The morning after the final confrontation with the Pony of Shadows, all of the heroes remained in the royal castle, recovering from days of sleep deprivation, researching, running around, and using potent magic. Many of them were mentally and emotionally spent.
However, Twilight Sparkle had something she needed to get off her chest before she could relax. She sought out Star Swirl the Bearded and found him on the balcony adjacent to the throne room, speaking with Applejack. Twilight had not expected this. The only time she'd heard Applejack utter anything to Star Swirl was to defend Twilight from his criticism. Was that what they were talking about? Yet her friend didn't appear irate. If anything, she seemed pensive, her eyebrows slightly angled upward.
“. . . Learned somethin' yesterday.” Her friend's warm twang reached Twilight's ears as she stepped out into the open air.
Star Swirl nodded before turning his face to stare at Twilight. “Indeed. Perhaps you should tell Princess Twilight what you've just told me, Miss Applejack.”
Twilight's ears pricked as she walked toward them. “Oh, I actually wanted to speak with Star Swirl. But if you need to talk with me, go right ahead, AJ.”
Her friend donned her hat. “All right, Twi, you know how Starlight had some, uh, questions about openin' the portal to Limbo?”
“Of course,” said Twilight.
“Well, I thought she was probably right about it bein' risky. But I told her, I said, 'If I know Twilight, she'll have a backup plan to keep that ol' Pony o' Shadows under control.' She said that she already done asked ya 'bout it and you didn't seem to think much at all 'bout the Pony o' Shadows. You were just itchin' to meet Star Swirl and that was it.” Applejack glanced at the wizard out of the corners of her eyes.
“That's what I wanted to talk to Star Swirl about!” blurted Twilight. “I owe you an apology, Star Swirl.” She swiveled her neck to look at him. “I wanted so badly to meet you that I thought it was worth risking the Pony of Shadows escaping. I hoped that if I brought all of you back, you would figure out some other way to contain him. I mean, you're Star Swirl the Bearded. You could do anything.” Twilight's ears twitched. “So I just hoped for the best without preparing for the worst. And look where that got us. All of Equestria could've paid dearly for my mistake, all because I wanted to live out my fantasy.”
She hung her head, and AJ patted her shoulder. Star Swirl was quiet for a moment. The only sound was the wind blowing past the palace, whistling through the ponies' ears and ruffling their manes and the wizard's beard.
“I'll be frank with you, Twilight Sparkle,” he said. “I was furious when you brought us back. My friends and I gave up our freedom to keep the Pony of Shadows from destroying everything good in this realm. It was a price we were willing to pay to protect our new nation, but you undid it.”
“I know,” said Twilight.
“Hold on, don't hog all the blame.” AJ raised her foreleg. “I helped.”
Star Swirl glanced at Applejack and nodded. “Go on.”
She flipped her hoof so that the bottom faced upward. “Like I was just tellin' Mr. The Bearded, I was so tickled to find out that Rockhoof was not just real, but alive!” Her green eyes shone as she relived the moment. “It was a real excitin' adventure, seein' the ol' volcano where the Mighty Helm lived, and stoppin' the boulder from rollin' over them ponies, and findin' Rockhoof's shovel in the cave!”
“I can imagine,” said Twilight. “I wish I could've gone with you, but I'm pretty sure the magic ritual wouldn't have worked if I'd helped you.”
Applejack nodded. “I may not be a mage, but my family knows all about how rituals gotta be done just right, else they won't work. So anyway, when Starlight shared her worries with me, I brushed her off. She didn't understand. She didn't feel any attachments to any o' the legendary heroes.”
“That's the word for it,” agreed Twilight. “Attachment. I've read about you since I was a little filly, Star Swirl. I learned so much about you that I felt like I knew you personally, like you were my friend or my grandfather.” Her cheeks turned pink.
“Ain't no shame in that, sugar cube,” said AJ. “I felt the same about Rockhoof, 'cept the grandfather part. But Starlight doesn't hero-worship anypony.”
Star Swirl cleared his throat. “On the contrary, Applejack, I have given this matter much thought, and I've concluded that your admiration for Rockhoof was more than mere hero-worship, as was Twilight's esteem for me. The Elements you bear came from the seed that we Pillars planted. Thus we share a magical connection that reached across time and dimensions.”
