Epic Unicorn History: The Beards of Harmony
by Present Perfect
Epic Introduction
"Moon and stars, not the wasps again."
Star Swirl the Bearded, hero of the Battle of Cobalt Valley, slayer of the demon horse Tirek, author of over two hundred spells and magical treatises, and mentor to Clover the Clever, could think of no better way to react to the swarm of large insects invading his lawn than with a well-placed hoof to the forehead.
"'Tis the third time this week!"
Despite the normalcy of the situation, the paper wasps still presented a danger. Star Swirl's horned owl companion sported numerous cuts and swelling welts, and was having difficulty staying aloft. Privately, Star Swirl blamed advancing age and a steady diet of slow, fat mice for this, but the wounds certainly weren't helping.
"Behind me, Owlysses!" he commanded, the owl flapping slowly to cover. The bells sewn into the hem of Star Swirl's star-spangled robe and hat jingled as he twitched his head to the side, narrowly avoiding a salvo of paper stingers from the angular wasps. His eyes narrowed. When the next salvo came, it flattened against a force field erected in a heartbeat: a minor feat for the greatest unicorn mage Equestria had ever known.
That Equestria was a scant three years old did not lessen the weight of this title.
"I tire of these constant interruptions to my day."
Star Swirl's horn flared with yellow light that erupted into bright orange flame that shot forward through the invisible shield. All the paper wasps near enough to the attack instantly turned to ash. A second swarm drew in close, filling the gaps left by their fallen sisters, but Star Swirl was ready. Again and again he charred the papyral insects with his fire spell while maintaining the shield, until finally nothing was left but a small pile of cinders to be borne away by a morning breeze.
"We really ought to see the king about these monster attacks." Star Swirl huffed and stamped his wide hoof, the ground shaking slightly. Despite his own advancing age, his thews and sinews held great power that yearned for release, and the simple action had left a hoofprint indelibly etched in the dirt. "They grow ever in frequency, and he can doubtless marshal some sort of force to--"
His powerful nostrils noted something peculiar in the midmorning air. "I say, Owlysses, dost thou smell something burning?"
A quick glance downward gave him an excellent view of hungry flames feasting upon his impressive white beard, that glorious namesake of his which he valued above all else. At first, he considered the ethereal vectors which had caused his fireball spell to ignite a spot so far down his wide, muscular chest. That thought was quickly replaced, however, by a second, to which he gave voice.
"Owlysses! I'm on fire again!"
A croaked hoot reminded Star Swirl that his familiar was at present too concerned with his own ailments to be of any use in an emergency. As Star Swirl's hooves pounded the dirt below him into powder, his keen eyes cast vigilantly left and right in search of a remedy to the conflagration that swept up his robe toward his handsome and well-lined face.
"Blast it all!" His horn flared, and a tiny black cloud appeared overhead. With a miniscule crackle of thunder, it released a pony-sized deluge over Star Swirl, soaking him to the core, to say nothing of his magnificent wizard's ensemble. It was, however, sufficient to quench the marauding flames, which popped, hissed and fizzled.
Letting out a triumphant sigh of disgust, Star Swirl viewed the charred ruins of his beard. His chiseled jaw jutted forward and to either side as he surveyed the full extent of the damage. The thundercloud vanished with a final diminutive lightning bolt, and Star Swirl readied his arcane powers for one final spell.
This time, the yellow light suffused his beard. Threads of mystical energy sought out that which had been and rekindled its existence, turning char into brand new hair and growing it back out to its full, lush potential. When the spell had finished its work, Star Swirl allowed himself a relieved smile.
"Star Swirl's Beard Restorer: best spell I ever made," he declared with a hearty chuckle. "The history books will remember me for that one! Now, to--" Owlysses hooted again to get his attention. Clutched in his red, swollen claw was a scroll, tied in royal purple ribbon and bearing the seal of the unicorn king. It levitated upward, gripped in Star Swirl's magic. Owlysses then righted himself and flapped slowly into the house to search for healing ointments.
"What manner of missive is this?"
Divested of ribbon, the scroll fluttered open, and glinting eyes scanned it.
"A summons from the King?" He lifted one bushy white eyebrow. "What does the old buffoon want now? I've not received a summons since they gave his power over to the Council. Likely it's a dinner party or some other frivolity." He scanned the scroll fully, intending to burn it shortly thereafter, when his keen eye caught the word "urgent" near the word "portent".
"Intriguing..."
A tired hoot from inside his home drew Star Swirl's considerable attention back to the matters at hoof.
"Thou great lump of owlmeat, what mess hast thou gotten thyself into now?" He scowled mightily and lifted Owlysses up in a magical field, till the bird was level with his eye, which widened. "Zounds! Thy feathers have seen better days." With a huff, Star Swirl released the owl, who flapped in a manner not dissimilar to a recently landed fish before alighting softly on the ground. "Very well, Owlysses! I shall forgo breaking my fast and take thee to the healer's. Hm, and afterward I shall seek a clothier and the King."
Dedicated as he was to the art and science of wizardry, Star Swirl fancied himself a connoisseur of privacy. Separation from all possible distractions often meant the difference between success on the one hoof, and fiery, explosive failure on the other. It was with this in mind that Star Swirl had constructed his cottage in the foothills of the eastern mountain range overlooking Canterlot Valley. Seclusion came easily at this location, without keeping him overly distant from the amenities of civilized life.
The healer made his residence in an equally secluded spot, and it was Star Swirl's respect for his fellow hermit that led him to seek the stallion's aid only, and never his company. That, and he was the only pony in Equestria with veterinary skill. The hollow tree in which he lived stood in a forested section of foothills slightly to the south, one not yet targeted for felling. Getting there from Star Swirl's home required either a circuitous path around the town proper, or a short jaunt in followed by an equally short jaunt out.
Driven by his companion's complaints, Star Swirl took the path of least resistance, heading down the rocky hillside and through the light woods to the healer's domicile. The branches of the livable tree spread out overhead, creating a small clearing all to itself and a warning to any who might wish to enter. It was not a tree to be trifled with. Star Swirl, heedful of the grandeur and majesty of this singular domicile, approached the door and gave two firm but respectful knocks. After a moment, the door opened, revealing the tree's sole occupant, and a looming silence spread into the forest. Star Swirl cleared his throat and smiled.
"Fair morn to thee, good fellow. My companion here has come upon a bit of an accident and--"
He was cut off by a grunt. Owlysses hooted softly before flapping up and alighting atop the healer's head. The other stallion turned, receding into the dim interior of his hovel and taking with him the calm foreboding. Star Swirl put a hoof on the stoop, then hesitated, heedful of the grandeur.
"It was another paper wasp attack," he said, his eyes adjusting swiftly to the darkness. "I suspect he shall need poultices."
"Hm." The pony turned to him, so that Star Swirl could see the herbs and leaves being ground between his hooves.
"Ah, yes, well." Star Swirl laughed shakily, clearing his throat once more. "I should neither tell thee how to perform thy task, nor stall thee any further. I've something to see to in the town. Shall we discuss payment upon my return?"
"Mm." The healer returned to his task, and Star Swirl's keen senses picked up the unspoken: this conversation was over.
With a "Good day", he left the healer's hut, the door booming shut behind him, and set off on the winding path down the remainder of the hillside into Canterlot proper.
"Quite the charming pony!"
The streets of Canterlot in the morning were calm and bright. Happily for the spirit of friendship and camaraderie which was the fledgling Equestrian society's foundation, commerce had been revealed to be a useful tool for unification. With but a single, standardized currency in place, the three races had joined together as one consumer body, and haggled to their hearts' content.
The town center was marked by the first of many stalls lining the streets, and as Star Swirl drew nearer, the air filled with the cries of merchants hawking their wares. Voices eager and confident, polished and emotional, competed for just a moment of any potential customer's attention in the hopes that that moment might be enough for a sale. Luckily Canterlot, despite its youth, teemed with ponies enough that any decent craftspony or farmer could make a respectable living through market sales.
A pony with an eye as keen as Star Swirl's could keep track of his progress by noting the species of the salesponies as he walked. In the outer reaches, the earth pony farmers offered foodstuffs aplenty, both baked and grown. Next came the pegasi, mostly couriers offering ever faster delivery services, though there was a notable pair of competing cloud merchants who promised rain or shade on demand. Lastly, in the central market area were unicorns galore, selling more magically-produced wares than the average pony could even begin to conceive of.
Star Swirl gave no merchant the privilege of his gaze, driven forward by the intensity of his purpose. Shouts of "Hay and oats!" and "Fine earthenware, hoof-crafted!" fell upon his keen ears and slid off. He turned a corner onto the main street, and from afar spotted his destination, marked by the sign of a cape and suit of armor. Grinning with renewed determination, he strode forth, even as other market-goers recognized him and sought his ear.
