The Tutelage of Star Swirl

by Moose Mage

Power and Purpose

In the days that followed, Star Swirl rested.

For the better part of three days after his journey into the Everfree Forest, Star Swirl resided in the Western Tower of Canterlot Palace. The curtains over the great wide windows were drawn. The guards left his meals outside the door. And sometimes at night, Star Swirl took silently to the halls of the palace, like a phantom in a crypt, intangible and voiceless.

At dusk on the third day, Princess Luna sat in the royal study and wished that Star Swirl would speak.

When he had first appeared at the gates of Canterlot Palace three days before with the eyes of a doll, and when he had first told Princess Luna his story, her heart had broken. She had to speak with him further; she had to do something for him. But Star Swirl would see no one. The best that Luna could do was to see that he had a warm bed and three meals a day.

But then, even if Star Swirl would speak with her… After hearing of what had happened in the caves – what Star Swirl had done – what could she say?

Princess Luna sat in a dark wooden chair in the dimly lit study, cloaked with silence. She stared up at the map of Equestria hanging on the wall. For the hundredth time, the thousandth time, she pondered the little red flags affixed to the map, marking the sightings of Jackals. They pooled across the land like blood, spilling from some hidden wound deep in the Everfree.

Star Swirl had stanched that blood. By stopping the beating heart.

Luna glared up at the wall from under her brow, eyes glazed with thought.

She stood. Her horn shimmered, and the small red flags began removing themselves from the map. The lights of her magic painted the dim room ocean blue.

After she had put the flags aside, deposited back in the small wooden box they had come from, she magically lifted the map from the wall. Slowly – almost ceremonial – the map rolled itself into a long white cylinder. The mountains and rivers of the countryside vanished.

“That’s for the best, I think,” said Princess Celestia.

Luna had heard Celestia approaching in the doorway behind her, but had taken little notice; her mind was elsewhere. Celestia stepped inside and continued. “The room is so different now. As if you’ve restored the royal study. I’m happy to see it as it should be again.”

“Yes,” said Luna. The map floated across the room and tucked itself away in a corner behind a shelf, suddenly invisible. “Me, too.”

Celestia took a seat in an empty chair. “The court unicorns will begin their purge tomorrow,” she said. “With the Royal Guard in support. When they’ve swept away all the traces that are left… maybe the matter will finally be over and done with. After all these years, finally – done.”

Luna nodded. They had decided the day before. After Luna had recounted Star Swirl’s tale for Celestia, immediately the two of them dispatched a dozen court unicorns to Everfree Forest, to the cliff where Star Swirl had found the cave. They ventured in, and they found the remains. The first chamber of the cave was a field of bones and ash. Even by the time the court unicorns arrived, some red hot embers still burned alive in the bellies of the beasts. Then, they descended into the tunnels. They came across a few straggling survivors, creatures that Star Swirl had failed to encounter. But they were all swiftly dispatched. Finally they came to the great underground dome. In it, they found the remnants of Klav-Mar’s crown; the broken skull and the shattered horn of a unicorn forgotten by time. No other trace remained of the king.

The court unicorns reported back to the palace. It was clear to the princesses that the greatest power of the Jackals had been broken. All that was left was to deal with the smaller packs, hidden around Equestria, suddenly leaderless and few. Princess Celestia made a proposition, and soon enough, Princess Luna agreed. The Jackals would be purged. They would be given no chance to build themselves up, not again. The court unicorns and Royal Guard would take the offensive. Their instructions: Use any force necessary to subdue the creatures. If possible, capture them for relocation back to Tartarus. But should that fail… Use any force necessary.

It had all happened so quickly. Overnight, the world had been changed. The great secret threat, the legion of monsters amassing just out of sight, had all but vanished with the removal of the king. The prospect of war, which both princesses had feared so greatly, was reduced to extermination.

Princess Luna took a seat across the room from Celestia. She closed her eyes and allowed herself a moment of peace.

Celestia watched her sister. “Luna,” she said, “something else is bothering you.”

Luna opened her eyes and stared into nothingness. “Yes,” she said.

Celestia nodded. “Star Swirl.”

“Yes.”

“I thought as much. Tell, me, my sister – what do you think of this? Of what he did?”

There was a short silence. Luna drew a breath and spoke slowly. “I… am not sure what I think,” she said. “This is more than I’d… well… It’s unlike him. To do anything like this…”

“How do you mean?”

Luna stood. She began to walk the length of the room. “Passion,” she said, “is, I think, so very important to the young. Passion can possess a pony to cross an ocean, to raise a mountain… to fell a king. But I have only ever known Star Swirl to have a passion for learning.”

