//------------------------------// // (Even) More Conversation // Story: The Lost Legends of Equestria: Star Swirl the Bearded // by Silver Inkwell //------------------------------// Three Weeks Ago, after the School Playground Event… “So, Star Swirl, what is your favorite ice cream flavor?” she asked on the way to her house trying to start off a casual conversation in order to get to know him. “Why that would be chocolate of course, and an amazing thing it is at that, it doesn’t matter whether if it’s in a bar or not, whatever shape or form it is in, it’s good, and I love it, if you want to try to trap me in the future, try using chocolate as the bait, and yes, that is a deliberate hint and clue for you to use.” “Well chocolate is very good,” Pearl said, “I agree, but I think vanilla is better.” “How dare you,” Star Swirl said mockingly, “You dare to defy the name of chocolate? I must punish you for this, but before I do so, tell me why this is the case that your so called ‘vanilla’ is better than my own personal chocolate.” “Well I would rather be a simple pony rather than fancy and rich and spoiled and not having any friends, I would never trade anything for my best friends. But anyhow I think that the spoiled rich and fancy ponies can get a little bit too far carried away in their taste testing of simple chocolates and delicacies and treats, and that’s why I like vanilla more, no one ever over analyzes vanilla, it’s simple and plain, like I would rather be despite my parent’s wealth and fortune, and they want me to be rich and famous like them, hence my name, they named me after something incredibly rare that can only be found at the very deepest darkest parts of the ocean, something that is only found in clams, but what they don’t know is that despite all the effort and time and energy spent to retrieve one there is also time and effort and energy spent inside the clam. A pearl is only formed by pressure inside the clam because the clam does not want the irritating piece of sand inside it, and so out of hardship and turmoil and pain is something so incredibly beautiful and delicate is formed and created, and I guess that’s how I would rather like my life to be like, after all, if I never know the pain of life and how it can hurt me, I can’t ever learn how to enjoy all the good moments and be happy for what I have and not sulk around in misery asking myself why I can’t have what others seem to have.” “Wise words you speak, and yet I find it surprising that they come from some pony so young as you, your youngest years are the hardest and the best, or so they say, the time of life where you’re trying to figure out who you want to be and what you want to do and wanting what others have, yet you seem to be wise beyond that which is normal for your age, tell me, do you read books?” “Yes, I do, I love reading books, especially fantasy, the only problem however is that there aren’t that many books around, even my parents don’t have that many, and they’re rich, and it’s not a problem of price, but of supply instead.” “Yes, I see, well then, I guessed your secret of success and personal wealth and fortune and joy, and I love reading books too, and I think that in the future a great many and deal of them will be written upon me and other subjects and matters, but not until this land is united, but I shall do my best to record the history of what is happening now so that other ponies in the future will not forget this, but instead remember it, even if only as a time of strife, chaos, and misfortune, and I wish it could be a better time, but that simply cannot be the case, but anyhow, I think we should return back to our conversation now.” “I agree, okay then, I have one last question for you before I go and leave.” “Ask and you shall receive an answer, knock and it shall be opened unto you.” “What are your personal hobbies, goals, dreams, fears, ideas, and thoughts?” “Well, that’s quite the general and yet still specific question, but I shall do my very best to answer you. My hobbies are reading, writing, poetry, music, and spell making. My dreams and plans for the future are grand and glorious, one in which all of the land and all of the ponies are united as one glorious nation. My ideas and thoughts vary depending upon the hour and minute and time of the day, week, month, and year, they come and go and I try to write them down when I can for the weakest ink is stronger than the best minds. And finally, my fears, well before today I guess it was of almost everything, especially failure, but now I am not afraid to try anything or go anywhere, for I know that if I never try I will never learn, and if I never learn I will never know. If I never explore then I can never do, and if I never fail I will never know how to accept failure and defeat. Even the best and greatest of minds and heroes can fall with time whether it be by corruption or by history and memory itself, but all will one day die and be forgotten in the vast endless sea and sands of time.” “That’s a depressing outlook and view on life in general,” she said. “I have multiple views, realistic like what I just said, optimistic, which I would rather prefer the best, and pessimistic, but who really likes that?” “Okay then, anyhow my dreams and plan for the future is rather simple, start up and open a jewelry store, and of course fall in love with some special pony and get married. My hobbies are about the same as yours except for the part about making new spells. And I guess that my thoughts and ideas would also have to vary depending upon the hour and minute and time of the day, week, month and year. And finally my fears, well I guess it’s talking to my parents about my real and true thoughts, feelings, ideas, and dreams, they don’t ask what I really want, or at least they don’t take time out to listen to me, and so I gave up hope of trying to talk reason or logic with them, but perhaps there is still a small chance and some hope left for them and me, no matter how small it is, and I guess I have to thank you for talking to me today and letting me realize to know how important it is, and I can’t find a way to express it enough. Is there anything that you need or want though? I could get it for you, all you have to do is ask, don’t be afraid of imposing, my parents have lots of money that they can spare, and when they do they give the rest of it to me, so just ask, nothing bad will happen, I won’t ask for anything in return except should the time come that you will repay me in favors as I want no matter how small or big it may be. And please do say something, this is the only way I know how to repay you, if there was another way then I’m sure you could teach it to me.” “There are plenty of ways to repay favors and debts; the only problem is finding a good one or way, but I do think that I need some nice warm blankets.” “I can get that for you, but can you tell me why and what you need them for?” “It’s a personal matter,” he said, “And I would rather prefer that you not look into it at all as a favor for me, and it doesn’t matter what I ask for, I need you to promise me that you won’t ever look into it or question it at all, do you understand and agree to that? I need you to say that you do, please, for me.” “Alright then,” Pearl said, “I agree to that, and I’ll have your blankets for you tomorrow, will that work out or would you rather prefer another day instead?” “Tomorrow is perfect, and I guess that I will see you at school soon enough then?” Star Swirl said casually with a big smile lining his entire face. “Yes of course, I always go to school, except for when I am sick.” “Well then, I hope and pray that you do not get sick, and you better not, otherwise I’ll come straight on over here and then I’ll stay here until I fix you up until you’re better and all healed and cured, no matter how long it takes.” “I wouldn’t mind you coming over,” Pearl said thinking of what might happen, “I think I would rather enjoy a friend’s presence when I’m sick, your presence.” “Well then, good day, see you tomorrow, Pearl,” and with that he left to go back on to his home leaving Pearl there all alone to think her own private thoughts. She didn’t know who this young colt was exactly, he may be different from all the other ponies she met, but that was what made him so great and unique and special, he was funny, strange, mysterious, kind, and gentle and had lots of great, strange, new ways about the way the world worked and about ponies and spells, and she liked him, she didn’t know why, but she did anyways. And over at his house Star Swirl had similar thoughts, she was strange, odd, different, unusual, and mysterious, but he couldn’t help but to like her too. And so, that night the two young ponies went to sleep thinking similar thoughts and ideas, and both of them even had the same dream where they played together and worked together at various tasks and jobs, and later they remarked on the strangeness and oddness of that, but Star Swirl merely said that perhaps it was just meant to be, not fate, but something else that was completely different and unique instead, something new to be explored.