//------------------------------// // Going East // Story: The Lost Legends of Equestria: Star Swirl the Bearded // by Silver Inkwell //------------------------------// It also took him a very long time to find anything interesting, but he did, eventually, and it came to him in yet another least expected form and shape, a simple guard pony. There were two of them guarding a gateway that was the only opening he saw to a very large and wide wall that stretched on for miles, and he was glad for once that he had actually taken the path instead. “Well hello there,” he said walking up to them, “I’m finally glad to see some fellow company of mine even if they are so far out here to the East, but tell me this, where does this gateway lead to? And what might I find on the path?” The guards didn’t respond and instead merely just looked forward with their cold icy stare glare (and he knew that look, he had met ice ponies after all). “So then I take it you’re not the talking type,” he said, “Well then, if you don’t mind I must go on through this gateway and on down the path.” “HALT!” they said stretching out their hidden wing and it was only now that he just noticed that they had both wings and horns, how odd, strange and unusual, and very curious and mysterious too, he would have to study everything about them, their movements, gestures, subtle facial expressions, their words and accents, their hidden thoughts, ideas, hopes, fears and dreams too, he would need to know all if he was to understand them at all. “Who goes there and for what purpose do you wish to cross?” “Me? I’m just Star Swirl the great and powerful and very wise wizard, you may have heard of me,” he said to see if they would recognize him, but they didn’t. “Seriously?” he said, “You haven’t heard of me? Well let me try to jog your memory with a list of some of my accomplishments, I am the father of the amniomorphic spell and many more other various random spells.” “Amnio what?” the guards said with confusion, “Look, you’re a stranger, we haven’t heard of you and we don’t care whether or not if you’re famous or not, just go away, please, otherwise we will have to use force to remove you.” “Look,” he said with some very slight annoyance, “I may be a stranger to these lands, but can you please tell me why you won’t or rather can’t let me in?” “By the royal order and command of King Cosmos we are not to allow any pony in except by his permission, and we are to protect and guard this way from any invading threats and enemies that pose any kind of anger or peril to the safety of the lives of this land, that is our official royal assignment and duty, and we would do anything to enforce and keep it, including sacrificing our very own lives, so I would highly suggest and advise that you please leave now.” “Alright, I will, but before I go, I just have one question,” he said, “HOW THE HAY ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO GET THE KING’S PERMISSION TO ENTER IF YOU ARE A STRANGER? Being a stranger implies that you are unknown and naturally the threat and peril and anger and fear of the unknown is far too great to ever let it enter all alone without the permission of royalty now?” “Yes?” the guards said nervously backing away very slowly in some fear. “Well that has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard of before! Now then here’s the way I see it, you can either escort me to where he lives, which I assume is some kind of big wide fancy royal regal castle, and then I can speak to him personally, or I can write him a letter asking for his permission to enter, so which will it be boys? The hard way, or the easy way instead?” “The easy way?” they said very nervously with even some more fear. “Good then,” he said sitting down to write a letter, “I would assume that you’re king is also one of your kind, and by the way, what is your race anyways?” “We are Alicorns,” they said, “All of us are or will be, and this is the great and wide vast Kingdom of Alicar, and its regal and fame and fortune will speak for itself when you see are lands and the great castle of our King, but he doesn’t consider himself as one, more like just a kind ruler or leader.” “Well that’s very wise and smart and nice of him, he knows that he serves ponies and is not over them in any kind of way other than name and title. I like him already, and I can’t wait to meet him, but I think that shall be very soon now since my letter is done, could you please send it for me? I don’t know where the King lives or is and I haven’t been here before so my magic won’t work as well as it would with normal teleportation.” “Yes, of course,” they said using their magic to send it away, “But don’t expect an answer to come or arrive that fast, the king is very busy at times and at this very current moment, but don’t ask me what because I do not know, and even if I did I couldn’t tell you because I swore to protect his name and life and honor and reputation too, so you’ll just have to wait in mystery instead.” “And in the darkness and shadows too, don’t forget that either,” he said, and with that he went silent and then waited for a response and reply back. And very soon enough he did receive a response and reply back. “Right on time,” he said picking up the letter which had been sent within a mere hour of sending his letter there, “And what do you know, I can come in, well then, it looks like your job is done here, I can pass through now.” And with that said he entered through the gateway into the Alicorn Kingdom.