"Hie! 'Tis Star Swirl the Bearded!"
"Good day to thee, Lord Star Swirl!"
"Aye, a good day and many happy wishes on the summer season!"
Star Swirl nodded at the kind words, but said nothing in reply. Idle chatter was for lesser ponies, and he was content simply to acknowledge them and be on his way.
The sign he had noticed hung from the outer wall of a stout hovel, encompassing a large smithy that belched forth waves of heat into the early morning air. Before this was set a modest merchant's stall, manned by a gangly teenage unicorn, which bore three partial suits of armor as well as a number of helmets, epaulettes, chain vests and sabatons. Even half a glance revealed that each was finely wrought, with form in no way compromised for function, and the various planes, links and etched designs shimmered like tiny mirrors in the morning sunlight.
"Browse our fine metalwork, good sir?" asked the unicorn through the gaps in his smile.
Star Swirl shook his head. "Not this day." He raised the front of his robe with a hoof so the shop merchant could get a good look at the burn damage. "I have need for clothing of somewhat greater durability. Is thy master about?"
"Aye, sir!" The youth grinned hopefully. "Prithee wait but a moment."
The unicorn dashed into the smithy proper, vanishing under the darkness and continual sounds of clinking. No doubt the armorer was hard at work linking chain, Star Swirl thought. A vision came to him of what the smith might look like. Adept with the might of hammer and anvil, he ought to be large and burly. Yet, if he were possessed of the magical dexterity required for fine chain mail and the detailing on the display pieces, not to mention actual cloth, he would doubtless be a unicorn of no small magical talent.
The two visions began to blend together in his mind, burly and graceful clashing with one another until they melded into something rather resembling himself. When the true master of the shop finally emerged, Star Swirl found himself at a loss for words.
"Waifish" was the first to rejoin him. The lanky unicorn stallion before him seemed hardly fit to lift a hammer, let alone pound sheets of iron and steel into armor ready to repel dragon's teeth. That his coat was so pristinely white beneath his great leather smith's apron did not suggest slaving away hour after hour before a sooty forge. Neither did the primly-coiffed purple mane and tail, nor the devilishly pointed goatee that was, indeed, nearly as long as Star Swirl's own beard, though a mere fraction of the width. To keep such a construct so perfectly curled had to require not only skill, but patience. His beard wax, thought Star Swirl, must not only be heat-resistant, but copiously applied.
"Greetings and good day to thee, sir," the stallion said, his tones rich and fluted, and his accent suggesting an upbringing far higher up the social ladder than that of a simple smith. Star Swirl found himself intrigued by the contradictions implicit in this pony. "I am Prancebeard the Dashing, owner of this establishment. Young Natter tells me thou requirest seaming work?"
Star Swirl, still somewhat dazed by the finely crafted goatee, was attempting to gather all of his thoughts together into an affirmative answer when Prancebeard's eyes ran down the front of his robe.
"Ah, but say nothing!" He cried, and clucked his tongue. "I can see already the damage done to thy robe. Oh my word!" He bent in close, and Star Swirl took a half-step backward. "I do believe I possess a bolt of cloth just this shade of purple. The starred embroidery -- may I take a moment to compliment the pony who stitched this? 'Tis a truly singular piece of craftsponyship! -- the embroidery should be simple enough to recreate from what remaineth of the existing pattern. I daresay I shall have this repaired for thee before midday!"
Star Swirl recovered at last, his mind grasping at Prancebeard's rapid-fire pronouncements. "Err... But the price...?"
Prancebeard waved a hoof. "Tut! But a single bit for cloth and thread shall suffice. To work upon garment so fine shall be its own reward!" One of his stylishly pointed purple eyebrows rose as Star Swirl took another step backward. "Come now, good sir! Surely thou canst not shun such a generous offer! I have pitiful little in the way of projects to occupy me at the moment, and as such shall have thy raiment restored to shining perfection in the span of but an hour! I shall abide no nay-saying!"
With that, the robe lifted from Star Swirl's shoulders, and the other unicorn trotted back inside his smithy, humming happily while folding the cloth neatly in the air before him.
The shop keeper, Natter, turned to Star Swirl then and with a grin that bespoke his payment on commission said, "Please do excuse my master Prancebeard. He can become quite... taken with his projects."
"Consider the matter excused." Star Swirl cleared his throat. "I suppose if he is this enthusiastic about sewing, then I shan't regret taking up his business."
There was a lengthy pause.
"Er, about payment..."
"Take these," Star Swirl said, quickly bringing out two coins and placing them on the counter. "Gold thread is doubtless difficult to come by." With a smirk, he added, "I shall abide no nay-saying."
Natter grinned, scooping up the coins into a small purse as an orange blur streaked past the stall and into the smithy without so much as a by-thy-leave.
"My master will be most grateful, sir, I promise!" Natter's eyes closed, then opened, then blinked three more times in rapid succession. "Sun and moon, that wasn't..." In a flash, he was rounding the counter once more, ducking inside the smithy with a shout of, "It was!"
Star Swirl noted that, though the stall had been left once more unattended, the young unicorn had kept the coin purse safely with him. His keen powers of observation then reminded him about the blur. Said powers had resolved it into the form of an earth pony stallion wearing a plaid tartan and a tam-o-shanter to match. Somewhere in there was information about a large and shaggy, ruddy beard.
Star Swirl hesitated a moment, only to be blasted with a sudden barrage of shouting from within, led by a rough and earthy voice with an unfortunate northern accent.
"Five days me fields've lay a-waitin' fer thee, Prancebeard!" The heat from the stallion's fury was as palpable as that from the forge. "Five days! Thou saidst 'twould be mended in three!"
"I made no such promise!" Prancebeard's retort was as a vast glacier against the other pony's anger. "Thy rusty old plow is not fit to grace my forge! Thou shalt have it repaired once I have finished with tasks more rewarding!"
"I'll pay thee double if thou canst finish by this eve!"
"Please, save thy dirt-encrusted coins! Thou insultest me to assume my motives so low!"
Star Swirl began to feel ever so slightly, if unintentionally, responsible for the plight of this farmer's plow. He wondered then at the reliability of this smith, if his fancy was so fickle as to flit away from a project at a moment's distraction. It was a shame he had already paid.
"Ach, thou bleedin' lyin' unicorn, thy horn hath poked through intae thy brains! Thou cannae stand there and tell me right t'me beard it weren't three days thou hadst promised! Three days, I heard it wi' me own ears! So help me I dinnae gi' ye a skelpit lug..."
Getting mixed up in the affairs of townsponies was not on Star Swirl's agenda that day. He would simply have to visit the King ungarbed apart from his hat. He left the shouting behind gladly, making his way through the throng of passersby drawn by the commotion and toward the castle.
Canterlot Castle, like many traditional unicorn nobles' homes, had been built against the side of a mountain, which also bore the name Canterlot. Its sweeping spires rose with majesty despite its slim construction budget, stretching from clouds to earth and linking all. Though the most opulent of abodes in the bustling new village of Canterlot, it was nevertheless modest by regal standards, especially when compared to the Unicorn King's previous residence. Still, its architects had been clever, enacting a modular design scheme that would allow additions to be placed with ease, so that the castle could grow with Equestria.
Unfortunately this plan, in practice, gave Canterlot Castle an air of being perpetually unfinished. In fact, since Star Swirl's last visit, Canterlot seemed to have grown another parapet, this one on the north wall, its stained glass windows facing the rising sun. Scaffolding lined its upper reaches, and Star Swirl could just make out a pair of pegasi working with what looked like roofing tiles. Having been greatly involved in the castle's planning and the early stages of its construction, Star Swirl knew its august halls well, including those that extended into the mountain itself. Though he would now never know it fully as it continued to sprout treelike from the mountain, the new addition made Star Swirl feel relieved, for it gave him a shorter stick with which to measure his absence from the royal court.
Even as the focus of life in Unicornia proper, the royal palace had been to him a home of needless stuffiness, false airs, sycophants, and dunderheads, not the least of which was the King himself. Star Swirl, of course, knew better than to let this particular opinion escape his lips, and called His Royal Highness "friend" to his face. For all his apprehension, Star Swirl dearly hoped that this visit was going to be worth the impending headache.
A wide white brick path, its stones flecked with gems and chips of mica that scintillated under the morning sun, marked the approach to the palace entrance. As he trod it, Star Swirl's eyebrows shot up at the sight of a full squad of eight guards at the entrance, four times the usual contingent. Yet it was not their number that was the most surprising thing about them.
Pegasi, guarding the unicorn castle?
In times before these, it would have been the first sign of an invasion. Now, it was only a curiosity. The guard, after all, stood more symbolic than effective now, and why shouldn't it be used as one more method of bringing the tribes together? He fought back the old fears -- hadn't he just seen pegasi constructing that tower? -- as he made his way toward the marble stairs leading up to the grand vaulted doors. Before he could mount the lowest step, however, a very angry-looking pegasus clad in full armor stepped into his path.