Twilight thought for a moment. “That does make sense, but even if it was more than hero-worship, I still should've thought through all the consequences of setting you free.”
Applejack held her hoof toward her friend. “I could've said somethin' to help motivate you to come up with a Plan B, but I trusted your judgment more than Starlight's.”
“I can understand that.” Twilight pursed her lips. “No offense to Starlight, but she still doesn't have the best track record when it comes to making decisions.”
“I know, right? Also, it seems like every time I go against what you're determined to do, things don't go too smoothly. Like when we first went to find the Tree o' Harmony and I told ya to turn back on account of I thought the Everfree was too dangerous for you.” AJ stared at the ground.
Twilight tilted her head, perplexed as to why Applejack brought up that adventure. “But you were just trying to protect me, and you were thinking about what was best for Equestria. And besides, I didn't have to listen to you. I could've easily overruled you overruling me.”
“Maybe.” Applejack's ears twitched. “You were awful tuckered out. I wasn't sure if you could go any farther.”
“That was so long ago,” said Twilight, shaking her head. “Has this been bothering you all this time?”
“A mite. Enough to make me doubt myself, at least when dealin' with ancient evils.”
Star Swirl raised his eyebrows. “Have you had to deal with many ancient evils?”
Applejack waved her foreleg. “You don't know the half of it, mister.”
“We still have a lot to brief you on, Star Swirl,” added Twilight. “For now, let's just say that there were other villains who were freed after a thousand years.”
Star Swirl stared over the banister at the villages nestled among the foothills. Much of the land was a patchwork of cultivated fields intersected by thin roads and railways.
“I have been back for only a few days, but I can see how our realm is thriving. Technology has advanced beyond my wildest dreams, and the population has boomed while living in harmony with nature. Relations with other nations seem better than ever. Thus, I would say that you have done an admirable job of safeguarding the realm from these threats.”
“Thank you, Star Swirl. I'm glad you think so.” A knot formed in Twilight's throat.
“As I said, I was livid when you first brought us back.” The unicorn wizard shifted his gaze back to Twilight. “But in hindsight, I was wrong. I didn't realize that the Map that sprang from our seed called you to retrieve our items and complete the magic ritual. Our Map wanted us to return to it.”
“That's true,” said Applejack with a thoughtful frown. “Starlight wasn't right about everythin' after all. I s'pose we should've made a Plan B, but the Map liked Twilight's idea to open the portal to Limbo.”
“What was Limbo like, Star Swirl?” asked Twilight.
Star Swirl grimaced. “I could see nothing and hear nothing except my own voice, and I do not think I could have used magic there if I had tried. But it felt as if only a second or two passed before you brought me back, and the entire world changed.”
Applejack removed her hat and held it over her chest. “Why, I can't imagine what it'd be like to miss out on more than a thousand years. Though the Crystal Ponies seem pretty well adjusted.”
“Ponies of all tribes tend to be quite resilient. I'm certain that my fellow Pillars and I will also adapt. And Applejack, it was fortuitous that you traveled to Rockhoof's old village when you did. Had you not bucked the boulder aside, it would have seriously harmed those ponies . . .” He tapped his whiskered chin. “What was their profession called again?”
“I guess they didn't have archaeology back during the Founding,” said Twilight, her violet eyes crinkling in amusement.
Star Swirl shook his head. “Nay, we did not. There were civilizations that came before us, but we had no interest in excavating the settlements and figuring out the way they lived. In any case, you Elements worked in perfect Harmony with the Map. Nopony was entirely right or wrong, but the Map was able to nudge you in the direction you needed to go. Furthermore, the Map knew what it was doing when it guided you to solve the friendship problem with Stygian . . . And with us.”
“The second time the Map signaled us, Starlight knew what it wanted us to do,” said AJ. “And at first I had this thought in the back o' my head that she might be right. I mean, we've reformed villains before. Not just Starlight, but Discord and Princess Luna, too. But I still bit my tongue 'cause I figured y'all knew what you were doin'.” She covered her face with her hat. “It was pretty dang silly o' me. And by silly I mean stupid,” she added, her voice muffled by the felt.
