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// Chapter 1--Starswirl the Bearded 
// Story: The Forgotten Sisters 
// by Flaming Pulsar 
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Chapter 1--Starswirl the Bearded

“Finally it’s complete!” Starswirl exclaimed as Celestia rushed in to investigate why he was yelling. Starswirl was a white-haired, gray unicorn pony who was studying new forms of magic and trying to come up with new spells. This often leads to magical accidents happening in which case his cousin Celestia has to help him fix the mess. This has made her quite alert to any yelling coming from Starswirl’s magic laboratory.
“What is it? What’s complete?” Celestia asked of her cousin.
“It’s my latest masterpiece! The perfect spell for any stallion trying to get it with the ladies!”
“Are you going to tell me what it does or am I going to have to guess?”
“Why don’t I show you instead?” Starswirl performed his newest spell then turned to his cousin so she could see what it accomplished.
“Starswirl! You have a beard!”
“I know! It’s great isn’t it? And I’ve even started working on adapting it for different styles of facial hair.”
“Starswirl, I fear you have too much time on your hooves.”
“To much thyme? How could I have too much thyme? I hardly use spices in my potions. I mean sure every once in a while I need a spice or two for some special property or another but never too much.”
“I’m not talking about the spice, I’m saying you need to find a more productive use for your magical knowledge. I think a short break from your studies might be good for you.”
“A break from my studies? I’m sorry but I’m going to have to decline.”
“It wasn’t an offer. Here’s 100 bits, go buy some material to make something. All the best wizards are known for their wardrobes and you don’t own a stitch of clothing.”
“So you’re going to make me make my own clothing?”
“But of course! The best outfits are those that you make yourself. Besides, I don’t think any pre-made outfit could quite capture your eccentric behavior.”
“Alright, fair enough. I’ll go out on the market and get the stuff I need to make an outfit worthy of Starswirl the Bearded. Hey, I like the sound of that ‘Starswirl the Bearded.’ It’s got a nice ring to it don’t you think?”
“Are you saying that you’d like to be known as ‘the Bearded’ when your works are recorded for posterity?”
“That would be marvelous. After all, most conjurers are often dubbed by their first magnificent spell and I daresay this is my first masterpiece.”
“What about all your previous spells?”
“Mere parlor tricks, all of them. This is my first spell that actually has any practical use.”
“I suppose you do have a point. All your previous spells are rather simple things like miniature parades or tiny rainclouds.”
“Oh, you can’t forget the Coat Color Changer.”
“Ah yes, that one’s gotten you into trouble more than a few times. But right now, I’d like you to go out and get some materials and when you get back, I want you to make your own outfit that everypony will know you for. After that I want you to try and come up with some more practical spells. Try something that has to do with transformation or camouflage.”
”Hmm, I’m sure I could work some magic in those fields. I’ll get right on it as soon as my outfit is complete.” Starswirl left with 100 bits in his pouch and set himself on a quest for materials. His first stop was at a nearby fabric shop where the owner, a bright purple unicorn stallion with black hair named Tailored Moon, was a good friend of his.
“Hey Moony, how are the sales going?” Starswirl asked as he walked into the shop.
“Excuse me, sir, but nopony calls me Moony except...wait, is that you, Starswirl?” the owner asked.
“The one and only.”
“I hardly recognized you with that beard. How’d you grow it so fast?”
“My latest spell. It lets the castor make hair grow on any part of any body he chooses. Right now it only makes really thick hair like this beard but I’m working on other styles as well.”
“Well, it sounds like your magical research business is really taking off. So, did you need anything or did you just want to show off your beard?”
“Oh yeah, Celestia sent me to get some supplies because apparently all the up and coming wizards have their own notable wardrobes. So, I’m here for some fabric.”
“I hope so, I don’t sell anything else. What colors and how much?”
“Give me about three yards of dark sapphire blue, about a yard or two of moderate sapphire blue, about a yard of light moderate sapphire blue, a yard of pale light grayish cornflower blue, and a yard of light gold. I could also use a spool of each of those colors of thread.”
