magic."

Sunset Shimmer looked to him, "then...you made it possible."

"Made what possible?"

"My demonization and the corruption of the element of magic. I used that symbol as a base, too, it was drawn over on my back."

"Is it still there?" Pulsar Splash went to physically check before Sunset withdrew and shook her head, "good. That symbol would leave yourself suceptible to dark magics. Someone could easily charm you."

Pulsar looked directly at Rarity, "immortality has been one of the reasons I've secluded myself and it seems I was still able to do harm here."

"Darling, you've indirectly interferred here and you're doing so now. Look around. What of your interferring changed this place?"

Pulsar Splash was hit with the second existential question in one day. It was like his entire identity of the previous two thousand years came into question. He stood and made his way to the door.

"Wait! You can't jus-."

"I'll be here for the week," Sunset grabbed his arm regardless of his words and upon the first touch he teleported to the sidewalk and began walking down it.

"My house is just down the street from the school! It's an apartment! The landlady will let you in if you mention my name! I got an extra bed to crash on!"

"My window has a lava lamp in it!" She shouted louder to ensure he could hear him. The last thing Sunset wanted was for him to sleep outside.

A Dedication to Finalization

"Sunset Shimmer! I understand you like him, but you can't just be inviting just any guy to your home! What if-."

"He's not just any guy! He's literally the most powerful mage in all Equestria!"

"That title means nothing here," Rarity floofed her hand into the air, dismissing the respect she had for him earlier.

"That's true, but it means he can be trusted. He's spent thousands of years dedicating his research to his people."

"He spent thousands of years isolated. I'm just trying to watch out for you, darling."

Sunset Shimmer walked back in and sat down on the loveseat, the door gently swinging close behind her.

Just a moment of silence before conversation picked up again.

"Rarity, I...I'm pretty sure I like him."

"I could tell," Rarity picked up her phone and sent out a single text to a group chat.

Girls, we need to talk. Come to my house.

Pulsar Splash had decided to just head to the school, it was far after hours and only a few extra curicular activities were going on there, He opened the front door without saying a word to any of the students lounging around on the grass, even after some whispers about him were going around.

He looked about the halls, students were still there chatting, which may have been normally, he didn't know.

He never had any formal schooling, in fact he developed the first curicular for magic studies of unicorns, before that, it was all home taught and magic expertise varied wildly.

That reminded him. His parents had died and he was still quite alive, his mind romaed around that topic while he went down a familiar path, but to a different room. His mother and father both died while he was still a filly, they never made it back home from an evening stroll while he was being babysat. His father used to be chamberlain to he got raised by Princess Platinum's caregivers as well.

And when he grew up, he eventually became a magic advisor to King Bullion while Starswirl had much more time to himself to research and do the actual magics, Pulsar became a member of the court at an exceedingly young age and still advised the two sisters upon magic at a young age, even taught some of their base magic understanding before he casted the spell and decided to isolate himself. And now, he was thinking about a mare all day.

He resolved that life can change quicker than he could process at times.

Pulsar Splash entered Vice Principal's Luna's office. He figured if there was any way to be left unbothered by people, it was here. He could freely think and there was even guaranteed paper and pencil to think out his thoughts better.

Luna was known to be a formidable pony, even since she was a filly, in this world it was likely to be true as well.

"Now that I have some quiet and alone time, let's see what I can think out."

Pulsar Splash began searching around the room for empty paper and a writing utensil of some kind, using his rune the entire time while speaking to himself, "alright. Obviously it is okay to interfere with the natural going sof things. Social interactions should certainly be acceptable and my magical contributions to Equestria should be well appreciated and haven't had a catatrophic impact in my world, but here."

He had found some paper, but now he was attempting to identify a writing utensil.

"Sunset Shimmer began a demon because of my work...I know that is the result of her adapting my base incantation to suit her needs. I don't beleive I ahve responsibility for it."

"As long as nopony duplicates my immortality spell, I cna undo anything that arises from my interactions, that should be easy enough."

He found a pen, close enough to a quill, in Luna's office. The papers were laid out to overlay over each other and he levitated the pen around to begin writing and planting a magic symbol on it, "but since I'm still concerned and I have my suspicions," the symbol he made was the base for any mind and some charm magic, "I'll ask her if what this sensation is as my intuition says."

He planted his hands to the rune and held it over the circular table and began focusing, the symbol lit brightly with his magic before going to a cyan glow after a while, signalling a connection. He was condusting a physical telepathy, the easiest kind, but an amazing feat since he did so across parallel worlds.

"Huh, what?! Who's there?! Who is talking to me?!"

"Princess Cadenza, this is Shadow Aura."

"The mystery spell crafter? Waaaait, didn't Twilight talk with you."

"I see she's spreading the knowledge of my existence around, wonderful. Yes, this is Shadow Aura, however I have questions for you regarding the magic generated by love."

"I see, let me close my court," the clopping of hooves could be heard from the incantation circle in front of him, "how may I assist you, esteemed researcher."

"I appreciate the compliment and your support in reading my works, Princess Cadenza."

"Call me Cadence, now...what was it about love magic you wanted to know?"

"Princess Cadenza," Pulsar asserted, it was a habit from his age, "I felt a sensation earlier today...and since then I've had such a mare on my mind. It's very unlike myself as I have kept myself isolated and if Celestia or-," he cleared his throat, "I come from a time where courting was treated very differently, as I'm sure you know."

She chuckled during his pause.

"It's...I have never taken any interest in a mare as they've always been drawn to me for my horn, for my excellency in magic and my court position before Equestria formally united. How can I be sure that I'm interested in her and she's interested in me for a different purpose?"

"Well, you're in a place where magic does not occur naturally and I can be certain you are interested in her. She's been on your mind and a source of concern. Showing and having concern and care for another pony is love. Love can come in many different forms."

"And-."

"This is a romantic kind of love. The love you have for friends is being ready to stand with them, sharing their struggles...but showing a special interest in getting to know someone. Showing affection or tenderness to them can be a good indicator of them, let alone freely giving or sharing without feeling like there is a risk. That's the best way I can define it for you to understand."

"I see."

Cadence laughed aloud again, "I always wanted to see what it was like to interrupt a stuffed unicorn from back then."

"I-...I'm not that pretentious!"

"I'm only teasing you, Shadow Aura. Was this the only thing you needed?"

"Yes, thank you Princess Cadenza."

"Formality is bred into you I suppose. Why...why are you using such a primitive telepathy for a unicorn of your abilities?"

"I'm on the other side of your mirror."

"That's quite impressive. Take care, Shadow Aura. I wish you luck in your romantic endeavors."

And the door soon opened while the spell was cancelled and Pulsar stopped pushing magic into it.

"Hmm, I was expecting a student planning something mischeivious when my door alarm went off on my phone, but instead I find you. I suppose you are the visiting Equestrian," Luna stood at the door before coming in and closing it, "and casting a spell none the less. Why did I hear Cadence's voice? What were you doing?"

She was just as intimidating, but Pulsar had helped teach the parallel's at such a young age, he kept a professional and posture of authority.

"And somehow even here you remind me of my first days at court. I was contacting back to Equestria to ask Cadence for advice, she's a Princess and is often sought advice from as a specialist of a rather broad topic."

"And you chose my room?"

"I needed a quiet place that would afford me no interruptions, your office seemed natural given your imposing nature," Pulsar Splash reverted the paper and pen to their earlier forms before teleporting them away nice and neat, "like I was never here."

"Watch your step, Shadow Aura. You are a guest here and represent Equestria."

Pulsar nodded and left the room, Luna following and locking it, "do you have somewhere to stay?"

"Sort of? I was invited, but I can always make my own beds wherever I need."

"Try to keep your magic to a minimum," Luna took a sticky note out and wrote on it before handing it to him, "our address, we have a guest room in case you need to use it during your stay."

Luna left down a different hall without another word while Pulsar Splash left the school, odd stares inside until he opened the door.

"That's one piece of information sorted out. And more. Why was I here to learn about friendship anyways? I already knew about it," a habit of his.

He looked about and swore he could see some similar ponies still hanging at the school..well, their parallels at least.

"While I've had time to calm on down and think over some things...I suppose shed would need it as well and judging from her reactions to me," he walked into the parking lot, seeing some student vehicles still there, "she might need more than I do."

He climbed under a vehicle and brushed his fingers onto hsi rune, teleporting himself to the top of the school, "then again, what do I know? How would I be able to say I've solved my own emotions?"

The mage glanced around the city, looking at everyone and everybody, not a single one could see him due to the invisiblity spell he cast, "I'm the most inexperienced as this kind of shit," he teleported himself down to the students and grasped a leather clad shoulder, hands busy with a guitar.

Pulsar Splash tracked through his memories of streets before he found what he needed to in order to identify the places he was given.

The student almost fell over, "Flash, you 'aight, man?"

"Just..jsut a bit lightheaded," he looked behind him and Pulsar was already walking away, still invisible, "coulda sworn someone touched my shoulder."

"Thanks for the tip, Sunset Shimmer," Pulsar whispered and made himself visble once he got around the statue.

He was getting more resolved in one decision, but he just really needed to push himself.

"I found him!" He heard a voice shout and immediately broke into a clumsy sprint, looking behind him to see.

This world's equivalent of Rainbow Dash and he stopped.

"Kinda stupid to run from you I guess. Could you not shout?" Passerbys stared at them, "I don't enjoy undue attention."

"You're Shadow Aura, aren'tcha?" He nodded, "been looking for you," Rainbow tapped somethign into her phone, but Pulsar still hadn't yet figured out those devices.

"Of course you have...Sunset Shimmer's friend?"

"Yup. I see you're still on a full name basis."

"I don't expect you to understand the etiquette of ancient Equestria," Pulsar huffed, "you are just like a pegasus from back then, even here."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Pulsar began walking down the street again before going down an alleyway, Rainbow following him, "you can't just decide to dip out!"

"You don't have a muffler installed or anything, do you?" Pulsar's attempt at humor here was poor...but the insults still carried.

"You're just as rude as...as..."

"I can't handle all this right now," it was late afternoon and Pulsar Splash always made it a point to sleep early, particularly so he could awaken refreshed at 2 or 3am and make use of the night for some special researches into Luna's dreamscape and magic.

Rainbow Dash went to grab him and he already teleported away, "damn."

Pulsar Splash appeared in front of the home he was given the address to, a large white family home stood in front of him, two cars in its driveway, a large perfectly styled lawn. It was still somehow more extravagant than Rarity's home was.

He began walking up to it and Luna came out of the front door, "I had another alarm, Shadow Aura," Celestia was next.

"You offered a guest room while I visited here?" Pulsar questioned and Luna nodded.

"Should have talked with me first, but that's okay. He doesn't seem too bad," Celestia spoke, "except for when he walked out while I was still speaking."

"And why was that Pulsar Splash?" Luna smiled.

"Well...I."

"He's already used magic, no point in forbidding it," Celestia sighed, "welcome to our home, Shadow Aura."

"Sister, he's quite adept with it. He reached to the Cadence of his world after all."

"I'm aware, I just rather pretend he didn't," Pulsar came to the conclusion that magic was not the topic really enjoyed here.

"Apologies, magic is my life, it's how I maneuver through all my manners and how I contribute to Equestria. You know I'm a powerful mage who spends his life researching away."

"Come inside," Luna welcomed him in and Celestia entered. The three of them took a seat in their large living room.

"This home is more than Rarity's..."

"Ah, so that's where you talked with Sunset Shimmer and Rarity. You know those seven are out looking for you, right?" Celestia mentioned.

"I appreciate you two not informing them of where I am, I like to retire early. Always enjoyed waking up early to enjoy the night as well."

"Why is that?" Luna was immediately piqued.

Pulsar smiled, "your counterpart in Equestria is the only pony to control dream magic and enter into the dreamscape to travel the nightmares and dreams of all Equestria."

"That's...that's why Luna in Equestria does?!" Celestia sounded shocked.

"Celestia, you're the face of Equestria, all of it. You're the pony in charge of the nation. You also raise and lower the Sun each and every day."

"Can...can you remind me how we're parallel worlds, again?" Celestia was certainly surprised, but composed enough to speak.

"There is only one way each of you behave and it's the same across worlds. I'm sure I would have had a duplicate here, but immortality is not acheivable here."

"Hold there, Shadow Aura. You're immortal? How do you look young enough to be one of our students? How old are you in years, Shadow Aura?" Luna assualted him with questions.

"I made the first dark magic when I cast a spell that made me immortal. I've been alive for more than two thousand years, I'm actually a little older than the Celestia and Luna of Equestria. I actually taught them magic."

"Luna, we might want to stave our questions for later. He's looking pretty tired," Pulsar Splash acknowledged this, but as a unicorn born in the era he was, weakness was not allowed to be displayed.

"I'm surprised you could tell. I try to hide flaws well. Unicorn Court could do that to you."

"Sounds a lot like our jobs," Celestia laughed, "we'll be eating, are you hungry?"

"I make my own food, I'll be okay. Where is the guest room?"

"Upstairs, last door in the hallway," Luna answered back.

And thus Pulsar went.

"Have a goodnight," Celestia warmly said.

"Sleep well, Shadow Aura."

"Same to you both," and he went up the last steps and into the guest room, quietly closing the door behind him.

Last Line

Pulsar Splash awoke at the time he intended to, he ensured his circadian rhythm was perfected at this point. So he stood from the bland room and used his rune to clean and freshen both his body and clothes before gently opening the door, using the moonlight form the window to guide him.

As quietly as he could he went down the stairs of the sister's home. He went out of the front door and gently closed it.

"Hello, Shadow Aura."

He nearly jumped at Luna's words, "you weren't lying, you do get up quite early."

"Why are you awake then?"

"The night is my time. During the day I deal with students, paperwork, and more while my sister organizes events, I work in the background. At this time, there is nobody to disturb my peace."

"Apologies, I'll be going then. Give Celestia my regards," Pulsar began down the steps and off their porch.

"Hold on, Shadow Aura. I did not specify that you were intruding, it's clear you enjoy the night as well."

"Is there something amiss? I should be going," Pulsar knew this gaze she was giving him, it was the look of a powerful pony who wanted to unnerve you or toy with you. Pulsar doubted it, but it could also be the look of somepony who knew a secret of yours.

"Shadow Aura, the way you carry yourself, the voice you silently put into a space. You're lying about something, I'm sure of it," Pulsar fully turned and gave her his attention at these words, "to be precise. You're lying about who you are to many a person. Definitely here and maybe back home."

"You would have gone far in Unicorn Court, Luna."

"I appreciate the compliment, Shadow Aura. I know that is not your name, you don't perk up the same way as someone would, but I will use this moniker anyway. I had a thought tonight after you spoke with my sister and I," Luna walked down from the porch, meeting him eye to eye.

"If the Luna of your world can traverse dreams, then she has traversed yours and knows precisely who you are. You should make your moves carefully when you go back to integrate into your world."

"So...I wasn't here to learn about friendship?"

"Ooooh, the mighty mage of Equestria is brought to the level of a Vice Principal's," Luna smiled, "you were, but I imagine Sunset Shimmer asked you to stay for a week as a trial run of that integration."

Pulsar took on a very conflicted face, "I..."

"I'm positive that she had some ulterior motives as well. The same way I'm positive you must know those motives by now," Luna smiled, "I wanted to give you some advice."

"Now is the time to be honest."

She didn't use the royal canterlot voice that the Equestrian Luna used, but rather...something else just authoritative, a voice Pulsar Splash had not heard or used himself in a long while.

"You can go," Luna was still smiling.

"Luna, you are just as wise as your counterpart," Pulsar nodded as a kind of psuedo bow.

"My mind is always clearest at this time. Take care, Pulsar Splash," Pulsar turned around and had stopped at the mention of his real name.

It itched at him.

But he knew asking her how she knew would not get him any answers. That was the thing of Unicorn Court, nopony revealed how they did anything. One just knew who the dangerous players were and made sure to never get caught in their webs. He looked back at her and she stood with just a smile on her face, "judging by your conversation with the Equestrian Cadenza...you have a girlfriend to get, right? Stop standing around."

So, Pulsar Splash was then off, leaving the sisters home behind. He had six more days here per his agreement. Pulsar watched the night sky as he traveled. The stars were still exactly the same, at least from the last time he remembered them and he began to wonder if Luna's night sky canvas was carried to here or not. If there was some natural law governing the weather and star alignment here or if Luna held much more control here than she thought.

It took him an hour of walking that was spent finding resolve and confirming his own findings of his emotions before he arrived at the tall apartment building that Sunset called her home and he looked up to see the desired window too. So inside he went and he used his rune to prevent any kind of noise. He made it up to the assumed apartment and after unlocking and entering the room with his magic, the decor confirmed so. He could hear light snoring as he crept in, quietly closing the door and locking it once more.

As he entered, he noticed a gathering kind of area, with seats, cushions, a table, accent tables, and more and then stairs leading up to some kind of loft where the snoring was coming from. The mage levitated his body up and ensured it was Sunset Shimmer lightly snoring. He put himself back down near the table, where a couch had been pulled out into a bed complete with pillows and a mattress...an obscene amount of folded blankets near by.

A lone book sat on the table, glowing with purple magic, the unicorn lifted it up and cracked it open to see an entry appear in what was most certainly a magic diary, mean to send messages.

It was a request from Princess Twilight...she wanted Shadow Aura back in Equestria immediately. Pulsar began to write his own response, affirming that he would not be returning as he had a promise to keep and the Princess must solve her own problems. Signed with his real name before he cast a spell of the book to prevent the magical light and alarm from occuring for the six days of his stay remaining.

Pulsar made the bed next, the pullout couch bed, adjusting pillows with his magic and moving blankets into just the right position, once all was done, he walked to the window, seeing the time displayed on a digital clock. Even if Twilight had said that 'only Shadow Aura can stop this returning threat in Equestria, no pony else has the magical prowess,' he was certain the Princess of Friendship had it handled, Equestria had always handled threats without him.

3:41AM

A peaceful time. Pulsar was a master at cosmic magic and even confirmed that he was able to alter the celestial canvas here, moving some stars around erroneously. His cutiemark was for his mastery in magic, to him there was no magical feat he could not accomplish, no mountain high enough. It was only after another two hours that he decided to retire again for a short rest so that he could prepare for the inevitably busy next day.

It was 6 AM. Pulsar was already awake, his night was not used for research at all, of course the same lunar magic could not be reached here, but his dreams were still walked about in nonetheless. His nightly mind reminding him of days gone past with friends long gone.

He could recognize the signs of when Princess Luna trapsed through his dreams and he eventually got to the point where he could physically feel her enter and exit them and wondered if she knew this.

He heard a knock at the apartment door and used his rune to scry past it, seeing those six, the famous six. Pulsar breathed in and then exhaled out smoothly. He had already put the bed completely up and back into the couch after learning how it worked, he moved back to the window, looking out at the street and watching vehicles go by in the light rain. Weather, to normal ponies, was a good trap to keep them inside and talk through things. That's what Unicorn Court taught him 'least when an interested mare followed him back to his tower without his knowledge or consent.

That's when he first made a 50ft alarm spell around him and tailored it to alert him when it was a new pony who hadn't yet crossed it within the last hour.

"She's probably still asleep," Pulsar heard Fluttershy's voice, "we should leave her be."

"We all know that she told him where she lived, he could be in there right now!" Applejack retorted, always the caring and concerned.

"He's not at all what all of you make him out to be," Rarity wanted to speak up for him, "you girls might just be assuming a little bit."

Pulsar was forming a plan of action in his head while the girls outside the door had there moment of debate.

"Right, but what if you're wrong, Rarity? Sunset could be in trouble!" Rainbow Dash spoke.

"We don't even know what he's capable of or how strong his magic is! We might need to send him back to Equestria so our world stays intact," this world's Twilight was still wary of Equestrian magic, which was reasonable.

"Whatever it is, we need to be prepared! He could look like anything or anyone!" Pinkie made light, but her suscipicions were valid.

In his days, camouflage, invisibility, those spells that almost nopony could learn were the ultimate tools to get information to overthrow your enemies or defend your position.

A key slid into the door while Pulsar stared out the window, he opened it and carefully moved anything in danger of getting wet. The mage smelled the wet air, it was his second favorite weather for casting spells.

The door creaked open and Sunset's snoring was still ongoing while the girls walked in, looking at the loft, "she's still...asleep," Applejack breathed out, "there!" She shouted and Sunset groaned, stirring at the loud voice.

Applejack pointed out Pulsar Splash to the other five of them and she quickly moved closer to him, hand raised to accost him. The mage simpyl put up a shield with a light coming off and a gray sheen around him. The farm girl stopped in her tracks.

"Sorry, Shadow Aura, I couldn't persuade them over. I know you're not bad, but they refuse to believe me," Rarity explained.

"It can't be helped. Listen, girls," Pulsar kept his voice low, "I'm not one for plentiful company, so please be patient. I would return to my world by now, but I gave my word to be here for a week and a unicorn doesn't swear by his horn erroneously."

"Oh...he does seem very civil, Rarity. Reminds me a little of the Mayor," Fluttershy chimed in.

"Could be a ploy," Rainbow squinted her eyes at him.

"He looks...funny," Pinkie stifled a giggle, "his lab coat and hair."

"I typically stay too busy to focus on my appearance. I actually don't talk to anypony for the most part."

"He still uses those weird Equestrian terms," Applejack noted, "if he was trying something he would have started copying us really quick."

"He's not a bad guy," Sunset walked down from her loft, rubbing her eyes and approached the mage, "I see you let yourself in last night, gonna have to use that rune sometime, must be really convenient."

"Good morning, Sunset. I wasn't here all night, Only arrived about four hours ago."

"He stays up that late?!" Rarity shouted, "no wonder your appearance is so...ragged."

"I went to be early, Rarity. I have no intention of interrupting my circadian rhythm. I was invited somewhere else more...appropriate to sleep than here."

"Oh yeah?!" Rainbow Dash pointed at him as he dropped his shield, "then where did you go off to when I cornered you, huh?!"

"To the twin sis-. To Celestia's and Luna's home. Luna invited me to use their guest room so I would have a comfortable place to sleep," Sunset was creeping up closer to him while he was staring at the accusatory athlete.

"Wh-what?!" All six of them spoke.

"How did..."

"But Vice Principal Luna is crazy scary!" Pinkie exploded.

"She commanded herself with authority, not unlike how I was raised."

"Gotcha!" Sunset snuck the rune out of his lab coat in a swift manuever, brushing his hand.

Pulsar gasped out and went to snatch it back, almost stumbling over while Sunset leapt back, "I-I need that! That contains too much mag-."

"For me to handle?"

"They're already finishing each other's sentences? Rarity's right, this is serious." Applejack whispered.

