Jump to content
Banner by ~ Wizard

Rewriting Starswirl The Bearded and The Pillars In MLP: FIM (Part 1)


TheDarkMare1939

Recommended Posts

So My Little Pony: A New Generation had just come out, today on Netflix, and I do plan to watch it later because I feel excited about it. Before the release of MLP G5, I decided to rewatch Season 7 of MLP on Netflix to see if things have really aged well, in my eyes. I'll say that some episodes were pretty good, but a few things I didn't like the way Starlight Glimmer was written in it, and one particular thing I want to talk about and try to rewrite in Season 7 in MLP is the introduction of Starswirl The Bearded and The Pillars. in concept, I actually really like this idea of Equestria having a team of heroes that stem from Past Legends from before the events of Friendship is Magic and even them possibly being behind the creation of the Elements and Tree of Harmony. However, when I rewatched the Season finale storyline of Season 7, which was Part 1 and 2 of Shadow Play, I feel like the Pillars weren't utilized enough, in my opinion.

So I'm going to attempt to do my own take on Rewriting the introduction of Starswirl The Bearded and The Pillars in FIM. A few changes that I'm going to make is that they would be introduced towards the finale of Season 6 instead, and Starlight Glimmer wouldn't be involved in it and would be doing other things like trying to make amends with others she wronged during her redemption arc. In case you are wondering about that aspect, this first part of my new rewrite is going to be connected to my take on Rewriting the redemption of Starlight Glimmer. You can read it here:

https://mlpforums.com/topic/195150-rewriting-starlight-glimmers-redemption/?tab=comments#comment-5970302

So here is Part 1 of how I would introduce The Pillars and Starswirl The Bearded into the Season 6 finale of F.I.M:

The Season 6 finale begins with Princess Twilight Sparkle and Spike presenting the journal they discovered at the end of the previous episode to Princess Celestia and Luna. Although a lot of it is in the language of Olde Ponish, Princess Celestia and especially Luna are familiar with the dialect as they were around when it was commonly used and a language their teacher, Starswirl the Bearded, often spoke even as it began to fade from Equestrian tongues. Much of the journal, even then is cryptic, but they feel nostalgic for their teacher and father figure’s old items and nature.

The journal speaks of some site now remotely known as Ponhenge. Since they’re meeting with Thorax, Lord Ember, Prince Rutherford, and Gilda and a few other griffons as a presentative of Griffonstone, to discuss allegiances and all that, they ask Twilight Sparkle and Spike to investigate Ponhenge and see if they can figure out what interest Starswirl had in it. Twilight and Spike go to investigate and at first are disappointed to find nothing. However when Twilight walks into the center of Ponhenge, Spike then notices that the journal’s cover is glowing. Twilight Sparkle flips through the book to find a specific spell on a page that’s also glowing. Twilight begins reading it out loud and Spike notices the sky greying above them. He tries to tell her but she’s too wrapped up in reading to hear him.

Unbeknownst to either of them, a strange small light appears, though to them its obscured by one of the pillars. As an Unintentional act, Twilight casts a spell which shoots into six beams that strike six stone pillars, which results in In varying flashes of magical lightning and sudden appearances from Starswirl the Bearded, Mage Meadowbrook, Rockhoof, Somnambula, Flash Magnus, and Mistmane.

Twilight Sparkle is at first startled by this sudden occurrence, but then recognizes The iconic garb of The Wizard and asks him if he is who she thinks he is. Starswirl The Bearded confirms that he does not look too happy, and Starswirl demands to know why Twilight Sparkle set him and the others free. Flustered from a mix of emotions, Twilight is at a loss for words but Spike is quick to come to her defense, and he informed Starswirl The Bearded and The Pillars that Twilight didn’t know that just reading the spell from the book would activate it. Starswirl The Bearded collects himself and he gives a genuine apology for his outburst while explaining that the spell that sealed the six ponies away was meant to seal away something dangerous.

Twilight Sparkle asks what it is, but Spike interrupts and points out that the skies are still blackening and crackling with dark magic. Starswirl points to it and then teleports all of them outside Ponhenge as a mass of shadows drops down from the sky and makes an impact. The shadowy mass takes form of a dark alicorn and proclaims with laughter that it is free, chiding Starswirl that his spell didn’t work and referring to him as simply an insect. Starswirl The Bearded says that the dark entity will not succeed in his plan and then fires a magic blast at it. But the shadow creature deflects with a blast of his own.