“Alright, not a problem that’ll be 15 bits for all of it.”
“Thank you, here’s your 15 bits, don’t spend it all in one place.”
“You know I will.”
“That’s probably true. See you later Moony.” He left the shop with his supplies and went to make one more stop. “I got my fabric, but a good outfit needs some accessories as well.” He went to the metal and jewelry shop to see what he could add to his outfit.
“Good afternoon sir, a fine day we’re having isn’t it?” the shopkeeper, a orange-and-yellow-tinted-silver-maned sapphire-blue unicorn mare with golden eyes by the name of Sapphire Silver, addressed him as he entered the shop.
“Sapph, it’s me Starswirl.”
“Swirly? When did you grow a beard?”
“This morning when I tested my new spell.”
“My goodness, that’s amazing! I knew you had it in you to do something useful with that magic of yours.”
“All it took was a little time.”
“So what’s the fabric for?”
“Oh yeah, I’m making an outfit to go with my up and coming magical career. Speaking of which, I was wondering what kind of accessories you had in stock.”
“Well, we just got a shipload of bells yesterday and we always have plenty of rings but what I think would go really well with all those blues is a nice turquoise amulet.” She grabbed an amulet from the counter with her magic and showed it to him.
“I knew I could count on you to know just what to get, you always were good with accessories. I’ll take it and some bells too.”
“Why do you want the bells?”
“I have to add a little pizzazz  to my outfit, right?”
“Just don’t go overboard with the bells.”
“Don’t worry, I only need about 20.”
“Yes, because 20 bells isn’t overdoing it at all,” she replied sarcastically.
“Exactly! Now how much do I owe you?”
“For you, not a bit.”
“Have I ever told you that you are the best marefriend ever?”
“You could stand to mention it more.”
“Well, I have time later if you want to get some dinner. What time do you get off?”
“I own the shop, I can be off whenever.”
“Oh, right. Well, why don’t you take 50 bits, go buy yourself a nice dress, and meet me by  Pino’s at 7 tonight.”
“That sounds wonderful. I’ll see you there.” She kissed him on the cheek and left.
“So, Iron Chain,” Starswirl said to the grey-haired brown earth pony clerk who worked for Sapphire Silver, “You got the ring?”
“Just finished it today,” Iron Chain said as he showed Starswirl the ring he ordered. It was a braided gold ring with a full inner circle and the biggest sapphire he could buy. On the inside he had engraved ‘Always.’
“It’s perfect! Now she just needs to say yes.”
“Have you told your family yet?”
“Are you kidding? If I told any of those royal nutjobs they’d practically force her to marry me.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“I want her to marry me because she loves me, not because if she doesn’t, she’ll be sent to prison.”
“Ah, fair point. Well, good luck Swirly.”
“Yeah, yeah. Laugh while you can, pretty soon I’ll be married to your boss.” He left to return to the castle. He put the ring with the tuxedo that he had hidden away and set to work making his outfit. He finished at about 6:30 and started getting ready for his date.
And that’s when Celestia came in. “Cousin Starswirl, how goes your outfit making?”
“Oh, I just finished,” the unicorn said while holding his tuxedo to the ceiling with his magic.
“Well, let me see it.”
He used his magic to put on his new outfit while still holding his tux to the ceiling.
“Of course you of all ponies would line it with bells but other than that it’s not bad. Keep up the good work with your magic.” She turned to leave and Starswirl let out a sigh of relief. “Oh and Starswirl, I’m sure you’re aware that whenever magic is being used, it let’s out a certain energy that other magic users can detect. So, tell me what are you hiding?”
“I’m not hiding anything, your magic detection must be not working right.” Celestia’s horn lit up when he said that. “I knew teaching you that lie detecting spell was a bad idea!”
“That wasn’t lie detection, that was a light spell. So, tell me the truth since you just admitted to lying.”
“I’m sorry but this is something I can’t tell you.”
