"I'm sorry sweetie." Trixie said. "I'm afraid I spoke a bit out of turn." She regained her composure. "Your Madre and I could never decide when to tell you the truth about it, if ever. We'd always just hoped that you would be content with your life and family. But she knew from when you were very young that eventually your curiosity would lead to this. And she would want to be here for it."

"Oh." He sighed. It was worse than all those times his answers were denied with a 'you'll find out when you're older' response, or a 'because I said so' answer. Trixie took his hoof in hers.

"Son, I promise that we will tell you the truth about him when she gets back from her princess trip. Okay?"

"Um, I'm actually not sure." She said. "But I'm sure she'll be back in time for your birthday. She wouldn't miss that."

"This is your singing telegram. I hope it find you well.
You're invited to a party because we think you're really swell.

Starswirl is turning fourteen, so help us celebrate.
The cake will be delicious, the festivities first rate.

There will be games and dancing, bob for apples, cut-a-rug.
And when the party's over we'll gather 'round for a group hug.

No need to bring a gift, being there will be enough.
Birthdays mean having fun with friends, not getting lots of stuff.

It won't be the same without you so we hope that you say yes.
So please, oh please, RSVP and come and be our guest."

The party mare finished singing. "Pinkie, of course I'm going to be at the party. I live here." Trixie said.

"Better late than never." Pinkie said, bouncing in place. Trixie just watched as the pink mare simply enjoyed her own company outside her door.

"Well are you just going to stand out there? The party is about to start." She said.

"Whoa, I walked in on the wrong part of that conversation." Discord said, strutting past the doorway behind Trixie as she bristled. He was already in his magician outfit. Behind him, the other attendees were already getting into the swing of things. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were bobbing for apples. Fluttershy and Rarity were playing pin the tail on the pony. Spike was bringing out another plate of nachos for Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.

Part of the dance floor was made into an impromptu stage where Discord was getting set up. It was a bit of a tradition that he come by and do a classic magic routine for Starswirl's birthday ever since he was a small foal. Trixie always felt a little strange being in the audience for these performances. By right it should be her up there being the stage magician. But that stopped as quickly as it started the first time she tried.

When Starswirl turned one, she was entertaining the foal and her guests with a bit of classic Trixie. On stage, the whole show routine, with the lights and illusions. But it just so happened that the draconequus decided to crash the party and upstage the mare. It was mostly just to antagonize her. But when he did it again the second year, she just let him take it rather than make another scene. The guests seemed to enjoy his brand of entertainment more anyway. And for whatever reason, he had taken a liking to the colt. But this year it seemed to not have the effect that he had desired. The birthday colt just sat at his table, moping.

"Hey Swirly! Why the loooooong face?" Pinkie asked, stretching his complexion to an obscene degree, letting it snap back like a rubber band.

"I thought I told you not to call me that." He grumbled, still not smiling. Pinkie looked around the room. It was very light in the guest department.

"Where are all of your other friends?" She asked. He narrowed his eyes at her. Spike set a plate of nachos in front of him. He wrapped his hoof around the dragon, pulling him to his side.

"Here he is." Stark said. He let Spike go on his way, hoping Pinkie would do the same. But she just stood there, smiling at him, waiting for him to do the same. "What?"

"I'm going to make you smile, and brighten up your daaay!" She sang. He clamped her mouth closed with his hooves.

"Aw, but I'm so good at it." She whined. "Here, why don't you open your present then. It's sure to cheer you up." She said, giving him the wrapped box, pushing it across the table. He pulled off the ribbon as the lid exploded off in a flurry of confetti to the sound of party noise-makers as Pinkie Pie popped out of the box. "SURPRISE! It's me!"

"You're my present?" He asked, incredulously. "Do you come with a gift receipt?"

"No silly! It's my presence." She said. "Because the past is passed and the future has yet to come. But right now is a gift. That's why it's called the present." She sang.

"Aww, why so serious Stark?" Discord said. "Here, let's give this this situation a little less... gravity."

"I'M FLYING!" Scootaloo shouted in euphoria. Rainbow Dash remained where she had already been hovering in the air. Defying gravity was nothing to her. This was just a Tuesday. As Stark floated upside down near the ceiling, Discord swam through the air to meet him.

"Oh, come on now. You really need to... lighten up!" He said. "Isn't that what you want for your birthday? Isn't that what everypony wants?"

"Then indulge me. Quickly before the cake candles reach the books." Discord said. Stark whispered something into his ear.

The gravity was returned to normal. Everypony flashed back into their seats. The cake reappeared in front of Stark.

"We'll save her a piece." Discord said. "Go on, before the wax gets on the frosting." Stark blew out the candles, making a wish in his mind. Pumpkin Cake burst out of the confection, getting frosting on Stark's fur.

"Happy birthday, Mister Sparkle..." She started to sing to him. His surprise gave way to joy, smiling so wide you could tie his lips behind his head. "I've got something for you." She said. He closed his eyes and pursed his lips. He pressed his smooch against wrapping paper. He opened his eyes to see a wrapped gift in her hooves bumping against his nose. "It's your favorite..." She purred. He opened the box and looked inside. It was empty. "Disappointment!" Pumpkin had transformed back into Discord, covered in frosting and laughing like an idiot.

"Discord!" Rarity fumed. "It is incredibly cruel to toy with somepony's heart like that. You should be ashamed."

"Yes... he's a real sweetheart. We're all so lucky to have him in our lives." Stark muttered.

"Please don't lick me." The front door flew open. Twilight burst inside. The sound of her approach caught up with her, shattering the windows with a deafening boom. Everypony and everything inside was covered in glass. "Do you mind?" Stark motioned to Discord. With another snap, the glass was replaced into the panes and order was restored. For all the messes he makes, he's just as good for cleanup as well.