"Name and business!"
The deep, raspy voice issued from amidst a girthy beard, divided at its ends into three braids. The hairs bore the most intense pattern of rainbow hues Star Swirl had ever seen at once on a single pony, and matched the mane and tail that emerged from the guard's armor, both of which were far less well kept than his extraordinary chin wag. These were complemented by the stallion's natural coloring, a vibrant sky blue set off by the lighter blue of the real sky reflected in his polished silver armor.
The guardspony scowled. "I said, state yer name, or be off with you!"
Star Swirl cleared his throat, embarrassed to have been so mesmerized by the beard before him. Embarrassment quickly turned to irritation as he realized he was being challenged on the steps of the very castle, or at least the very household, in which he had once served, and by a complete stranger, no less.
"Thou must be new here," Star Swirl said. "My name is Star Swirl the Bearded, and I have been summoned to meet the King on this very day. Kindly stand aside so that I may pass."
The pegasus guard squinted one eye and leaned in, curling his upper lip as he studied Star Swirl with a steady gaze like lightning.
"Star Swirl? A likely story. How do I know yer who you claim to be, knave? I was told Star Swirl the Bearded wears both wizard's hat and robe." He slapped the brim of Star Swirl's hat, setting the bells jingling. "You've got the bells right, but where's your robe, eh?" The guard crossed his arms, smirking.
Star Swirl snorted, settling the bells with his magic. "'Tis being mended, though I see not how that is of thy concern. I should ask thee what a pegasus is doing guarding the doors of the Unicorn King, or what simple guardspony dares call Star Swirl a knave!"
The pegasus harrumphed. "I'm Rainbowbeard the Swift, Captain of the Royal Palace Guards!"
Star Swirl's eyebrow raised. "Captain of the Guards?"
"Are you deaf as well as a liar?" The guard pushed his face into Star Swirl's. "Let me spell it out for you: we've sworn oaths to protect the King and serve this castle, and by doing so promote peace and harmony amongst the tribes. Which brings me back to my first question: what are you doing here?"
"I will not stand for this!" Star Swirl puffed out his chest, pressing back against Rainbowbeard. "I am a personal friend of the King, on business to see him, and I demand that thou letst me pass, interloper!"
"I'll interlope you right onto yer blue backside, you daft old--"
"Captain Rainbowbeard," called a melodic voice from the castle entrance, "prithee, be still! This is truly my mentor Star Swirl, as sure as I stand breathing!"
Star Swirl lifted his head. The upstart pegasus summarily lost his footing and nearly topple down the steps, saved only by natural reflexes and his impressive wings. By the time he'd regained his footing, Star Swirl had trotted around him and up the stairs, past the other guards and into the waiting embrace of the petite green unicorn mare who had identified him.
"It does me good to see you, Clover." Closing his eyes and smiling, Star Swirl lowered his head.
"And I you, Master." She mirrored his movements, until their foreheads and horns touched.
"What have I told you about calling me Master now?" Star Swirl's eyes opened, and he chuckled. "Equestria gains naught for one of its leaders to act so subservient to a simple mage."
Yellow eyes twinkling, Clover the Clever smiled up at her former mentor. "The day Star Swirl the Bearded can truly be called 'a simple mage' is the day Equestria needs no such leaders. You shall ever be my treasured Master."
Her smile increased in excitement as she asked, "How fares your work, Master? The new spell you are researching, the... ammonia...?"
"Amniomorphic spell." Star Swirl allowed himself a small smile as they turned towards the doors, feeling a thrill at his former student's enthusiasm for his research. "Not just a new spell, but a new type of magic. Sadly, 'tis but theory still. Nor does my work benefit from continual interrup--"
A throat clearing behind them caused both unicorns to turn. Rainbowbeard was studiously looking both at and away from them.
"If thy introductions are well underway, Lady Clover, shall I escort you both to the throne room?"
"Yes, Captain," Clover said, nodding and stepping to the side. "Please, lead the way."
Rainbowbeard had just moved forward to join them when a unicorn clad in slightly different armor clattered up and tried to speak in between gasps for air.
"Captain... Marketplace... Scuffle... Help!"
Rainbowbeard gave Star Swirl another dire scowl, then turned to his guards. With a single nod, he sent three of them airborne and followed immediately after, stopping only a moment to address them.
"Forgive me, but it seems my services are required elsewhere. I trust thou knowest the way, Lady Clover!"
With speed that Star Swirl found unfathomable, Rainbowbeard vanished in the direction of the marketplace, leaving behind nothing but a multi-hued contrail. Clover frowned, gave a small grunt, and then with an apologetic look to her former mentor turned to lead him inside.
The doors led to a long series of hallways, their alabaster sparkling and pristine like virgin snow. High stained glass windows let light flood the corridors at all times of day, casting colorful shadows against marble walls that depicted, in bent relief, the banishment of the windigoes and the foundation of Equestria. Clover notably avoided paying her glassy likenesses any heed.
"You were saying, Master? About your research?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes, well... There is little to say, really." Star Swirl cleared his throat. "A spell woven so that anything can be borne from it -- matter, life, energy, other magics, even other worlds -- is possible, of that I am sure. But to prove that it can be done? To craft equations and rituals to form it?" He shook his head. "It eludes me, Clover. It haunts my sleep more nights than not. I am so close, I can feel the solution upon the tip of my nose."
"I understand what it is like for one's sleep to be haunted," Clover said softly.
Star Swirl started at this. "You've had a dream?"
She nodded.
"Dire?"
Another nod.
Star Swirl's bushy eyebrows cinched together. When he had first met Clover, she told him that she had dreamt his likeness the night previous. Prophecy was typically not desirable as a talent to those who possessed it, but the more time Star Swirl spent with Clover, the more it became clear that her visions operated with such frequency and clarity as to be boons rather than burdens.
Fires. Floods. Caramel shortages. Star Swirl had kept the awe he felt for his student close to his chest, yet he held it nevertheless. In one dream, her mother's passing was foretold by a scene of looking upon a bell from the bottom of a pit. Another dream about singing songs with other ponies in a cave had proven to foretell her time with Private Pansy and Smart Cookie in the mountains of Canterlot, despite never having once shown her a windigo or a piece of ice.
"I believe that grave danger threatens Equestria, Master," Clover said, gaze falling to the floor. "I cannot put into words what it was I saw. Some images were too horrible for me to describe..." She let out a breath. "The rest, far too chaotic for me to know what was occurring from one moment to the next."
She gazed up at him, eyes reflecting the colored lights of the walls behind them. "The one point of clarity that came from this vision involved a means to counteract or destroy whatever evil threatens our new home. I have no doubt that the answer must be found within the darkness of the Forest Ever Free."
He took a moment to let her words sink in. "I assume you have a course of action planned?"
"I may, but..." She gave a half-nod, looking away. "It presumes much. And I desire your input, as always."
Star Swirl waited for further explanation, but received none as they approached the high throne room doors, carved with a relief depicting unicorns raising the sun and moon. A waiting unicorn attendant, one of but three attendants they had seen on the journey here, stood a little straighter as they approached. Star Swirl inclined his head toward the servant, who pushed one door open.
Wider than it was deep, the throne room spread out before them with easy splendor. Tiles of alabaster and amber gave it a soft inner glow that increased from the light let in by the bay windows set upon either of its short ends. As a meeting room it could easily hold three hundred ponies, spread out between the doors and the thrones around the shallow theater-in-the-round in the room's center. The vaulted ceiling put to shame the nearby forests, and all through its crenellations and false columns there flitted more carvings like the ones upon the door: pegasi in flight, moving marble clouds and loosing arrows at airborne monsters; unicorns leading armies, their horns lit as beacons; and earth ponies standing triumphantly atop mountain peaks overlooking vast fields of grain.
Placed at the focal point opposite the doors were two plush thrones, one in silver and a slightly taller one in royal purple. The sharp angles of the latter swooped forward over its occupant, while its companion was wrapped in metal vines and leaves, soft and painstakingly detailed.
Dwarfed by his throne in stature as well as grandeur was a dark grey unicorn clad in a frilly pink-striped outfit and a royal purple cape. A golden crown, its spikes gemmed lavishly, sat atop a bald pate partially ringed by a halo of short grey mane. A face piggish with luxury collapsed in on itself like a fallen quiche thanks to the gales of laughter spewing forth from it.