The dark magic soon begins to overpower the magic of Starswirl The Bearded, and threatens to destroy him, but then Twilight and Spike intervene with the combination of Twilight's own magic and the ability to breathe fire from Spike himself, and it takes The Pony of Shadows by surprise enough to force his own dark magic back at him. The shadow monster growls in pain and attempts to make another strike towards both of them, but Twilight Sparkle is quicker to the draw and fires multiple blasts at the monster while flying around it and firing past it’s defenses. Spike lends his fire breath to prevent the power of the Pony of Shadows from consuming him, but compared to Twilight’s own magic, it's not as strong. Everypony seems to be agape at Twilight Sparkle’s ability to fly, but Starswirl The Bearded returns in the game and lends his own magic to Twilight Sparkle’s effort. The monster growls in frustration and leaves, promising them that they will pay, he’ll see to it.

The Wizard attempts to go after the monster, claiming that they can’t let it escape, but collapses from exhaustion. Mage Meadowbrook says that he’s too weak at the moment and says that they’ve all been weakened by their time in limbo. As Twilight Sparkle approaches her historical idol for questioning and to see if he’s ok, the other ponies seem to gather around her taking special notice of her wings.

Somnambula asks if she is a Princess, to which Twilight Sparkle replies with Yes. Starswirl The Bearded's eyes go a bit wide and asks if Twilight then knows his students, Princess Celestia and Luna, which Twilight and Spike also confirm, and afterward, they head off to see the Princesses. At Canterlot, Celestia and Luna are rolling their eyes as the representatives of the Yaks, Dragons, Changelings, and Griffons squabble amongst each other. Pinkie Pie and Spike are also there trying to keep Thorax and Rutherford calm, meanwhile one of the griffons swipes something off the table. During time time, Twilight bursts through the door with the others behind her. The Princesses are perturbed at being interrupted on top of all the petty arguments, but then they see who is with Twilight. Princess Celestia stands out of her seat in shock and surprise, only able to say her old mentor’s name, but Luna has a more excited approach and leaps off her seat and straight at Starswirl knocking him over with a hug.

“Ughf-! It is wonderful to see you again-ughf-! Luna-!” Starswirl says, the wind knocked out of him. As Princess Luna realizes the uncouthness of her undignified reaction, she releases Starswirl from her grasp and picks herself off the floor, trying in vain to reclaim her dignity. Celestia approaches slowly, unable to believe what she’s seeing. She asks Starswirl if its really him, which he answers by telling her that he knew she always hated how Luna was able to do that one spell that Princess Celestia could never manage. Luna eyes her sister mischievously, but Celestia can only smile wide and embraces her old mentor in a hug of her own. Although Starswirl is also joyed by the reunion, he explains that there is time for hugging later and that they need to rally all available forces as Equestria is in danger.

The representatives all say “Danger?!” in unison, but Luna quickly closes the doors so they’re not interrupted. Starswirl explains that long ago, a creature made of pure shadow came into Equestria from another world entirely. It’s intentions were just as dark as it’s own essence; to reopen the gateway between Equestria and his realm and let through his entire race and take over not just Equestria, but the entire world, every shadow monster possessing a pony as a host and transforming the land into a realm of pure Darkness. Starswirl tried to reason with the "Pony of Shadows", and he also talks about his experiences with Scorpan, but the Pony of Shadows barely even regarded Starswirl The Bearded as an individual and tried to reopen the gateway. He tried 3 times, each at the darkest points of Equestria, but during each time, Starswirl The Bearded and the other five Pillars kept fending him off.