"I admit, this is an insane amount of magic in this stone, how much did you put into it?" Sunset asked.

"A year's worth," her mouth fell open.

"I need it back."

"I'm going to hold onto it, make sure you don't teleport away again," Sunset smirked, her face warm.

Pulsar Splash closed his eyes and began searching side him, he doubted it was there, but if the rune truly allowed magic to flow through him it was possible.

"What's he doing?" Fluttershy gently steeped closer.

Pulsar found what he was looking for and opened his eyes, looking at Sunset.

"Wait...his eyes! They're so bright! He's transforming from the magic!" Twilight shouted.

Pulsar Splash began to manipulate and use the small magic pool he found to still be in him. Sunset Shimmer levitated up a bit and he walked to her, maintaining an incredible focus to keep the magic in check. He did not have any research notes on this so caution was required, but so was possession of his rune.

"Pu-Pulsar Splash! Put me down!" Sunset yelled, attempting to flail against the magical bonds. Pulsar forced her hand out and he held his out before putting Sunset down onto the floor.

"My...vision," Pulsar lost his sight and balance, taking a wider stance.

"In the name of Equestria!" Sunset grabbed him and sat him down on the couch.

"My head is pounding," Pulsar swung his head to try and look around, his vision gone. The motion only overstimulated his brain and he swiftly passed out, Sunset preventing him from falling off the couch.

The Evermore Speaks

Pulsar Splash could see stars, galaxies, black holes, everything all around him but yet he stood on no material at all. His unicorn body was turned to him.

He heard of this place in the diary of Celestia and Luna before they removed those pages. This was the Evermore as they called it, where events that changed Equestrian future occurred.

Images zipped in front of him, of his past, of ponies, of himself, of what he has created.

"Next in the cycle."

Words echoed in his head but no voice spoke and as quick as it happened it stopped.

He opened his eyes to find himself still in Sunset's apartment.

"His eyes! They're still doing it!" Pinkie shouted and Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy all came closer, Sunset still sat next to him and she put her head right in front of his face.

Pulsar's eyes were a pure white light, projecting over half of the studio apartment. The mage could only see white but the light vanished with a blink of his eyes.

"Whe...what?" Pulsar Splash looked directly at Sunset Shimmer, who held the most concerned look on her face.

"Pu-Shadow Aura?"

"No, call me by my real name, Sunset."

The mage looked to his hands, feeling them tingle a very familiar feeling, "what happened? I'm...incredibly hungry."

Sunset hugged him with one arm briefly, letting out a sigh. She was always well composed. The fiery haired Equestrian went to her small fridge and opened it, taking an assortment of fruit and vegetables out, all raw, all uncooked.

"You were out for two whole days!" Applejack shouted, throwing her hands into the air.

"Way to tear the bandaid off, AJ," Pinkie rolled her eyes.

"Tw-two days...two days of that," Pulsar mumbled under his breath.

"I'm calling the girls up," Applejack announced, digging her phone our of her pocket.

"Hold on, AJ. He may not look it or sound it, but he's clearly had a shaking experience," Sunset spoke up, "when I was...Princess Celestia's student...I had to act very unfazed by a wide variety of things to keep up an image I had built. Pulsar Splash is from a time where that image mattered even more, where it secured your food, your position, your research materials, your life...everything," she laid out the fruits and vegetables on her coffee table after setting out a large plastic cutting board.

Sunset began fourthing all the fruits she brought out and handed the vegetables in a bowl to Pulsar, "I know how Equestrians eat," she smiled.

"Th-thanks," her kindness was unexpected, even those who tried to court him didn't show such forward care to him.

It made him wonder just how much of those politics were completely unnecessary again.

"Two days, Applejack!" It was Pinkie's turn to freak out as she made dramatic movements, "Can you imagine?!"

"Yes, I can, Pinkie. I still think we should call the others," Rarity stood from the couch opposite Pulsar and gently laid her hand over her phone, "for your farm's sake, AJ! He stayed at Principal Celestia's! He's no delinquent and we have no reason to still be suspicious about him!" Pulsar was already ferociously munching through the vegetables given to him, Fluttershy kept her eyes locked to him.

"Here, you said citrus was your favorite," Sunset handed him a plate full of sliced fruit with hard skin.

"Thanks...I'm um...not used to kindness, apologies if I seem insincere," Pulsar picked up again, eating piece after piece.

Pulsar could still hear everything they were all saying about him, but none of them seemed to care about asking him for his opinion. He'd been in this situation before, voicing his concerns would only ignite a larger problem. Sunset still cared to interact directly with him though, "still hungry?" the last piece was gone before long.

"No...no, that's good. I'm filled, thanks."

"So, what did you see?" Sunset asked him, "you had something come over you when you tried to get your rune back," she pointed to the table, "doesn't seem safe to take it away from you."

"You know how Twilight Sparkle was not always a princess?" Sunset nodded, "Luna and Celestia had their visits, along with Twilight, to this place. They've all called it the Evermore. Ponies don't typically go there unless some giant change is scheduled. Like becoming an alicorn...or having a special destiny."

"You think you're going to ascend?" Sunset asked, sitting next to him on the couch.

"Equestria, no. Me?" He chuckled, "I haven't the publicity skills for that. I do beleive the Evermore has a peculiar fate in store for me however."

"So...how were you able to use magic without your rune, darling?" Rarity directed to him, "I thought magic does not naturally exist in this world."

Pulsar Splash called the tingle to his fingers and began tugging at Rarity's purse, making it levitate and move in opposite directions, "I...I guess I just naturally have a magic energy pool in me, no matter where I go. This body doesn't have as much a developed one as my unicorn body does," Pulsar gripped his head, the world feeling that it was whirring around him again.

"D-don't push yourself," Fluttershy spoke up.

"I'm fine," the mage closed his eyes and reached to his rune on the table, picking it up and slotting it into a lab coat pocket again but not before using it to freshen his clothing.

"Now then," Applejack peered down at him, "jus' what are you hidin'? Your real name is Pulsar Splash and not Shadow Aura?"

"I...I kinda royally fucked up when I cast my immortality spell. I made the base incantation for all dark magics when I did and my actions were not approved of at all so I went into isolation myself, sequestered away from the activities of Equestria. Shadow Aura is how I published my research so Equestria could make use of my findings and enjoy the spells and magics I could offer them along with many volumes of information. I went by it so I could hide."

"Then, why use your real name now?" The meek spoke up once again.

"Well, Luna revealed something to me that I never thought of. Princess Luna could likely still see me in my dreams so she knows that Pulsar Splash still lives somewhere. I also ought to clear away that facade if I'm to...return to Equestria proper," he sighed.

"Ya still haven't answered my real question," Applejack started up again, "why did you use that fake name?"

"To run from my past, Applejack. To hide myself away from everypony who would seek me out and attempt to criticize me or punish me for what I performed. But...I was really just afraid to face ponies again and face that kind of ridicule again. My fellow researcher Starswirl turned his back on me immediately."

"What makes you say that?" Sunset questioned, "didn't you kind of just run away?"

"I later used a scry spell and saw him talking it over with the court for some kind of witch hunt...he was definitely not the pony I thought him to be."

"I remember reading about that. It's in the history of dark magic section in the canterlot library," Sunset Shimmer mentioned, "Starswirl documented that he saw a unicorn become a lich. I'm guessing he was speaking of you as it mentioned it was one of King Bullion's magic advisors."

"Yeah...he did write that down."

"Well, so far he checks out, Sunset," Applejack announced, "knowing that, I'm gonna get on back to the farm and catch the earful Big Mac and Granny have for me."

"Bye, Applejack," Fluttershy spoke before standing herself, "I should probably get going myself, the shelter animals might be missing me."

"Take care, girls," Sunset spoke.

"Safe journeys," he was still a bit of a relic. Fluttershy and Applejack made their way out of the apartment.

Pinkie immediately bounded to Pulsar, sensing it was safe, "sooooo...when's your anni-I mean birthday?!" Sunset gave the party pony a dirty look while she giggled.

"Birthday," Pulsar began to think. Centuries since he gave up on celebrating it, it wasn't important to him when he had forever to live and do whatever he liked.

"Don't tell me you don't know!" Pinkie Pie sat down across from him.

"I..." Pulsar recalled the celebration the court once had for him as a closed doors celebration, where every member of the court could relax and no traitors or power seekers were in attendance. Just the royalty, the mages, the researchers, and their friends, "Yes, I remember now. My birthday is close to a fateful event for Equestria. I was born on the new moon before the day the Windigoes came."

"Huh?!" Pinkie stared openly, "that...that doesn't even make sense!"

"Pinkie...just set that down for the new moon before December 21st, that's close enough."

"O...okie dokie lokie?" Pinkie opened up her phone.

Sunset looked to him, "is that really how you remember it? That's a little dark for knowing which day is your birthday."

"It's not exactly an event I can forget. I lived through it."

"You were frozen solid?!"

"Equestria no, I was kept safe with use of my magic," he proudly declared.

"Soooo, darling. What happened to you earlier? I could of sworn you used magic without your rune," Rarity chimed in, having mulled over the previous events.

Pulsar looked to the fashionista, in ever new outfits, "I did use magic without my rune."

"Wh-what?" Sunset bottomed out her jaw.

"I...I know you and Pinkie Pie won't understand, but I searched within myself for some kind of magic energy pool. Having my rune is my lifeline here and typically words come before attacks," Sunset shook her head.

"Not here, we don't just resort to violence. That's really outdated."

"That's...how I was raised, Sunset," Pulsar cleared his throat, "I found it, thankfully to my intense use and training with magic I could find it and reach to it."

"B-but Sunset can't even do that and she's also an Equestrian! And a unicorn!"

"I...I don't know if she has that many years, but I could test to see if it's possible," Sunset's eyes were stuck to him.

"Uhm, I'm sensing something here," Pinkie Pie spoke up and bounded fromthe sofa, grabbing Rarity's hand and rushing out of the apartment.

"Pinkie! Wait!" Rarity gripped the door frame, "you two be careful!" The last words she got out before the pink menace pulled her off, shut the door and left, their running auidlby heard at the street level.

Sunset's face slowly turned red, "I'm...still in my pajamas."

"That won't be a hindrance," Pulsar placed his hands under hers and looked right into her eyes before closing them.

"Pu-Pulsar! You can't just grab my hands!"

"And why not?" He inhaled deeply before exhaling, "I need you to relax, close your eyes, envision walking through a completely black space. Nothing to see, not even anything to feel. Your feet move you forward, but nothing is under them."

"I-I..."

"Shhh, just do so."

"You're...in my head? I see you there in front of me."

"I'm prodding around, focus on the blackness and surrender to my influence."

The fiery Equestrian inhaled deep before exhaling and relaxing her body, Pulsar Splash felt a mental wall give way and he sent himself to work, searching in Sunset for a magic energy. Many moments went by in silence.

"I found it, this might be something only Equestrian unicorns have wherever they go," Pulsar spoek and Sunset snapped back.

"It feels like you're holding onto a part of me."

"Your hands?"

"No, idiot. Something else, but I've never felt this part of me before."

Pulsar began tugging at it, the magic was locked deep within Sunset and he tugged hard once and felt the magical tingle come to her hands.

"Wh-what did you do?!" Her eyes snapped open and Pulsar slowly opened his, taking his time to exit her conscious safely.

He smiled, "your magic, it was dormant because you didn't know how to use it here or if you could," the two of them stared at each other while a vermillion glow came from Sunset's hands. Pulsar slowly withdrew, "start with simple small spells until you can work it back up again."

"Why did you say I was to guide the future generations?" Sunset asked and began levitating the mage's rune for a couple of seconds before the magic glow disappeared from her hands.

"I-I didn't say that."

"Well, I heard someone then and we're the only two still here."

"Did you see stars? The cosmos?"

"Y-yeah? What's got you so freaked, Pulsar?"

He stood up quickly, holding his rune in his hand, he walked to the window and began transmuting the air into paper and made ink dance onto them in precise words, "look at that," Sunset breathed out, "I've never seen someone use that advanced of a transmutation spell."

"Thanks for stroking my ego, but now is not the time," Pulsar held his hand up to her and had already recorded his notes of the Evermore that happened to him and then the brief mentions that sunset spoke of before giving her ample paper and an ink well with quill, "write down everything you remember seeing or occuring."

Sunset smirked and got up, retrieving a ballpoint pen and writing things down for thirty or so minutes. The clock revealed it was 9am that morning.

"Done," Pulsar teleported all the notes to Equestria, back to his study in his library.

"I'll review them after my week is done here."

"Your mind must be abuzz," Sunset stood and went up to her personal area, the loft.

"So many odd things have happened in a world that is supposedly without magic. I must research it and know," Pulsar responded, still looking out the window, it was silent for a couple minutes save for the bathroom door opening and clossing twice.

Upon the second close, Sunset came up behind him, "this tension is a little much, don't you think so?"

Pulsar looked to see Sunset dressed in similar clothes as the day he was last conscious. A metal spiked leather jacker with a crop top below and a skirt adorned.

"I am tempted to return now...but."

"But?"

"It's not like I have such good company as you back home," he smiled.

Sunset had ruminated on a plan while she changed to proper clothing for the day. She had a grin plastered across her lips with a tinge to accompany it, "was that your attempt at flirting with me?"

"Could be," from what Pulsar saw, teasing and hinting were the cornerstones of a budding romance, "perhaps you'll never know."

Sunset pushed him lightly, "I'll have my ways of getting answers. Hey, so, the girls had scheduled practice for the afternoon today and you're welcome to come and all, but we'll be on Applejack's farm. I get the feeling you're a very free individual."

"I am, I like having the ability to go anywhere at anytime. Thanks for the information," he put his hand to hers again and gathered the information he needed to get there with a memory spell.

He also got some more interesting information.

She squeezed his hand, "suppose you're itching to go investigate something you saw in my head?"

"Oh, absolutely," Pulsar squeezed her hand before teleporting himself away.

"Mmmm...I'll get you, don't you worry," Sunset sang to herself while leaving her apartment.

Banished Legends

He appeared at the top of the Canterlot High School building, students heading inside. He went to the side that held the parking lot and fell, using magic to absorb his shock when he landed, nobody around to witness his act.

"So it was here," and he began using a search spell with Equestrian magic set as what he was searching for. The firs tobject identified was himself and his rune, but tiny rocks began to get identified in the parking lot.

As they were, he began amassing them together. Sunset's mind had showed him where the memory stone was for a brief second, or rather where it was destroyed when he searched for a path from the school to Applejack's farm.

And so her scooped all of it up and teleported it back to his study for reassembly. A hand fell on his shoulder, "Pulsar Splash, what are you doing?" Luna's voice spoke authoritatively behind him.

He refused to turn around to further prove his wasn't one to submit to her display of power wielding, "Good morning, Vice Principal Luna. I'm just...cleaning up messes that were sent here from Equestria in the past."

"Is that so? Then why are you in the parking lot?"

"I was getting the remains of the memory stone back to my study. Perhaps you never saw that."

"It would seem so," she walked around him with a smile, "I must say, being challenged is a refreshing experience."

"Being challenged seems to be the tendencies here. Perhaps it is because there is no horn touting my prowess before my mouth opens," Pulsar smiled back.

"Seems like you came out with your secrets to some people. Well done, that's a courage most do not show. Carry on, Pulsar Splash, you have free reign here as long as you are non disruptive," she walked back into the school.

Straight and to the point, how he enjoyed most conversations, but with Sunset that seemed to be different, he enjoyed her presence.

Speaking of, she was likely here, all of them were likely here. Pulsar began to walk away from the school before a familiar face approached him.

"And you're Pulsar Splash that Celestia has been going on and on about," a soft voice spoke up.

"That'd be me. You are Prin...Cadenza Mi Amore," he bowed lightly.

"No need for all that formality and you're not a student so you do not need to call me Principal or Dean of anything like that. Just Cadence," she smiled, "and definitely not princess," and a laugh.

"I can see you're wearing some king of official uniform..."

"I'm the head of Crystal Prep Academy, walk with me please," Pulsar nodded and began walking with her, "it's been a rival school of Canterlot High for a long while, but now we're at least on good terms as rivals."

"Rival schools, that's a foreign idea."

"Your world must be far different from ours, but at least you have Sunset Shimmer to help guide you through here. I was told you were here to learn about friendship and getting along with others. You don't seem like you'd struggle with that."

"I used to be the most adverse to the idea of talking with others, but I guess Sunset had something to do with that," Pulsar made the assumption they were heading far from the school as Cadenza waited on a bus for a few short minutes before it arrived and she paid for the both of them.

"I hope you don't mind, we're going on a journey here, I'd like your expert opinion on something."

"What is it?"

"A surprise, you'll find out when we get there. It is at Crystal Prep Academy."

"Luna told me you contacted my Equestrian part," she giggled, "it's hard to imagine there is someone out there who looks strikingly like me, sounds like me, acts like me, has my name...but she's a pony."

"Ah...yes, Princess Cadenza. She's a kind ruler, not unlike you. I've never interacted with her except for...two days ago I believe."

"She said you had a seance with her or something?"

"Ancient magic practice. Most ponies use direct mind to mind telepathy if they are capable as it is more private. Trying to make magic go across worlds can be more extensive so I chose to ahve a physical focus and channel it better with the spell's incantation circle. So...I had a long distance conversation with her, not unlike how your phones work," Pulsar explained.

"I see, where technology has filled our world, magic replaces that for you."

"In a lot of ways, yes."

"So, what was so important?"

Pulsar coughed away a stutter, "well, that was a...personal matter. Cadence is an advisor and expert of a interrelationships and her council is often sought after."

"That's a lot of syllables just to say she's a love doctor," Cadence laughed.

"I...well," Pulsar's court skills were very unpolished.

"I see I embarassed you, no worries. We're here," Cadence stood as the bus came to a stop and Pulsar Splash along with her. The two promptly stepped of the bus.

And they stood in front of Crystal Prep Academy.

"This is the surprise? I don't know...I might as well just join Sunset and the others at Applejack's farm."

"You must reeeeally like the girl," Cadence took his arm and began pulling him inside, "it's obvious just from looking at you. Maybe you'd be a good match and ask her out," the school was empty despite it's expensive interior and countless amenities and all the cars in the parking lot, "oh, but then there is the Equestrian thing so maybe it might not be a good idea," and he was led down a hall and then another hall, "she's from Equestria though so she could easily just come back with you and visit here or stay here and go visit you," Cadence was planting seeds and she knew it, "I mean...I think you two would work as a nice couple," the head of the school lead him into a dimmed storage room, "my advice is to definitely confess to her."

"Oh, look where we are! Here's your surprise!" She hit a switch with a smirk, Pulsar looking around and attempting to take in new stimuli as the auditorium came into view with hundreds of students in it.

This is where they all were.

"Good morning, students of Crystal Prep. I know our arrival took us a long time," he pulled him onto the stage, "but it took me a while to find him. As I said before, there was a visiting Equestrian here and this is him," Cadence cleared her throat, "Pulsar Splash is a very accomplished mage in Equestria, give him a warm welcome!" The students began clapping.

Cadence whispered to him as she passed by, "just discuss magic, that's what they're dying to know about."

Pulsar cleared his throat, "As Cadence said, I am Pulsar Splash," the students began to quiet their applause, "I, um, hail from Equestria, but from a time so ancient and foreign to most modern Equestrians," he pulled the rune from his labcoat pocket and began casting remote illumination spells around the auditorium while he flickered the lights off and centered one on him.

"I'm immortal and was alive before Equestria united to become Equestria," the magical expert spoke, "I was a magical advisor to a unicorn king and tutored our rulers, the twin sisters. Equestria does not yet know I am still alive, but I am the foremost scholar of magic. From theory, knowledge, practice to application, ability, and spell creation."

Pulsar began changing his illumination to turn them into firework shows without any of the materials, different colors lighting over the students faces, "these fireworks are novice spells, most unicorns are capable of casting them by adulthood. Just the simple lights and levitation, a foal is capable of."

The mage, stroking his own ego scanned over the crowd before he began focusing on a couple of male students and lifted them from their seats, "however, spells can quickly become harder depending on the scale of the spell you are casting," he spiraled them around the open air for a bit before sitting them back down in their seats.

"Magic in Equestria is crucial to our every day life. It creates our days, our rulers move the sun and moon. Our pegasi create, distribute, and control the weather, our earth ponies grow our food and plants with very little effort. All are done by magic," Pulsar felt some kind of magical disturbance in the crowd.

"Magic, at least the kind I use, is unicorn magic, the most raw. It can take a long time before a unicorn can reliably draw upon their energy for it locked within themself. It can take a bit longer before they are able to properly manipulate and direct it. Our horns are foci for it."

Pulsar Splash teleported himself above the students, sitting from the rafters of the auditorium, "teleportation is a spell most unicorns can't cast, it requires a lot of dedication to magical studies. Considering your school and the name...all of you are probably more interested in what magic is."

He fell from the rafters, casting a much more advanced spell and giving himself temporary wings to flap, "that's the hardest question for magic that exists."

"It's like asking what makes something have a soul or a consciousness, the answer is never easy. Some ponies beleive magic is an energy inherited from a foal's parents, but being able to train it has caused some dsitrust in that theory. Other's beleive it is a manifestation of the soul's power, which is more feasible, but Equestria has not proven that it is related to the soul..." Pulsar moved through the air slowly.

"Other ponies believe magic is like blood and exists within all of us, but the ways magic can manifest and the places put that theory into question as well."

"What do you believe, Pulsar Splash?" Cadence asked from the stage.

"I believe...that magic comes from a connection to a special place. A place where only our alicorns have visited but just once, where time does not exist," Pulsar Splash spoke, "I don't know what connection it is that binds our magic to it, but my research into it is still ongoing."

Pulsar felt the disturbance again from somewhere in the crowd below him. It was an ancient kind of magic, one that starswirl decribed. He remembered so because he captured some of their magic for experimentation.

"I see there is...maybe was magic here," he whispered to himself. He knew exactly what was here, but the traces of it were very very faint.

"Cadence, I'd like to open the floor to any questions they might have. Of course, anyone who'd rather not participate further in this discussion is free to leave," Pulsar Splash lef tthe air and landed on the stage, wings disappearing.

It felt almost natural to him to make wings or fly with them.

"Students, raise your hands if you do have questions for our guest today."

And many hands did go up in the auditorium, Cadence began pointing and somehow calling out their names.

"Is it possible to visit Equestria?"

"It is, but I will not say how. A lot of beauracracy would be involved in that. Especially if one of you were to visit our world."

Hands went up again and Cadence pointed to another.

"We heard there are two Twilight Sparkle's one from here and one from Equestria. Is that true for everyone?"