“But every pony can have a passion for revenge, sister.”

Luna shook her head. “Yes, but there’s more to it. Star Swirl studies magic. But that is not his passion. Magic is a means to an end, an end he is yet to reach. He is looking for something…”

Luna turned from her sister. Celestia stood. “Looking for what?” she said.

Luna turned back to Celestia. “How to say it… His Purpose, I suppose. His place in the world. He’s mentioned this to me before, his Problem. He would never speak very openly of it. Even to me. But it cuts him to the quick, this Purposelessness he hides. His father left when he was young. His mother died not long after. I suppose it's only natural, that he should feel somehow lost. I don’t fully understand how he feels, I admit that. I know he’s spent much of his time searching for his Purpose, for a spell to reveal his path, for a clue of some kind. And now, after the Jackals, after what happened to Lily… I could not tell you where that path is leading him. Or if it’s for the best.”

Celestia’s eyes burned clear and intent. “What he did in the caves. What do you think?”

Luna’s nostrils flared. She sighed, but the tension in her body remained.

“I think it was slaughter. But I also think Star Swirl is young, and new to death and loss, and not entirely in control of his feelings.”

“Hm,” said Celestia. She turned from her sister and walked to the doorway of the royal study. The hallway outside was bright, the setting sun blazing gold in the windows.

Luna stepped toward the door. “Wait, sister,” she said.

Celestia stopped.

“What about you?” Luna asked. “What do you think? What will you do?”

Celestia stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the dying day, her head half turned toward her sister. She stood in thought for a moment, then turned away again.

“Star Swirl saved us all from war,” she said. “And that is how I will treat him. As a hero of war.”

The next morning, Princess Celestia sent for Star Swirl.

The Royal Guards had begun returning to the palace. Life was returning to the hollow halls. The bare two guards whom Celestia had kept for appearances grew to ten, and then fifteen as letters and notices magically flew across Equestria, bringing Princess Celestia’s forces up to date on the state of things. The restoration of normalcy began.

A guard sent a notice to Star Swirl’s room at dawn, requesting his presence in the throne room at noon. Noon came, and four guards waited at the closed doors of the throne room, for Star Swirl to come.

Some doubted he would. But he did. First came the faint echoing hoof steps down the hall, and the murmur of a cloak on the air. And then he appeared, somehow otherworldly with the star-peppered blue fabric fluttering about him, and the brim of his long hat casting a shadowy mask on his face.

Steady and deliberate as a glacier, Star Swirl walked down the hall, past the guards, pushed open the throne room doors and walked inside.

In the next instant, after the shock had passed, the Royal Guards leapt into the room and circled Star Swirl, pillars of shining metal. One called out “Halt!” and Star Swirl stopped.

“You may not,” thundered the guard, “enter the Canterlot Throne Room until your presence is known to Her Royal High– ”

Star Swirl glanced sideways at the speaking guard. Just an eye, gleaming under the hat. But it was a look of such complete, unrepentant indifference, the guard was shocked into silence. He worked his tongue, scrambling for a firm grip on his words again.

“Thank you, Captain,” called Princess Celestia. “That will do. Star Swirl – Thank you for coming.”

The princess sat on her throne, at the other end of the hall, past the golden-ivory pillars, just as she had been sitting on the first day Star Swirl had laid eyes on her. Her ethereal mane and her jewel-encrusted crown sparkled with every color, and unreality clung to the air around her. Princess Luna stood just beside the throne. Every unearthly shade of blue in her coat and mane was an old, familiar comfort. Star Swirl smiled at her.

The guards stepped aside, and Star Swirl began the walk down the narrow red carpet to the throne. Princess Celestia beamed at him.

“Oh, Star Swirl,” she said. “I’m very pleased to see you again. You’ve been so brave, and you’ve been so dedicated. My sister and I are very proud.”

Star Swirl arrived at the throne and looked up at the princess. “Is there something I can do for you, Princess Celestia?”

The princess went on. “We have been worried for you, Star Swirl. Since you returned to us, you’ve seemed distant. I thought, perhaps, it might be time to speak about what happened. If you feel you’re ready, of course.”

“That’s very considerate of you, Princess. Yes, I am ready.”

Princess Celestia’s voice was tender and soothing as water. “My sister and I heard about what happened in Whither’s Hollow. Your friend, Lily… We are both so sorry to hear what happened, Star Swirl.”

Star Swirl was silent and unblinking. Princess Celestia continued.

“I know that we have not known each other for long, Star Swirl. But my condolences are real, I can promise you. Princess Luna and I… well, we have lived in Equestria for a very long time. We have gained much, and we have lost much. We understand.”

