The Final Spell

by Sebbaa

Rating: everyone
Tags: Adventure, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sad, Other, Original Character
Length: 2251

This is the most well know story of Starswirl the Bearded. The story of his death.

Many legends are told about Starswirl the Bearded, greatest conjurer of the pre classical area, inventor of over two hundred spells.
This is perhaps the most well known one.
This is the story of his final spell.

Published 2012-02-05 22:12:16 UTC
Last updated 2012-02-05 22:12:16 UTC

Chapter 1

Here is the link to the googledocs version. Try this, this is proper formated.

The Final Spell
By Sebbaa

The clopping of several dozen applauding ponies filled the taverns common room. Lyra bowed graciously and thanked her audience several times before the noise faded down.

“Thank you, thank you everypony! You are a lovely audience.”

The bartender came over to her table and sat down a mug of overflowing with foaming cider on it. It resembled his cutie mark.

“On the house!” he said and gave her a wink, gesturing to all the guest her songs had attracted. Tonight the Dancing Pony was packed full.

Lyra nodded and smiled happily. She took the mug with her hoof and took a long swallow, then set it back to the table with a clonk. She cleaned her mouth with the back of her leg and faced the crowd again, then picked up her lyre with her magic and plucked a few notes testily.

“The next one you might be familiar with. It's an old song from the legends of the Knights of Equestria and it's about Starswirl the Bearded. It's called: The Final Spell.”

The crowd fell silent, listening intensely to her play and the sweet tone of her voice. She made a small rhetoric pause and breathed in deeply. As she started to sing, a sad melody came from her lyre.

“It was in the dusk years of reign of the King of Knights.

A messenger came to the white city of Canterlot

telling of a terror never known. . . .”

Clover the Clever galloped across the drawbridge of mighty Canterlot. After her came the legendary Knights of Equestria a dozen strong, their armour shining brightly in the sun.

“Come on Knights! We have to stop the Beast before it reaches the city.” she shouted over her shoulder and pressed on.

Sir Golden Heart pulled up beside her. “Shouldn’t we wait for Starswirl? We might need his magic.” he asked concerned.

Clover shook her head. “No, eh. . .” she hesitated a moment, she didn't meet his eyes when she continued, “the old Stallion fell asleep on his studies. Grand him his rest, we can take care of this!”

Golden Heart didn't share her optimisms, but he kept it to himself and fell back to the group.
They didn't have to go far before they could make out the first signs on the horizon. Dark clouds had gathered in the distance. Birds flew overhead, fleeing from whatever came this way.

“Quick, to that hill! We might see it from there.” Ordered Clover and changed their direction.
They headed up a large hill, bar of any trees or bushes, it overlooked the thick forests that spread below Canterlot.

When they had reached the hill they came to a sudden stop. Their eyes went wide, their mouths hang open at what they beheld.
“This is what the Sorcerer King became after he sold his soul to Discord?” asked Sir Golden Heart, not believing his own eyes. He swallowed hard.

Clover gritted her teeth, her eyes afire with fierce determination.“This is it, the Beast! It already laid waste to Trottingham. We have to stop it here and now!” She replied.
“Knights, make ready to fight!”

The Knights of Equestria formed a half circle before the student of Starswirl and drew their weapons.

The Beast altered its way to meet them. It moved through the woods like a pony might walk through a field of grass, tress cracked and fell as it went, the animals fled before it. In its wake it left nothing but scorched earth and hot ashes.

The knights stood tall, none of them yielded a hoof or even flinched as the beast approached.
They had to crane back their necks to look up to it as it stopped before them.

“It's big.” remarked Gallop Ahead dryly.

“Pff, I've slain bigger ones.” replied Golden Heart unimpressed.

“Ohohoho! What do we have here? If these aren't the legendary Knights of Equestria? How disappointing. I had hoped to be greeted by the bearded one himself.” spoke the Beast, it voice was a twisted cacophony coming from a thousand mouths, with it came the foul stench of charred coal and brimstone.

“Starswirl is resting in peaceful slumber! There is no need to disturb him for the likes of you! We have vanquished all of the soulless monsters you have sent our way. Your armies lie broken and your kingdom in ruins. Turn back and hide at the end of the world, or meet the wrath of Equestria!” shouted Clover the Clever in response, her horn already glowing in purple magic, her eyes glowing like a fire burned inside of her.

The beast let out a bellowing laughter that shook the ground. “Ohohoho! Puny mortals, what do you know of wrath? Come at me, let me feel that wrath you speak of. Let me contemplate if it compares to my own.”

And as one the Knights rushed the beast. They were all over it, bucking, slashing and slamming, their onslaught cleaving deep wounds. Clover released her spell, then cast another, and another. Fireballs, lightning rods and lances of pure energy mutilated the Beast body.

But in horror they watched as for every limb they severed, two others grew in its, every wound they made became a razor toothed muzzle, every scorched patch of skin turned into dragon-like scales.

They held in in their assault when the Beast laughed again, mockery dripping in its voice. “Ohoho, hihihi, hahah! Is this the best you can do? You can wound this body the Lord of Chaos gave me, but it'll only make it stronger.
Now let me show you real wrath!”

And the Beast lashed out. One by one the Knights were swatted to the ground like flies, scattered around Clover in a broken heap. She dodged their falling bodies and looked up to the Beast in terror.

“And now you die, like the worms that you are!” Shouted the Beast and from its mouth came a great torrent of green flame.