Normally, the King's voice was high-pitched yet earthy, rising on odd syllables and giving one the sense that the King was always on the verge of bursting into laughter. Add to that his slight yet unmistakable lisp, and it was often hard for an undisciplined listener to avoid laughter themselves. Those acquainted with the king were well aware of the threat of the dungeon, and straight faces and frequent bathroom breaks were a hallmark of courtly life in the Unicorn King's castle. That the King was currently engaged in laughter did little to mitigate that particular effect. Star Swirl was, of course, used to the singular and unforgettable intonations of his liege, and stepped through the door into them as one stepping into a waterfall on a cool morning.
The Unicorn King pounded the arm of his throne with one hoof, ripples moving up and down his body with such intensity that one might be forgiven for thinking him composed of gelatin. Tears swarmed down his copious cheeks, glistening greasily in the morning light and making him appear all the more liquid. During a brief pause in his uproar, he sucked in air, making a hooting sound and lolling to one side before wobbling back upright and laughing anew.
"I sing tra-la, tra-lee, tra-lie, tra-laaaaay! The flowers open in the month of Maaaaaay!"
In the center of the room, singing while playing a lute and standing on his head, was an earth pony dressed in a checkered motley jester's outfit. Every bit of him not so covered was inexorably, unbearably pink. His coat was a pale shade of salmon. His fuchsia mane, which whirled and poofed around his head like a cloud, seemed to fall down his face, or rather up it, to pool around the underside of his jaw in a brash and bushy beard. His hind legs kicked in the air and he spun gaily about on his three-pointed jester's cap, its bells clinking wildly.
"Aha, my liege," he cried, "I see they have arrived!" Plucking at his lute, he finished in song. "And do our guests not look themselves contrived?"
Star Swirl and Clover gave tense smiles as the King exclaimed, "Well, there you are! I've been waiting an hour -- one whole hour, I tell you! -- for you to arrive! I say it's about time, Star Swirl the Bearded!"
They bowed, though not deeply. Star Swirl was to muster some genuine sympathy in his tone as he addressed the King.
"Your Highness, thou art looking fit as ever, and it does me great joy to see thee again."
"Hoohoo! Do you hear that, dear?" The King clapped his hooves together, giggling to his Queen. "Star Swirl said I look fit! Remember that the next time you scold me for having a second helping of pie!"
On the throne beside him, his wife, decorative as ever, clicked a pair of knitting needles from which hung a long scarf, the same shade of purple as the King's cape. If the continual scratching of the King's posterior caught one's eye, one might even see that most of the King's current outfit was in fact knitted entirely of yarn.
"Star Swirl is only humoring you, dear," she said flatly. "You should know better. Lord Star Swirl, it is a pleasure to see you again." It was difficult to imagine how studiously observing her knitting counted as 'seeing' Star Swirl, but he did not question her, instead smiling again, more easily.
"Your Majesty, Queen Petunia, the pleasure is all mine."
"Hello again, Clover." The icy voice came from the bay window, where a young silver unicorn mare clad in flowing robes was idly sewing nothing in particular. Like her mother, she did not look up from her work.
"Hello again, Princess," Clover responded, meeting her non-glance.
The jester flipped suddenly onto his hooves and tossed a small ball into the air, which unfurled into a streamer comprised of numerous colorful silks tied together at their ends.
"And now with greetings over, bonds renewed, 'tis time for all to join me in a dance!" The jester rose up on tiptoe and twirled about gracefully, but the King waved a hoof at him.
"Pinkbeard, these two have come here to discuss important things! Very important! The time for fooling is over, come and sit."
Pinkbeard turned his twirl into a graceful bow to Star Swirl, then backflipped onto a cushion between the thrones and sat with his lute perched jauntily upon his cap.
"And where," the King continued, "is Captain Rainbowbeard? I thought I told that lazy good for nothing to bring you both here personally!"
"He was called away to the city, my liege," said Clover. "I believe there was some sort of trouble. Nothing to worry Your Majesty over, certainly."
The King frowned. "What sort of city trouble requires my Captain of the Guard, I'd like to know?"
"On that subject," Star Swirl interjected before the King could continue, "may I ask Your Majesty just why there are pegasi guarding the castle of the Unicorn King?"
The King chuckled. "Star Swirl, my old friend, times are changing, and quickly." He waved his hoof like a parent scolding a naughty foal. "It would serve you to keep abreast of those changes!"
Star Swirl cleared his throat. "That does not answer my question, Highness."
"Oh? Oh, yes! Captain Rainbowbeard and his retinue are part of an exchange program, meant to..." He turned to the Queen. "How did they put it again, dear?"
Queen Petunia's knitting needles paused for but a moment. "A program of exchange for employed and serviceponies, meant to foster harmony between the tribes, dear."
"Yes, what she said!" The King waved his hooves excitedly. "Such a wonderful idea, don't you think?"
Pinkbeard piped up, "Yet Rainbowbeard and all his pegasi have filled the castle nighttime with their snores!"
The King kicked him in the side and he grinned.
"Quite, Your Majesty," Star Swirl said, clearing his throat. "With that matter attended to, might I ask to what I owe the... pleasure of this summons?"
"Oh, yes, yes, of course!" The King's brow furrowed and he harrumphed twice, adjusting slightly and scratching beneath his arm. "Clover the Clever has been telling me all the horrible, just horrible things that she's been dreaming about." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "And you know how she is about dreams."
"Indeed, Highness." Star Swirl dutifully ignored the wry glance Clover shot him. "She had been informing me of her dream on the way here, but I confess I have yet to hear the entire story."
The King sputtered and blinked twice, looking back and forth from Star Swirl to Clover. "You didn't tell him the whole story? Why didn't you tell him? Dear girl, I may no longer be the highest regent in the land, but please consider my meaning when I say you really should have told him!"
Clover gritted her teeth and stepped forward. "Your Highness, I was about to do so when we came upon the throne room. If it please thee, I shall continue from where I left off."
With a gleeful smile, the King slumped backward on his throne, letting his rounded gut protrude above and before him. "Oh yes, yes, that would please me very much, thank you! Pray, continue!"
The King waved to Clover, who nodded and strode into the center of the room, her horn flaring. The lights dimmed and the floor lit with a small panorama depicting a lush green valley.
"Ooh!" exclaimed the King, sitting up slightly and pointing. "I know that valley! Canterlot Castle sits upon yon mountain!"
"Yes, Your Highness," Clover said slowly, and Star Swirl resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "When we stumbled upon it, the valley looked thus." The green image gradually turned icy and white. "When the windigoes came, this was the end result. I point this out only so you will understand that the images I am about to show you, the images from my dream, are like nothing ponykind has ever seen."
"Methinks," said Pinkbeard, "a glance within this dream upon thy paramour would be not well beheld!"
This time the Queen kicked Pinkbeard, who grinned anew but clammed up.
The whiteness faded and houses popped up along the valley. Princess Platinum looked up from her sewing, concentrating studiously on the images. Even Star Swirl found himself entranced by the magical display, leaning forward to get a better look. Perspiration beaded along Clover's forehead as the scene suddenly darkened. Shadows lengthened as light from the unseen sun dimmed. The sky turned red and then was covered by unnatural clouds. It began to rain, hail really, but to Star Swirl's amazement, it was not hailstones that began pounding Canterlot, but...
"Candy?" King Obsidian frowned, screwing his face up in confusion. "Clover the Clever, are you saying confections will rain from the sky?"
"Confections and more, Your Majesty." She took a deep breath and pushed even more magic through her horn, the glows of the spells overlapping.
The mountainsides turned glassy. The grass became a mat of purple with long trails of yellow curling through it. Houses floated into the air, turned upside down in the ground, or sprouted paisley and motley patterns. The image zoomed in and they could see ponies being attacked by their own clothing or running in fear from animated marionettes. Animals that were normally peaceful dashed about with oversized horns or breathed gouts of fire that turned wood into soap.
"This is perhaps the strangest dream I have ever seen!" the King said. "Though there was that one time, after eating a month-old custard, when I--"
"Not now, Father," said the Princess, and her mother smiled approvingly.
"Yet I must say," the King continued, "this is also rather fanciful! With all the colors and swirls and such, I dare say it looks... festive!"
"Huzzah and fly the colors of the realm!" Pinkbeard declared, earning a silencing kick from the King.
Clover cleared her throat. "Believe me, Your Highness, this is not even the worst of what I saw."
"Look more closely, my liege," said Star Swirl. "Clover, would you draw the vision back to the valley full?" When she had zoomed back out, his horn glowed, and he focused a beam of light into a pinpoint that traced an outline across the valley. "Note you all this shadow, which doth loom over all."
The shape his light traced was long and serpentine. One end appeared to be a horned head, with a pair of burning eyes visible in the silhouette.
"Oh my goodness!" the King cried, scrambling against his throne away from the eyes. "Those terrible eyes. Whatever could that thing be?"
"That," Clover said resolutely, relaxing her magic and letting the image dissipate, leaving behind only Star Swirl's outline of the shadow, "is a great evil which I believe shall threaten our young nation, and soon."
