//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: The Land Before Them // by Fat1thatyoulove //------------------------------// Prologue ...Its been too long since I have seen you, and I know that my feelings and thoughts about that fact that I have so painstakingly scribed into this book is something I can never show you. I do find it funny my deepest feelings and pure thoughts are the two things I can never truly reveal to you, for fear of what you might do with them. But since you sent this journal to me I have put writing in it as one of the most important things I do, and now that my travels have brought me bac-... The rock of the carriages closed in cabin jars the hoof from the page leaving only a worthless line of smudge ink as the grey stallion looks to it with a little disappointment. "...Sergeant Stone Hooves, do I have to remind you that we are still inside this carriage?!" The mare's high pitched words end as a deep stallions voice runs back into the carriage inside from the open window, "Sorry your majesty, it won't happen again your majesty." "I should hope it doesn't, that sudden jarring has forced Mage Star Swirl's hoof from his book he was focused on." The white mare doesn't wait for the full answer as she brings the sliding back wood panel window to a close cutting of the stallion's voice. But this doesn't stop her complaining as the white mare adjust the blue gem studded purple cloak around her side, "I am terribly sorry for that Mage Star Swirl, I do hope that has not caused your spell to be unusable." The grey stallion lets out a small laugh as he flips the book towards the mare's face that he sits across from, theres no fear that she will see the words as his low calm voice runs through the cabin's insides, "No no, it's fine my dear, see no harm done." The mare blinks her green eyes to the book's pages as she looks them over, but she doesn't really take his words as truth as she rolls her hoof, "Nonsense Mage Star Swirl, you should not have been stirred from your work." Star Swirl nods his head with a slight laugh as he moves his extended hooves back and closes the book, "Princess Platinum, you do not really expect me to be working all the time do you?" "Well I have not seen a sign of you halting, I have thought your sudden decision on growing a beard was an indication you seldom pry yourself from your work." Platinum adjust her proper posture again as she moves her left hoof to rub over the other. Star Swirl nods his head as he rubs to the small white beard that has started to form under his chin, but his thoughts don't dwell on himself as he looks over the half eyed gazing white mare a cross from him, "I ensure you my dear, this beard is no sign I have pushed myself too far...it is merely a sign that I have allowed myself a current freedom to enjoy life." The white mare cocks her eyebrow to the words as she taps her hoof to her mouth, "I would think your enjoyment of life would be coming from the powerful spells that you have successfully created...not from a few strains of non tended to face mane." "Ah, but that's where you're wrong Princess." Star Swirl points his hoof to her as the cabin starts to move over a slight patch of rough ground, he sways a little with the rocking but the hoof stays pinned to the white mare as he maintains his low wise sounding voice, "...The enjoyments of life are not success nor are they the power usually brought by them...the enjoyments are the failures that you learn from." Platinum nods her head as she gives a slight sigh not really amused by the older stallion's words, "Well Mage Star Swirl as much as I feel learning is important I must say that success is much more enjoyable than failure." The older stallion nods his head to the mare as he puts his hoof back to his side as he begins to move the book to the blue and silver satchel bag next to himself. "Forgive me for asking Mage Star Swirl, but why do you write with your hoof so often? You act as if you were a simple earth pony." The white mare holds a questions look to the stallion as she waits for a response. Swirl smiles as he closes the bag, "Simple?" He moves his hoofs to extend in front of him as he looks them over, "My dear young Princess, I was once told by the smartest of all ponies that magic is nothing more than a bond, a bond that every pony has in there own way." A slight sarcastic giggle escapes Platinum's mouth as she rolls her hoof, "I have yet to see an earth pony manipulate anything other than dirt Mage Star Swirl, I believe that your information has been flawed." "Has it?" Star Swirl moves a little forward as he extends his hooves towards the white mare, "May I see your hooves Princess?" The white mare blinks a little confused but she leans forward as she reluctantly extends one of her hooves. The grey stallion waste no time as he puts his hooves to hers as he talks through the sound of wheels running the dirt beneath the carriage, "Princess Platinum, you know that magic is in everypony, unicorns more than others. But this still means that any kind of magic is just a bond, there is no right for unicorns to be the deciders of all. If magic can be in everypony even a little then that means we are all one not separated like so many ponies of old still think." Platinum takes her hoof from the stallion as she cocks her head, "Equestria has been founded on this idea, you are not saying anything that I have not already said myself." Star Swirl nods as he moves back to his seat, "Of course..." But Platinum's voice doesn't stop as she sits her posture up a little bit more proper, "But even I being a ruler of one of the the tribes in our new found peace must still say magic is more properly used by unicorns, and its will is that of our own." She holds her eyes to the stallion as she turns a questioning eye to him, "Surely you do not believe an earth pony or pegasus could properly rule over a unicorn empire do you?" Star Swirl no longer wants to continue the conversation as he gives a slight sigh, "Princess you know I refuse to talk about these matters with you or any other pony." Platinum holds her confused questioning stare a little longer as she holds her confident voice, "Oh Mage Star Swirl you know your opinion is highly valued and you should feel no judgement from me nor anypony on your thoughts." The grey stallion looks over the smiling mare across from him as he stares to her confident smile and wide eyed stare, he gives a slight chuckle as he wiggles his hoof to her, "You still have much to learn about yourself Princess." The white mare blinks a little unamused to the statement as she loses her interest to the stallion, but her voice doesn't get to come up as a knock to the side of the cabin takes her attention. She gives a slight sigh as she moves her hoof and slides the window again, "Yes?" The same deep voiced stallion speaks up again as his voice runs into the cabin, "We are close to the Crystal Empire your majesty, we shall be there in three pulses of a horn." She nods her head as she wiggles her hoof, "Yes yes, now do not disturb us until we have arrived." The window slides closed again as the mare brings her green eyes back to Star Swirl, "Now where were we?" Star Swirl holds a smile to her as he talks, "I believe I was going to tell you this old stallion is going to take a slight nap." He gives a slight chuckle as he watches her nod her head, he’s not really tired but not having to continue the conversation is a nice plus as the grey stallion leans his head to the back of the cabin.