It is here that we learn that Starswirl The Bearded and the others were the original bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and those were primarily what they used to fight against him. It seemed that each time they used the Elements of Harmony, back in their day, they only seemed to make him stronger rather than sending him back to where he came from, turning him into stone, or whatever. After the third failed attempt, Starswirl decided that the Elements wouldn’t work and that he and the other bearers needed to resort to more drastic measures. Luring the monster to Ponhenge, they used a dark magic ritual to seal it away in limbo for eternity so that it can never be able to open the gateway. Starswirl The Bearded apologizes to Princess Celestia and Luna for not telling them why he disappeared, but says that he couldn’t risk anypony knowing what happened in case somepony with bad intentions decided to unleash the Pony of Shadows and bring about a sort of "Shadow-Geddon"

He regrettably adds that his plan would have worked fully if he’d thought to also destroy his journal instead of leave it, if only he weren’t so preoccupied at the time. Nonetheless, the past is the past and all they can do is fight for the present and future. Starswirl The Bearded says the Pony of Shadows will try to open a gateway again in one of the four darkest points in Equestria, and that if they post teams at each point they can stop him from bringing about Shadow-Geddon. Princess Celestia tells Twilight to gather her other friends. Pinkie Pie appeared on the other side of the closed door. Princess Luna asks how Pinkie did it, but Pinkie Pie just shrugs. They will split up into teams of four; each team headed by either a princess or Starswirl as they’re the most powerful and able to fight off the Pony of Shadows long enough to get him to flee.

Princess Celestia remembers the representatives in the other room and asks Spike if he’ll be ok. Spike says that he will, but Celestia isn’t convinced, yet Spike continues to boast confidence and tells them to go and save the world while he holds down the fort. Once Princess Celestia closes the door, Spike sags into his seat as the arguments begin anew. They teleport to the Friendship Castle at Twilight’s suggestion, which can makes sense, since all her friends live in Ponyville, and Twilight happily explains to her idol how the Castle came into existence, Chest of Harmony and Rainbow Powers and all.

However at this Starswirl is skeptical, even at the sight of the Cutie Map, convinced its just some enchanted crystals Twilight is trying to build up to impress him. Some of the Old Bearers also scoff at the very idea of "Rainbow Power" and how silly it sounds. Princess Celestia and Luna try to confirm this, but when Starswirl asks if they’ve seen the castle grow, to which they have to admit that they haven’t.

Just then the rest of The Mane 6 walk in the Map Room, and they were gathered by Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack gasp at the sight of their own legendary idols. Upon each own addressing their respective idol, and Fluttershy recognizing Mage Meadowbrook, Pinkie Pie squints and then recognizes Somnambula from her and Rainbow’s Daring Do adventure. Flash Magnus approaches them and asks if they are the new Bearers to the Elements of Harmony, to which Rainbow Dash proudly confirm. Applejack notices that Flash Magnus said "New" and asks for clarification, to which Pinkie Pie tells them that that is what she was trying to tell them all on the way to the castle.

At this revelation, Rainbow Dash feels excited that her foalhood idol, which is the awesome dragon fighting Pegasus and also had of the same Element as her, which is Loyalty. However, Flash Magnus was feeling a little confused by this, asking if she means "Element of Bravery". Applejack says that Rainbow Dash indeed means what she means and then says that she is the Element of Honesty, and then Pinkie Pie introduces her friends to the Old Bearers, while including the Elements to their names. However, while Starswirl The Bearded showed mutual respect for The Mane 6 & their good deeds, he says that that is incorrect and that the Elements of The Pillars are Hope not Laughter, Bravery not Loyalty, Strength not Honesty, Beauty not Generosity, Healing not Kindness, and Sorcery not Magic.

The Mane-6 are perplexed by this and turn to the Princesses, but Starswirl gets back to the point and shows them where in Equestria the three of the four darkest points are. They then are divided up into three teams where Princess Celestia will protect Pinkie Pie, Somnambula, Applejack, and Rockhoof while Princess Luna is tasked to protect Rarity, Mistmane, Fluttershy and Mage Meadowbrook, and lastly, Starswirl The Bearded is tasked to protect Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Spike, and Flash Magnus. Shining Armor and his group of Royal Guards are tasked with staying in the castle and figuring out where the fourth darkest point in Equestria is. They all break for their locations, with Starswirl The Bearded telling Twilight Sparkle that he hopes they will be in time, otherwise nothing will be safe when Shadow-Geddon arrives, and the next scene has the screen zooming into Starswirl’s eye, which reveals his vision of what happens when the Pony of Shadows succeeds.

That is the end of Part 1. So what do you guys think of this first Part? Part 2 will come in the future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Join the herd!

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...