The King frowned, narrowing his eyes. "Are you sure?"
"Sire," Star Swirl said quickly, "Clover's visions have never proven wrong in the past. Dost thou remember the Great Harvest Flood?"
"Or the caramel shortage of aught-five?" Princess Platinum added. Clover's cheeks reddened, and the Princess smirked at her.
"Stars and moon above, you're right!" The King pressed a hoof to his chest, stricken. "Oh my goodness! Oh, this is serious! Whatever shall we do against this monster, this fiend?"
"To arms, and all, within our very lands," Pinkbeard cried, rising to his hooves and brandishing his lute with a menacing scowl. "Against our soldiers, evil shall not stand!"
He pointed his lute at the throne room doors, which burst open, a tangled mass of ponies heaping into the throne room. In the lead was Captain Rainbowbeard, pulling by the ear a white and purple unicorn, whom Star Swirl thought seemed rather familiar. Next came three of the pegasus guardsponies, struggling to drag a bucking and cursing orange stallion along with them. The sheer number of black eyes, armor dents and extraneous guards nursing their wounds in the rear of the tumult suggested why a Captain of the Royal Guard had been needed to calm the marketplace altercation.
"Ye great lot o' insolent blaggarts!" The stallion was quite nearly snorting flame. "Ah vow 'pon me honor Ah'll gi' ye what for 'til him what wronged me's brought tae reckon!"
Star Swirl dove at Clover and pushed her out of the way as the guards finally released their hold on the captive, who would have gone crashing into her otherwise. A brief glow of magic later, and the stallion was set on his hooves, though he looked none too happy. Rainbowbeard likewise released his prisoner with a dismissive shove, though the unicorn remained quiescent, only nursing his ear and glaring at the earth pony now and then. Princess Platinum rolled to her hooves and trotted behind her mother's throne while the King rose in his seat, trying -- and failing -- to look intimidating.
"What in the world is going on here? I demand somepony give me an explanation!"
So everypony did. All at the same time.
Rainbowbeard surged forward. "Your Majesty, these ruffians were disturbing the peace in the marketplace--"
The orange stallion pushed Rainbowbeard aside, speaking with a distinct lack of indoor voice as he jabbed his hoof toward the unicorn. "Yer 'Ighness, 'twas that'n what started this whole mess, or me name's nae Applebeard!"
"Still thy tongue, thou bekilted barbarian!" The unicorn stepped forward, scowling. "It wast thee who began this fiasco--"
"How dare you assault a captain of the royal guard, blaggart! I should lock you in chains for--"
"Shut yer geggie, you! 'E's nae touched a hair on me plow since I--"
"Oh, thy plow would be hairy, given the way thou livest in thy hovel--"
Pinkbeard stood and brandished his lute. "An alarum within, my liege! What ho! I'll swat these bugs and save thee from their buzz!" He made to dive into the center of the room and the ponies there, but was yanked back by a magical grip on his tunic. The King added a kick to his flank for good measure.
"Would you two be silent for a moment so that I may--"
"Ah'll nae be silent while me grievance is unaired--"
"Thou wilt get nowhere, thou blustering guard, with such an attitude--"
"Oh, wouldst thou give the other side a whack?" Pinkbeard turned his backside to the left and the King obliged him. "I thank thee very much, Your Majesty!"
"SILENCE!"
Manifesting the voice amplification spell had taken but a moment's thought, but the effect was immediate. The room fell deadly quiet, and all eyes turned to Star Swirl. He returned the gazes steadily, and even the King began to wilt under his stare.
"Now then," he said, his voice growing steadily harsher, "would Captain Rainbowbeard like to explain why he felt it necessary to interrupt a discussion over what might very well be the fate of the land with this... this falderal?"
Rainbowbeard took a step forward, clearing his throat. "Fate of the land, you say?"
"Yes!" the King cried. "Why, I'd almost forgotten in all the commotion! Our land is in terrible danger, terrible I tell you! Why are you bothering me with this fiddle-faddle at such a time?"
"Sire," Prancebeard said, stepping forward, "if my impertinence may be forgiven, our quarrel can hardly be termed fiddle-faddle or nonsense."
"Aye, me laird," Applebeard added. "'Tis a dereliction o' justice most grievous!"
"And what," Star Swirl said sternly, causing them both to shrink back from the sound of his voice, "did either of you not understand about 'fate of Equestria'?"
The King nodded gravely. "With such dire events unfolding as these, I simply cannot have distractions, don't you know?"
Star Swirl stepped forward and gestured with his hoof. "Thus, my liege, if I may be so bold, I suggest having these distractions removed from the throne room so that we may get on with our planning."
"An excellent idea!" Standing, the King cleared his throat. "Save that I have already solved both problems at once!"
"Very good, Your Highness, I--" Star Swirl nearly fell onto his face as the King's words sank in. "What?"
The King ignored him. "My friends! Equestria, though in its infancy, stands at the brink of destruction!" He began to pace back and forth in front of his throne. "I believe that our only salvation lieth in the hooves of a group of brave and dedicated ponies who can delve the mysteries of the Forest Ever Free. Thus, I shall send you all upon an epic quest, the like of which has not been seen in our lands since I was a foal, to ensure the safety of our country, don't you know?"
Nary a jaw remained undropped.
"What? Ye cannae just--"
"That's preposterous!"
"I really don't think I'm prepared for epic quests--"
The ponies protested as one, but only Star Swirl was audible above the tumult. "Your Majesty, surely thou canst not be serious! Sending these colts on a mission of such importance, when we hardly know--"
The King smiled. "Star Swirl, I did not say 'you' without including every 'you' in this room!"
Star Swirl thought his beard would fall off. He couldn't even produce more than a stammer in response.
"Think of it, Star Swirl! A quest that will be sung of by the bards for generations to come!" The King giggled and clopped his hooves together. "If you aren't all horribly mangled or killed by the beasts of the Ever Free, of course."
Prancebeard went pale despite his normally pallid complexion. Applebeard removed his cap and began gnawing the edge. Even Rainbowbeard had grown quiet and seemed to be rethinking any display of bravado.
"M-My King," Rainbowbeard said timorously, "perhaps sending a band of untrained ruffians, no offense to thee, Lord Star Swirl, into dangerous and, er, deadly circumstances is not the best way to ensure the safety of Equestria. No doubt a full regiment of--"
"Not the best?" King Obsidian glared with a combination of outrage and wounded pride. "Why, my dear Captain, it is the only way to ensure Equestria's safety! I have read many a penned epic detailing the exploits of ragtag bands of ne'er-do-wells achieving tremendous feats as far back as history is recorded!"
"He does little aside from read, these days," the Queen remarked softly. The King spared her but a small glare before continuing.
"Look, you, I... You there, what's your name again?"
"P-Prancebeard the Dashing, Your Majesty."
The King nodded. "Very well, Prancebeard the Dashing. What is it that you do again?"
Prancebeard looked stricken, but could find no help on the faces of the other gathered ponies. "I... I am an armorer by trade, my liege. Though I have also been known to repair clothing on occasion."
"You see?" The King smiled, as if everything had been explained. He then pointed to the assembled stallions one by one.
"A mighty warrior. A valiant defender. A brazen barbarian. A powerful wizard."
"Ah'm no' a barbarian!" Applebeard's powerful sinews quivered with rage.
"Aha, my King, an thou forget me not!" Pinkbeard piped up, waving a piece of parchment he had produced from nowhere in particular. "For I possess a map of Ever Free!"
"Splendid!" The King stomped his hooves, then hopped back onto his throne, catching his breath. "A fool to lift your spirits in the darkest of times! Hmm, but let me think..." Tapping on his crown, the King's face scrunched up until his features were all but consumed by his cheeks. "Only five? No, that won't do at all. There must be an even number, the Legend of Sharphorn made it quite clear that six ponies would..."
"What of me, Your Majesty?" Clover stepped forward shakily. "You did say all within this room."
"Oh yes," Princess Platinum purred. "Surely Clover the Clever would find questing more pleasing to her sensibilities than idle government work."
"What?" The King blinked at Clover, momentarily perplexed. "Oh. My apologies, lady Clover, I didn't seen you there. No, no, Equestria needs you here in Canterlot. Platinum, go and fetch your brother. It is high time he proved himself!"
The Princess sighed, shaking her head, and trotted out of the throne room. Star Swirl looked to the others, of whom only Pinkbeard seemed to have cause to smile at the moment. He himself felt he had recently swallowed a live slug. Rainbowbeard returned his look with a nod.
"My liege," came Prancebeard's voice once more after a minute of awkward silence had passed, "I must entreat thee again: surely there is some better solution to this supposed problem than throwing a group of untrained strangers into a dangerous situation together!"
