//------------------------------// // Six Years Later... // Story: The Lost Legends of Equestria: Star Swirl the Bearded // by Silver Inkwell //------------------------------// Six Years Later… “Come on Pearl, I have been asking you for six years now, and you still say no? I thought that by now you would see reason and logic, but you clearly haven’t.” “Or perhaps I am still sane instead, have you ever considered that Comet?” “I have,” he said (of course he did, she thought, he always did), “I always consider all my options before a battle or fight, even if it is only one of words and logic I have to choose what I will say and how to say it very carefully. The same applies to you, I always consider your thoughts, ideas, dreams, hopes, and fears before I consider my own, and then when I do, and when I have considered all sides and options of something, that it is only when I talk.” “Well, have you considered that your general vagueness is getting annoying?” “I have, and I know that, and why do you think I do it? Because it’s fun, I like messing around with other ponies’ head and minds, especially yours, Pearl.” “I know that,” and she did, because he had told her so many times before, “You’ve already told me this many times before, why repeat yourself more?” “Because some lessons can take days, weeks, months, or even years of practice and repetition to learn, but this is not the case, the case here is simply for the reason of fun, after all, what good is life if you can’t enjoy any of it? Especially all the good little small moments in your life that really mean something very special when you take the time to question them and learn from them too.” “Well I think that’s a rather good lesson and point to learn, but if there is one thing in life that I will never fully understand, it would have to be you.” “Well of course,” he said, “It would be a rare day indeed should a wizard ever open up fully to any pony else, but perhaps maybe if he met the right some special pony an then they had the right special some pony meeting and arrangement and occasion, and perhaps if they loved each other enough, perhaps then maybe the wizard will fully open themselves up to another, but I doubt that any pony could love a wizard as much as that which is needed or required, and I also doubt that a wizard could ever allow themselves to love another pony, perhaps like and make friends with other ponies, but certainly not love, it is far too dangerous and perilous of a risk and danger for them to ever love another pony, and that sadly is out tragic curse that we must bear.” “Well that’s just so sad to think that you could ever think something like that, or that way, how dare you think that you can’t love or that others can’t love you, and don’t tell me it’s because of your past, because I don’t think it is, it better not be, ponies can get over that, or at least they can, eventually.” “Do not worry, and never fear, it is not because of my past, or at least I do not think it is, especially not after all my time with you, you have taught me so much more than I could have thought, more than I could have ever dreamed. And I can’t ever thank you enough for it, though I do wish I could think of some way that I could repay you just as you need to repay me for your life.” “I’m sure you’ll think of something great and grand, or small and simple, or large and complex, and you’ll think of it someday when you can, eventually.” “I hope so, I would hate for you to be disappointed, or either of us for that matter of fact, after all, when a gift is given it has to be good, and it can’t ever be taken back, so it would have to be good enough to keep forever in your life.” “Well of course, and it would also have to be a surprise for the other pony.” “Well that’s natural of course, and speaking of surprises, I actually have one ready and prepared for you right now, but you’ll have to wait to see it.” “Oh come on, can’t I open it right now?” Pearl complained loudly. “No, that would ruin the surprise, and I’ll also need you to wear this cloth I brought for you,” he said holding it up, “That way I can make and be sure that you’re not cheating by peeking, I don’t want the surprise ruined before we get there, otherwise the whole mood and thing would and will be completely ruined for you, and I cannot and will not allow that to happen on my watch young lady, do you understand that, or will I have to get serious with you now?” “No, I’m fine, I understand this completely,” she said putting the cloth on over and around her eyes, “And I like surprises, so I promise that I won’t peek.” “Good then,” he said, “Because that would ruin the surprise otherwise. And speaking of the surprise, we’re already here, you can take it off now.” With much confusion, she did so, what did he mean by that they were already there? They hadn’t moved an inch anywhere, so they still should be at the same place, but they weren’t they were somewhere completely different and new, someplace that she had never seen or been to before, and it was both amazing and breathtaking, or at least the view and surrounding area was. They now stood before the rocky cliff edge high up from the ground and far away from the village as it now was just a mere small dot in the distance far away, and Pearl couldn’t help but feel like he could see the whole entire world from up here, and the view, the experience, it was all so amazing to her, and she just wanted to lie down and roll in the grass that was up here and rest and relax and look up at the sky, and let all thoughts of worry finally leave her. “It’s amazing, I know,” Chris said, “But want to know something even more amazing than this? It’s how we get up here, we didn’t walk or move or fly, so how did we get up here you ask? Simple, a teleportation spell, one that I recently perfected over many long years of hard work and turmoil and effort and energy and time, and now it has all finally paid off in this very moment here and now, and I couldn’t be prouder at something that I have done, especially if it was for you, because you see, I thought to myself one day, you would like to travel the world, right? And what’s the fastest way to travel right now? Many, but all too slow, and that’s when I invented the spell, so that you and I could go anywhere we wanted to at any time of the day, week, month, or even year, and nothing can or will stop us since we can be gone in an instant and a moment, and then we can pop on right back home before they even notice that we were gone or missing, which is why this is a perfect plan.” “I can’t believe that any of this is real,” Pearl said in disbelief. “Well you better believe it, even if it may sound impossible, because the only thing in life that’s impossible, it’s impossibility, nothing in this life for any pony is impossible, it’s only just