"For the most part, yes. It would take extensive testing to prove this."

And the question marathon carried for another two hours, the time displaying at 1pm before Cadence had finally allowed Pulsar to leave.

"So...did you enjoy speaking with them?" Cadence asked while they were heading to the entrance of the school.

"I did. It was refreshing to be among curious minds."

"Off to go see...Sunset?" She smirked at him.

"I...it's not like that."

"Oh, I think it is."

"Cadence, you have some Equestrians attending your school, or they might ahve just been in the crowd of students, I'm unsure."

"Oh? That's odd, I didn't think we had any."

"Well, the sirens that Starswirled banished are here, I could very faintly feel their magic. If you need to know more about them, I would suggest talking with Sunset Shimmer, my knowledge of them is a little outdated and something definitely happened to their magic while they were here."

"Mmm, well, if it's of no concern to you then it shouldn't be of any concern to me."

Pulsar stepped his foot outside the door and felt a magic he learned to detect without failure.

Dark Magic

He had no idea where it came from but the moment he detected it, it hid itself from him.

He raised his rune and untied the vial of magic liquid from inside his hair.

"Pulsar, what is that?"

"Can't explain right now," he uncorked it and gently raised it just as high and put a small tap of liquid onto the rune before corking and conceling the vial back in his hair.

With the rune held high, he focused and a blinding white light enveloped everything near him before spreading more.

"Come on, Dingy Coat. It's been a while since I've used this spell," Pulsar muttered and let more magic flow from the rune into the tiny amount of liquid, "there we go."

"Pulsar, that's bright!"

"Quiet!" He commanded.

The light spread further and further until Pulsar knew the entire world here was covered with it, buildings, nature, everything disappeared and everything became white.

Pulsar saw exactly what he needed to, a blackened mist rising from near the Canterlot High School.

He knew this kind of dark magic specifically, the kind that made the Crystal Empire vanish.

The white light ended and the liquid left on the run was shot to the exact spot the dark magic was found.

"I need to go, there is an emergency," he teleported away, leaving Cadence alone at the front of Crystal Prep.

"Have..a...good evening?" Cadence rubbed her eyes.

The Beginning of his Final Gambit

"No, no, no no no no no nononononono," Pulsar's head was going crazy.

"You were defeated! You were banished! Vanquished!" He shouted while he stood in the center of the soccer field, seeing a translucent crystal sitting in the middle of it, the mist not coming off anymore, but this pale white crystal had a very dark black spot at the bottom.

"Killed! They put you into the fucking snow again!" Students were gathering around.

"All of you! LEAVE!" A royal canterlot voice, something he hasn't used in...Equestria knows how long. The students, in absolute terror, slowly backed away, leaving the field.

"Hey hey! What's going on?!" A deep masculine voice was heard coming up from behind him.

Pulsar looked abck to see a blue haired student running to him, dressed the same kind of grunge that Sunset sometimes did.

"I told you to leave!" He boxed him up in a shield and sent him far away, setting him down all the way in the commerical district.

"Fuck...fuck fuck..." Pulsar kept a tight grip on his room and split a small bit more of the liquid made by the legendar Dingy Coat onto the black spot of the crystal and it refused to leave, the liquid evaporating in its use. He tied the vial back.

"Damn!"

He paced around it before he decided on a necessary action, he began to concentrate on the ground below him and rose solid rock up before encasing the crystal in it and began transmuting it into a different material altogether.

A tumerous lump of diamond surrounded the crystal, an incredible amount of magic had been spent from his rune.

"How the shit..."

He was still pacing in circles around it before he pulled paper and ink from the grass of the soccer field and began placing the ink onto the papers himself.

A truck quickly drove onto the soccer field and Sunset hopped out of the bed of it, sprinting to Pulsar. She attempted to grab his arm but a shield quickly formed around the mage and the lump containing some of the darkest magic, "never fucking finished ever since then."

"Who...what are you going on about?" Pulsar had been analyzing everything he could and recording all kind sof notes from basic description to reactions of different spells, looking for something, anything that could take care of the cursed object within.

Sunset's voice interrupted this, "hu...what?" He looked to her a little confused.

"Pulsar Splash, what's going on?" The other six were still in the truck, taking cover as Sunset commanded them to.

"King Shithead Sombra! That bastard who found my incantation circle before I could truly seal it away well enough!"

"I don't understand, I thought the Crystal Empire was safe!"

"It is...he's turned to stone, but it seems he's using his dark magic to try and get a new home to enslave," Pulsar began making the same incantation circle as earlier and this time, when he casted his spell, it lit a deep lavender.

"Who..what, somepony is casting a speech spell on me?"

"Princess Twilight Sparkle!" Sunset spoke aloud.

"Sunset how did you?"

"It's me, Pulsar Splash," silence came from the Equestrian side.

"Pulsar...Splash...THE Pulsar Splash?!"

"Yeah yeah, it's me, listen I used the moniker Shadow Aura, I'm that same pony. I need you to go check on the statue of Sombra, make sure he's still stuck in stone."

"Understood," silence, "Pulsar Splash! Sir!" Twilight addressed him as formally as she could, "he's gone!"

"That...my sins haunt me my entire life, even as I begin to do right somewhere else."

"Girls! Pony up! We got villain vanquishing to do," Sunset called to the truck and they ran over, beginning to buold some kind of magic within them.

Pulsar knew this one too, the magic of friendship.

The diamond tumor opened up so they could make a shot at it and as all of them began gaining Equestrian parts.

"Pulsar Splash, Sir Pulsar! Should I come over there?" Twilight asked.

"No, Princess, if they can't take care of this I have some research I'm going to have to complete or this world is doomed."

"What?!" Pulsar stopped casting the spell as a beam of friendship magic came from the seven of them and hit directly onto the black spot of the crystal for a solid minute.

Afterwards...the black spot was still there and had even grown a bit.

"Wha...it's still there?!" Pinkie Pie yelled.

"Sunset, please fill those six in on who King Sombra is."

"Fine, but we're having a conversation later!" Sunset spoke before she crowded the girls around her.

Pulsar began going around and around it again, gathering more and more information before he sealed the diamond tumor back up and looked at his rune. Celestia and Luna were already there, staring at Pulsar Splash. He approached them both and handed his rune to Luna, "a gift for your counsel. I do not recommend students be anywhere on campus, but I understand the importance of education," he smiled, "do not allow anyone on the soccer field, not even Rainbow Dash."

"What did you encase it in?" Celestia asked.

"A combination of diamond and volcanic rock to give it stability to its hard crystalline lattice. If anything tries to come out of that, it's gonna have a hard time. It's also heavily enchanted with an anti-magic ward, if you need to take it off, get in contact with Sunset or one of those six, they can reach me."

Celestia began to speak just for Luna to interrupt her, "we appreciate your quick action. I saw the crystal earlier and was concerned about its origins. I look forward to your quick resolution."

"You would have gone incredibly far in unicorn court, Luna," Pulsar turned back and saw Sunset staring at him with annoyance and frustration.

A look she somehow wore well according to him.

"I need to get going," he approached Sunset and grabbed her arm, pulling her along, "and you're coming with me."

"Where are we going?"

"Equestria, I need my study, I need my notes, my research, my magic, my everything if I'm gonna beat that."

"Why am I coming?"

"Because you're a mage! The only one I can trust with this damned information," he was approaching the statue.

"Wait! What about the week?!"

"You're spending the next three days at my place. Deal with it," he assertiveness was doing...something for her. She wasn't regularly challenged.

"Hey! You can't just take her to Equestria!" Rainbow Dash shouted, the girls giving chase.

Pulsar Splash pressed his hand to the statue face and it didn't give at all, "oh, I do not have time for this, Princess Twilight."

He had given his emptied rune to Luna, but now he was drawing upon the magic energy in this body he had, forcing the portal to become active, his eyes giving off a blinding white.

My conduit

That same voice of the Evermore breathed into his head before his hand gave way and he fell through with Sunset Shimmer.

He Visits

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

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

"Sunset?"

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

"You..."

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

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

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

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

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

"I can feel the magic coming from you."

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

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

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

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

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

"This is too much,"Sunset breathed out.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Something wrong, Sunset?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Sunset, I..."

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

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

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

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

"Sunset, are you here to see Celestia?"

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

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

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

"Guards, who joins us?" Luna asked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pulsar chased right after her.

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

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

"Then tell me," her voice dared him.

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

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

"Rarity, all these things happened in Equestria."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Di-."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I know you do, Pulsar."

"Where are you gonna go?"

"Evermore, like everypony ever."

"O-okay."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And the cave rumbled.

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

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

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

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

Drink

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

"AND ASCEND"

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

Sombra's laugh echoed.

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

A New Life

He stood in that place again, no material under him, cosmos all around.

Dingy Coat stood in front of him, King Bullion, too.

"My old magic advisor, Pulsar Splash, grandest unicorn their ever was."

"Bullion, that's not addressing him properly."

"When did I ever allow you to speak to me without using my title?"

"Just now."

"Haha ha, we don't have titles here anymore."

"Listen, the Evermore has always had this grand plan for you, ever since you made yourself immortal, you are her conduit, you are where magic will always spring forth from," Bullion smiled.

"This is your destiny..."

Luna, Celestia, Cadence, Twilight, numerous ponies from ancient times appeared behind the two.

"You've come a long way," Celestia spoke, "a long long way."

"And you've got a long long way to go," Luna finished.

"But right now, all of both worlds need you," Twilight smiled.

"Go," Cadence pointed behind him.

"And be the pony you were meant to be," Dingy Coat finished.

He appeared back right in front of Sombra, while he was sending his dark crystals across the ground to Sunset.

"No," his voice was firm and echoed, he gripped Sombra by his arm and the dark crystals vaporized, "you will not use my gift to Equestria for this."

"Pulsar?" Sunset questioned.

Wings formed from his back and a large, almost matching horn formed in his forehead, but even larger than what it was before.

"No...you will not defeat me again."

"I, Pulsar Splash, Prince of Magic will not defeat you."

The newly declared alicorn gripped his other arm and the very black coat of him singed at his touch, "I'm killing you," Sombra's eyes stopped giving off a green flare and the unicorn showed fear.

"No no...no, wait!"

His horn lit brightly with grey magic before it began to turn black and then to a rainbow and many different colors blasted from his horn.

The tyrant yowled a supernatural scream of indescribable pain. His coat turned bright white before he began to vaporize himself until he was completely gone.

No more Sombra.

Pulsar's eyes were completely white for a while after before he returned almost to normal, but his wings and horn stayed.

And so did the immense magic energy within him.

"Pulsar? Pulsar Splash?" Sunset looked to him.

"You are safe," he breathed out.

"Pulsar...feel behind you," and he did so, "look up," and there was his horn.

Both the principals were present and the other six were as well.

"I...I'm an alicorn?" He uttered the question.

"A prince," Rarity mentioned.

Sunset hugged him tight, "my own prince."

He patted her back, looking at the sky, returned to normal. He held his hand to the soccer field and with a wave it was fixed.

"What...what do I do now?" Pulsar breathed aloud.

"You enjoy the moment, Pulsar Splash," Luna spoke, "we appreciate your protection from Sombra, it is a wonderful relationship we hope to nurture with you...as a future ruler of Equestria."

Pulsar Splash looked around, seeing people coming to the school, students and adults.

"Sunset Shimmer...will you be my marefriend?" He looked to the girl who met him at eye level.

"You idiot, of course, I already am," and she pressed her lips to his again. Pulsar, this time, melted into her and became lost in their passion and her lips.

Many moments went by until they parted.

Celestia, Luna, and the other six approached them, "y'all arrived just in time, huh?" Applejack first spoke.

"It was a close call, what took you so long?" Celestia asked.

Pulsar still held Sunset in his arms and looked to the empty bottle, feeling the wetness well in his eyes.

"Dingy Coat, the best alchemist in Equestria, revealed to us where the last ingredient for his miracle was," Sunset spoke for him, "as a ghost."

"He was one of my best friends."

"I'm sorry, Pulsar," Fluttershy responded.

"I...we need to plant those seeds of his. I want his flowers to bloom," Sunset let him go and opened her bag, handing him the pouch.

Pulsar used his newfound internal magic and spread and buried the seeds around the entirety of the school grounds before soaking the land in a good bit of magical energies.

Pulsar levitated the seed pouch back into Sunset's bag, "a gift, from the Prince of Magic to the students of Canterlot High, to your world," he looked at all the students, seeing a brief bit of magic coming from all of them.

"Perhaps you've all been blessed," he said aloud, the students bowed to him, getting down to a knee.

Pulsar gripped Sunset's hand tightly, "I...I need to..."

"I understand, girls, I'll be back."

"Go enjoy yourself with your new boyfriend," Twilight smiled.

"Be safe," followed Applejack.

They arrived in Twilight's castle and immediately Pulsar could sense all the magic around in a heightened sense. Princess Twilight Sparkle teleported right before the two of them.

"W-wow...bigger wings than me?" Twilight commented, "and a horn like no other."

Pulsar looked around, "I suppose I'm wanted in Canterlot?"

"You are," she smiled, "Prince of Magic, Iiii'm a little jealous you know."

Pulsar teleported the seeds from Sunset's saddlebag and planted them all over Equestria and plenty around his estate.

He sighed out before breathing in a large breath, "l-let's do this."

"Teleport to the train station when you're ready," and Princess Twilight was gone in an instant.

Pulsar did a scan of the castle and found not a single pony was in the entirety of the castle. Pulsar Splash teleported to his estate shortly after Sunset Shimmer disappeared.

Everypony knew the requirements for when a new alicorn was announced, it was something everypony studied extensively. Everypony was expected to act in a moment's notice.

Pulsar opened his library doors three times before he pushed down on his entire circle table and it sunk into the floor. With his levitation magic he turned it to the left twice and to the right three times before he sunk it further and his library floor split open.

He flapped his wings down into the expansive chamber below, filled with rare experiments and dispelled an illusion to trot down a circular staircase further, using an illumination spell to light the way in front of. There floated the original incantation for his immortality spell, the scroll containing the completed spell sat atop it and behind it on a pedestal sat a stone. A gem.

An incredibly precious gem of which each half formed in both worlds, revealed by Dingy Coat that he went to a different realm to obtain it.

Cloned via the mirror pool in the Everfree forest and found its way passed down through each unicorn ruler and then to important behind the scene pony to the next until it landed in his hooves when the Unicorn Court was dissolved.

He rescued it before it was forever lost.

Magician's Pride.

He picked the gem up and knew there would be a crown waiting for him, he tied the gem into his flowing mane before he breathed in and out and sealed the above chamber up, reversing his motions. The illusion was reinstated.

"Here we go."

And he was away from his home.

Ponies lined the street, looking at him with intent and the line of citizens of Canterlot marked the way to the castle all the way from the train station. He began trotting and they began bowing as he went, guards stood at the tops of buildings, bowing as he went by.

Eventually he began a fast canter before galloping by as ponies bowed. and in short order he reached the castle which was completely decorated in the colors of his mane, his coat, and his magic as accents. He stopped right before entering and scanned the inside with another scry spell, teleporting them center gem out with the blue and red swirls of the Magician's Pride before entering.

After all, where he was from, a crown is a tool to be used when your horn is not enough.

The moment he entered, trumpets sounded along with a smooth drum beating as he walked through the castle and to the throne room, the moment the next double doors opened, a loud voice spoke, clearly Luna's.

"It is my personal honor to welcome my first and most important magic tutor of my sister and me into Canterlot on this momentous day."

Celestia continued, "a new alicorn has ascended to lead Equestria. He has performed countless duties for Equestria and contributed in many ways that has gone unseen."

"And influenced magic in two different worlds. He was chosen to be the conduit, avatar, and representation of all magic," Princess Twilight spoke next.

"Our friend has shown great care and emotion for Equestria and all life in his pursuit of magic," Cadence.

"As the...only other pony from his time," it was Starswirl, he saw him at the throne room between the twin sisters and in front of Twilight and Cadence who held Flurry Heart.

Alicorns only on the throne room platform, except Starswirl.

"It is my great honor. To present Pulsar Splash with his crown," the ponies in the crowd were incredibly quiet and not for the ceremony.

Nopony here really knew him.

"And to announce to ascendance and coronation of a new alicorn prince," Starswirl levitated his crown from behind his cloak and in front of him, his horn flickered for another spell while he bowed.

"Pulsar Splash the Prince of Magic," a vocal spell to project his voice not only through the throne room or Canterlot, but the whole of Equestria, ad evidenced by the numerous echoes.

When the noise cleared, the room dimmed low and every magic capable pony began to send illumination spells around the room while the pegasi and earth ponies lit candles, holding them up. An ancient unicorn ceremony.

Pulsar Splash sent a larger illumination spell into the room and all the others soon joined his and the light scattered across the throne room, sending pillars of varying lights out in a mesmerizing display.

The light came back on as the magic dissipated after a minute or two.

Pulsar Splash took the crown from starswirl in his own magic and starswirl then released it. A voice spoke in his head.

Pulsar, old friend, I saw your switch...surprised you still had it

Somepony had to save it from you before you banished it away

You better keep protecting it well, even if you are wearing it, that stone-

Can level Equestria with the amount of magic it can amplify

Silence.

Pulsar lifted the crown and mounted it upon his head in front of his horn. A large red and blue wave reverberated from the crown, a grey one following it at the stone attuned to Pulsar Splash. It continued for many many minutes, the castle shaking with the sheer amount of ability that was attuned.

"Hail Prince Pulsar Splash! Prince of Magic!" He heard the whole of Canterlot and the trumpets followed.

Sunset Shimmer slowly approached the throne platform, bowing in front of him for a brief moment before raising herself back up, "Pulsar Splash, Prince of Magic. What shall be your sole special duty? Your responsibility? Your contribution as an alicorn and prince?"

Pulsar let the silence stand for a little, "I will become the Justiciar for all magic! I will determine the morality of the use of magic across Equestria. I will nurture the magic of our citizens, tutor, and advise them in these matters! I will continue to research and dedicate my findings to Equestria and protect the forbidden knowledge of magics from evil desire!"

"I will keep the true nature of our magics alive!"

Sliceable silence filled the air.

"So it shall be!" Luna began, satisfied with the charges her laid for himself.

"So it shall be!" Celestia followed.

"So it shall be!" Twilight next

"So it shall be!" Cadence.

"Aaaa, pfthp brpth!" Flurry Heart agreed.

"With all alicorns in agreeance that these charges are fitting of your stature and satisfies them, so they remain as your duty in your new role to Equestria!" Sunset finished the ceremony.

Seeing It My Way

Pulsar trotted through the crowd of ponies, the sun beginning to set, but before he event reached his home.

"Oooooh, my old student! Pulsar...Splaaash," a most mischievous voice.

"You know him?" Fluttershy asked the Prince directly.

"I do. You could even say I was his first friend."

"Discord's first friend?" Fluttershy questioned, looking up at the even older being.

"How was...how did Discord have a friend before Fluttershy?" Celestia spoke with a little spite.

"This is one I know," Luna trotted to them, "I've seen it in your dreams, but now I get to hear it myself."

Discord leaned back in a patio recliner, sipping away on a smoothie, "do tell us, Pulsar Splash."

"Far before you battled him, I met him. I met him in what is now called Ponyville, where I used to test out magic spells."

"I like this part!" Discord mentioned, 3D glasses atop his nose.

"Discord approached me and complimented me on being the most magic adept pony he had seen in a very long time. I could see the mischief in his eyes, Unicorn Court would teach you a lot about finding someone's intent just by how their pupils look at you."

"Not my proudest moment."

"But instead I gave him an offer he couldn't refuse. I offered me, an opportunity to learn how he uses his magic."

"This was big," the second tale teller stood from his chair, "nopony had offered this ever before. I had never even tried to teach anypony chaos magic. Yet this unicorn stood in front of me demanding to be taught. I think he knew what I meant for Equestria and was dealing with me in his own way, but I couldn't say no."

"Maybe something deep down in me longed for understanding and a friend," Discord quietly spoke.

"He did tutor me, showing me how he used it, his intent when he did...but I had bigger questions, questions key to develop my own physical comprehension of how Discord worked."

Pulsar pointed his hoof at Discord, pressing on the fur of his stomach, "then it hit me why I couldn't do all the things he was even though the embodiment of chaos was teaching me."

"I taught Pulsar to relax and that it's okay to be a little disorganized and chaotic," Discord smiled, "it's only natural after all."

"The next night, I completely disorganized my library, books everywhere, pages open to random numbers, tomes in the wrong spots. Oh Tartarus, I even let a flock of birds nest in there and nailed a couple bookcases to the ceiling."

"He showed me it, messiest place ever, I couldn't find a single thing, but I was having fun looking at it all."

"And I finally understood what Discord meant, what he is. Chaos and chaos isn't a bad thing, chaos is just breaking your routine to serve your own needs sometimes. Chaos is doing something spontaneous because you can," Discord was smiling away.

"Pulsar Splash really took his time to understand me, he's incredibly dedicated to his profession. I have no doubt he will be the best Prince Equestria has ever seen," he looked to Twilight who was speaking with Starswirl a distance aways.

"You doubt her, Discord?" Celestia questioned.

"Y-ye..." he sighed, "no. I don't doubt her abilities, but I can see some scenarios not turning out...ideal. You on the other hand, you have all the magic you need to stop anypony. You have all the magic you need to protect the lands," he smiled, "and the sense to do it classily."

"Not that you doubt her, but that you have concerns that she'll not take an appropriate resolution to some issues?" Pulsar proposed and Discord nodded.

"Back to the earlier topic," Pulsar recovered the conversation, "once I understood Discord, I could think like him and I did that for a week and before I knew..."

He shot magic from his horn, the color coming off as orange and a scene played out in the sky, a railroad track with the appropriate signage. As the barriers came down, actual pieces of railroads started crossing over each other across the railroad meant to hold a train.

"Railroad! Crossing!" Discord wheezed, laughing heartily.

"I could use the same chaos magic he does."

All of the ponies sat with jaws open, their legs in too much awe to continue standing.

"So...so...when did this happen?" Fluttershy asked.

"When did Discord teach me?"

"I...haha..hahahaha, I taught this little pony when he was really young," Discord stifled his laugh, "I saw him run, well teleport away from the twin sister's castle while he was tutoring them and gave chase. That's when I began tutoring him for oooh, a year or so?"

"That matches up for when he fought us."

"The truth at the time, I was certain he would come for me and raise chaos in my name, but clearly he had some more sense than that."

"I..I never knew Discord could have a student," Celestia muttered, "I'm...honestly impressed with you, Discord."

"I'll make a plaque!" He snapped and such an award was made detailing the time and exact words of Celestia. A fireplace appeared and it went atop it, "and hang it on my mantle."