“Applejack,” said Twilight, putting her front hoof on the farmer's foreleg, “I do not make friends with stupid ponies.”
AJ raised her hat back to its rightful position atop her head, a smile starting to stretch across her face.
“Besides, I made the exact same mistake you did, so you can't call yourself stupid without calling me stupid,” added Twilight with a playful grin.
“I think it really was hero-worship, though,” said Applejack. “Maybe we got a magical connection with the Pillars, but we also idolized them and wanted their approval.” Then she tipped her hat to the old wizard beside her. “Beggin' your pardon, Mr. Star Swirl. Didn't mean to talk about you like you weren't here.”
He nearly smiled – at any rate, his eyes twinkled and crow's feet grew pronounced around his eyes. “I'm not offended, Applejack.”
“AJ's got a good point.” Twilight's smile faded. “Star Swirl, I've learned things that you haven't. But I wanted you to like me, so I went along with your plan even though I knew it wasn't the best way.”
“Twilight Sparkle, I apologize for doubting you. I even caused you to doubt yourself! But in the end, you followed your instincts and did what you knew was right, just in the nick of time. You saw the goodness in Stygian and released him from the evil that consumed him. I am sorry that I did not listen to you sooner.”
The alicorn nodded gently, thinking about a conversation she'd had with Fluttershy: they'd decided that they shouldn't automatically say that it was okay whenever someone apologized. Sometimes it wasn't okay.
“Apology accepted,” she said. “And while I didn't agree with your plan, you were just trying to do what was best for Equestria. I'm just glad everypony's okay now.” She turned back to AJ, putting her hoof on the earth pony's shoulder. “And Applejack, don't ever hesitate to tell me if you think there might be a flaw in my plans. You have an Element to live up to, you know.”
Applejack waved her foreleg. “I know, I know.”
“Truly,” said Star Swirl, “I never expected the seed my friends and I planted to produce the Elements of Harmony that keep the realm in balance. You and the other Bearers are more than worthy to defend our country. I have not felt this happy in over a thousand years.”
Twilight and Applejack both scrutinized his face.
“Are you really happy, or are you just saying that to make me feel better?” asked Twilight, furrowing her brow.
Star Swirl tilted his head back. “Do I look like a pony who says things he doesn't mean just to bolster other ponies' confidence?”
“No, but you don't look happy either.”
She looked at Applejack, silently asking for confirmation.
“Star Swirl,” said Applejack, her expression as deadpan as the wizard's, “if this is the best you've felt in over a thousand years, I'd hate to see you when you woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”
He blinked. “I am happy. I simply do not wear my emotions on the hem of my cloak.” Then he coughed lightly. “Flash says that I have resting jerk face.”
Applejack giggle-snorted before covering her muzzle with her foreleg.
Twilight's eyes widened. “Flash Magnus said that?”
He nodded. “Oh, yes.”
“I never thought you looked like a jerk,” Twilight said emphatically. “You just look . . .” She waved her foreleg as she searched for the word she wanted to use.
“Like a grumpy old man?” suggested AJ.
Twilight frowned at her in disapproval. “I was going to say serious.”
“Hey, there's nothin' wrong with bein' old.”
“Try growing old and tell me how you feel about it then.” His mustache and beard began to curve as his eyes sparkled.
Applejack grinned and pointed her hoof at him. “I see it now. There's a smile!” she said as if speaking to an extremely young foal.
Seeing that Star Swirl was taking banter well, Twilight added her two bits. “Well, I think you look pretty good for a twelve hundred year-old.”
He barked out a laugh. It sounded hoarse, as if he wasn't used to chuckling.
“Indeed I do! So, tell me, what have I missed during the millennium that I was trapped in Limbo?” he asked.
“Oh my goodness, I hardly know where to begin!” Twilight's eyes lit up. “We should go to the Royal Library! It has an excellent history section.”
“It will be pleasant to learn at my leisure instead of feeling pressured by the fate of the realm,” said Star Swirl as he began to trot toward the entry way.
Applejack raised her foreleg as if she were in a classroom. “It's Equestria. It ain't like Starlight's town. It has a name.”
Star Swirl paused mid-step. “Oh. Right. Well, then, let us go forth to the library and learn more about Equestria.”