Clover brought up a glowing purple shield spell that protected herself and the fallen Knights from the fire, the flames raged against her magic in an unrelenting onslaught. After only a few seconds sweat formed on her brow, she clenched her teeth and dug her hooves into the ground, but her magic was failing rapidly. Even as she drew upon her last reserves did the shield waver under the assault.

With a mighty crack struck lightning from the sky and hit the beast square in its face. It staggered back in pain, its flames vanished.

Clover looked up, her eyes growing wide and shining with tears as she saw who had come to their aid. “Master!” she called out.

Starswirl the Bearded descended from the sky, flying on shining wings of arcane light. “Leave them alone foul beast, thy quarrel is with me!” he yelled his challenge as he came down and landed in front of his beaten friends! The bells on his head rang and with a last flap his wings dissipated in glowing sparkles. His horn glowed again as he cast one more spell. Butterflies of dazzling, colorful light came forth from his horn and danced around the beast, distracting it for a moment.

Clover staggard over to him and fell to his hooves. “Master! I'm so sorry! I thought we could defeat the Beast! I'm so sorry!” she sobbed tears running down her cheeks.
Starswirl put a hoof on her shoulder, when she looked up she saw his comforting smile. He helped her to her hooves.

“Oh Clover, foalish student of mine, don't cry. I forgive thee for putting sleeping powder in my tea. I know thou did it with good intention. To keep me away from another battle, to let me frail, old stallion have my well-deserved rest. But while my body may be withered, the strength of my youth gone, my mind is still sharp and my magic ever grew only more powerful. I am not in need of protection.” He said his voice soft and understanding. Then his face grew solemn and his tone sincere. “But I fear this foe is beyond thee. It was made by the sacrifice of ones soul and can only be undone by magic of equal might.”

Clover blinked a few times, her eyes shrunk, dread filled her heart. “Master, you cannot mean to. . .”

“I am sorry Clover, it has to be this way. Please forgive me.” he interrupted her. His horn shone, a magic glow surrounded her form.

“Oh nononono, please don't, I can help. . .” she stammered but the spell took her and she vanished in a bright flash of light.

“. . . you!” she finished and found herself standing back at the gates of Canterlot.
“Oh no Starswirl you old trickster! What have you done? What will you do?” she said to herself and her heart sank, for she knew the answer. Frantic she tried to teleport back, but found that she had spent the last of her magic to shield her friends. Without further thought she took off in a brisk gallop. “Oh merciful Celestia! Please don't let me be too late!”

Starswirl took one last glance back to Canterlot that he had called home for the last twenty years, back to the place he had sent his finest student, so she could not interfere with what he was about to do.

“Goodbye Clover. May thy days be long and filled with joy.” He whispered softly, a sad smile forming on his face, slowly he looked up to the heavens above.
„Celestia grant me strength for my final spell; I offer my soul to thee.” Starswirl spoke his voice solemn and closed his eyes.

”You old and fray stallion think you can defeat me? Pha! Give it your best shot bearded one! I dare you!” Mocked he Beast as it recovered from Starswirl’s last spell, its bellowing laughter reverberating in his bones.

As Starswirl turned around to face the Beast, his horn was already glowing with magic power. He took a firm stance, an arcane wind began to blow, swaying the grass around his figure, flapping at his cloak and making the bells ring as he poured more and more power into the spell. The sky was darkened as black clouds formed a circle overhead, lightning cracked and thunder shook the heavens.

“Foul Beast! Thou knowest not what a pony is capable of when he is defending his friends. Begone to the chaos from whence thee came!” he spat and shouted in response before released his spell.

The Beast laughter became stuck in its throat when the first, glowing, white tendons of the spell shot from his horn and slung themselves around its bloated form.

It roared in pain and thrashed against the magic bounds, but could not break them. Sweat formed on Starswirl’s brow and he clenched his teeth in pain as he channeled more and more power into the spell. His horn glowed brighter and brighter and ever more tendons of blinding light formed around the struggling creature.

It screamed and fought against the bonds with all its might, one last effort to break free. Its wrath shattered the ground and made the earth tremble.

The wizard dug his hooves into the dirt and cried out in pain as the light from his horn burst into a blinding flare, bright as the midday sun.

“BE UNDONE!” he shouted with his last breath. The light from his horn erupted with violent intensity, the Knights had to shield their eyes or risk to go blind. All that could be heard was the deafening roar of the beast. Then there was silence.

Clover made it back to the hill just in time to see the light. She held in her tracks and shielded her eyes before she fell to the ground and put her hooves over her ears the beast’s shout threatened to leave her deaf.

When silence fell the light was gone. She quickly got to her hooves and galloped up to the crest of the hill. The sight that she found there made her stop in her tracks, her eyes growing wide.

On the hill stood tall the form of Starswirl, locked in his final moment, his body a sickening gray. The Knights of Equestria were gathered around him one hoof on their chests, their heads bowed in silent tribute. When Clover came closer a gust of wind blew over her teacher and took his body with it, for it had turned into dust. All that was left were his cloak and the hat that landed in her hooves, its bells ringing their last chimes. She sat on her haunches sobbing, her tears falling onto what remained of her mentor and friend.

“. . . and thus died Starswirl who they called the bearded,

the greatest conjurer of all time.

He gave his life, so that others might live.

Let his sacrifice be remembered forever.”

Lyra ended her song, the music faded. Silence had fallen over the Tavern, everypony looked at her the pain of loss on their faces, for that had been the power of her music.

One pony clopped his hoof on the Tavern floor, then another, soon everypony was applauding. Lyra stood up and bowed before the audience, then put her Lyre away. No more songs would be played this night.