"We could tell." Rainbow Dash said. "Geez Twi, it's usually you telling me to keep it sub-sonic withing the town limits."

"We can do it again." Pinkie said, which was answered with a chorus of 'No!' "Aww."

"I'm so sorry my trip ran so long." Twilight apologized again. "Princess Luna tried to give her Mogwai a bath and- ugh, it's not important anymore. I'm here now." She ran upstairs and dug in her closet, bringing down a wrapped, dense hexahedron that was suspiciously book shaped.

"Oh boy." Stark deadpanned. He settled in front of the other guests' gifts, starting with their cards. Some were funny. Some were heartfelt. Pinkie's was a pop-up musical one. It was a pony, and taped to her hoof was a small foil package that said Trojan on it. Did she just give him a condom?

"Don't be a fool. Wrap your tool." She chimed. "What? He's getting to that age."

"Could this get any more awkward?" Stark thought to himself as he buried the card.

"Hey, where's Cadence?" Twilight asked. Shining and Cadence chose that moment to fall out through the pantry closet door. The room went silent.

"We were just... looking for various sundry items... in the pantry." Shining said.

The party languished on. Presents were opened, cards were given, cake was eaten. A pinata smashed, apples bobbed, tails pinned. Things eventually wound down. Ponies left. One last pony arrived. Having always arrived via the balcony, Princess Celestia suddenly realized how awkward it was ducking to get inside the front, pony-sized door.

"Don't worry, you didn't miss anything." Stark said. "Actually you did. But you'll be glad you did." She knew that look.

"Not a fan of birthdays?" She asked. He nodded. "Me either." She sat down beside him at the table.

"They certainly are an... event." She said. "Any excuse for the Canterlot elite to have a party I suppose. But when you get to be as... old as I am, well, you'd need a dragon to light that many candles." They each shared a chuckle. He didn't know what it was about her. Sure, he'd had his eye on Pumpkin for as long as he could remember. But there was something about Tia that interested him. It wasn't love, he knew that much. It wasn't even coltish lust. It was more of a kindred spirit feeling. Another pony who felt so alienated from society. For as long as he'd know her, they'd had an instant rapport.

It would never happen. He knew that. He took comfort in it even. There was something liberating about it. That he could just be himself around her. No need to try to impress or act. She would see right through it if he tried anyway. He respected her too much to try to be somepony he wasn't.

"I brought you something, by the way." She said. She passed the item to him. He could only describe it as an 'item'. It was hardly a gift. Certainly if it was coming from royalty. It was wrapped in a simple brown paper, with plain twine. It was suspiciously book-shaped.

"Another book." He said. "I've always wanted one." He said flatly, looking at the library shelves surrounding them.

"Actually, I think you'll like this one." She said as he unwrapped it. "I know how much you dislike extravagances." It was true. He didn't see the point in wrapping something in pretty paper just to unwrap it. It was a waste. But then, he was nothing if not pragmatic. "It's one of Starswirl the Bearded's last books." She said.

"I've read it." He said. Barely finishing unwrapping it. "Trust me. I've read them all. Madre has seen to it."

"Actually," Celestia said with a smile, "this is one that she hasn't ever seen before." That gave him pause. For him to know more about Starswirl the Bearded than Twilight did? The very idea made him so excited his teeth itched. He opened the book. It was unreadable.

"Starswirl was a big proponent of 'knowledge for all'." She said. "Every other book of his was written for anypony to read. Except for this one. This one was written in a code that only he could unlock with a cipher that he created. Code breaking was never my forte, but Twilight has told me that you have become quite the cryptographer yourself."

"Yes well, if you can unlock this coded book, you will be the first pony to know Starswirl the Bearded's final secrets."

"Well, the first part is definitely a spell, judging from its format. But the rest seems to be more in the style of letters. Rough drafts perhaps. We're not sure. That's why I wanted to let you give it a shot." She said. She glanced out the window and then at the clock on the wall. It was getting late. She would have to lower the sun soon. She cursed her sister for her ill-timed, post-midnight exotic pet feeding. She looked at him beside her, studying the symbology in the book. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm fine, it's just... I've just realized how long it's been since I've seen you last." She said.

"I know, I just... I've always treasured our time together." She said emphatically.

"No. You're right." She said wiping her cheek. "I was just thinking of something else." She rose from her seat. "Have you ever seen me set the sun?" She asked. He shook his head. "Come on outside with me." They walked outside into the orange-red glow of the sun, already low in the sky. Before his eyes, she flew up into the sky, taking hold of the sun with her magic, pulling it below the horizon with her descent. It slipped below the horizon as her hooves touched the ground. But he wasn't watching the sun any longer. He was focused on something else.

"Shhh." She said, putting a hoof to his lips. "Tell me, the next time you see me." She said with a wink. "Happy Birthday, Starswirl." She said, giving him a peck on the cheek before taking off into the sky. Stark fall backwards onto his haunches as he watched her fly off.

Princess Celestia flew higher into the night. She wept. Her tears flowed freely now that she was away. Seeing him again gave her no comfort. It was only a reminder of what she had lost already. And she knew damn well that she would never see him again.

Back inside, it was once again it was just the four of them. Twilight, Trixie, Spike and Stark. Spike was busy getting to work cleaning up the mess in the kitchen.

"Okay." He said to them. "Now that you're home from your princess trip and Celestia is gone, mom can finally tell me."

"What? That I'm your sister?" She asked. The next sound was that of Stark's head hitting the floor. It seemed that fainting was hereditary.

Star Swirled Lovers

by Shakespearicles

Best Wishes