a matter of probability, that’s all, nothing more, and nothing less, and thinking that something is impossible, well that’s just wrong, and I can’t believe you would think like that way after knowing me for so long.” “Well I’m sorry,” she said, “But this is just a little too much for me to take in right now, perhaps maybe if you could give me some space and time for me to think and figure all of this out, perhaps maybe would be the most helpful thing to do for me right now, would please you do that, for me?” “Well of course I can do that for you, anything for you my dear Pearl.” “Well thank you,” she said sitting on the grass, “I need the space and time.” She just lay there on the grass thinking to herself a time went by, and Star Swirl, well he kept his word and remained quiet and silent as she lay there. Then after some time she finally decided to speak up when she was ready. “I think I’m ready now,” she said standing up, “I’m ready to talk to you now.” “Well that’s good,” he said, “But tell me this, what do you want to talk about?” “I don’t really know, but perhaps I can think of something, but for now, all I wanted to do was actually ask you something, something very personal. But if you don’t want to answer the question, I will understand why.” “Well what is it? Come on, speak up, don’t be afraid, I’m listening to you.” “I know, and here’s the question that I have for you, do you like me?” “Well of course I like you, I have for years, after all, I wouldn’t be your friend for so many years and so long if I didn’t like you, now would I? I mean what sense would that make? It wouldn’t make any at all, that’s the correct answer.” “No, that’s now what I meant at all, I don’t think that you fully or really truly understand what I mean at all, what I really mean is this I guess. Do you have any… feelings for me? Any at all, strong or weak?” Star Swirl didn’t know what to say to that now that he did fully and really truly realized what she meant, he had never been asked this question before, and he wasn’t ready for it, he wasn’t ready to answer it, not now at least, and perhaps maybe not ever at all, but maybe one day perhaps he would be ready for it, ready to answer it, but that day was not today, and he needed to get out of this trap, but he couldn’t think of anything that would allow him to escape easily enough, or to hurt her feelings, he liked her enough that he didn’t want to hurt her in any way possible, but what she was asking, it was all too much too soon, he couldn’t possibly deal with it right now, and that is why he needed to find a way to escape, and also a way not to hurt her feelings too badly or deeply, but he didn’t know if there was a right way to do this, but perhaps maybe there was no right way to do it, and that’s what makes love so hard. “Well I don’t know how to answer that,” he said honestly, “And I don’t know what to say to you, I mean I like you, but I don’t know if I can answer this now. I wish I knew what to say so that I couldn’t hurt you, but I honestly don’t.” “Oh,” she said slightly disappointed, “Well then, that’s okay I guess, it’s fine.” “You know what, it’s not fine, I should give you a better answer instead, and you’re a really terrible liar, I can tell that by your face and tone of voice.” “It doesn’t really matter, it was too much of me to ask of you too soon.” “Don’t think that, but I suppose you will, do you want to go home now?” “Sure thing, there’s nothing left for me to see or say up here anyways.” And with that being said, Star Swirl used his new teleportation spell to get them back home, and this time Pearl actually saw the whole thing in a flash. “Thank you for that lovely amazing experience,” she said afterwards casually and plainly as if the question that she had asked had never been spoken at all, but Star Swirl could tell from her voice and her movements that she still carried sorrow and pain within her heart, and he wished that he could get over it in some way, but he couldn’t help her, only she could do that right now by moving on with her life, and away from him, “I loved the view a lot especially, and I hope that we can do something like this more often and again and soon.” “Me too,” he said, “And I actually have plans for us to do stuff like this more often, that is, if you want to, I mean I wouldn’t want to impose or anything.” “That will be just fine with me, anyhow, I guess I’ll see you later then?” “Yes, later, that would be just fine with me too, I guess this is goodbye then.” “It is only goodbye for now, or at least until the next time we meet each other again, and no goodbye will ever last forever, not even one of loss or death.” “You do well to say something that I would say, but how do you know that we will ever meet each other again? Our pathways could be separate ones that we must travel all alone, even if the journey is a long and hard one to travel on.” “I don’t know if we ever will meet each other again, I just feel it deep down inside my heart, and it’s something that I can only have hope and faith in, and believe in my mind, for sometimes that’s all you can do for something in life.” “True words indeed, well anyhow, goodbye then, until we meet each other again,” Star Swirl said leaving Pearl behind on the front porch all alone. “Goodbye then, until we meet each other again,” she said returning the call back very loudly to Star Swirl as he slowly left her behind and gradually faded out of sight and distance, but not out of her heart, mind, dreams, thoughts, ideas, life, or feelings, there would always be some small part of him that lived on deep down inside of her, even if she or the others could not see it. “I’ll always miss you, and I think I will always love you too,” she said to herself when she was sure that he was really and truly gone, which was when he was out of sight and distance, but he would never truly or really ever be gone, not from her life, thoughts, ideas, dreams, heart, mind, or feelings, there would always be some small part of him that lived on deep down inside of her, hidden away from all the rest and others, for they could not or would not see the truth. And so, the two went their separate pathways, each unsure of their own future that lay ahead of them, each questioning and doubting their choice, and each wishing that things had gone differently, and that they had acted differently too as well, but it was too late to change that now, they could only continue on with their lives by constantly and continually moving forward towards and in new pathways and directions with new thoughts, ideas, dreams, fears, hopes, and other stuff, and they had to discover their own destiny that lay ahead, and even though they couldn’t see it or know what it was or would be, they both felt, and both somehow knew that it would be a great and glorious grand one.