"Nonsense!" the King huffed. "This will work out splendidly. I can see it now! There will be parades in your honor, and epic poems penned of your legacies!"
"But Your Majesty, what of our lives? Our livelihoods?"
The King gave Prancebeard a patronizing hoof wave. "I shall ensure the security of your homes while you are all away. And you will of course be well compensated for your travails. Assuming you make it back, of course. If not, recompense shall be given to your families!"
Applebeard sat down hard upon his haunches, staring at something a few hooflengths away on the marble. He mumbled something that Star Swirl couldn't make out.
"Can't you do something?" Rainbowbeard asked, zipping over and whispering in Star Swirl's ear. "You're the King's advisor, aren't you?"
Star Swirl took a step back. "Former advisor..."
"Well, you know him then! Talk some sense into him, for pony's sake, before we all end up on this mad quest!"
"You know," Clover said suddenly, drawing all their attentions. "The dangers of the Forest Ever Free are real, but ill known. There is a possibility that a small band would fare better against them than a large one. By virtue of stealth, I mean."
"This is not helping, Clover," Star Swirl muttered.
She ignored him and chewed on her lower lip, eyes wandering for a moment, before asking, "Wherever didst thou get that map?"
Pinkbeard grinned. "A gift it was, and from mine father dear, my only worldly possession now!" He strummed his lute once, as if to add credence to the statement.
Princess Platinum entered the throne room and retook her earlier position by the window. "He comes anon, father."
"Oh goody!" The King clapped his hooves and wiggled on his throne. Waving at the attending stallions, he murmured, "He's been looking for just this sort of chance, you see!"
From the doorway came a thin, reedy voice, accompanied by the soft clip-clop of unsteady hooves and the occasional wheezy cough.
"I'm here, Father... I'm h-here... You s-sent for me?
"Ah, Asbestos my lad!" The King tried and failed to leap from his throne, instead opting to slide out somewhat ungracefully onto his rump. "Come forward, son, and take your place among these ponies! The time has come for you to prove yourself a stallion!"
A markless colt shuffled out from the doorway. His oversized hooves dangled at the end of long, stringy legs, and the paleness of his tan coat suggested he had not seen the sun in many years. Nor did it seem that he had ever touched food, for his skin hung over his thin frame like an oversized tunic. His face bore wild and patchy stubble, and atop his head was a stumpy horn. His eyes, red-rimmed and bloodshot, scanned the room as though searching for predators, and his knees shook with each tremulous step.
"P-prove myself, Father?"
The King clomped over to the Prince and began to push him gently into the room. "Yes, yes! Come, come now! An epic quest is at hoof, my lad, and you shall be part of it!"
The stallions' jaws gaped anew. Rainbowbeard gave Star Swirl a pained look. If this foal comes anywhere near an epic quest, it said, the strain alone will fell him.
"I shall t-try my best, Father," Prince Asbestos wheezed. A fit of coughing took him and he would have collapsed then and there, had the King not held him upright. He gave the assembled ponies a disingenuous grin.
"He's been rather bedridden these past few years, poor lad. But fear not!" The King's grin became more authentic. "All he needs is a healthy dose of sunshine and frolic in the great outdoors, and he'll be right as a summer's day!"
"B-but Father," the Prince protested weakly, "sunshine makes me break out in spots..."
"Then it's all settled!" The King dashed forward, not seeming to notice his son topple over behind him. "On the morrow, you six shall depart for the Forest Ever Free with my blessing and whatever provisions you can pack!" His non-offer to provision them himself hung in the air. "So take the afternoon to prepare with your loved ones or..." He waved a hoof. "Whatever it may be that you require doing. This court is adjourned!"
After standing around, staring at one another blankly for a few moments, Rainbowbeard cleared his throat and gestured toward the door.
"After you, err, fine gentlestallions."
Pinkbeard was the only one who didn't grumble as they slowly filed out of the throne room along with Clover, and the Captain closed the door behind them.
"This cannae be happenin'," Applebeard muttered, eyes focused on something in the distance. "He cannae make us do this, can he?"
"Well I, for one, find this entire situation thoroughly ridiculous," Prancebeard said, waving his hoof. "He may be the Unicorn King, but he no longer truly possesses a King's might. What is the worst that could possibly happen, should we refuse?"
"As Magistrate of Canterlot," Clover began, "he can levy fines upon you, harangue you with guards, audit your taxes, foreclose on your homes, and condemn your businesses." Humming, she tapped a hoof against her chin. "Perhaps I ought to consider a motion come next Council meeting to limit magistrate power..."
"Well, this is just fine!" Rainbowbeard threw his hooves up.
Applebeard dashed forward, grasping his armor and all but throwing himself at Rainbowbeard's hooves. "He cannae do this t'me! Find somepony else, one o' yer guards! I cannae go!"
Rainbowbeard snorted, slapping Applebeard's hooves away. "Stallion up, lest you start in to crying! You're stuck as much as we are on this silly quest, with the..." His eyes turned to Asbestos, and he promptly quieted, though he discreetly jabbed a hoof at the Prince for good measure.
"But don't you see?" Clover's enthusiasm caught them all off guard. "This truly is the best way to counter whatever evil threatens us! A small band of ponies, as I have said, stands a far better chance of sneaking into and out of the forest unseen. Furthermore..." She paused a moment, smiling. "You've Star Swirl the Bearded with you. He's been saving Equestria since before there was even an Equestria to save!" Her voice positively glowed with praise, and Star Swirl found himself needing to clear his throat several times before he could speak.
"Well, I... Have perhaps vanquished an evil or two in my time..."
Prancebeard stepped forward. "Thou art that Star Swirl? I wish thou hadst said something sooner; I'd have given thee a discount on thy mending!"
He produced Star Swirl's cloak upon this pronouncement, handing it over. The robe was restored and, Star Swirl thought, perhaps better than new. He donned it, and the other stallions gasped.
"No wonder I didn't recognize him," Rainbowbeard mumbled.
"Why, I would wager that our bearded friend," Pinkbeard said, "could vanquish evil hordes all on his own!" He slapped Star Swirl on the back with enough force to dislodge his hat.
"Now, now, gentlestallions, I'm not, er--" Star Swirl straightened himself up, replacing his hat on his head. "I'm not as young as I used to be. Questing and adventures are well and good for strapping young lads like yourselves, but the fact is I've been rather retired and living the life of a scholar for quite some time now. I recommend... restraint in placing your faith in me."
"Hm." Prancebeard stroked his beard, the tip snapping back up smartly every time he released it. "It does seem as though we have already begun considering this journey a viable proposition. Am I wrong?"
Clover's eyes sparkled as the stallions looked at one another, considering the question. All save Asbestos, that is, who was busy propping himself up against the doorframe, wheezing thoughtfully.
"I suppose," Star Swirl said after a few moments had passed, "that we should all then tend to our needs before setting out on the morrow. Yes?"
Heads nodded. Beards wagged.
Then somepony screamed.
The scream's source was distant, but it was clear as day to those in the hall. The five haler stallions raced toward the sound, eyes ablaze, while Clover assisted Asbestos in following after. They burst through the palace doors onto a scene of ponies running for their lives. Behind them, in the marketplace where Star Swirl, Prancebeard, Applebeard and Rainbowbeard had been not long before, was an enormous cat made of stone.
"A mountain lion!" Applebeard's voice quaked. "I thought 'em myth!"
"'Tis no myth," Star Swirl said, striding forward resolutely. "I've just the spell that can deal with that beast, but it requires close range to cast."
"Worry not!" Rainbowbeard declared. "I'll have you there in no time at all!"
Star Swirl stepped back as the overenthusiastic Captain nearly swept him up.
"Hold thy wings, Captain! A plan of action is necessary!" He furrowed his brows, his boundless intellect instantly considering myriad routes of attack.
"We've no time for thought!" Rainbowbeard made a noise of disgust and made another lunge at Star Swirl, who dodged once more.
"Hush! Pinkbeard, how good art thou at distraction?"
"I'll sing to charm its rocky nosie off!" Pinkbeard strummed his lute once, the single chord a perfectly striking complement to their situation despite his apparent lack of planning in its selection.
"Good. Applebeard, canst thou ensure the safety of any ponies nearby?"
The tam o'shanter bobbed and Applebeard thrust his chest forward. "Surely as I'm me dam's son!" The air around him shimmered slightly.
"Good! Rainbowbeard, thou and I shall commence the attack from the air. And Prancebeard..."
"What about me?" said a frail voice. A series of weak coughs punctuated the question.
Star Swirl grimaced, making sure to turn so the sickly Prince could not see it. He shook his head, cleared his throat, and after a second's pause, spoke with a voice that thundered across the palace courtyard.
"Prancebeard, thy task is to protect the Prince."
