How the Beard Became the Legend

by peacevic

The Argument and the Adventure It Caused

The Argument and the Adventure It Caused

"And that is how the sun and the moon were created." He finished, a smile forming as he looked down at the two fillies sitting before him and noticed their reactions. The one who looked so much more like her mother than him was enraptured by the story, as she was by anything to do with the Two Sisters, while her friend was more interested in fiddling with the grass.

"Star Swirl!"

Though it was but newly-born, his smile died as he turned to see a crotchety, old-before-his-time stallion toward his makeshift lecture hall. Still, no need to be impolite... yet. "A good day to you,sir."

"What's so good about it?" The stallion blustered. "I take a trip to the market, and on my return I find you filling my daughter's head with your nonsense!"

"It's not nonsense, it's history!" The very notion offended Star Swirl.

The stallion jabbed a hoof at Star Swirl's chest. "It's garbage and my daughter will hear no more of it. You want to ruin your filly with these fantasies, go ahead. My little girl will not be led astray by Star Swirl the Crackpot!"

"It's Star Swirl the Bearded!" He was fine with ponies thinking he was crazy, but his title was something he was quite proud of. "And I'll thank you to remember that!"

"'Bearded'? Ha! You'd need another foot of growth to deserve that moniker." As he spoke, the stallion flicked Star Swirl's facial hair.

A very foolish thought struck Star Swirl then, the kind of mad idea which legends are built on. Before it could be thought through he blurted it out. "Well I'll just have to grow it out while I'm proving you wrong! I'll find the Sisters and bring them back here. Then you can compare our flag to the real thing."

"Just because we put the Sisters on our flag, that doesn't make them real. And just because your precious student got herself a position with Princess Platinum, that doesn't mean you're not an ignorant fool for thinking they do!"

With that the angry stallion turned and marched away, half-dragging his daughter along. Star Swirl let out a sigh and silently prayed to the Sisters. Maybe they'd hear him this time and give him the courage to follow through on his claim.

He felt a tug on his tail, so he turned to face his daughter. "It's not true, what he said. The Sisters are real. Aren't they?"

"Oh my dear daughter, who always seems to sparkle before my eyes, of course they're real. They're too pure to have been dreamt up by ponykind." Star Swirl gave the filly a little smile. "He's just jealous of Clover. They don't call him Lulamoon the Envious for no reason."

The night's dinner was a fine one, though the conversation was lacking. Star Swirl had noticed his wife's foul mood upon her entrance and thus said nothing, assuming he had done something to provoke her ire. He couldn't think of what, though.

"So I was in town today." She said, taking the initiative to break the silence. "Overheard Lulamoon saying some interesting things. Any truth to them?"

Oh, that's what it was. "If you heard him say I was leaving, then yes."

"Why?"

"To find the Sisters, of course."

"No, I mean why would you look for them?" She said as she shook her head. "It's one thing to to believe they exist, but to leave your family to seek them out? That's another thing entirely. Especially when they very clearly don't care about us ponies."

"They care. More than anything else could."

"Then how could they abandon us to the whims of Discord? How could they stay idle while half the world suffers?" Tears began to flow from her eyes. "Please, I'm trying to be supportive, but I just can't understand. Why would you leave?"

Star Swirl wrapped her in a hug. "Because somepony must. I do not know why they've yet to aid us. Perhaps they are simply unaware of our plight. Perhaps they lost more than their youth when they created the sun and moon." He smiled reassuringly. "I'll just have to ask when I meet them."

The sun rose sluggishly, but at its usual time, as Star Swirl set his back to the village and started walking.