"Pulsar, was that a windigo you were speaking with?" Sunset trotted up.

"Further down on the bridge? Yes."

"A...windigo?" Discord asked, "my and I thought I was something special. How did you get a windigo as a friend?"

"I've spent thousands of years researching magic and creatures to understand Equestria. Considering I lived just after the great freeze that my parents did not live through, windigos were one of those creatures."

"My research is in the Canterlot library, the public one, too. Windigos are not creature solely attracted to feelings of disharmony or conflict. They are rather attracted to specific ponies and their taste of emotions varies."

"B-But!" Twilight shouted, coming over, "that changes everything!"

"Yeah, it does, Twilight."

"I believe it, every creature is often more complex than what they first seem to be," Sunset mentioned.

"Thauma, the windigo that visited, is a friend of mine and attracted to my emotions. They probably tasted on the wind all my emotions that were rapidly changing and came down from the frozen north to check on my health," Pulsar explained.

"So many friends you've had that aren't ponies," Celestia commented.

"Still have," Twilight corrected, "I guess I was really wrong about you. You do have close bonds, just with non-ponies. I apologize for pushing friendship so harshly onto you, Pulsar."

"Don't," Sunset spoke up, "you were the one who sent him my way," she smiled, Twilight grinning nervously in return.

Pulsar Splash wordlessly began to trot away, his horn glowing.

"Something wrong?" Discord questioned.

"Somepony is in my library past my ward spells."

He trotted all the way there, Sunset choosing to follow him.

The double doors of his library opened and the culprit stood locked in an anti magic field created from his horn, "Starlight Glimmer."

"Heeeey, Pulsar. Sunset?" She questioned, "I haven't seen you in a while. Why are you here?"

"Pulsar's my boyfr-coltfriend."

She went silent, in shock.

"A...prince?"

"You could undo my ward spell but not my alarms. That's sloppy of such a thorough magically talented unicorn," he let down the anti-magic field, returning Starlight to the ground, "this is a very restricted library."

"What were you doing anyways?" Sunset asked.

"Organizing this nightmare of a library! At first the books interested me but after reading the first three titles, Pulsar has a HORRIBLE organization of this place!"

Pulsar's horn lit again and all the books flew off the shelves before flying about the room at incredible speeds and sliding into different shelves.

"There, organized," Starlight took a look again.

"Nooooo, no they're not! The authors, the sections, the titles....it's wrong!"

He flew the books around the room once more, Sunset giggling, "organized again."

"Are you...toying with me?" Starlight questioned as she read the titles again.

He flew the books once more, "I like it this way, not knowing where anything is and having to find it every time I want to use it. Helps me stay in tune with Discord," the books flew again, "that one was for fun."

Starlight groaned at him, "but seriously, if you'd like to use my library, please let me know and I can make accomodations based on the information you're looking for."

"But...I jsut want to browse!"

"No browsing, you have to have a reason to go through some of the most forbidden knowledge," Pulsar firmly spoke.

"What about me?"

"Well, you've shown that you can browse and research away in here without doing anything terribly evil, so you're an exception, Sunset."

"That's not fair! She's your marefriend!"

Pulsar stuck out his tongue, "too bad. Oh, but if you'd like to use my alchemy lab, you are more than welcome to. I know you're careful with materials and react quick with defensive magics so I have no fear of your ruining it or damaging rare materials."

Pulsar teleported the unicorn out of his library and reinstated the wards.

"Preferential treatment...feels nice."

"Well, you're responsible. Bullion made it a point that him and his closest subjects get a really good feel for sizing someone up. Kinda prevented the whole assassinations and court takeover fiascos," Pulsar chuckled.

"Well, she's actually real nice and reasonable. I've met her before," Pulsar nodded.

"To be honest, I'm having a huge problem feeling out anypony because thing shave changed so much. I just choose not to trust most ponies until they give me reason," he luaghed with Sunset.

"That's not a bad policy."

Prince Pulsar looked around his library as he felt a magic tingle.

"Starswirl, how may I help you?" The exact pony appeared in front of him.

"I came to see you, Pulsar, not the Prince of Magic."

"I'll um, find my way out," Sunset teleported away, leaving the two in the library.

"Me? Did you have some research to discuss today?" Pulsar nervously smiled.

"Y-yes. Can you show me where it is?"

Pulsar lit his horn and sunk the table in his library in once more, turning it to the left once and to the right twice and this time back to the left four times before stopping and pushing it in further. The floor split in two and Pulsar went down the stone steps, dispelling the illusion and trotting past the more dangerous magics into the circular staircase to the chamber when the floating platform of his best and worst spell levitated, a stone podium in front of it with the spell's scroll laid on top.

"So...this is where it is?" Starswirl uttered, looking at all the other different symbols on the walls, "you have this place warded from outside magic at all times and a time stop spell cast on the objects in here...and a prison spell ready in case someone does make it in without your conscious authority."

"There's also a time advance spell of yours I modified, a trap in case the prisoner spell is overwritten."

"So the ponies that make it here without your approval die a painless swift death," Pulsar mhmed at his words, "an incredible amount of magic is here," Starswirl trotted to the spell, looking at the closed scroll and then at the incantation circle.

"You...you made Sombra then, he developed his dark magic off your incantation circle you made here."

"Yeah, father of all dark magic, that's me."

"Mmm, I'm not here to chastise you like I did two or so thousand years ago. You've clearly grown more than me."

"I saw Twilight meet you. You were still just as harsh."

"A second mistake, she's actually helped me to realize how...stupid I was in starting that hunt for you."

"Huh?"

"I'm...sorry, Pulsar Splash. It was wrong of me to correct you, abandon you when you fled, and persuade the court to hunt you as a lich. You are not that. You are not evil, I hope you can understand why I-."

"That doesn't sound like a real apology!" Sunset came trotting down the steps.

"Sunset Shimmer! You can't be down he-!"

"Quiet, you," Sunset hushed Pulsar and the new Prince shut his muzzle, "it sounds like you are just removing labels you used to demonize him. Do you know what he did because of you? How many things he abandoned? How much he hid away? You won't understand two thousand years of isolation and what it will do because you were asleep and unconscious with you banished the pony of shadows. You had others!" Sunset was tearing into him, staring at him with blazing cyan eyes.

His nervousness, sorrow, regret became her rage. Sunset became angry on behalf of him so Starswirl would give him a proper apology.

He sighed out, "I'm...still learning about friendship more but that is no excuse. Pulsar Splash, I was an awful friend to you. I owed you more than my rudeness, far more and that's not something I can ever make right, but that's a behavior I can correct. I've thrown away such an antiquated black and white moral compass," Starswirl bowed to him, "I'm truly sorry about the pain I've caused you."

Sunset trotted back to Pulsar.

"Starswirl...you're forgiven. I can not hold onto rage at anyone who hurts me, maybe you knew that at the time, but that's still true."

"Pulsar..."

Sunset smiled, "no half measures, ever."

Starswirl stifled a laugh behind his closed lips, "if you asked me two thousand years ago if one of us would be alicorns, I would never have believed it, but you stand here as a paragon of your research and prowess."

"You know...I discovered the recipe for Sacred Solvent."

"Actually...I was the one who did it."

"You...you recreated his legendary concoction?" Starswirl smiled, "I miss that grass picking oaf."

Silence fell over the forbidden room.

"Say, Pulsar, let's have one more go at it."

"Um, Sunset...you know how to lock the room?" Pulsar took a guess.

"Yep! I've been learning a lot of your mannerisms and how to undo your spells, so I'll be fine."

"Just be careful," Pulsar teleported away along with Starswirl.

The celebration was still ongoing outside, most ponies who elected to stay past the sunset were inside his home, there were still some on the bridge, but most were dancing, some ponies were even trying out sword duels with suits worn.

Pulsar Splash trotted along with Starswirl to the magic duel sphere, two young unicorns were currently using it while the two mages dressed in the appropriate suits. Pulsar quickly used his magic to modify his to fit his wings as well.

Luna, Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash came over to the two of them after hearing whispers going about.

"Oh, perfect. Luna, could you hold my crown for me, it would not be fair if I wore it during our duel," Pulsar levitated it to her.

"Are...are you sure? This is an important artifact," she gently levitated it in her magic.

"Considering I've seen you in my dreams and you still chose to keep my identity a secret, you'll be fine. You're in one of the safest places in Equestria."

The young unicorns had already run out of the duel sphere and Pulsar Shadow began to use the magical console next to it to modify it.

The sphere was thrown into the air and levitated, becoming a large box in the air, the edges still curved.

"Are...you two dueling?" Rarity asked, "I've never see an old fashioned magic duel, like the ones they write about still."

Starswirl laughed, "it goes a bit differently than that," the unicorn teleported inside the glass enclosure.

Pulsar breathed in deeply before exhaling, "reminds me of how I became a magical advisor to Bullion."

"Are they really gonna..."

"Yes, Twilight, I believe they are. It's been so long since I've seen the might of starswirl let alone Pulsar Splash. You may learn a lot from them, Sparkle," Luna answered.

Above the residence, the glass box stood completely still, massive in size.

"You sure about this, Starswirl?"

"I may be old, but I am very experienced," Starswirl began to levitate and Pulsar Splash flapped his wings and took himself into the air to meet him at eye level.

"Glad you could come to a more modern view of things, Starswirl."

"I don't think I was right in the head back then."

They went silent again before Pulsar Splash shot a beam of offesnvie magic at Starswirl who levitated away and returned the fire, Pulsar flapping higher.

Their duel began and Pulsar's horn lit to a very blinding grey, he appeared as another star in the night sky to the ponies below. They were zipping about and sending offensive magic bolts back and forth for two or three minutes before the magic ramped more.

Starswirl's horn began to let off the rare spark before he teleported about the glass box, attempting to strike the Prince from multiple angles, Pulsar put up a shield, not sustaining a single crack. He instead smiled, multiple spheres of magic forming throughout the glass box and he shot them randomly throughout the glass box, redirecting them in disorienting and random paths.

"Advanced manipulation of an offensive spell, that's quite a leap."

"I thought to stop holding back as much, see if your magic changed while you were locked away and then helping Equestria."

"I see, it certainly has changed since the last time we did this!" Starswirl began grabbing his magic bolts in lievtation spells, holding them still.

Pulsar smiled at the unicorn who sent the magic back at him. The alicorn let out a massive blast of magic from his horn, a solid ray shooting to Starswirl.

He looked afterwards and saw the unicorn sitting in his own shield, "oh, raw magic now?"

"Should have known such a thing wouldn't catch the Bearded off guard," Pulsar mocked his new title, "but I admit now I need to start trying."

Pulsar's horn lit brightly again before turning to a cyan color.

"Are you...more forbidden magic? Do you ever learn?"

"Did you ever research?" Pulsar opened his mouth and blew out, snow began to fall within the glass box, a chill came over Starswirl, cold needling him to his very bones.

"I-I know this frost...this is."

"Windigo magic," Pulsar smiled, watching Starswirl expend more magic on just keeping himself shielded and warm.

Starswirl glared the alicorn down and fired volley after volley of his own offensive magic while Pulsar flapped about and shielded himself when necessary.

The alicorn stared right at the shield Starswirl kept up and smiled, keeping a shield up himself. His horn began to let off a deep black mist.

"Puuuulsar, I don't think that's wise."

"Starswirl, you have not seen the leaps and bounds by which I've made progress," the master mage shot a transulscent beam at Starswirl's shield, a black color was made when it contacted his defensive magic.

And just a second after his shield began cracking and flickering.

"What?! What is this?!"

Starswirl fed more magic into his shield but it only helped for a brief second.

"I...I'm outdone? This easily?"

"When a mage understands the true nature of dark magic, they can make the right calls on using it or not," Pulsar explained, his horn charging again, "this is the end of our duel, Starswirl."

The moment Pulsar heard his shield crack, a ray blasted at Starswirl. The alicorn continued to stay focused and felt a large magic signature come from Starswirl. The unicorn was suddenly next to him, firing a small offensive bolt. Pulsar teleported away.

"T-T-Time magic?!"

Starswirl heaved, "surely you didn't think I fell that out of practice, did you?" Starswirl was rapidly firing offensive bolts at Pulsar Splash.

"I see, then..." the alicorn split into multiple versions, "I'll just take it higher again," and an volley of rays befell the unicorn.

Pulsar Splash deigned to instead slow time down for the unicorn and speed it up for himself. His horn was sparking magic everywhere while crackles could be heard from it.

Starswirl formed a shield as he began teleporting. Pulsar focused more and countless duplicates of himself populated the glass box, plenty more than just thirty, all firing spells at the fleeing unicorn. Eventually, no matter where he went, magic was flying and his shield was under constant duress.

Pulsar Splash looked at the unicorn, his horn began to boom constantly, ramping his magic output. The sky was filled, even outside the glass duel container, with the wracking of magic. Rainbow Dash would be in hysteria with the noise.

"P-P-Pulsar, I hope you know wha-."

t you're doing.

I'm in your head now, Starswirl.

And Starswirl suddenly could no longer keep his shield up as Pulsar Splash blocked all the magic trying to flow out of his body. He couldn't levitate and while he fell to the bottom of the box, Pulsar's duplicates barraged him before they dissipated.

Starswirl's suit was glowing and the duel box quickly came back down to its original shape, slotting in Pulsar's land again.

"How...how did," Starswirl stood, dizzy.

Pulsar exited and took his suit off, boxing it back, a little while later Starswirl did the same, recovering mostly from Pulsar's mental intrusion. A hoofstomping came from the audience they had, Sunset present now.

"That was...wow, I couldn't even manage those spells," Starlight laughed.

"Pray tell, what happened to cause your shield to falter the second time?"

"Using dark magic what very irresponsible, Pulsar Splash. You should-," Twilight Sparkle was cut off by Celestia.

"He was our teacher, if anypony knows what he is doing with his magic, it's Pulsar."

"Prince Pulsar, he...he infiltrated my mind."

"Telepathy? He distracted you?" Celestia could not believe it.

"No, I read that spell. It was a rather recent one Pulsar created," Sunset interjected, "Pulsar forced his way into his mind with the base of telepathy and a different magic," Sunset put her hoof to her chin, "if I had to guess though, he took it a bit farther. I'm guesssssing, he blocked your use of magic," Sunset looked at the grizzled unicorn.

"Yes, you're correct. Seems you've had access to his library."

"It's a treasure trove in there!"

"I'm sorry, he did what?!" Twilight asked.

"Blocked his magic!" Sunset cheerily answered.

"That's! That's! Pulsar Splash!"

"Princess Twilight, he was your teacher's senior. He is the Prince of Magic."

Twilight sighed, "I guess you did hear my opinion."

"Still, that is an impressive spell," Luna commented.

"Nothing but the best from him," Sunset rolled her eyes.

"And nothing but even better coming," Pulsar pointed at his marefriend, his chest puffed out.

The moon was slowly rising from Luna's lit horn, "Sister, I believe we should retire."

Celestia nodded with a yawn.

"What about you, Pulsar? You said you have a very different sleep schedule," Sunset commented.

"I can stay up late for just one night. In fact, shouldn't we go through the mirror?" Pulsar proposed.

"To the other world?" Starswirl asked with Sunset nodding, "isn't that where I banished the sirens to?"

"Oh, they're completely helpless now. I stopped them and took away their ability to use their magic," Sunset puffed.

"Hmm, didn't think they would get there and still be able to cause ponies undue harm."

"May I come?" Luna asked.

"Um, I don't know Princess," Sunset answered.

Pulsar smiled, "I know someone who would be delighted to meet you"

"Are you sure that would be wise, Pulsar?"

"Of course!" He looked to Twilight, "I know they're your friends as well, will you be coming?"

"I shouldn't, I've been out for a while and I still have to find Spike wherever he had gone off to."

Pulsar pointed with a wing, "he's been talking with my friend Rapture the whole time," the small dragon was staring up at the lone nomad and the two could audibly be heard exchanging questions, "so I think your favorite little dragon just made a new friend."

Twilight smiled, "Tell them all I said hi," Twilight trotted away.

Starswirl bowed to Pulsar before trotting across the long bridge himself, "it's nice to be your friend again, Prince Pulsar."

"Soo...where has Twilight moved the mirror to?" Luna asked and before Pulsar even had the chance, Sunset teleported them.

Pulsar then long range teleported his crown atop his head, the crown shining a bright grey of his magic upon returning to the attuned alicorn.

"Here!" Sunset pointed to it.

"Hmm, same place," Luna composed herself again.

Sunset pulled on the alicorn as she dove into the mirror herself. Pulsar followed after.

Another Interference

Upon arriving, Sunset was assisting Luna with walking normally, her hair incredibly long and she was wearing some kind of business suit, a stark contrast to the Luna of this world, but Pulsar knew their personalities would mesh well.

Pulsar was immediately distracted however. A grey circle was left above the soccer field of the school, white sparkles inside of it.

"Is...is this a remnant of my magic? Did I mar the sky?"

"What is it, Pulsar...sweet Celestia, what did..."

"You were there, Sunset!" Pulsar jogged around the school to the soccer field to notice a tent sitting in the middle of it, a rather large one.

"Equestria sake, you're capable of this much magic even here?!" Luna expressed, Sunset letting her hold onto her arm as she walked, "was this where you became an alicorn?"

"Yeah...still something I wish to study," Pulsar muttered.

"They're back!" Twilight ran out from the tent, the other girls accompanying them, "is something wrong vice principal Luna?"

"Vice...principal? I'm-!" Sunset cut Luna off.

"Wait wait wait, Princess Luna. Here, there is a Luna just like you, looks incredibly uncanny, but she's the vice principal of this school."

"So...this is Princess Luna?" Applejack emphasized.

"Yes, that is who I am," Luna let go of Sunset, standing on her own.

"Another Princess?!" Pinkie bounced to the front, "hi, I'm-."

"Pinkie Pie. Twilight was right, all of you are just like them," the six smiled at her.

Pulsar Splash was staring up at the sky.

"So, is somepony gonna tell him?" Rarity spoke up a little bit aways from the man dressed in his lab coat.

"Oh...he does still have wings, doesn't he?" Rainbow Dash observed, "wait what?!"

"And a horn," Fluttershy followed.

"Puls! Come here!"

He walked back, "is something wrong, Sunset?"

"Feel your forehead," Pulsar's hand reached up and touched the horn, following the large catalyst up. He then send the command to flap his wings and they did flap.

"Why...why do I still have my alicorn features? That's not what Twilight ahd written in her personal research journals."

"You read Princess Twilight's personal research journals?" Sunset looked a little peeved.

"I put the knowledge to good use! That pony is incredibly organized, there wasn't anything personal in it, just pure speculations, observations, and recordings of data from what she lived through and did her whole life!" Pulsar defended himself.

"Never change, Pulsar Splash," Sunset responded with a smile.

"So, I have more research to do when I find the time," he reached a wing around himself, feeling it before casting a spell to add the apendages and his horn.

"Amazing, from all knowledge, magic does not exist in this world," Princess Luna was looking giddy, "master, how are you able to cast spells?"

"Master?!"

"Well, Luna. This one is kind of easy," Pulsar grabbed both her hands, "relax your mind."

And Pulsar was quickly in Luna's conscious before he dug to the same palce he did in Sunset, pulling her magic energy to the front, "and now you can use magic as well. It seems there is something that seals magic away when it comes here. I'll find the force or reason for it."

"So...our magic just goes dormant in other words?"

"Yes," Luna nodded her understanding.

"I would refrain from casting advanced spells," Sunset commented, "you have to redevelop a magic affinity here."

"Soooo, why is Princess Luna here?" Rainbow questioned, "not that we don't like having a guest, but."

"Pulsar Splash thought it would be a great idea, even this late at night," Sunset glared at him.

"Ooooh, come on. I can't keep you from your friends," Pulsar's hands lit in place of his horn, he sent a telepathic message to the person here intended.

"So, you intended to introduce Princess Luna to Vice Principal Luna?" Rarity voiced.

"I did."

"And you already cast s-."

"I did."

Pulsar sat on the grass of the field, staring a tthe hole in the sky he put there, "to think all that happened when Sombra met me."

It wasn't long at all until the intended person arrived, a car could be ehard in the parking lot and Vice Principal Luna made her way to the field.

"I see you all are still camping and keeping an eye on Pulsar's...monument. Good evening Sunset Shimmer and Pulsar Splash," she addressed them.

"I analyzed it thoroughly, it's safe, but it might be quite distracting for some students. Maybe it'll help you win some of your soccer games," the alicorn smiled, still sitting on the grass next to Sunset.

"Who is this?" She addressed the other Luna giving her time to introduce herself.

Luna stood shakily, "I am Princess Luna, ruler of the night and walker of dreams. You're the one they refer to as Vice Principal Luna."

The non-Equestrian glared at Pulsar who smiled, "I am. I don't know why Pulsar brought you here."

"Well, I knew you both wanted to meet each other. It was kind of obvious despite how well you covered it up, Vice Principal Luna," he kept his wide smile.

"I see you're no stranger to authority or the extreme subtleties of conversation."

"Of course not, he was my magic instructor," Princess Luna noted.

"Oh? He only said you traversed dreams. Modesty is a weapon in conversation, Pulsar."

"I'm aware. Honestly, that was a lifetime ago."

Pulsar Splash stood himself, looking at the girls who were disassembling the tent.

He looked at the girls, this world's Twilight speaking with Princess Luna and the Vice Principal Luna.

Outlast it all

He was it's conduit indeed and it made itself known to him that it would be speaking to him throughout his life.

Rather existence.

"You alright, Pulsar Splash?" Sunset directed to him.

"Huh, yeah."

"Don't 'huh' me, something was clearly on your mind. What is it?"

"So, I don't know if you'll ever understand but there's a thought like a voice that interrupts my head every now and then and I know it's from the place where alicorns ascend."

"Not entirely, but we'll say that I do," she smiled at him.

"And it's just not making sense, but just accepting what it is saying...can be challenging."

"Well, what did it say? We're all friends here, darling," Rarity overheard and came by.

"Not something I want to share," he looked to Sunset and she nodded.

I'll ask you later, Pulse.

Telepathy? Direct? Here? That's impressive.

"I got to be getting back to the hay, so I'm splittin'. Did you want that ride, Fluttershy?" She nodded at Applejack and the two left, the tent practically disassembled, "y'all take care."

"Bye, girls. Bye, Pulsar. Oh, I mean Prince Pulsar," she bowed to him.

"Don't be that formal, all of you are friends," an idea struck the alicorn and he began casting a spells and transmuting some of the grass fibers around them, sneakily.

"Master Pulsar, you are completely right. Vice Principal Luna is a very refreshing conversant."

