//------------------------------// // Chapter Five - Never Meet Your Idols // Story: Starswirl // by Dino Days //------------------------------// “...and then you could tell me all about your life, in great detail, from birth to death so I can write your biography and you can show me some of the unfinished magics you were working on before you died and you can help me out with my own studies and...” Starswirl continued hovering as the princess continued listing off all of the things they could do together. She had been going on for a few minutes now without taking a breath, and it didn’t look as though she were stopping any time soon. Surely she would need to breathe by now? Starswirl wondered. “...and then we can start our own travelling show where you tell spooky tales to foals and educate them on magic and history and we would bring knowledge and happiness into the world and...” Maybe it’s because she’s an Alicorn? Do Alicorns have larger lungs than normal ponies? Should I ask? “...but my father would never approve of such a marriage,” Twilight finished. “What was that last thing?” “Travelling show?” “No, the other... nevermind. Don’t you think starting a travelling show is a bit unbecoming of a Princess?” Starswirl didn’t know if travelling shows had become a thing princesses do in their spare time. He had been dead for a thousand years, and for all he knew, princesses toured Equestria with travelling circuses, entertaining the masses with magical feats and wearing clown noses. He just didn’t want to do those things. “How did you know I was a princess?!” Twilight asked, mystified. “Did you cast some sort of mind-reading spell?” Starswirl glanced at Twilight’s wings. “...Oh. Well, um, I guess that’s not really princess like,” she acquiesced. “It’s just that I get really nervous when I meet ponies I really really respect, and I’ve known about you since you were a little filly- no, since I was a little filly! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply you were ever a little filly! Unless you were! I’m not judging you! I know what it’s like to feel like you were born in the wrong body!” She looked back and forth, checking to make sure no one was around, before whispering. “I wanted to be a pegasus.” Starswirl stared at her blankly, unable to formulate a response. He knew what was going on- the young Princess was acting exactly as Clover the Clever had all those years ago, when he first met the young, excitable filly. She had followed the then-young wizard’s career extensively, and when she had met him had rambled and embarrassed herself. That behaviour was to be expected of a starstruck young unicorn. Starswirl was understandably surprised that an Alicorn princess would react in the same way. “...What exactly are you the princess of?” “Friendship. I-I’m sorry, I’m just... you’re my hero. I’m really really nervous and I ramble when I get nervous... heh heh...” Starswirl felt a pang of sympathy for the young princess. She reminded him a lot of his apprentice, now that he thought about it. “So, you’re not going to exorcise me?” “N-no. Can I have a minute to myself, please?” Starswirl nodded, hesitated, then floated down, through the floor. He found himself in a circular room, where six large chairs sat, one with a smaller chair sitting beside it. Each chair had an image on the back, excluding the small one. He recognized two of the images- Twilight’s cutie mark and Fluttershy’s cutie mark adorned the backs of two of the thrones. There goes any lingering doubts I had about her princess-hood. Starswirl ‘sat’ down on one of the thrones- one marked with a small image of a cloud with a rainbow-coloured lightning bolt blasting from the bottom. He couldn’t actually sit, of course, considering his non-corporeal nature, but he hovered in place to make it look like he was sitting. The room itself was imposing, with a high ceiling that towered over him and dark blue walls with little spikes of crystal jutting out. “How does one even make things like this out of crystal?” he wondered aloud. He had wanted to get out to the Crystal Empire to study the unique architecture, but he never had the chance. A mad unicorn had enslaved it and somehow made it disappear before he could make the trip. Tragic. Not exactly unheard of in Equestria, but tragic nonetheless. If what the dragon had said about defeating Sombra was true, however, Starswirl may just get his chance to study the Crystal Empire. He grinned as the thought struck him. I may have had a rough start, but it looks like things will be smooth sailing from here on out. The door to the throne room burst open, a blue blur flying in. When it stopped in the middle