Prancebeard gave the Prince a stricken look. "Surely thou art not serious about taking him into a battle!"
Star Swirl grinned. "Faith, sir. I've a plan in mind. For now, our task is to protect these ponies! With me!"
Prancebeard gave a swift nod, which the others mirrored, and Rainbowbeard lifted Star Swirl into the air, soaring toward the marketplace. Pinkbeard and Applebeard dashed ahead, the cobblestones rattling under their hooves, while Prancebeard lagged behind with Asbestos.
Ahead of them, the immense stony cat, easily ten times the size of a pony, tossed its head back and roared. Glass windows in the district shattered, and the houses it was closest to buckled under the strength of its voice. The earth shook when it pawed the ground. Its tail lashed and an entire section of market stalls were rent to splinters.
The ponies left in the market district mostly ran away from the creature, but a few, evidently confused by the chaos, turned around and began running straight into the jaws of danger. It was toward these ponies Applebeard charged. Pinkbeard moved with him, bringing his lute to bear and grinning jauntily.
"Behold, thou rugged beast! I've notes for thee!" He plucked a discordant note, catching the mountain lion's attention. Its mammoth head turned and it lifted a paw directly into the path of the hapless family running toward it.
Applebeard juked left and rammed into the stallion, bumping him into the rest of his family. It moved them just out of the way just as the paw fell to earth and nearly knocked them off their hooves. Applebeard kept his pace, guiding them beneath the lion's back legs and to a path out of danger.
A series of twangs announced Pinkbeard launching a set of silverware at the mountain lion, using his lute's strings as an improvised bow. Unsurprisingly, the utensils clanked off its hide, falling to the cobblestones and bending slightly. With a cry of, "Oh no! My dearest grandma's silver set!" Pinkbeard rushed forth and scooped them up.
Another ear-splitting roar drew his attention to his proximity to the mountain lion and Pinkbeard found himself in need of a rescue. Applebeard sensed this and was there in a flash, headbutting him out of the way of a gargantuan paw swipe. Pinkbeard let out a whoop and dashed off in the opposite direction, circling around the lion on the other side.
"A save most timely! Shall I thank thee now?"
Applebeard snorted. "Dinnae waste yer breath! They did'nae name me 'the Stalwart' fer naught!"
"Have at you!"
The cry drew their attention, and that of the mountain lion, upward, to Rainbowbeard and Star Swirl swooping in from the side.
"Drop me upon it!" Star Swirl called out.
Rainbowbeard seemed taken aback, but did not hesitate. "Whatever you say!"
Star Swirl landed on the lion's face, hooves scrabbling for purchase on the curved surface. With a flick of his horn, his back legs stabilized upon a lifting spell. Smaller thudding noises came from below as Rainbowbeard assaulted the lion's muzzle with a flurry of kicks and punches.
"Have that! And another! Again, I say!"
Though the attacks did little to damage the creature, they drew its attention slightly away from the pony perched upon its nose. Star Swirl's horn encased in a second glow as he summoned up a set of brilliant light daggers and cast them upon the mountain lion's face. They merely vanished into the hard stone covering.
"This isn't working, Star Swirl!" Rainbowbeard barely escaped being swallowed in one bite, flying nimbly between sharp teeth the size of a pony's foreleg.
"We need but a moment!" Star Swirl called. His horn flared again and a deluge of water washed over the lion's mane before freezing in place. "Keep attacking it! Where is Prancebeard?"
He chanced a look over his shoulder as Pinkbeard and Applebeard bucked and punched at the lion's paws. There, in the street, the white unicorn had finally managed to bring the young Prince into the fray, via careful application of telekinesis. Asbestos turned his face skyward, eyes wide and fearful as he tried to track the battle.
"Star Swirl!" Prancebeard called. "We've rejoined thee! What now?"
Star Swirl lowered his head, shifting slightly as the lion thrashed beneath him. "We must make a chink in its hide! Then my spell will have full effect!"
"Oh, is that all?" Prancebeard huffed. "Allow me!"
His horn lit up and an arrow of light formed above him, tapering to a wickedly sharp point. It surged forward and Star Swirl's eyes widened.
"Attend the Prince!" he shouted, leaping away from the attack. Rainbowbeard noticed this and caught him halfway, depositing him neatly upon the ground. Pinkbeard and Applebeard formed ranks around Asbestos as the mountain lion turned rage-filled eyes toward them.
At that moment, the spear of light impacted the lion in the center of its forehead. It threw its head back and loosed a roar that nearly bowled the six of them off their hooves. Indeed, Asbestos was blown back against Prancebeard, who steadied the young Prince with a hoof and smiled grimly.
When the mountain lion regained its composure, soft pink flesh was visible within a large, irregularlyshaped crack in the middle of its forehead.
"I know a thing or two about punching through tough hides," Prancebeard said, his voice tinged with pride. "Good enough?"
"Well done!" Star Swirl grinned, his horn lighting. "Now, for the final act!"
As the lion charged, Star Swirl cast his spell. The other five stallions watched in confusion as the beam of magical light flew behind him, impacting with Asbestos and collecting on his horn.
"Now, Your Highness!" Star Swirl cried. "Finish it off!"
Asbestos gave Star Swirl a frightful, bewildered look.
"H-how?"
"Just release the spell, boy!" Star Swirl gritted his teeth. "Surely thou hadst magic lessons, yes?"
"I..." Asbestos swallowed. "M-my tutor always gets angry... I can never do a-anything right..."
"Now is the time to show him he's wrong!" Rainbowbeard shouted. "And bloody well hurry it up, the damn thing's nearly on us!"
Asbestos squeezed his eyes shut, a tear rolling down his cheek as he loosed the spell. The swirling ribbons of blue and green magic flew of their own accord up to the crack in the lion's armored skin.
The spell energy suffused the mountain lion and it cried out in pain as more cracks appeared over it, intense light spilling out through them. Its cry was subsumed in the sound of breaking rocks and the thrum of magic. With a tremendous boom, the lion split, showering the market district with rubble. A quick shield spell from Star Swirl saved his companions from the worst of it.
Asbestos opened his eyes. Five faces smiled at him.
"I... I killed it?"
"Oh no, Your Highness," Pinkbeard said jovially, "look! But it's a change!"
Where the mountain lion had stood were two things: a large pile of rubble that stretched from one side of the street to the other, and a small kitten, completely hairless and shivering in the late morning air.
Star Swirl nodded slightly. "And just wait 'til your father hears."
Asbestos's face lit up with joy.
"And that is how the young Prince here became a stallion, earned the name 'The Lionhearted' and gained this little fellow as a companion."
The healer grunted, turning back to the mountain lion kitten. Star Swirl had to wonder just how he was able to do his work in so dimly lit a room, but he seemed unfazed by the light quality. Owlysses, atop his head, hooted softly.
"Quite the story that is," the earth stallion muttered, his sonorous basso voice causing the tightly packed porcelain jars on the upper shelves rattle. It was, like much of his form, quite imposing. Despite his oddly pastel yellow coat and equally soft pink mane, he was easily twice the size of any regular pony, Star Swirl included. His beard was likewise imposing, bushy and wild, and the same color as his mane. Covering him was a thick green and brown tunic that only served to increase his bulk. Despite this, when he gave Prince Asbestos a brief smile, the lad returned it.
"No doubt the King was pleased with thee, Highness."
"Y-yes, sir," Asbestos said. "He said I've b-become a strong young stallion. A-and I actually do feel stronger and braver than I ever have before in my wh-whole life!"
Privately, Star Swirl thought that might be giving the Prince a bit too much credit, but he had remained standing for the past fifteen minutes, and had even mustered the courage to explore some of the healer's shelves.
"Well," said the healer, standing, "young master Burtroar seems well enough. His fur should grow back, given time. I've little experience tending to mountain lions, however, so should he prove difficult to rear, bring him back here and I shall see what assistance I can provide."
Asbestos gratefully collected the tiny feline and placed him on his back. Star Swirl produced a small pouch and floated it over.
"Coins from the royal coffers for the lion's care, plus a few of mine for thy ministrations to Owlysses."
The healer took the satchel in his mouth, placed it into a pocket of his tunic, and grunted.
"Thou wilt do well, Star Swirl the Bearded," the large pony said warningly, "to keep Owlysses grounded for a time. His healing shall be aided best by inactivity."
"Inactivity he shall have, good Master Hushbeard."
Owlysses nestled into Star Swirl's hat and hooted approvingly.
"Oh?" One of Hushbeard's massive eyebrows rose. "Thou generally pushest thy owl friend as hard as thou canst. What brings the change?"
"I am about to embark upon a quest, and poor Owlysses shall have plenty of quiet time in which he may recuperate." Star Swirl cleared his throat. "And with the noble Prince's proving of himself in his father's eyes, our little party has an opening. I was, with some small effort, able to convince the King that a healer, one with a rather memorable beard, would be just the member we would need. That is, if thou art interested."