"I'm curious, what is my sister like in Equestria?" The non-princess asked.

"Too busy to even speak with most days. Even in retirement, I wish Tia would relax."

"Oh? I don't even call my sister that nickname...something new to tease her with," the vice principal looked to her watch, "I apologize, Princess Luna, but I must be getting back," she nodded, "take care, Pulsar. Treat our Sunset Shimmer well wherever you take her," the couple chuckled as the authority went to the parking lot and the headlights signaled her driving off.

Pulsar Splash had finished his spell, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie had finished taking down the tent and packed it away into Rarity's SUV sitting in the front student parking lot.

"So, Twilight, I have a favor to ask of you," Pulsar levitated six journals in front of the girl, handing her three, "each are individualized, but they're communication journals."

"Oh, like the one the Princess gave me?" Sunset asked.

"Mmmm, a little more advanced. You'll be mentally notified when I write back and I'll be notified when you write to me. Please give Applejack and Fluttershy the ones meant for them."

"Ummmm, not that I'm complaining because having a Prince of Magic answer any questions I have would be awesome, but why?" The studious girl immediately wanted answers for his actions.

Pulsar cleared his throat, giving the books to Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie as they returned, "well, I figure if I am a Prince of Magic, then it is my duty to instruct and advise anypony and anyone who comes to me seeking information. I want to extend that to here."

"Magic is still quite new to our world and though I can handle a lot of questions, having you at the ready can't hurt," Sunset leaned onto him, "but where's mine?"

Pulsar levitated two teal stones out of his hair, "I grabbed these from my secure storage, not my forbidden archive, while we were at my home."

"Malachite?!" Sunset got excited.

"You can swear on Celestia's soul."

"Communicator stones?!"

"You bet."

"I thought they were all destroyed or lost to prevent unicorns from developing a spy network and undermining the unifying of Equestria," she sought more clarification.

"Mmmm, Celestia and Luna have one. Hmmm, I also gave a set to those nomad minotaurs so the hunting parties could communicate back with the camp. That's just what we tell everypony so they won't go snooping for them. There's a vault that Starswirl and I locked away in Tartarus."

"What?!"

"Oh yeah, that was a fun one, teleporting them all out of the royal family's bedrooms and away from guards and knights before the day of destruction came. Bullion was reeeeeeally pissed that nopony had one anymore and he knew who did it and probably why, but he never came after us," he shrugged, "he was a good king, really understood even those who hated court."

"That sounds like the best prank in the world and we're not even gonna talk about it more?"

"Hush, Rainbow, he's explaining something," Rarity scolded the athlete.

"Sunset, just hold it to your lips while you're speaking and you'll come through mine just fine. I've tuned them to even work across the mirror."

"How come none of this affects the structural integrity between our worlds and the barrier doesn't start collapsing?" And there was Twilight.

"I swear on the Mother of Celestia's grave, you're the exact kind of person I'd start a whole school for," he smiled, "that's a complex question which requires a lot of foundational and advanced knowledge of spellcraft and enchantments. But think of the statue as a uh...cellphone tower that can reach anywhere and its signal is never blocked or down. Your books would send to that tower, the statue, and then to mine."

"The communicator stones are different, they were found under the crystal empire and are limited in existing number," Sunset spoke up, "they came in clusters, but geologists found that what happened to one cluster happened to another, even though they weren't touching and mages eventually warped the connection a bit to turn it into a speaker and microphone and layered more enchantments with that."

"I think somepony must have gotten to the old unicorn kingdom library."

"Nah, just read your book in the restricted section on the subject."

"I'll be getting some shut eye, I expect you to keep in touch with us," Rarity chimed, "take care darlings. Come on Pinkie and Rainbow."

"Sleep well, Rarity," Pulsar called.

"Well, that leaves the four of us."

"Pulsar, you are aware we use our own magic here, right?" Twilight sat across from the couple.

"I am, I have some notes copied back at my home, but that's on the back burner now. My fore front is tending to Equestria in the new role I have."

"What she means to ask is whether you're aware that you aren't introducing anything new here," Princess Luna spoke.

"I absolutely am, the only internal magic I've seen if those of Equestrians here. I have seen some flitters from your classmates, but nothing concrete, nothing I can open for them."

The student held up her geode that hung on her neck, "I meant this."

Pulsar looked close at it, "maybe something similar to the elements of harmony?" He theorized.

"Hold off on testing them, Pulse. We still use them for important work," Sunset mentioned.

The four of them chatted away the night, sharing differences and similarities before Twilight left to go home herself, the night growing longer.

"It's 2am," Sunset mentioned.

"I should be getting back, although retired, my duties in the dreamscape have not ended," Luna stood shakily. The couple led her back to the portal, "we'll come soon, Princess. I need to talk with him about something."

"Sunset, if you're courting our old teacher, please don't use the formalities when we're not in the public eye. I'll see you two soon," she crossed through.

The Day the Neutron Star Reversed

"So, what was it you heard?"

"I...it did not..."

"One thought at a time."

"Outlast it all. That's what it said to me. I'm convinced I'm the heir and conduit for all magic that flows."

"That'd be an incredibly big burden if true. What makes you assume that?"

"My entire body was built for magic over the years, I'm immortal. I can use, handle, direct, and withstand amounts that nopony has heard of or seen."

Sunset nodded, "but you know you also have a role you were destined for. You still serve Equestria first as the end all of magic advice and use."

"That's true, but..."

"But nothing. That's not something you can understandably worry about, you just keep being you," she smiled at him.

"Did you...read the immortality spell?"

"I did, it's impressive leaps you must have done to tie everything together to make it."

"Well," the two talked as they went through the portal and met Luna on the other side who bid them a good night before they returned to his residence.

And from then, Sunset bid her farewells to return back to the world on the otherside of the mirror.

It was weekly that he was making visits through the mirror and still conducting research at all times of the day. Pulsar Splash adjusted nicely. Ponies were still visiting him and seeking his counsel on numerous issues regarding the morality of magic and how they can develop their abilities or what spell to use for a certain application.

He was happy. Rupture and Thauma would visit him occassionally and have little catchups, even Discord considered him a friend. When the day came, the alicorn even travelled about the badlands and found the Sand Strider tribe that considered him family and went on their annual hunt to take down a sandwurm.

There was a day, however, that shook the alicorn's foundations. Somepony had launched some kind of campaign to unseat him.

"Immortal is unfair! Kick it out the lair!" History was as ever changing. It was a couple of years, but they decided his guilt was still there for his great sin. And they picketed in front of his home and on the bridge.

"Fuck, this again?"

He teleported to his home and the crowd went quiet as it usually does.

"Every. Day. Everypony has been here, keeping other ponies from seeking my counsel! I understand you're upset that I live forever and you don't, but that is no need to scream at my front door!"

"Lich!" A stone was thrown at him, caught in his face off guard. Their audacity was growing.

"That was a name I haven't been called in so many moons," he mumbled.

"Let us have the spell!" Another pony from the crowd cried.

Pulsar sighed, "if I have no other way to explain why," his horn crackled with black bolts and green drops feel from it. The image of Sombra appeared above his house, dark crystals coming around the ponies that crowded it.

"This is the face you ask for! My spell heralded him! I am the origin of all dark magic!" The ponies cowered now. He dispersed the crystals, his understanding and ability of dark magic had advanced over the last few years. The image of Sombra slowly faded, the ponies galloping away.

And that was fine.

For two days, then the ponies were back at it, in a larger crowd.

Pulsar decided he needed help and sent a telepathic message to Starswirl only to receive a faint response from Canterlot.

Come

Pulsar cast a thick shield around his estate along with a teleportation trap before sending himself to the throne room in Canterlot, interrupting court, "oh, Pulsar Splash, it's nice to see you again," Celestia smiled at him, "you must have been incredibly busy to miss our tutorings," Luna chided.

"Where is Starswirl?"

"He asked us not to make too big of a deal about it and we intended to tell you when you came by, but you never made it," Celestia was still smiling, "he's in one of the royal suites that became his quarters."

Pulsar knew better than to teleport around the castle without permission, so he used a spell to locate him after the princesses and guards were aware he was present.

And with a teleport, he was there, seeing the unicorn awake in bed, his horn lit, "oh...you're terribly late, Pulsar."

"I would have come earlier if I knew! Somepony didn't tell me!"

"I've been keeping myself alive to await your visit, Pulsar. My magic was tied up."

The alicorn's jaw slowly opened, "well...apologies. There have been ponies protesting outside my home, even called me a lich. I suppose that's a derogatory term for the immortal."

Starswirl smiled, "I suppose you didn't seek the advice of your marefriend."

Pulsar sighed, "that'd be a no."

"You should be aware that her domain is empathy, not friendship, but it's a cornerstone that could prove really helpful to you."

"I know...I can do that later, but you've been here waiting for me. Is it your own time?"

"By the grace of Equestria, I'm passing from old age, knowing a lot of our fellow researchers met death as mages on patrol, defending the unicorn kingdom from ancient horrors," he smiled, "I wanted you to see me before I did."

"You were always a pony who felt the need to give out wise words."

"Oh, but you know these ones. Pulsar, you know that everypony around you will pass away...almost everypony. Celestia, Luna, Twilight, even little Flurry Heart will all one day die," the alicorn nodded, "but you hold onto your friend the same way you would even if it pains you. Don't disgrace this world we've built."

"I thought you'd say something along the lines of that."

"It's also okay to let...someponies use that immortality spell. You're the justiciar of magic, you know when and who."

"But-."

"No. That spell was the greatest gift to Equestria, nopony knew it at the time. I need to go, Pulsar Splash, but I'll be watching now with Dingy and Bullion. Be the kind of hero nopony knows."

Starswirl's horn slowly faded of magic, the unicorn taking deeper breaths. Pulsar could feel the wetness well in his eyes.

Celestia and Luna were behind him and the three shared a silent hug and a cry before they returned to their normal duties and called a morgue for Starswirl.

Pulsar teleported away from the castle and to the front of his home, seeing the protesters in front of it.

"I've said it before, I am the only pony who lives here. I am the only pony who can hear you. I am also the pony who makes these decisions final. My immortality spell is designed for only a few to use, not for everypony to use."

"That's unfair!"

"Why do you get to choose who can use it!"

"You'll just make your marefriend immortal! What about our special someponys'?!"

"I'm not making her immortal. Every alicorn has their purpose and this is mine."

He cleared his throat, "I'm no ruler, but eventually I'll be the only line of defense left. I guard this spell for a reason that non immortals will not understand."

The alicorn lowered his head and shot a thick beam of magic into the ground, reinforcing the shield and teleportation trap before he teleported to Twilight's castle, right to her throne room where the cutie map also sat.

"Pulsar! I've hear an incredible four hundred forty-nine complaints about you keeping the immortality spell hidden away, just what is going on on Foal Mountain?!" Twilight trotted down from her platform, meeting him.

His horn had still been growing longer over the years.

"Twilight, it's a problem I'm handling. What have you done with the mirror?"

"I packed it away in the basement, ready for you to take it back to-."

He was gone, "you could have at least listened to me!" She groaned.

It wasn't long before the mirror was in his library and he trotted through it.

And he was in front of the school, it was morning after all and there were students walking who waved to him. Over the years he had given guest lectures to the school, so they knew him as the most frequenting Equestrian. The mark of magic he put in the sky was still there in the soccer field.

Pulsar made no point to hide his features anymore in this world, his wings and horn visible with the crown atop his head. His horn filled with magic and he began teleporting, first to Sunset's home to find no one there and then to each of those six's homes, still finding no sign of them being home. He lastly teleported back in front of the school and began marching in, the students letting him in.

"Good morning!"

"Hey, Prince Pulsar!"

"There a guest lecture today?" The students were greeting him.

"No, not today, I've got my hands busy with some problems back in Equestria."

He walked right to Celestia's office and entered without knocking.

"I guess this is an emer-," Celestia looked up and smiled vibrantly when she saw him, "good morning, Pulsar. What brings you by?"

"I'm searching for Sunset Shimmer, there's something I need her help with."

She nodded, "sounds pressing. She hasn't stopped by and said hi in a while, but she said something about the girls visiting camp Everfree today."

"Thank you," and he teleported far out to the camp directly, seeing students actively participating in activities.

"Who..how...that's some serious magic," Timber responded to him first.

"Timber, have you seen those seven girls here?"

"Yeah, they said something about visiting a buried friend here, but there is no grave of anybody they know so it was weird. I guess it was a pet."

"Thank you," in a flash of grey, gone again.

"Who are you?!" Timber called after.

He was in the crystal cave and saw the hole, jumping down it and when he saw the cavern, flapped his wings hard, holding position in the air. An illumination spell revealed the seven's position in the ruins.

"Did anybody feel that draft? Suuuuuper cold," Pinkie commented.

"This place gives me a really bad feeling, Sunset," Fluttershy followed.

"Are you sure we should be here? That we're even allowed?" Applejack asked.

"Positive, the pony buried here...or at least used to be tied to this place has seen me before."

Pulsar Splash flew to them, landing right in front of Sunset Shimmer who illuminated his face.

The six of them screamed while she just hugged him tight, "hey, you. I haven't seen you in two months. I was beginning to think you didn't like me anymore," he wrapped her back.

"Of course not, I love you. My hands have just been incredibly full now."

"Puuuulsar, what is this place?!" Applejack took to annoyance.

"This is as close to ancient Equestria as you'll probably get. This is...was...related or maybe it truly is an equal to the Castle of the Twin Sisters. This was the castle I once lived in when I was a magic instructor to Princess Celestia and Luna," Sunset let go of him but the Prince still held her hand and he cast floating illumination spells all over, hightlighting the dead flowers that grew everywhere.

"Then...what room are we in now?" Rainbow Dash was curious for once.

The master mage created illusions around them, filling in the blanks with a bright grey to create the walls and furniture of the castle, "my room," he point to the thrones behind them, "was always hidden behind the thrones. I was a last line of defense here."

"I...That's such a specific place to put you," Sunset looked around the room they were in, "and it's so small here."

"Permanent alarms and scrying spells were affixed to objects and mirrors so I was ready to defend them at a moment's notice."

"No wonder Luna was so informal with you," Twilight was writing away in a journal.

"Did you come to visit Dingy Coat's resting place?" He put down his illusions.

"I did, he saved us after all."

Pulsar closed his eyes for a second before opening them, his action demanding their silence.

"Sunset, I...I need your help."

"What's wrong? Did something happen in Equestria?"

"Yes, it's a problem that I haven't been able to handle but-."

"Understand them."

A voice boomed in the empty room.

"What was that?!" Rarity was spinning about.

"Pony. Fucking. Feathers."

"Sunset, do you know much about this place?" Pinkie asked, "because I think this place knows a lot about us or him or you or someone!"

"That was the voice of the Evermore," Pulsar whispered, "there's...I guess only one way to find out."

"Pulsar, you're kinda scaring me," Sunset clutched him tight.

Pulsar teleported the girls back up to the crystal cave, "listen, there's a problem in Equestria that only you can solve. No other pony can."

And he teleported them to the statue and pulled her through.

Pulsar could hear the rabble from his library and he galloped outside, seeing an older Flurry Heart and Twilight Sparkle in front of his home, magic bolts were being slung from the unicorns present at his shield.

"Everypony! Settle down!"

"He owes us!" The mob was still furious and from the size, there were at least a couple thousand ponies present.

"Hey! Princess Twilight is speaking!" Nopony ever expected Flurry Heart, the sweet child, to grow up and be even more strong headed than her mother or father. Cadence and Shining Armor had grown older and were governing the Crystal Empire but also allowing Flurry Heart to take part as a way of teaching her.

"Everpony...Prince Pulsar makes the correct calls on these matters. There is purpose behind what he does, purpose that is hard to understand because you all are biased to a perspective of hurt," Twilight was onto the right track.

Pulsar trotted in front of the two alicorns.

"About time you showed up, Auntie had to ask me for some help in making sure their magic was under control."

"There's the bastard lich!"

Magic was aimed at him, which he redirected into the air, "that's...violent."

Sunset trotted out in front of Pulsar.

"Sunset?! What are you-," Twilight spoke up.

"Shhh, he asked for my help."

"Ponies! What's going on?!" Sunset used magic to project her voice.

"It's his marefriend," whispers went about.

"I've been gone for months, can somepony please fill me in?" She moved closer and their faces, while angry, did not show any malevolent intent.

"He's not sharing the immortality spell with Equestria!"

"And why is that a problem with everypony?"

"You're just going to take his side!"

"I'm here to find out what the hay is going on. I'm listening to all of you, not him. He just threw me into this."

"He gets to sit by while the ponies we love die preventable deaths!"

"He can save whoever he chooses, but he chooses to not save anypony!"

"I see. But...why does it bother you now? Ponies have always died and in his time, they died...violently. Ponies were murdered, assassinated, poisoned, mauled by creature of the Everfree and beyond. He lived through the first Hearthwarming, what him and Starswirl call the Great Freeze."

"That doesn't change the fact that he's not being equal with it!"

"And what do you think that would look like? Everypony is immortal? You can see the problem with that. LEt alone that he knows everypony has the potential to do bad things or act dishonestly. If Sombra wasn't immortal, do you think we would still hav esealed him in stone? Or Chrysalis?" Sunset was making points left and right.

"He doesn't save anypony not because it is his choice or that he his selfish. He does it because he must, he has to maintain a balance of magic power in Equestria. He is our flame of magic that will burn brightly, forever heralding an Equestria and forever remembering an Equestria."

The mob's faces were changing slowly.

"Starswirl died today," Pulsar breathed out, tears were evoked again from his eyes, "he died today and I did nothing to stop it. He reached a ripe old age and I could have made him immortal."

"Pulsar does not choose favorites for magic, he simply does what he enjoys and serves Equestria as best he can."

Twilight sat on her haunches next to Pulsar, the two of them having a quiet, tearful moment.

"It's not our place to judge others for what they do, but to empathize with their choices and understand them. That is how we become friends and how we grow together."

Sunset's eyes cast a white glow over the crowd and her body flashed before she was gone. Pulsar sniffled before gathering himself. Before she was gone, the ponies had changed, they weren't angry anymore.

"I...I knew it. There's so much more research to be done."

The flower seeds around the estate began to rapidly grow and bloom. Cosmos' Lost Children were springing all around his home.

"What's going on?!" Flurry Heart was looking about rapidly.

"I remember seeing this when it happened to you, Twilight."

"This is how an alicorn ascends, Flurry Heart. You were an alicorn from birth."

Pulsar Splash's horn lit as did Twilight's, they were sending out the unique spell to the other alicorns and the magic could auidlby be heard from canterlot.

"What...who is..."

"Princess Twilight!" Five familiar voices called.

"Princess?"

"I see...they followed us," Pulsar smiled.

"Wait, these six are from the other world?!"

"Well, when he took Sunset in such a hurry we were thinking something awful was happening!" Rarity exclaimed, "speaking of, where is she?"

"That's...Pulsar? His horn is huge. He wasn't lying I guess," Rainbow commented.

"Quiet."

"Girls, as much as I would love to talk with you all, I have to participate in this ceremony. Pulsar, traditionally, you are the new-."

"I know. Get in motion everypony!" He shouted and they began moving about rapidly.

Pulsar Splash lifted the communicator stone off the ground and compressed it further, transmuting gold from grass and socketing it in and teleporting it off to Canterlot for later use.

The estate was empty in a matter of seconds and Flurry Heart and Twilight were gone with a teleport. Shortly after, she appeared, eyes still filled with white light and looking at Pulsar. The Prince of Magic bowed.

"We will see you at Canterlot," Pulsar teleported himself and her friends there, sitting them in the crowd. He awaited in the throne room, Celestia and Twilight on either side of him with Luna, Cadence, and Flurry Heart behind him.

It was only a minute or two before the doors flew open in a vermillion glow and she trotted forward, trumpets sounding. That same drum beating began.

"My old student comes, ascended at last," Celestia began.

"Grown from a world different to Equestria, but called to ascend," Twilight spoke.

"This alicorn has protected Equestria in a way nopony has, by protecting our neighboring world," Pulsar was next, "as the recently ascended alicorn. It is my honor to welcome her to Canterlot today."

"She has shown incredible amounts of love and understanding for all who live, no matter their past actions," Cadence spoke up.

"And it is also my pleasure to present her with her crown," he levitated the crown down from the incredibly high ceiling, sitting it atop her head, the gold exploded out with her cutiemark in the center, the red and orange swirl hugging against the malachite communicator stone, "and declare her ascendance and coronation day."

Sunset's horn lit up, she cast a voice projecting spell same as years before in the room, "Sunset Shimmer, Princess of Empathy."

"Hail, Sunset Shimmer, Princess of Empathy! Hail!" The throne room boomed in response.

Starlight Glimmer approached the platform, looking to Sunset, "Sunset Shimmer, Princess of Empathy," she smiled, "what shall be your sole special duty? Your responsibility? Your contribution as an alicorn and prince?"

A pause.

"I will stand for the ponies and creatures who go misunderstood! I will foster a foundation of care and compassion for every creature. I will be a cornerstone of friendship between Equestria and the lands and worlds beyond, an ambassador."

A long moment of tension went through the air before somepony broke it, "so it shall be!" Flurry Heart was the first to agree.

"So it shall be!" Pulsar Splash followed.

The twin sister spoke together, "so it shall be!"

"So it shall be!" Cadence and then Twilight.

"With all alicorns in agreeance that these charges are fitting of your stature and satisfies them, so they remain as your duty in your new role to Equestria!" Starlight announced, "and to worlds beyond our borders!"

Author's Note

There will be a few timeskips from here on.

The Radiation Emits

Sunset Shimmer led the way out, alicorns following her and then all the ponies in attendance did. She lit her horn, creating a portal in front of her and pony after pony followed her through to appear in the castle of the twin sisters.

"I figure this would be a better venue than whatever was planned at Canterlot."

"Sunset! We can't hav eponies here, this place is dangerous!" Celestia scalded, "even I don't know where all the traps are."

Pulsar's horn was already sparking, trap after trap being shut down around the castle, "Starswirl's traps shouldn't be active anymore," Pulsar muttered while he went around deactivating the traps powered by his enchantments before setting a shield around the castle and pushing malevolence out.

Pulsar was alone as he walked the halls, teleporting food into the decripit throne room where everypony was. His horn began an audible crackling as his magic amplified. Stone began to come alive in the castle as he walked it, the roof repairing itself as the stone stretched tall, a growth spell with duplication intwined was allowing him to mostly recreate the castle with a perfect accuracy.