of the room, it looked around. It was a pegasus pony- she had a rainbow mane and angry looking magenta eyes. The cutie mark on her flank was the same as that which adorned the back of the chair Starswirl was occupying. “Twilight! I heard you were having ghost trouble! Don’t worry, I’ll kick its flank for you!” Her eyes swept over the area Starswirl sat, and he cringed. “I doubt you could touch me, but let’s not test it out!” he cried out, covering his face. Rainbow neither saw nor heard him. With the castle being as large as it was, Twilight was oblivious of Rainbow’s shouts. “...The ghost must have kidnapped her!” the pegasus exclaimed upon finding the castle empty, scratching her head. She flew back out the door. “That was odd,” Starswirl commented, no longer covering his face. Twilight chose that moment to enter the room. “There you are!” she said. “I’ve been looking all over the castle for you. Did you say something?” Twilight interrupted him before he could answer. “So, I’ve been thinking,” she started. “Are you planning on going anywhere any time soon?” she asked. Starswirl shook his head. “Couldn’t if I wanted to. I can’t stray far from my old journal.” “Yay! I mean, aww, that’s disappointing, I’m sorry to hear that. Well, if you can’t leave, how about you take the guest room?” Twilight offered, an excited and hopeful smile on her face. “It’ll be like a long sleepover, but with Starswirl the Bearded!” “I don’t exactly have a choice, so I suppose I could use your guest room. Thank you.” “Yay! This will be so great! We can stay up late and study! I’ll have Spike make his famous nachos, and we can-” The door burst open once more, the blue pegasus returning, holding a bundle of brown and white fur in her arms. “Sniff her out, Winona!” the pony said, holding the dog out. The dog licked her face. Another pony—an Earth pony this time—trotted through the door. She was orange, with a blonde mane and green eyes. A stetson cap covered her ponytail. The one on her head, that is. “Ah thought you said Twi’ was missing,” she grumbled, pointing to the princess sitting on her throne. The pegasus looked at Twilight, who was wearing a confused look for the umpteenth time that day. Starswirl wondered if they had found a cure for Frozen Face Syndrome yet. “...Winona’s a really good bloodhound! Good girl, Winona!” the pegasus said, clearly trying to save face. The dog wagged her tail. “...Uh huh. Sorry about all this ruckus, Twilight. Rainbow told me a ghost got you, or somethin’.” “Oh, it’s alright, Applejack! Look, I want you to meet somepony!” she exclaimed, excited. She pointed at the wizard. “Meet Starswirl!” Applejack and Rainbow exchanged glances. “Is he behind the chair?” Rainbow asked. “‘Cause we just got here, and if he’s already hiding behind the chair, he would probably get along really well with Fluttershy.” As she spoke, Starswirl floated up to the pegasus. A quick wave of his hoof in front of her face confirmed his suspicions- the two new ponies couldn’t see him. He voiced his observations to Twilight. “You can’t see him?” she asked the two mares, who looked at each other in confusion. “I guess the spell only affected me? Well, this is going to blow your minds, but the ghost of Starswirl the Bearded himself is here!” There was a moment of silence as the two mares processed what Twilight had said. Twilight pointed at Starswirl, who was trying his best to pat Winona in the head despite his non-corporeal nature. “He’s right there!” “Are you alright, sugarcube?” Applejack inquired, a bit of worry making itself known in her voice. “Ah know you’ve been real busy lately, with your princess-y duties and all. Maybe you should go to sleep.” “Um...” Twilight answered, suddenly sheepish. It would seem she realized her error. She remembered what her grandmother had always told her- when you meet a ghost, don’t try to tell anypony. They’ll think you’re crazy. Oddly specific advice, in hindsight, but Twilight decided to take it to heart. “You’re right, girls. Thanks for looking out for me.” “No problem, Twi’,” replied Applejack, a smile on her face. “Have a good night now, you hear?” Rainbow Dash and Applejack left, Winona running after them. “What were they even doing here? It’s the middle of the night,” Starswirl asked. Twilight shrugged. “Fluttershy probably ran into one of the on the way home. They’re right, you know,” she changed the subject. “I really should be getting some sleep.” Starswirl nodded. Twilight turned and started to walk out of the room. She looked over her shoulder at Starswirl as she did so. “I’ll be asking you all sorts of questions, so rest up, alright? We’ve got a big day of research tomorrow!”