Hushbeard cocked his head, regarding Star Swirl with confusion. "A quest? What be this?"
Star Swirl gave him the quick version.
Hushbeard frowned. "It sounds dangerous. And... who would care for the animals here in Canterlot while I am away?"
"I have hope," Star Swirl said, "that we shall be able to investigate the recent upswing in attacks by monstrous creatures upon our city as we infiltrate the forest. Think of how many more animals might be harmed if monsters continue to assault our town."
"I-I could tend thy animals, sir," Asbestos said. He shrank back as their eyes turned to him. "I-if that is all right with thee, of course. P-perhaps I could find my cutie mark now, if my help be well taken."
"Hmm." Hushbeard began to pace, unshorn fetlocks fluttering over his enormous hooves as he stomped through an area of floor cleared specifically for pacing. He trod as though afraid he might step upon something and squish it. Unlike his voice, his hoofsteps did not cause the jars upon his shelves to shake. "Your arguments compel, but not entirely."
Star Swirl nodded. "Then heed this as well, good healer. We have yet to leave Canterlot and already we are beset by a great beast. Though the mountain lion fell with ease and injured none, I fear that luck will not hold forever as we make our way into the Ever Free. So I ask thee again, as a sometimes companion and fellow hermit, to consider my offer."
Hushbeard nodded slowly. "Have I long to think on it?"
"We leave upon the morn. Meet us at the palace should you wish to join our band."
He nodded to Hushbeard, who returned it, and ushered the Prince out of the tree cottage, closing the door behind himself. Rainbowbeard, who had been sent to guard the Prince, accosted them immediately.
"Well? Did he say yea?"
"Attend to thy charge, and I shall attend to mine." Star Swirl poked Owlysses to see if he'd fallen asleep yet. An irritable hoot was his answer. Smiling enigmatically, he said, "I think the healer will come 'round."
Star Swirl, his saddlebag packed with provisions and a stout staff strapped to his side, made his way to the throne room of Canterlot Palace shortly after joining Equestria's unicorns in raising the sun. Despite his misgivings the day prior, he was feeling hale and well-rested, and opened the doors with his head held high.
Star Swirl's jaw dropped as he saw his newfound traveling companions, Hushbeard included, standing about, staring at him expectantly. His eye twitched and he knocked a hoof against the side of his head.
"Did I misset the sun this morn?"
As he entered the throne room, each of the ponies greeted him in turn.
"May the fates guide you, Master," Clover said, giving him a quick embrace.
"Are you certain you couldn't find a different healer?" Rainbowbeard hissed.
"I assure you, he's quite skilled," Star Swirl murmured.
Rainbowbeard scowled, crossing his hooves. "Had I but seen him last eve, I'd have--"
"I still say this is mad," Applebeard whispered. Star Swirl, thankful for the interruption, continued on.
"Aye, but our hooves are tied."
"I only wish I'd had more time to make us all armor," Prancebeard said.
Star Swirl smirked. "I prefer light travel, myself."
"Huzzah I say to thee upon this morn!" Pinkbeard exclaimed, loosing a set of colorful streamers from nowhere in particular.
Hushbeard merely nodded to him and grunted.
"Ah, there you are, Star Swirl!" the King said, rising from his throne. "We've been waiting forever, don't you know?"
Star Swirl bowed. "It seems I overslept, Your Majesty."
"No matter." The King waved a hoof. "Thy healer friend hath been given the details and introductions. I must say, he is quite the excellent choice. I knew leaving that detail to you was a good idea!" He laughed.
Star Swirl cleared his throat. "I thank thee, Majesty. I assume that we are all prepared to leave, then?"
"Only once you have received my blessing!" The King stood on his hind legs, gut wobbling, and waved his hooves enigmatically. "That's the most important part, don't you know?"
Star Swirl took his place in the lineup, noting that Clover had moved over to Princess Platinum and now spoke quietly with her. Even Prince Asbestos was in attendance, sitting up straight, if somewhat wobbly, beside his father's throne, a curled kitten snoozing at his hooves. As one, they turned to watch the proceedings.
"Spirits of the air and earth, attend me! Moon, sun and stars, heed my call!" The King intoned held his hooves aloft as he perched somewhat precariously on his throne. "On this day, these six brave adventurers set out to rid this land of mysterious blight! Applebeard the Stalwart! Rainbowbeard the Swift! Prancebeard the Dashing! Hushbeard the Gentle! Pinkbeard the Pink! And Star Swirl the Bearded!"
The King paused, frowning. "You know, I sensed a pattern therein, but something tells me it was broken." He shook his head, his jowls continuing the motion long after it had ceased. "Nevermind that. See them safely on their way, O spirits! Protect them from the rigors of weather! Safeguard them from trials of happenstance! Vanquish the--"
"Och, get on wi' it!"
The King spluttered, nearly fell over, and then glared at Applebeard, who whistled and looked pointedly away from him.
"With the powers so invested in me, et cetera, I hereby declare this quest begun! Good speed on your travels, my friends!"
"Finally!"
"Be well, Star Swirl," Queen Petunia said, smiling into her knitting.
"Could we help you more, we would," Platinum added, moving over to her brother and putting a hoof around his shoulders. Somehow, he withstood it, and offered a meager wave to them.
"Safe r-returns to you, masters!"
The six ponies bowed before shuffling out of the throne room, feeling bewildered but optimistic. Star Swirl lagged behind as he noticed Clover out of the corner of his eye, running up to him.
"Master Star Swirl, may I speak to you a moment?"
He stopped, turning, and she smiled at him. He nodded.
"What is it, child?"
"I would have approach you sooner, but I..." Her eyes tracked over his face, then away. "I've a problem, for which I dearly require advice. I am not certain it is the sort of problem you are best suited to solve, but I would fain speak with anypony else on the subject."
Star Swirl nodded. "Speak, then. You know I shall at least listen."
"Thank you, Master." Clover smiled, then glanced over Star Swirl's shoulder at the departing stallions. After a moment's pause, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I have over these past years become quite close to my fellow Council members, Pansy and Smart Cookie." With a hint of mirth, she added, "Despite our attempts to disband our group."
"Ponies have faith in your leadership."
Clover shook her head. "In times of upheaval, ponies prefer constancy. Plus, none have ever deigned to run against our positions. I am not certain the citizens of Equestria, so used to monarchy, understand the purpose of voting."
"But that is not your problem." Star Swirl's eyes twinkled.
"No." Clover swallowed, her voice lowering. "My problem is... Well... I have grown quite close to one Council member in particular." Her cheeks reddened, and she squeaked. "Master, I know not what to do." Her eyes shut tight and her body tensed.
Star Swirl mulled the words. "Pansy?"
She shook her head.
"Ahh. Have you told him, then?"
"Master, our feelings are mutual, we just..." Clover's eyes snapped open, panic written in her gaze. Hyperventilating, she blurted, "He's an earth pony!"
The bells on Star Swirl's hat jingled as he nodded ponderously. "So he is."
Clover's muzzle scrunched up, fury building behind it. "Master Star Swirl, do you not see my predicament? Such would not have happened before our meeting!"
"I do, Clover, do not mistake me." He gazed placidly at her. "To speak honestly, perhaps as recently as a day ago, I might have suggested that you quell those feelings and seek company elsewhere. Yet, as I stand before you, I realize that as I am engaged along a path through the unknown and into change, so too are you are engaged on a path most fortuitous, should you choose to set hoof down it."
"I do not understand, Master." She gave him a weak smile. "I feel once again the silly student before the scholar's looming, eminent monolith."
Star Swirl gave a short laugh. "Clover, you are clever, but not equally in all things. Heed my words:
"The three pony tribes have united, set aside their differences, and saved themselves from annihilation. Yet, as I walk the streets of Canterlot, I see a people joined together by little more than base tolerance, uneasy proximity, and worst of all, money. If Equestria is to survive as a nation, the tribes must unite, not just in friendship, but in every way."
Clover's blush deepened and he cleared his throat. "I apologize if I am being forward. The truth is, I had not thought about it until you brought the subject to light, but I suspect..."
He turned his gaze to the palace gates, where the five stallions stood, looking back at him expectantly.
"Are you coming, Star Swirl?" Rainbowbeard called.
Star Swirl turned back to his student. "I suspect it behooves us to keep abreast of change." Raising a hoof, he pulled Clover into a hug, which she returned. "Let love guide you, my child. It will never lead the true heart astray."
He released her, and she smiled up at him. "Thank you, Master," she whispered, her eyes watery, but her face lit with joy.
Star Swirl hefted his saddlebags once more and turned to join his companions. Giving her a single backward glance, he murmured,
"And may it bring us all into a new era."