He began galloping around, observing structures reviving themself before he landed in the throne room and everypony watched the stones fly up and seal themselve sin their original positions. He had recreated the castle almsot perfectly, but he dare not turn back time on the aged stone to give it the newly built look it once had, vines were still around, severed and laying on the floor from his effort, damage still visible in some place, and the color of the stone stayed as a dull grey in contrast to the bright banquet tables.

"Thousands of years since. If she wants it here, it will be fitting for her coronation celebration," he felt sweat bead on his brow, panting from his exertion.

"Ponyfeathers, it's just like it used to look!" Luna trotted about, "like I'm a filly again."

"Nothing but the best for me, huh?" Sunset trotted to him.

"That's right," he smiled, giving her a kiss on her cheek, "it's your coronation, you're going to have many ponies meet you again I imagine, or at least watching you to learn about you. I, uh...have something to look into for a moment," he trotted off.

"As long as you come and follow me around again, you can go wherever," she laughed behind her closed lips.

Pulsar walked to the thrones, "wonder if the mechanisms still work," he reached behind a throne and smashed a hoof hard against it, stone rising around the throne and covering the top, concealing him.

He kept his hoof smashed to the back of the throne, a hidden button imprinted and a rear hoof slammed into the back wall, he retracted and smashed both buttons again before rotating both thrones to face each other, a wall behind him slid down and he trotted inside, stepping on a hidden button of the floor of the new room, the walls around the throne collapsed just after the wall that was slid down slammed back up.

"To this day, I haven't figured out where he goes when he does that," Celestia laughed.

"Oh, I know exactly where he went," Sunset smiled.

"Where?! Wheeere?! We must know," Luna grabbed the new alicorn.

"I can't saaaaay. It's a secret only we get to know," she pointed to the six from the other world. It wasn't long before Princess Twilight came over and began a long catching up with all seven of them.

Pulsar peered around his decayed old room, everything was there exactly as he left it, nopony even knew where it was.

Not Starswirl. Not Dingy Coat. He wanted his room to be a complete secret, a place where he could have hidden the twin sisters if needed. While he was their magical tutor, they were the closest things to children to him and their protection was as much a given duty as it was a personal one. There were some things here he had not even bothered coming back for, ancient books that he copied into his memory and rare tools that he recollected over the years, but there was a single artifact here that he did not come back for no recreate as it took Dingy Coat and Starswirl along with himself to create it.

"Wonder if it this still works," he trotted toward the other side of the small room before stopping and seeing two painting hanging on the wall above his bed.

Being centered in the castle meant there wasn't much natural light but through a series of mirrors and tunnel reaching to the outside, sunlight could bounce all the way down to him.

Those mirrors were long since shattered and became nests of birds.

An illumination spell revealed the paintings. A trio of researchers sat around, discussing fiercely with each other, a plaque below it, he removed the dust with his magic.

Rage of a Friend's Debate by Low Stroke

That was a painter he commissioned from the common populace, nopony royal, from back of the days of unicorn court.

He smiled, a memory from his past, he gingerly lifted the painting up, casting a spell to renew the structural integrity before teleporting it to his library at his home. The other painting he looked at the other painting, clearing the dust to show a young Celestia and Luna on either side of him, the three hugging.

Bonds of Guidance by Low Stroke

A favorite painter of his, he smiled wider before teleporting it off after the repair spell. He turned his attention to the artifact, the stool still sat out of stone in front of it with the rune modelled to be a unicorn horn stuck in the top of it.

He set at the stool and put his hoof in a slot, a needle came and pricked his hoof with very little pain before the wheels began spinning about on the artifact's console. The canterlot archive machine was modeled after the internals of this machine, but nopony except him now knew it existed.

"Last user, please."

The wheels stopped, the top displaying recent history and on the runes below it appeared in ancient equi letterings.

"Wha-...what?"

Sunset's name was spelt out.

"Next previous user please."

The wheels spun and landed on 2nd most recent.

The runes lit differently to spell another name, his.

"Seems someone visited my room before coming to Canterlot...she's truly impressive in her magic abilities."

He breathed out, "Pulsar Splash's Ocean Meteor."

The wheels spun to ____ spell.

"Imbue horn," and the first slot changed to imbue.

The rune modeled after a horn at the top lit brightly for a second.

The rune changed to confirm the horn was imbued successfully.

Pulsar grabbed it and teleported to the top of the castle, aiming the horn into the sky before he pushed a button on the bottom of it and it lit brightly. It was only good for one use of a spell.

A grey flaming ball of magic materialized at the horn's tip before shooting at an incredible speed into the sky to be lost in the infinite cosmos.

He teleported back and sat the horn on the artifiact again, checking to ensure the anti magic ward was still on it along with the styling to prevent the magic energy leak.

He took another look around the room before putting etchings in a stone he duplicated, holding the small slab with his left wing.

"I have a feeling...nopony will come across this place for thousands of years," he smiled, "when I'm the only alicorn left."

"So...here we go," he cast a simple hidden ink spell on the buttons to open and how things worked, messages all over his room before he clicked in the button next to the 'door' and the walls around the throne slid into place before it opened.
He stepped out and cast another invisible ink spell on the buttons here before setting the stone slab on the ground behind Luna's ancient throne.

The walls slid down and revealed the alicorn.

"Pulsar! Where did you go?! I've never seen that happen before!"

"Of course not, Celestia. That was a mechanism I installed."

"But how does it work?"

"I won't tell, but don't you find it odd that nopony could ever find me here even though I lived in the castle? Nopony ever asked how to get to my room after all," he smiled and trotted down from the platform.

"He...he had a room?"

"I told you he did!" Celestia pointed at her sister.

The Prince returned to the new Princess, "how do you think you'll open your counsel?" He asked Sunset.

"Hmm...I think I'll travel Equestria for that," her friends from across the mirror were there, "and of course, hold that counsel in the human world for anyone who wants it."

"You're always welcome to hold it at my home," he smiled.

"So...now there's basically a royal couple that visits our world," Rarity smirked, "like a story from a book."

"Keep your hat on, Rarity," Applejack spoke up, "I just hope we'll still get to have some good times with you, Sunset."

Pulsar sat on his haunches, looking through the skylight window in the ceiling, "there's...something coming. I've felt it nagging at me."

"What have you felt?" Fluttershy asked.

"Is it the feeling before you get a stomach ache from eating so much cake?! Because that's definitely what I have," the party pony had chimed in.

Pulsar laughed, "I wish, I truly do wish that was it. I've felt the EverMore reach to me and show me things to be aware of, something is happening to magic and I don't know what it is."

"Well, if you don't know anything about it, how can ya worry about it?" Rainbow mentioned.

"She's right," the glasses Twilight mentioned.

And the celebration continued proper.

Author's Note

Between this and the next chapter or two there will be a bunch of timeskips, quite large. If you're looking for more slice of life, I might do it as a separate story and just put a bunch of scenes in it.

Less Receptors

They had been married for three decades before it happened. Alicorns had a longer lifespan, for sure, but they would still die.

So, Pulsar Splash made the journey through the mirror to the other world, "Sunset," he spoke aloud in her now large home, "Sunset Shimmer!"

"Pulsar! What a nice surprise!" Greeted with a pip and a kiss she came down the stairs, "something up?"

"Yeah, we need to go to Equestria."

And so they went and Sunset immediately got the message, they both reported to Canterlot where everypony was already dressed in black.

The guards bowed deeply at them as they both entered, wings entwined. They ascended the towers and entered into Celestia's room first. Twilight, Cadence, and Flurry Heart were all there along with the five elements. Shining Armor was on the balcony, looking at the sunset.

"Pulsar?" Celestia quietly called from her large bed, "Sunset?"

"They say alicorns are always given the choice to hold on when they are passing. I've never seen one ever throw the chance away to have a last goodbye," Pulsar called as they entered and Sunset immediately had tears along with him. The air was depressing

Celestia laughed, "so composed even at a time like this. That was one of the most important lessons you taught us."

"Emotions are as much a tool and weapon as your magic is," the alicorn quoted himself.

She smiled, "so control them and utilize them to your advantage."

"Never in a million years did I think I'd see a student of mine passing away in a bed."

"Humor is the best way to cope, Twilight," Celestia looked at the glaring avatar of friendship.

"Princess Celestia, I...I'm sorry I never stay as your student."

"Sunset, that's okay. I know you truly just needed a different and more special way to grow and I couldn't give you that. You were always an independent learner."

"You live and you learn," Cadence smiled.

"Princess, what...what happens now?" Flurry Heart asked.

"Well, you'll keep ruling the Crystal Empire with Cadence now retired. Twilight. Twilight Sparkle will be the main rulling power over Equestria."

The once student nodded her head in tears.

Pulsar trotted to the balcony while they continued talking to a much older Shining Armor.

"I see why those ponies were mad at you...to have someone you revere and love just die and knowing somepony could prevent it."

"It's hard to wrestle with, hmm? Sunset can offer some advice on that."

"No, it's...it's alright. Hard to believe that they're going away now."

"It's a hard time for all of us...I was considered the twin sisters to be like children to me."

"Now that sounds like you have some stories."

"Shining Armor, have you seen Discord?"

"No, I haven't."

"Someone must tell him, they might not have exactly been close friends but..."

"You need to visit Luna, she said she had some words for you before everypony visits her."

"Thanks," Pulsar gently left the room, closing the door quietly before making his way to Luna's room and gently opening the door.

"Pulsar Splash, I'm glad you've come."

No other pony was there.

"You wanted to see me, Luna?"

"Yes, there's something to be discussed. I've always dreamwalked through your dreams. Every time you had one, Pulsar, I was there."

"I could feel you enter and leave. I appreciate your discretion in regards to my secrecy of earlier years," Luna nodded to his words.

"I...I had this magic for a very long time, and it is unrelated to my cutiemark. I know what the Evermore asks of you and it is a great burden. My sister and I were long standing as a conduit ourselves and it has passed to you permanently, it seems."

"I did not know it reached to you two."

"I...I had a request, Celestia is too proud to ask this so I'm doing it for both of us."

"Of course."

"Bury us under the castle, in that cave at the foot of the Tree of Harmony. That's where everything began and where we made great friends and found our way."

A knock came to the door, "Princess?" It was Twilight.

"One moment, Twilight," she spoke loudly, "another thing, Pulsar. I need you to take this gift, it's a magic I want preserved and can prove very useful as it has for me in my ruling."

Luna sat up from the bed, "come Pulsar," the Prince leaned over and Luna crossed their horns and a magic energy began to flow into Pulsar's body, he knew the traces and signature.

Dream magic.

"L-l-luna..."

She laid back with a slump, "shhh, I need you to have that. I know that Twilight will rule after us, but at the end of everything, you'll still be there. I don't know what the future holds like you do, but you will need to raise the sun and moon and lower them."

"I hope you've been taking notes on the stars, Pulsar Splash."

"I have countless charts," he smiled.

"Come in, Twilight, everypony."

The door opened and the earlier ponies filed in, still crying. The tears had never left Pulsar Splash either.

"When we were there...you were ascending. Dingy Coat told you to be the pony you were meant to be. You'd have made him proud, Master Pulsar," she addressed him as his old title.

"You've made a magical instructor very proud, Princess Luna," he stepped away, giving the other ponies time to speak and say their goodbyes.

It was here that he walked to the balcony and had the thought. Celestia and Luna...their names were of the cosmos and they could control cosmic bodies, so was Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst...every mage was tied to the cosmos.

The connections were obvious, magic came from the EverMore...the cosmos. Friendship was the tie to that cosmos.

My child, you understand more than most

He concluded he shouldn't have any trouble moving the celestial bodies, but he wondered what else he could accomplish.

I have given you a very literal name. You will come to know the time to use it eventually.

Pulsar awaited until everypony filed to Celestia except for Flurry Heart. Scootaloo was somehow invited in and she was in Luna's room.

"Luna...is anypony ever ready to die?"

"A funny question," Luna smiled at Pulsar's inquiry, "I don't think so...not until it's the only thing they can do. Then everypony finds a way to cope suddenly."

Pulsar stood at the side of her bed, "I'll walk them for you."

"Thank you, Pulsar."

Luna closed her eyes and her chest in haled before exhaling.

And that was it, the long era of the Twin Sisters came to a formal close.

Canterlot mourned that day and the funeral was a private one, Twilight presided over it as best she could with Cadence and Sunset assisting her. They waited until Pulsar Splash was done making space for their coffins to fit in the rocky cave, transmuting their headstones directly from the rock.

He was staying well composed as there were sobs coming rom outside the cave. Discord, this time, was present.

He couldn't hear the eulogy, and he didn't mind. When he finished, he stepped out of the cave and heard them telling stories.

Twilight saw him, "I-I...it's time to la-," she couldn't get the words out.

Sunset spoke up, "It's time to la-."

"We're telling stories?" Pulsar interrupted and the elements, the alicorns, Shining Armor, Discord, some servants and guards were even present, those closest to the Princesses.

"Before we lay our dear Celestia and Luna to rest, I have a story to tell," his horn lit brightly, "everypony, please come in to the cave," he trotted back in and everypony stood from the transmuted chairs, following him.

Pulsar levitated the decorated coffins in with words from loved ones written on them before setting them on the supports above the holes.

His horn was still lit as he looked at the tree and hit it with his magic, watching a beam fire out from the center and outside before sending directly into the sky at an odd bend.

The elements on it began to shine brightly and color in with the appropriate hues but at the base of the tree, the cutiemarks of Celestia and Luna sparkled brilliantly, casting a yellow and blue light over the whole cave.

"When I was just barely an adult and Equestria has just been formed and the castle was still being built, Celestia and Luna came to me. Starswirl was busy off on adventures mostly. These two asked me to teach them magic and I obliged. I taught them all the understanding they knew, how to cast, how to craft, how to ward and enchant, how to set trigger spells. Everything I knew at the time of fundamentals was passed to them."

"I've seen them grow in ways most ponies would not be able of imagining. I saw their humble beginnings and protected them from malevolent threats they had no knowledge of. As a teacher, I couldn't be more proud of their accomplishments," he felt tears well, "as someone who never knew his own parents, I'm...honored I was something like that to these two. I'll forever remember them as the curious, bright, happy, and strong fillies they always are."

Nopony continued to speak after him, everypony was too busy sobbing, even Discord.

Pulsar sighed, "then."

"It's time to lay you both to rest."

He moved the supports and gently levitated them both down, manipulating the rock again to throughly encase them.

More decades past and they laid Cadence to rest, Shining Armor became sudden friends with Pulsar Splash and used his tutorings as a means of escape until he passed. Twilight took both their deaths hard, she was living quite a while after all. Then she decided to build the friendship gate in Canterlot. It was hard for hime to watch, but Pulsar Splash knew exactly what was happening in front of him.

He was there when the funeral of all the elements in Equestria happened, he was there when the funeral of the elements in the mirror world happened. Sunset took that hard and afterward, her counsel hours in the other world dwindled to just a day a week.

Twilight was an emotional wreck, but she was still putting on a brave face.

"Pulsar Splash! What...what do I do?!" Twilight's voice rang from the entrance of his library while he taught some foals in a tutoring.

Clutching to Stars, Galloping to Days' End

Pulsar heard the voice and looked to the young foals in front of him, future magic researchers of themselves or mages to protect Equestria with him, "listen fillies and colts, an emergency requires my attention so this tutoring session is cut a bit short. You are free to teleport home."

The eight students were then gone.

"Twilight! What's wrong?!" She made her way to his central desk as he was cleaning away the materials he laid out and filing them to be used another time.

"It's Flurry Heart! She's disappeared from the Crystal Empire and it's being covered in snow!"

Pulsar's horn lit a light blue, an irregular color.

"WHAT?!" A shout came from the alchemy lab and Sunset slammed the wood door open, galloping to the other two alicorns, "how does a ruler just...just...disappear?!"

A windigo quickly flew in from the ceiling, staring at Pulsar and opening its mouth. Pulsar's horn lit again and their winter breath magic met each other.

"Thauma, I don't like to bother you as I know you prefer teaching the herd, but I desperately need your assistance."

"Is it the Crystal Empire? The herd is already working to slow the snow's advance."

"Thank you, windigo!" Twilight cried.

It nodded to her, "call me Thauma."

"I'm going to start evacuating them, please look for her."

"I'll come with you, Twilight," Sunset teleported with the ruler of Equestria and Pulsar Splash could hear the clock ticking in his library.

Pulsar inhaled, "the second collapse of the Crystal Empire. Curse your clairvoyance."

You will understand in time. My plan was interrupted, but we will begin anew with your help.

"I. Fucking. Hope so."

He teleported to the jewel of the Frozen North and looked up to see Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle flying in circle's, teleporting pony after pony out. He looked to the palace and knew the nature of Flurry Heart.

"I'm coming for you...couldn't just be normal, huh?" His horn lit a bright grey and a beam shot forth from it, drilling into the crystal below where the heart used to be. Eventually it gave way to the cavern below and he hopped down, flapping his wings just before landing.

"P-pul...Pulsar Splash?"

"Yeah, that's me. The oldest idiot in Equestria."

"What...what's going on out there?" Flurry Heart lay on the cavern floor just in front of the special crystal the original heart was cut from and she held a dulling heart in her hooves.

"My friends, the windigos, they're holding back the eternal winter while Twilight and Sunset teleport everypony to safety."

"Tha...that's-."

"Flurry Heart, you were always the most stubborn of all of us, but you did love everypony and everything. Even loved my pompous flanks. I know this is your choice to be here while you die, but...before you go. May I ask why here?"

"The EverMore asked me to."

"I...I see," he huffed, "I've been very fed up with the EverMore lately. I know this is all for a reason, but your body is going to be buried in stone," he modified the stone around her, sealing her in and putting the crystal heart into it along with a headstone, a slot allowing him to see her face, "you...you take care of your mom, dad, aunties...and you tell those assholes Starswirl and Dingy Coat to send me some more seeds."

"Will do. Take good care of aunt Twily and your Sunset."

And she was gone. Pulsar sealed the stone coffin before flapping hard and watching snow flood in shortly after him. He teleported himself back to the Canterlot castle, where Twilight and Sunset awaited him.

"We can't let this disaster go on!"

"Why not? Plenty of abandoned homes need owners in Canterlot...and Ponyville."

"Pulsar!"

"What...what are you saying?"

"Sorry, just...the cosmos has me in a rage today."

Sunset sighed and hugged him tight, "we're gonna be fine, Equestria is gonna be fine."

"Twilight...she's...she's gone. She was a natural born alicorn and she was incredibly powerful but that meant...not as long a life as the other alicorns."

Twilight went quiet.

Pulsar began walking to the door, "no...no funeral?"

"She left a note," Pulsar levitated a paper he took from her hooves to her, "a duplicate is still with her."

Pulsar was watching the nation he loved crash down and it was making him incredibly rageful.

"Pulsar!" Sunset called.

"I...I need to clear my head. We'll hold a vigil for Flurry Heart soon, Twilight."

He teleported himself to the now crumbling again castle of the twin sisters, looking about, signs of newly moved in creatures everywhere. He teleported to the Tree of Harmony, seeing their graves, a little weather from time before he repaired the headstones with magic.

"Everypony dies, never did I imagine this would be a burden I had to face."

"Laying my own students to rest time and time again when their family was no longer on speaking terms due to lingering controversy of my classes."

He trotted outside, looking to the star painted sky that Twilight put up, "I'm not teaching ponies how to be immortal or preparing them to outlast everypony they love. That's my shitty burden."

"It's all a load of griffin shit."

"True words, Pulsar."

A dragon stood next to him, smiling. He had long since casted an immortality spell on the dragon Rupture and asked when the time was right to integrate the dragons with Equestrians, but...Equestria was locked in a slow decline just shortly before Flurry's death. Rupture was kind enough to accept.

"How did..."

"The dragons dwindle in number and we don't even speak to each other much. The authority of dragon lord even holds zero merit now."

"I-I see."

"Wanted to check out how it is here, but I've never seen so many ghost towns."

"I...we're trying, but...I know there won't be any stop to this collapse."

"You look like you needed to relax. You're always welcome at my home, you know that."

"You're still amazing at reading ponies for a dragon. I...I have to go to a special place, just exist for a while without my responsibilities."

Pulsar teleported with little word.

"Never. Ever. Change, Pulsar Splash."

He stood on his two feet, staring at the same old Canterlot High School and remembered all the funerals he attended here before looking at the beautiful Cosmos' Lost Children flowers still blooming around it. School was out and students were actively using the soccer field below his mark.

The students nearby stared oddly at him as if he came from thin air, "still the same old CHS."

He began a walk, a long walk by himself, passing by some familiar sights. The Apples' farm was still present.

And then he began heading far out and after hours of mulling he came to Camp Everfree.

He stood at the entrance, seeing young campers about.

"Can...can I help you?" A camp representative came over, clearly a descendant of Glorioso Daisy.

"N-No," he let out before walking the trail to the crystal cave and seeing a warning in front of the hole.

Safety was good.

"Why...you can't be here unless you're camping with us and I don't think you're on the list."

"Name's Pulsar Splash...I think Timber Spruce mentioned a VIP list, go check it."

He flapped his wings and went over the barrier, falling down the hole before sitting in the ruins below. It was here that he chose to think and think and prepare and prepare.

"Twilight, you have...five hundred years more. Sunset, you casted that spell to join me in my immortality."

He sighed, "I...still feel empty each time somepony leaves."

The mage laid onto his back, spreading his wings out for comfort and stared up into the blackness between the ruins and the cave ceiling. The water drips sounded into his ears, reminding him that he was alone in a quiet, secluded place, much like his home used to be.

Holding counsel times for ponies was long and rewarding, but sometimes exhausting. Every alicorn did it and now with Celestia and Luna gone, with the Crystal Empire overtaken by winter.

There would be an incredible amount of ponies to visit the alicorns, seeking answers to questions they aren't even specialized in.

And after Pulsar and Sunset held their marriage, they'd be the main consultants for love and romance in place of Cadence or Flurry Heart.

He sighed again, "what a fucking mess."

Pulsar Splash breathed the cave air in deeply, despite Dingy Coat already being gone, this was still one if his favorite places.

"That alchemist," he spoke aloud, his voice carrying, "maybe...I'll make myself some mint, nettle, and cinnamin brew, get me the energy he had."

"You come here often. Does my plan disturb you?"

He chose not to respond, somewhat out of spite.

"Your refusal to answer tells me enough. Trust in this, my child. There were reasons why all this decline is happening."

"Then...why is Sunset Shimmer still here?! Is it part of your plan to take her as well?!" He shouted angrily.

Silence for a moment.

"There is purpose for her, though her sprint to this world delayed things, she has her place. She is a paragon."

He was still angry.

"So is your friend Rupture and Thauma, and your changeling friends."

And he sighed, "how come I play into this so well?"