“You realize that I can easily disrupt your magic with a simple knock on your horn, right? And then whatever it is that you’re trying to hide will be revealed.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh wouldn’t I? You can either tell me what you’re hiding or I’ll find out.” She started walking back over to him and put a hoof to his horn. “Last chance.”
“Never.” Starswirl put all his focus into holding his magic to try to not let it be cancelled but when Celestia hit his horn it faltered for just a second and the tux fell into Celestia’s view.
“What’s this?”
“My tuxedo,” Starswirl confessed.
“Why do you have a tuxedo?”
“For special occasions.”
“Like what? Are you going somewhere tonight?”
Starswirl sighed. “You know that mare who owns the jewelry and metal working shop?”
“You mean Sapphire Silver?”
“I’ve been secretly dating her for about a year now and tonight I was going to ask her to marry me.”
“Oh? And why haven’t you told anyone about this?”
“Because I knew that if any of you found out you would make a big deal about it and make some sort of law that if a noble asks you to marry him then you are required to do so. I want her to marry me for me, not for my family.”
“I understand completely. I just wish you had trusted me, you mentor and cousin, to keep your secret. I’ll let you go this time, but you owe me.”
“Thanks Tia, you’re the best.”
“Don’t forget it.”
Celestia left and Starswirl finished getting ready before he went out to meet his marefriend. He saw her waiting out front at 5 minutes before 7 and quickly ducked behind the restaurant where he told Cinna, a cinnamon-colored earth pony with sugary-white hair, to meet him.
“You got the ring?” she asked.
He gave her the ring. “Where will it be?”
“We have engagements happening here pretty often so we designed a drinking glass that is perfect for holding a ring. It will be on the drink after you order the meal.”
“Perfect. Thanks a lot Cinna.”
“Anything for a good friend.”
Starswirl then left the alley and went to meet Sapphire. “There you are, I was starting to think you weren’t showing up,” she said when she saw him.
“In all the time we’ve been dating have I ever been late even once? I did get held up a bit by Celestia but I got that taken care of. From now until sunrise, I’m all yours.”
They were guided to their table and each given a menu. “What should we get?” Sapphire asked as they looked over the menu. They had been to the restaurant so many times that they had the menu memorized but they still looked at it out of habit.
“I don’t know. What do you think, should we get the lover’s special for old time’s sake?”
“You read my mind.”
They ordered the meal and the waiter brought the drinks, Sapphire’s with the ring on it as planned. “What’s this?” she asked when she saw the ring, pulling it off the glass.
Starswirl then took the ring in his magical aura and took her hooves in his as he got down on his back legs and said “After dating you for nearly a year, I’ve finally come to realize that my life would never be the same without you. I want to see you everyday and know that you will never leave me. Sapphire Silver, would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
“Oh Swirly of course I’ll marry you!”
“Oh wonderful, there’s just one little thing.”
“What’s that?”
“You need to meet my family.”
“That’s right, in all the time we’ve been dating you never introduced me to them or even told me who they were. Why is that?”
“Well, to tell you the truth, my family is the royal family of Equestria.”
“You're kidding.”
“I swear on my rank as the Duke of Equestria.”
“You’re not kidding. So how does this work, do I come into the throne room and just say ‘Hi, I’m Sapphire Silver and I’m engaged to Starswirl?’”
“Well, it’s customary to have a dinner with your parents and my aunt and uncle, the king and queen, who are my current caretakers after my parents died. At that dinner, they’ll decide if they like you or not and if they do, then we’ll set the wedding date.”
“And if they don’t like me?”
“That won’t happen. There’s nothing about you that’s not to like.” He gave her a kiss before he noticed that the food was coming. “Oh, our food is here. I’ll tell my family tonight and we’ll schedule a dinner for next Saturday.”
“Ok, that sounds fine.”
“There’s nothing to worry about, I’m sure they’ll love you just as much as I do.”
“Alright, if you say so.”
“I do say so. I also say that I’m rather hungry so let’s eat before I run out of things to say.”
“I agree. I haven’t eaten since noon and I am quite famished.”
“Well then shall we once again fall under the spell of the lover’s special?”
“I think we shall.”