"Because you are mine, all of Equestria is mine, but you..."

He saw the night sky forming around in the blackness and sat up, watching as it twsited and stars moved, comets flew, suns and other giant space bodies moved around.

A giant ray shot through the image that was twisting about from a giant star.

"you are directly mine. You are one of my children and it makes me happy that you found another child to be your life partner."

The magical anomaly stayed there, twisting about and Pulsar was in awe.

No wonder he didn't know his parents, he didn't have any.

"I gave way to your life. Trust in me that I will only do what is best for my creations and the paragons we are making together."

He came here to get away from it all, but instead...it all came here to get to him.

He had so many questions and most were useless to ask, but he chose instead to voice an opinion.

"I...I won't ever understand your plans. I, Pulsar Splash, will always live doing what I enjoy."

"I will never take that from you."

The image disappeared.

Author's Note

Timeskips, timeskips, our story is almost done.

The Stars In His Hooves

The proud alicorn stood in Canterlot, ponies and all kinds of species were present, though they dwindled in number. The golden age of Equestria was coming to a close and the influx of ponies was from the collapse of the Crystal Empire.

He looked at the sky, seeing the stars appear as the sun was going down.

"You...you are the one up there and I...came from up there," he spoke aloud, ponies and creatures looked in awe and curiousity at him.

It was rare again for him to step out of his home, he used to do so often when his friends were alive.

"And you sent me on a journey with some points in mind, but I know...I know that you can't plan it all out with complete accuracy."

He was not seeking to defy the EverMore, but to play his cards right and force it to tell him the things he wanted.

"I wonder, banishment to the moon, why didn't Luna remember more than just the color of that rock."

He stared and stared as the moon eventually rose from Twilight's magic before he made his way to the grand plaze where many ponies and some creatures stood, especially changelings. Candles were lit in everypony's hooves.

He trotted to where Sunset was, taking a position next to her where she handed him a candle in silence and he lit it using his magic.

"I...everypony. Everycreature. As I start this vigil off, I see so many new faces among the old that joined us this night. I'm grateful that friends still flock to Canterlot," Twilight looked around, "and I'm grateful for all the old friends who still stand with me today," she looked to Discord across the plaza and then to Pulsar and Sunset, "tonight, we remember Flurry Heart, my niece, the ruler of the Crystal Empire."

"She was...a beautiful foal and grew into a beautiful mare," Twilight's tears started and Pulsar continued to maintain his new headstrong face, "let's hear some stories from everypony."

And one by one, ponies began telling stories of her and even some changelings chimed in with how she impacted their lives. Eventually no creature had any other stories to tell.

"I...I did not know her that well, but Pulsar has some words," Sunset spoke, egging the Prince of Magic to soothe Twilight more.

"I taught Flurry Heart, I taughter her magic from since she was a foal, I've watched another filly start from such a small, new to the world pony into the great mare she was, ruling with such compassion and love for every creature."

"She was an incredibly gifted alicorn, there was little in terms of magic she couldn't do."

He smiled, "and I was the one to commit her to the grave when I discovered her. It was how she wanted to pass, she didn't even want me there. The love of everypony was buried with her that day. But here...we send her spirit off to the stars where every creature who loved her too is," he smiled.

Twilight was crying and Sunset went to her other side, hugging her tight with her wing while Pulsar also hugged the Princess of Friendship from her left.

"So, tonight and continuing...let's remember her properly and show love for every creature," Pulsar smiled and the candles began moving about as everypony spoke with each other or chose to left.

"Discord! May we have a word?" The draconequess walked through the crowd, coming before the three alicorns.

"Discord, your hair certainly has grown out," Pulsar smiled, "I kinda like it. I have a favor to ask."

"Of course, Pulsar Splash."

"I want you with us, with the alicorns as well, you are our friend and I'm tired of seeing you mope around everywhere. You'll be with hanging out with Twilight, Sunset, and me as well."

He looked in shock, "we were basically friends once, who's to say we aren't friends now?"

Pulsar knew Twilight would need him.

And then he would need him.

"And, we can even have some showcases of chaos around Equestria."

"Sunset, Pulsar, Discord," Twilight named them, the three looking to her, a big smile graced her lips, "thank you so much for being my forever friends."

That was the one solace of immortality, you could gift someone with happiness forever. At the least, what forever was to them. And Pulsar had noticed a disappearance that everypony else might not have. Grief had overtaken their lives, to the point where the obvious went unnoticed and the missing stayed missing.

"Twilight...where is Starlight Glimmer?"

Proving His Feat

That night, she broke into an unreconcilable sob. She knew where she had gone and she knew what she was doing, she told nopony, she was afraid of the judgement that would come from him, from Pulsar Splash. A long time ago, when Celestia and Luna were nearing the end of their lives, she ran, while everypony was busy, the unicorn galloped off to a place long deserted and steeped in evil magics. Time had shifted the place and magnetized it to a place most fitting for the crime against nature.

"She did what?!"

And now Pulsar had to find the unicorn.

So he waited out that night, being by Twilight's side before Discord and Sunset took over as he explained the consequences of casting such a spell.

Best case scenario, she went into hiding. Worst case...the attempted magic use would blow her horn apart, of course, that's what he said.

But when he first casted it, he had to be incredibly careful, messing the spell up even a little turned it into a death incantation, a lifetime cripple for whoever received it, but messing it up a lot could kill the receiver and that would be a preferable outcome.

So he teleported right to that evil steeped hill, the same soil where his old tower stood, there was an enchantment on the land around it to hide what was in the center and after Pulsar trotted through, he could see some ancient stone bricks still sitting and the familiar incantation circle emblazoned on the ground.

She had casted it, but whether she managed it or not was a good question.

He lit his horn, tracking her magic signature and saw a trail leading back out and down the hill, so he followed and went into the woods around Tartarus, finding a giant three headed guardian laying in front of the cave entrance that held the door to the most unholy prison. The unicorn lay there, breathing, magic fluttering from her horn still.

He couldn't be exact for how long she was there, but it was definitely an incredible amount of time for the guardian to not be barking at her.

"Star...light?"

"Pul. Sar."

A hoarse voice was what she managed and he trotted closer, seeing her in immaculate shape, but her horn was shattered.

Bits of it lay around her, she was almost powerful enough to cast the spell and she did the casting almost perfectly, but the worst case scenario he used to comfort Twilight, assuring her that a unicorn of her stature would not die during casting was true.

It would break Twilight to see her like this nonetheless.

He sighed, "I won't be passing judgement on you, that has already been done," her worried look softened, "can you stand?"

She slowly moved her muscles. The casting had taken much of her physical life as it did her magical, she could not manage to get herself off the ground.

"Don't worry, I can see you were partly successful in casting it, the time spell you used to see how I did must have taken a lot out of you prior to your attempt, more than you knew. You're...like me now, and Sunset."

"Sunset...is immortal?"

"Yes, let's get you out of here," he teleported her to his home, into a guest bedroom he had for whenever he other species friends had come to visit, her body laid on the mattress, "you're going to need to build your physical body back up and you might be able to stand, but I'm not sure about your magic and your horn, I'll do all the research I can."

"Thank...you."

"Are you...okay?"

She smiled, "better now. Fill me in...on everything I missed soon."

"I'll let Sunset do that, I need to visit Twilight."

He teleported away.

Twilight was no longer a crying mess, Discord kept her company at the moment in her room while Sunset was getting something for all of them to eat.

"What...what do you even cook for a draconequess?" She asked upon hearing his hoofsteps.

"He just conjures up whatever he wants to eat, we had a cooking competition once."

"How was that?" Sunset turned around, levitating tea and a salad in her magic.

"He. Cheated. The whole time. It was a lot of fun though."

And they left, Pulsar filled Sunset in and took the food from her before he entered Twilight's bedroom. He cast his own food spel and retrieved the perfect citurs fruit from far below in the castle gardens, teleporting it up to Twilight's plate to sit atop the salad.

"Here we are, eat up," the mage was already eating some of his fruit himself.

Pulsar waited until the Princess finished with a hearty burp, "mmm, the fruit you grow is always exquisite."

"It's been perfected after all."

Twilight had fought off countless atrocities. Tirek, an unreformed Discord, Chrysalis, a power mad alicorn, a slave-ethusiast tyrant.

This wasn't one of those she could fight.

"I found her, Princess."

Discord chirped up, "oh, good news at last!" He smiled wide, "if anypony could do it, it was always you!"

"Is..is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's alive, somewhat unwell, but my research should prove helpful in that regard."

"What...what happened?"

"Starlight is by far the second most impressive mage Equestria has seen. She was stronger than Starswirl, I'm positive. She did her research well, I have no fucking clue how as I've covered it up well, but she found the spot where I originally casted my immortality spell. Cast a time scrying spell and saw how I did it, wish I could ahve shown her how much it destroyed the environment so she would know the effects of it."

"I remember that, he scarred the sky in black and green for two hundred years!" Discord spoke, "honestly, Twilight. If I were to change back and be a menace, you wouldn't need any Elements of Harmony or Geodes," he teased, "you just aim his horn at me and fire."

"Discord, I would never do that to you and I doubt Pulsar would either."

The Prince smiled, "maybe just for fun," Discord laughed, "but back to the matter at hand. I think she was partially successful because the sky was not scarred. Sunset Shimmer cast her attempt while she was crossing the portal, which was bold and brave, but she left no lasting effects anywhere form the dark magic which makes the portal seem that much more interesting to me...on any hoof."

"I could see the effects of my immortality spell on her, but she's in a...state of recovery and I don't know how long it will take. You can see her, but," he was speaking like a doctor, "I'll find a way to fix whatever happened to her. I swear on the stars that birthed me."

Bold. I'm curious if you should stop the future.

"Stars that birthed you?" Twilight asked.

Discord smiled knowingly and Pulsar definitely caught it.

"Come, let's see her."

He teleported all three of them into his home where Sunset was already pouring over things in the library, speaking telepathically to Starlight aloud, likely to reduce straing and allow the room to be a focus, not her mind.

"Starlight, we're going to work tirelessly for you. You have my promise and his."

"Am I ever going to be able to use magic again?" Starlight was sobbing. Twilight went sprinting toward his guest room, she did once have a sleepover with them here.

"Yes! We bucking will!"

"Did you...fill her in?"

"I did, Pulse. I...we need a date night."

He nodded while she went through so many tomes, "we'll have one, promise."

Pulsar teleported to the room where she lay and Discord soon after.

Twilight was in tears.

"I...I'm sorry."

"You-your horn," she cried, "I don't care about apologies or what you did, only that you're still here!"

This was the pain Celestia once explained to Pulsar about Sunset leaving Equestria.

"Twilight, we're going to keep her here and as you are welcome to, you can come and go to visit her as much as you like, but our library is off limits to you."

That was a rule Pulsar Splash kept enforced, nopony but him and Sunset could use his library and only Sunset could access his forbidden items, materials, and books if supervised. It was something he didn't trust anypony with.

And the next decades were spent trying to heal Starlight to which, they were successful. The unicorn, through physical rehabilition and study of earth pony magic, was able to stand and use her hooves and more like any normal pony could. They even managed to piece back together her horn, but her magic was forever stunted, she couldn't even cast a levitate spell.

Author's Note

Another timeskip coming, we're tying stuff together here.

A Tool for the Cosmos

Pulsar and Sunset were finally happy again for a couple hundred of years more, no new issues, no more large declines. Ponies were growing unrestful and Pulsar knew why, he kept getting more and more visitors asking about magic, the difference between the pony races' magics, and today.

"What's the most powerful magic?" This was a trio of a unicorn, earth pony, and pegasus.

They stood outside his home where he held his counsel.

The sun was high in the sky and he was smiling.

"I can tell somepony had a talk with you three and you aren't exactly the best of friends."

The cream pegasus spoke, his voice angry, "that wasn't our question!" He had noticed that ponies had become less respectful to any alicorn.

"Well, instead of an answer...how about I show all three of you?" Sunset was vacationing on the other side of the mirror at the moment, she had continued to give guest lectures at the Canterlot High School in his place as he was often busy with countless counsel questions. There was a line of ponies behind these three.

"We want an answer!" A pony called from the giant line behind him.

Twilight was teleported right to him, cut short from her own counsel hours. She had a diminishing amount of visitors, but Pulsar had an infinite number.

"So...this is where they all are, huh. Pulsar, when did you become more popular than me?"

"Since we stopped believing your lies!" A pony from the crowd called out.

Pulsar could feel something press from the EverMore.

"The change of an Era."

The Prince of Magic saw the mass of shifting cosmos above the ponies and an idea hit him.

"Pulsar, you had a spark in your eye," Twilight spoke up.

"Twilight, what is the strongest magic of all?" It had been quite a while before she made a show of it.

"The magic of friendship, you know that."

"And where does it come from?"

"Us."

He smiled, "Princess, this is where it enters my domain," he stood from his haunches, "the magic of friendship comes from where all magic comes from. That's a place I can't completely disclose as my research is not done on the subject, but it comes from out there," he pointed his hoof up.

"What?!"

"Oh, great. The Prince of Magic fell off his rocker."

"I see you need some more guidance, apologies Twilight," his horn crackled and the sun quickly went to the side of the side and the moon appeared on the other side, stars filling in the sky.

"Comes from out there?"

"What is he pointing to, the stars?" The ponies were no longer dissatisfied or unbelieving, but curious.

Pulsar smiled, he was going to test the EverMore here and now on his namesake and his horn boomed, the entirety of Equestria shook, large bolts of magic were flying off his horn. He would not use his gem, Magician's Pride, to amplify this. He was barely controlling it as he could.

"Celestia, Luna...they were great mages because they had a direct connection to this as well. I have researched some and I can reach almost directly to where magic truly comes from."

"What...what is he doing?!"

"This is why unicorns have the best magic!"

"No, ours is making the earth quake!"

"Whatever, we can fly out of whatever he is doing."

A star in the sky is shining bright and the ponies bickered while sweat formed upon the alicorn's brow.

The star shot down to Equestria as a giant beam, larger than the landmass of Equestria and came perilously close to everypony.

"PUUU-UUULSAAAAR!"

Sunset teleported next to her husband, having come from across the mirror, "I saw a giant beam and...what in the name of CELESTIA?!"

The ponies were silent as the beam raged incredibly loud above their heads.

Discord came next, "did...did somepony just-. OH!"

The beam ended after a long minute and the sat was missing for a moment in its original place before Pulsar put it back.

"THAT!" He huffed, "is where magic comes from. Nopony has the most powerful magic alone!"

They were gathered around him in a crowd, staring in awe.

"Pulse, did you move a star?" Twilight asked.

"He, he called to magic itself and it obeyed him, he demanded it and it was bent," Sunset spoke.

"Never in all my life did I ever think I would meet someone who had more destructive potential than Tirek. I'm glad you're on our side, Pulsar," Discord fell onto his rear.

"Ponies! Heed me as Prince of Magic and the everlasting flame of it. Magic comes from our cosmos and friendship is our link to be able to use magic."

Starlight was behind the alicorn, having come out of his estate to see the commotion.

He flapped his wings, "the most powerful magic of all is the magic of friendship."

They were staring at him and at the sky as if waiting to see the cataclymic spell again.

"Everpony, counsel is closed, dismissed."

And the crowd stood, galloping, teleporting, and flying away.

Staved it off longer, my child. Impressive.

Author's Note

Pulsar's namesake finally reveals what his true talent is, not just magic. Timeskip.

The End

Despite his efforts, somepony caused this disinformation to continue and break the pony races apart again. Twilight had something to say about that.

Twilight had created some kind of crystal to lock pony magic in and prevent anypony from trying to say their magic was better or further warring and that caused them to stick together. Discord didn't agree, but he still had his magic, as did Pulsar. Starlight's was gone as consequence and all of them had disagreed with her actions, but nopony disagreed more than Pulsar.

"Twilight fucking Sparkle!" His horn was already crackling as he interrupted her counsel, "where are those goddamn crystals?!"

Discord could feel the magic and teleported to the throne room himself, "now now, w-w-wait, Pulsar Splash!" He himself was terrified of what the alicorn was capable of. Pulsar's horn turned to a green, black mist rising from it, "ooooh no nono nononono, don't do it."

It has been a long time since he used dark magic, the ponies there were in awe and not a single other species was to be found, they all went home after they smelled the blood in the water at Equestria.

"Pulsar Splash! This was a decision I had to make!"

"Griffon. Shit."

The mirror teleported to the throne roome and Discord was levitated up in Pulsar's magic. The avatar of chaos was snapping his fingers in an attempt to teleport but the alicorn refused his escape.

"Hoooold on, don't hurt me."

He sent him toward the mirror slowly, trying to pass him through the portal to the human world and he couldn't. He was just pressed uncomfortablely close multiple times before flinging Discord across the throne room in a rage, "look. This is what you have done."

Twilight looked at him and she could feel his pain from where she sat, "I know how-."

"Quiet! You...you lost your empathy a long time ago when you refused to listen to me about the situation in Equestria. When you could no longer hold your head high enough to fix our nation. The nation I silently dedicated most of my life to!"

"Pulsar!" Discord ran over and Starlight finally entered the throne room, "this isn't the best resolution! Killing was done away with when the unicorn kingdom dissolved!" Discord plead.

"She took my magic away, Pulsar. Imagine how everypony else feels about this. Just because you still have the power to harm her doesn't mean you should."

"My wife is on the other side of that portal and I can't reach her!" His voice shook the throne room, a royal Canterlot shout.

Discord gripped the alicorn by his front hooves and hugged him tight, "Pulsar, my oldest friend. We've lost countless ponies, friends, loved ones. We shouldn't lose another this day. We love you, don't do this."

The biggest, realest act of compassion the draconequiss managed.

Pulsar's horn powered down, "she...the only pony who truly understood that mirror is in a place where I can't ask her about it," he glared at the Princess of Friendship, "I have my role to play in Equestria, but you..."

"Yours is coming to an end."

Starlight's jaw opened in shock at the threat or promise, perhaps both, "Pulsar!"

Discord let go of him and he teleported the mirror back to his home, trotting to the entrance of the throne room.

"Prince Pulsar!" Twilight stood and began coming down, "I'm sor-," her lips were sealed by his magic and he glared behind him at her.

Vitriol dripped from his mouth the moment he opened it, "save it. Back in the days where Starswirl and Dingy Coat lived, we apologized with our actions."

He began trotting out again, "so show how you're going to apologize to Equestria, too."

And he left the throne room, slamming the doors. Discord looked around frantically before he quietly opened the door and slipped out, chasing the alicorn.

It was only two hundred or so years later that Twilight Sparkle then passed and everypony united for her funeral, she did apologize to Equestria by working day and night to try and keep everypony together in Canterlot, but something was still working in the shadows and the ponies broke apart, even with Starlight trying to hold things together. A measly hundred years later, Starlight then died. Twilight had been pouring magic to sustain the immortality incantation that was wearing off of her due to the removal of unicorn magic, a testament to her magical ability.

Pulsar was meeting with friends sparsely, very sparsely. He was still moving the sun and the moon on his own, he closed his counsel just after Starlight died, nopony came to him to consult magic. Discord was still visiting and chatting with him and would have conversations on magic theory with him, which Pulsar knew he was doing for his sake as a selfless action, the chaotic embodiment had never shown interest in pony magic research before. Rupture and Thauma would visit, but his changeling friends were long dead, he didn't even know where the reformed hive lived now, not that he didn't care, but he wasn't very motivated anymore.

"Ahhhhh!" His axe sank into the sandwurm's head again and again, the minotaurs roaring as they held on for their life, attacking the giant beast as it soared through the air.

He dug his axe in deep again, striking brain, the beast fell, thrashing before the minotaurs finished it off and bellowed with the alicorn. It was their annual hunt that he still participated in.

The Sand Strider tribe's ideals outlasted all of Equestria's.

"Pulsar Splash, we thank you for joining our annual hunt again, as always it is a pleasure to celebrate with you," the alicorn was huffing, covered in bruises. He didn't use magic for this ritual.

"Of course...it's always a fun time, Onyx Gate," he spoke to the descendant of the chieftains.

"Tell me, friend," Pulsar but the axe on the holster he had on a saddle bag, blood dripping from it, "why have you looked so...destroyed over the last hunts? I can see a great battle is raging inside you."

"I'll," the mage transmuted some water, drinking deep. He sighed, "you got time, Onyx Wall?"

"All the time in the world for the most famous warrior."

"I've lived thousands of years, I've seen the rise and fall of Equestria. I've seen my first students live, rise, rule, and die. I've seen so many alicorns come and go, so many friends live, burst with life, and die. My wife is stuck on the other side of a portal in a world I can not reach. There...are so many tragedies I have lived through and so many things I have attempted to prevent."

"Sometimes, all a warrior can do is brace for the blade that is falling onto him."

"Yeah, but this blade continues to cut."

"Then that is not a blade of someone else. You put that sword there, you can take it out," the nomads were greatly known for their wisdom and they gave freely to any who would ask.

"You're right. You're absolutely right."

"Let go of the metal and the weapon will come out on its own. What battle have you been fighting?"

"Princess Twilight, she stripped ponies of their magic and I could reinstate it, but...I don't know if I should."

"She had her reasons. All creatures have purpose in their actions. The crow flies over people hoping for a meal just as the meal travels hoping for water. We need to only see the hope she had when she acted."

"I see. What hope do you think that is?"

The minotaur laughed, "you ask me? You taught us that in friendship there is honor over the centuries," the large minotaur brandished his giant swordspear, "Princess Twilight Sparkle took all the magic away from everypony. I believe, just how you rose to so many challenges, that she has the firm belief and hope that another will rise," he smiled, looking at his swordspear, "Pulsar Splash, you mention your research of the stars. I've known you for two decades now. It's time you go there."

The thought had never occured to him and he looked to the minotaur, "we never stop seeking our next triumph. Why have you? Why go back to being a recluse?" He began walking away.

"Th-thanks, Onyx Gate."

He grunted and the alicorn teleported bakc to his home, wiping the axe clean before hanging it in his tea room above the fireplace again. He teleported to Canterlot, appearing atop a tall spiral and staring down at the ruined city. He breathed in deep, the empty air of the abandoned city filled his nostrils. He visited the new places ponies settled. Maretime Bay, Zephyr Heights, and Bridlewood. The non-unicorns looked at him in fear and disgust, even spitting his way as he had hidden his wings and cast an illusion to make himself look like he did when he was still teaching the twin sisters.

"Equestria needs help and I don't...I can't save it," he was in a depression from seeing it all, but Onyx's words had a notable change on him, "next triumph," he mumbled.

"Hey...what's up? Something wrong?" A unicorn approached him with a deep blue main and soft purple coat.

"Huh? Me?"

"Yeah, you. Something bugging you?" Other's were whispering around.

His horn flickered for a second as he was about to teleport and then he remembered the absence of magic for all of them. The unicorn's face lit in awe and then excitement, "You can-!" Pulsar shoved his hoof to her mouth.

"You didn't see anypony here," and then he galloped away quickly, going down a hill.

"Wait! Who are you?!" She gave chase, but he had already teleported back to his home where he had an illusion up to conceal it again. He futilely pressed his hoof to the mirror's surface.

Days past.

"I'm gonna get there, I'll link it myself," the alicorn trotted outside his home and he breathed deeply in the magic around him, seeing the Cosmos' Lost Children blooming again.

"Wait...WAIT!"

He sprinted out and felt something on the air, a tingle he hasn't felt in a long time, he searched for it, locating it with a signature spell before he teleported and could vaguely hear cheers around Equestria.

He landed in front of hooffull of ponies; two pegasi, a familiar unicorn, an earth pony, and something Equestria had not seen for a long time.

"You! I know you! You were the unicorn who did magic before we returned it!" He ignored her, staring at an earth pony with magically formed wings and horns.

"Equestria has a long way to recover, but if...if magic is back then you all solved it and rose to the occassion," he bowed to the newly ascended alicorn and his illusion dropped.

The alicorn spoke, "you...you're the alicorn who disappeared," she breathed out.

"I can not stay, but if you have need of something magical, you are welcome to consult me at my home. I will hold counsel just for you," his horn lit and fired a beam, dispelling his illusion from a far off distance, "over there. You can't miss it."

"Who is he, Sunny?"

"Pulsar Splash, one of...oh, I'm sorry!" She bowed, "Prince! Prince Pulsar Splash, Prince of Magic. He was one of Princess Twilight's friends."

"I wish I left her on better terms before she passed. I thank you all for your efforts in bringing friendship and thus magic back to Equestria. I have a task to complete myself now," he bowed again, "your name?"

"Sunny...Sunny Starscout."

He cleared his throat, borrowing from ancient tradition, "hail, Sunny Starscout! Hail!" Before he teleported away.

"Teleportation?!" All five of them shouted after his absence.

He was back at his home and pressed a hoof to the mirror, finding the spell now working again, he crossed over and stood in front of a vastly changed school.

"Good morning, students! Another school year!" He heard such a familiar voice and wlaked up to the front doors.

"Oh, another new student, welcome to your first day of-," she stopped as she extended her hand to him.

"H-Hey, still got time for a date?"

She hugged him tight, kissing his cheek, "I always will," her tears met his shoulder.

And Pulsar had the same exchange.

"I told you, my child, all would be fine and to trust my plan."

Author's Note

And we've concluded Pulsar's story. It was always my intention to have a pony live through everything, even if they didn't truly impact things as much as they could have, but to stand and be the stone that history weathers. This rewrite went wonderfully.

That Day

Pulsar Splash poured over his pages, the mess of papyrus upon the table, all his notes were written there.

"This...yes..."

He even dared to draw in charcoal directly on his beautiful oak table, but that was okay, he could always transmute another. Make it cedar this time if he pleased.

"If I take his proto time incantation and his glue enchantment...pulls these concepts from them..."

Pulsar was double checking his knowledge, not necessary at all for his skill, but this was important.

This was big.

All of Equestria would know the name Pulsar Splash, they would know him and he'd be the talk of the balls he hated.

"With those taken and put here, wrapped in my flow permanency spell...It should work."

"Will work..."

He concluded his pep talk and checks, his horn lighting up and his tower began to shake.

The unicorn was lifted off his hooves and the shade of grey shone bright from his long horn as he was lifted above the table.

"Pulsar Splash...you're a fucking genius."

His notes began to hover around him, the charcoal lines coming off the very table to change shape under him into a unique incantation circle, one that would be known at the blackest magic foundation.

It could raise dead, it could kill full alicorns immediately, nopony would be allowed to see it, but his purpose for it was to best the alicorns themself.

Was to spit in the face of the afterlife and deny the EverMore a proper ascendance to this power.

"Yes! YES! DO IT!" The unicorn cheered himself on while the glass windows of his tower shattered and floated while the books and very shelves of his giant study lost gravity.

The stone bricks even came apart, some falling out and some just floating, eventually his entire tower fell apart and all his books flew open, rapidly flipping their information through the unseen wind torrents.

A giant grey light shot from the incantation circle below him and his tower was blown apart, the stone bottom of his tallest floor stayed in the air below him, the circle imprinting on it with a brilliant display of his grey luster painting it on to glow for the rest of his life.

The sun blinked multiple times, shocking the order of everything that lived around his now destroyed home in this cataclymic spell.

This euphoric moment lasted hours to him but in jsut a minute, he was gently placed on the top of the incantation circle, the light chasing into his body.

His notes were wrapped by his magic of his own will, tied together and transmuted to make the official spell and process for it.

"My immortality spell...complete, just wait unt-."

The unicorn heard footsteps and felt something tingle on his flank while he stood on the gravity defying platform, the black circle of the incantation premanently pressed to the stone.

"Pulsar Splash! Are you okay?!" That was Starswirl, his ears knew that voice.

Pulsar levitated himself down at his words, "after thirty years, it's here, my cutiemark."

It was a brilliant blue and white star shooting a white beam into a horn,"Pulsar Splash, what was that aura you let out? Your magic nearly destroyed this entire hill!"

"I casted my height of achievement!" Starswirl's horn lit up at his proclaimation, he was examining him and his body's state with his magic.

"You...you're immortal," the yet to be bearded whispered with his words falling like an anvil into Pulsar's eagerness, "your body...your cells, nothing is aging or degrading, any magical infodex spell is proving that..."

"What's wrong, Swirl?"

"Pulsar, you cheated life, this...nopony and nothing is allowed to live forever, you've destroyed the natural order."

And out of embarassment, Pulsar Splash teleported himself and all his notes, books, everything he cared about far away from Starswirl, far away from where they were and deep into the mountains, atop a forest covered plateau. If he out of anypony, couldn't understand what he accomplished and spat in his face as if he was a dabbling in the forbidden then he would be burnt like it.

There he hid, with an illusion spell to make it appear normal, an enchantment to make ponies get lost on the way to him and exit back out where they came, and a manor was transmuted with the trees around him.

He knew from the tone, Starswirl did not approve, and he was stubborn enough to not fight with him but to simply leave and study, and do whatever he damn well pleased for eternity. He was wanting a reason after all and he didn't need anypony blocking his endeavors.

Teachers and Students

Pulsar Splash stood in silence at the top of the throne room platform, staring out at the waves of ponies.

"Hail, Pulsar Splash, Prince of Magic!"

"Hail, Pulsar Splash, Prince of Magic!"

"Hail, Pulsar Splash, Prince of Magic!"

Sunset began, followed with the Princesses, and then the ponies in attendance, trotting after him. He used his magic to nudge Sunset up to his side.

"Behold, Prince Pulsar Splsah, Behold..." they began their chant.

And it kept going until his reached the train station. The new alicorn levitated the train that waited for him up and began pulling stones from the earth, clearing them off all debris as they came from far below Canterlot. Pulsar was gathering them in great speed, assembling an imposibbly tall bridge, fusing the stones together to create a solid piece as he cantered across them.

The bridge winded and the ponies kept following behind him, chanting along.

Eventually he arrived at Foal Mountain, dispelling his illusion to show his home was right at a cliff, the bridge connected and a pathway formed along with a small ampitheater in front of his residence. The crowd of ponies behind him was silent as they stared in awe of the massive building that had gone completely under their radar for thousands of years.

He turned behind him, "anypony is welcome to seek my counsel!" Stones were still being pulled from the ground and a large platform began to float with an enchantment of his, protals tied to crystals teleported from his residence's storages appeared, leading to each major city's largest parks. Attached to the same platform, a staircase dscended down to lead to the Everfree Forest, Rambling Rock Ridge, and to Ponyville. He even enchanted a portion of the bridge and staircase with wide steps to increase a pony's speed.

"Anypony may seek my advice, my knowledge and expertise, or alert me of concerning magical issues. As I once was a magical advisor to King Bullion of the unicorn kingdom, I am now a magical advisor to all of Equestria and even beyond its borders," he smiled, "but my library is still off limits without my express permission."

The ponies bowed and the alicorns approached. As Sunset began to bow she was forced upright and teleported back to his side once more, "you don't get to do that anymore, as far as I see it, you could even be my first pupil."

Sunset smiled wide, a chance in a lifetime, to be taught from a pony who learned during the magic development period of the unicorn kingdom.

"This is a lot to undertake, Pulsar Splash," Cadence spoke.

"Are you sure you can handle it? I mean, not to say you aren't good at magic or anything, butwhenIwasanalicornnothingwasevereasyespeciallywithlearningtoflyandcontrolmylargermagicenergypoolsandIknowhowover-," Twilight was rambling before Pulsar held her lips shut.

"Twilight, I mastered teleportation before I was in formal schooling," he smiled, "I can handle anything magical."

"We meant your duties, Pulsar Splash," Luna corrected, "there will be many ponies seeking your counsel."

"And you've just begun reintegrating to Equestria."

"Youuuu're also not the most experienced with friendship," Twilight nervously laughed. He was one of the ponies of legend she read about and looked up to when she was in her studies of magic.

"Everypony, thank you for your con-."

"Pulsar Splash has done an incredible job of making friends and keeping an open mind in regards to talking with new ponies or people. I've seen it myself back in the mirror world," Sunset spoke up, "he's just a little more quiet and wields that as an authority rather than an outgoing voice."

"I see..." Celestia breathed out deeply.

The ponies stared at him, awaiting something while the alicorns spoke.

"What...why are they still here?" Pulsar whispered.

"They're awaiting your announcement of the festivities."

"O-oh," Pulsar didn't show any viisble signs of embarassment except for what was in his voice.

"We assumed you'd do something unorthodox so we didn't make any catering orders," Cadence spoke up, "you are from a time where none of us know the cultural standards."

"Well, typically there's a ballroom dance floor. I have one in my residence, but also a banquet and magic duels...and sword duels but those might be antiquated," he smiled, lighting his horn.

A side door of his home opened, other doors remained shut, locked, and magically warded while small braziers marked the path to the double doors built into the left side of the estate. His ballroom opened with instant decorations transmuted and teleported inside. His outside duel sphere door slid open, the magic absorbant glass shined in the evening sun, the sphere ready to accomdate those who would test their might along with magic absorbant suits in the front of it inside a sealed crate, meant to protect the wearer but glow brightly when they were struck.

A sword arena on the opposite side stood, grass overgrown until Pulsar teleported the literal plants out of the soil, an arrangement of longswords sat on a rack attached to the wood posts and fence.

"That's quite a lot of magic at once," Twilight commented.

"Princess, you haven't seen anything he's capable of yet," Sunset boasted for him.

The ponies that followed their march here were all levitated into the air and actual invitations were sent with instructions to all major cities in Equestria and even to places in the Everfree Forest and faraway lands, portals temporarily opened.

Tables appeared along the sides of the bridge at the stone raillings, fresh food, drinks, desserts were everywhere along them and the specialied fruit trees of Pulsar's design flowered, bloomed, blossomed, and brought forth their fruit in his personal orchard at the rear of his land, signs pointing to it.

The ponies were slowly levitated back down in place.

"What in Equestria..." Twilight jaws was completely open.

"We did tell you he was our tutor, correct Twilight?" Luna spoke up with a grin, "we'd love if you were to continue your teaching with us."

"Luna! We can't!" Celestia protested.

"Well, I would," Luna affirmed herself.

"We can discuss lessons for advanced mages. For now," he flapped his wings hard and flew to the sky, "citizens of Equestria!" His voice boomed and ponies were coming through portals to join the outdoor banquet and celebration, "and residents of lands afar!" Non-pony friend sof Pulsar's were coming through, ancient beings, a grizzled minotaur appeared, two reformed changelings followed, "today we come together in the celebration of what magic has brought all of us!" They cheered loudly before everypony began moving about towards the things they were interested in.

A dragon a little larger than Celestia's size appeared from a portal after his announcement and even a Windigo flew from the Crystal Empire.

"You keep...interesting friends, Pulsar Splash," Cadence noted.

"Friendship comes in many shapes and forms," He looked to Twilight.

"Friend, it has been a while," the dragon approached the alicorns, grey and blue scales covering his bipedal body, he hugged the new alicorn.

"Rupture," he hugged him back, "how are those modifications working?" The dragon looked with his spiked head to the sky and breathed a grey flame out to the skies, reaching an impossibly tall height. His wings spread, the left looking remarkably shiny.

"Wonderfully, they've grown with me and the more I try to use what nature gave me, the better they work with me," he smiled, "the dragons were willing to welcome me into their fold again, but I decided to do the Pulsar thing and remain solitary."

Pulsar nodded, "apologies for disappearing, you know due to my immortality I hid away to prevent being witch hunted."

"I know all too well," the dragon named Rupture nodded back, "I'd rather be meeting passerbys and explorers than stuck with those simple minded brutes who can't accept anything that doesn't meet their savage criteria."

"Spoken like a dragon of real honor," Rupture puffed his chest and smiled.

"I'll mingle today, however. Is it okay if I visit your home now?"

"Anytime, Rupture."

The dragon flew off, heading to the bridge and looking over the banquet tables.

"You were friends with a dragon?" Sunset pipped up.

Cadence had slipped away to find Shining Armor, Flurry Heart could be heard getting restless a little ways from their circle of talking.

"Am, still am friends with that dragon. I took a couple years of my adolescene to travel the lands beyond Equestria and met some interesting characters. Rupture was a dragon bullied by others and cast out because one of his wings was horribly damaged in an accident and was born without the ability to breathe fire. I promised to help him if he allowed me to investigate was what going on and his biology."

"So that's how you wrote the book on dragons that you did," Twilight squeaked.

"Yes. Now Rupture is living as a normal dragon and can hunt like one as well."

Pulsar slowly trotted to the front of his home, Sunset and Twilight following him, Celestia and Luna nodded to him while they left of their own accordances.

A minotaur was next to approach him, very grizzled, scarred, and battleworn.

"You don't seem...Onyx Bond?"

It smiled, "close, Prince Pulsar Splash. I am his eleventh time great granddaughter. My name is Onyx Wall."

"I see, I hope he lived a great and glorious life."

"This was a wish he passed from chieftain to chieftain of our nomadic tribe," the giant minotaur, an axe and warhammer on her back bent to a knee and bowed to him.

"The Sand Striders still exist because of you. You showed the entire clan that honor, trust, glory, and more comes in various forms, sizes, and applications. You prevented our famine from so long ago by showing us that littleborns can even slay the mightiest of sandworms and bring glory and prosperity to the tribe," she spoke.

"We knew you went into hiding and respected your decision, my progenitor wished to declare this to you to keep his honor but died before he could do so," she stood, "and...you are also the reason why the Onyx family is still in charge of the Sand Strider tribe."

Pulsar bowed his head, "a great minotaur of honor and wisdom. I'm certain you will continue to honor his legacy."

"Thank you, Prince Pulsar. I will depart from here, we have a hunt planned today when I received your invitation."

She walked away to a group of minotaurs who stood next to the portal that brought them there, forty or fifty of them stood, weapons drawn. She stood and turned to face him, drawing her own weapons. The minotaurs began a low short holler, raising their weapons in front of them and began clashing them slowly while their hollers became repetitive.

The minotaurs sped up their whoops and iron clashing until it was a defeaning sound and ahd the attention of every single pony and creature present. Everypony showed some form of fear in their eyes. The clashing abruptly stopped and a loud shout was uttered.

"The Sand Strider tribe recognizes!" Onyx Wall threw an axe from her back at the alicorn, "in 58 days we honor the ceremony! Join us in the badlands!" All of them shouted and the minotaurs began to go back through the portal and to their home.

Onyx Wall stayed, the double bladed axe landed in front of the alicorn, deep in the dirt, "that is your axe! You are the only who is worthy enough to use it!"

She walked through the portal and they disappeared, whisper went about the crowd.

Pulsar Splash lifted the axe from the dirt with his own hoof, the massive blade feeling weighty in his hands.

"Are. You. Kidding me?!" Twilight screeched.

"I know you're wanting a moment to talk with me and be my friend, Twilight," Pulsar acknowledged her, "but these are some old..old friends I neglected when I hid away," he smiled.

"So...you're an honorary member of an ancient nomadic minotaur tribe...the friend of an outcast dragon," Sunset was listing creatures almost every other pony didn't talk with, "even I'm questioning who the hell you are."

Shining Armor approached the three, "still waiting to get on Prince Pulsar's good side, Twily?"

"I-uh."

"Princess, don't make me jealous," Sunset leaned into Pulsar who wrapped a wing around her.

Pulsar was still looking over the axe.

"It's really rare for a research oriented uni-alicorn to take an interest in weapons, where did you learn?"

"I'm self-taught, every self-respecting unicorn could use a sword to some degree, but the axe I swept up from that tribe that just left is ancient, they kept it in good condition and the runes engraved on it is still there," he flipped it over in his hoof, "and my name and the day..."

"But...how did you learn?"

"I kind of...didn't it. I stole their axe and confronted the sandwurm myself, slaying it after three hours of trying to not be eaten and bleeding it out. It's how the dried skeleton of it ended up above the sands in the badlands."

"So...you're a savage, too?" Twilight's embarassment left and her curiosity returned.

"I guess I am? I was trying to prove a point to them and they still believe in it."

"Pulsar, I'm concerned of something," Shining Armor pointed to the two reformed changelings who kept near each other. They held the crystal heart.

"Oh!" Pulsar teleported the two of them over to the group, "Shining Armor, I'm pleased to introduce you to Dala and Thalamus."

They smiled nervously and held the heart out for Pulsar to take, which he had, "In very old days, I visited the Crystal Empire and studied the Crystal Heart so extensively I was able to make a duplicate," he smiled, "these two changelings-."

"I! We!" Thalamus spoke, "it's..."

"Sorry, Thalamus has still be intimidated by ponies even after reformation," Dala spoke for him, "we met Pulsar Splash who was the first pony who didn't imprison us."

"And those two were the first to make it past my enchantments."

"Changelings breached your illusions?" Twilight questioned.

"I hadn't made it to also encompass them at that time."

"Pulsar Splash," Dala addressed him informally, "modified the duplicate Crystal Heart so it became a storage device for love and we were then able to sneak around towns at night and sustain ourselves by letting the ehart soak up the love."

"Th-then and then we'd drink from it," Thalamus managed out.

"They were the first changelings open to living with ponies in harmony but felt they couldn't fight their nature so I offered them a different way when we discussed how changelings used to be," Pulsar filled in.

"I-I...I see," Shining managed out.

"I understand why you were concerned."

"Thank you, Prince Pulsar," he nodded to Shining Armor before the pony cantered off.

"We want to return it to you as we have no use for it...you might be able to find a better purpose for it," Thalamus spoke confidently.

Pulsar teleported the axe he still held and the duplicate Heart into his residence's warded storage, "thank you, please feel free to enjoy yourselves," the changelings bowed and left the three of them.

"So...can you teach me how you taught Celestia and Luna?" Twilight broached the topic.

"Maybe later, I have a student I'm teaching already," he squeezed Sunset with his wing, "you know you can talk with anypony here."

"I know. You also know I do what I want and what I like to."

"That's why I likely fell for you...so headstrong, proud, and you don't stray at all from who you are," Sunset smiled at his words and left him in front his estate.

"Independent beauty," he muttered under his breath, sprawling his wings and stretching them before folding them away. There were a large group of ponies gathered in front of him in a circle and he began to hear music come from his ballroom, from the ancient magical records in there no doubt. Ponies were definitely beginning to relax.

He peered across them, "do any of you have questions for me? Do you seek counsel?"

A pegasi pipped up, "is it true you're immortal?"

"Yes, I've lived for an incredibly long time."

"How did you become immortal?"

"With a spell I created. No, nopony is permitted to view this spell," he sternly answered.

"Were you truly Princess Celestia's and Princess Luna's teacher?"

"Yes! By the night, he was!" Luna shouted, annoyed at hearing that question.

"When I disappeared from Equestria's eye, I was not done yet teaching them, thus Starswirl took over, teaching them from their adolscence and on."

"That may be for the best as I was not...morally balanced on the subject of magic as I am today."

A lot of them ooed and awed at his words.

"What was the unicorn kingdom like?!" A young voice picked up.

"Oh, a question not about me. We were a pompous crowd, thought we were the best, magic and horns were a huge center of our world, but so was honor and approval of royalty. We became a very polarized political climate, it was difficult for researchers to be left alone to research when we needed the approval of the court for most things we did."

The ponies were dwindling in number around him, before long he fetched a glass of wine himself from the banquet tables he transmuted. By himself in the crowds, he left them, walking the massive bridge he made, wondering how he should continue living his life.

Obviously researching, but his declared his role, yet it still somehow felt hollow.

He trotted further down the bridge, hearing the chatter get quieter and quieter. A familiar cold came over him and he looked up.

A windigo.

"Thauma, that you?" It flew next to him and stared into his eyes, "must be. No other windigo would fly alone all the way here let alone address me in my eyes."

The windigo, saved by the new Prince, breathed behind him, forming a thick wall of ice, separating the alicorn from the other ponies noise even further.

"Thanks. Are you here to celebrate?"

It shook its head, "I...felt your...sorrow."

"Practicing your Ponish? You're very good at speaking now."

"Why is Pulsar sad?"

Windigos innately felt emotions within themself, that's how they were.

"I'm not sad, just feeling a little hollow. I've spent my life researching and now I have zero direction."

"Feeling lost?"

"That'd be a good word."

"Look around, you have a great purpose. You lead others, you clear miscon-understanding of magic and magical creatures," Thauma was very straightforward, "I hear tales on the wind. The slaying of Sombra, your alicornhood, your new magic prowess."

"I'm still immortal."

"And this land is as well. Along with me, you serve the land first, and you do that by serving the ponies."

He nodded, "and after they are gone?"

"Magic. Is. Forever. Wherever you are, it is also and that's a great responsibility to ensure magic remain in check."

"Yes, but I still do not have a personal goal."

"Do you understand everything of magic?"

"N-."

"Do you know why magic exists and where it comes from?"

"Do you know why it takes shape in different forms?"

"What about the other world, the one where your winter mate came from? Do you understand magic there?"

"You have a point, Thauma. In order for creatures to prosper from magic, we must still work to understand it and some things only I can do."

"It is only a matter of time before you find a pressing matter to occupy you."

"Thanks, you should let me introduce you to the other ponies."

"I will introduce myself when the time is right," they removed the wall of ice by passing through it and began a quick flight back to the north.