She smiled a smile that was at once comforting and sad.

Star Swirl looked at the princess and wondered. I am watching for masks, he thought. Somehow, that’s what I expected from Princess Celestia. But… as I examine her face, and as I weigh her words… I’m not convinced that I am faced with a mask. She is offering me her deepest condolences. She tells me she understands.

Perhaps she does.

Star Swirl bowed his head low. “Thank you, Princess Celestia,” he said. “That means a great deal to me.”

Princess Luna stepped forward. She tried to smile as delicately as her sister, but her lip trembled. “I wish that I had been a greater help to you, Star Swirl,” she said. “I tried to keep you safe for as long as I could, truly I did, I did as much as I could, but after so much has happened, I’m sorry that… that I…”

Star Swirl went to her. “No, no, Princess,” he said, eyes glazing, “you’ve done so much for me, you’ve been there from the beginning. You’ve done so much, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

They embraced. Ever so slightly, Star Swirl could feel a weight beginning to lift; a weight he’d been laboring under from the moment he’d come back to the palace, after Everfree.

They broke apart. Celestia watched them.

“Star Swirl,” said Princess Luna, “we just want you to be all right. We just want to understand what happened.”

Star Swirl looked her squarely in the eye. “What happened,” he said. “What happened in Everfree Forest… The truth is, Princess, some of it, I can’t recall very easily. Some of it is… chaos, fire and smoke. But I remember standing at the mouth of the cave. And I remember the deepest part of the tunnels… and the King. I will never forget the king.”

Luna stole herself. “Star Swirl,” she said, as gently as she could, “…why did you do it.?”

Star Swirl seemed lost. For a moment, he did not breathe, thinking. Then his eyes cleared and he answered:

“Because Lily was my friend. I had to do something… I had to do something…”

The words rang in the hall. Celestia spoke.

“You cared for her so much, then?” she said.

Star Swirl looked back up at Princess Celestia on her throne. “I cared for all of them so much, Princess,” he said. “The ponies I met are a part of me now. Every one of them.”

Something in Princess Celestia’s eye twinkled.

“And that, my dear student,” she said, “is the magic of Friendship.”

The two of them looked at each other. For that moment, Star Swirl looked Princess Celestia as squarely in the eye as if he were looking at Princess Luna. And that was a satisfying feeling.

Princess Celestia rose from her throne and descended to Star Swirl.

“I think,” she said, “you’ve proven that you’re ready, Star Swirl.”

Star Swirl looked up at the princess. “Ready?” he said. “Ready for what?”

Princess Celestia’s horn started to glow, with the pulsing, golden light of dawn. The throne room began to fade away, as if into diamond-bright mist.

The last thing Star Swirl saw with his waking eyes was the look of surprise on Princess Luna’s face, and then he was lifted from the earth, into a nameless beyond.

Star Swirl looked around, and felt as if he had stepped into the sky.

The stars breaking out of the firmament above him were different than any he had ever seen. Great clouds of stars, washing over him in colors he’d never imagined. And all around him was that diamond-mist, white as snow, dancing around him in wisps and rolling waves.

Star Swirl took a step forward. This must be a dream, he thought, but nonetheless, his hooves worked well enough, and they carried him over the misty plane.

And there was Princess Celestia, standing before him, looking as if she had risen out of the mist herself. And then Star Swirl realized the nature of the place: It was as if he had fallen into Princess Celestia’s mane, that mane of colored light and unreality.

“Princess,” said Star Swirl, “what is this place?”

“I have something for you, Star Swirl,” she said.

From the corner of his eye, Star Swirl saw something moving in the mist. He turned and peered into the blur.

“Princess Luna had such faith in you, Star Swirl,” said Princess Celestia. “To be a part of your life – to offer you her guidance – has meant more to her than you might know.”

The shapes in the mist solidified into silhouettes, and all at once Star Swirl realized what he was seeing. It was an earth pony and a unicorn mare, huddling together, coddling something wrapped in a blanket. The earth pony vanished, and the unicorn mare hugged the bundle all the tighter. Then the mare disappeared, and suddenly the bundle fell open, and there stood the outline of a young unicorn, draped in a cloak.

Star Swirl watched his life.

The shapes of books and quills and inkwells and rolls of parchment materialized overhead, orbiting the shape of the young unicorn, who read, and wrote, and grew. Behind him, watching over him, was an alicorn, reading over his shoulder, handing him books, placing a reassuring hoof on his shoulder.

“After all of your studying,” said Princess Celestia, “after all of your work and your dedication, you have grown to be ready of my gift for you. You have tasted the magic of Friendship, and you have been forever changed by its power…”

Three new figures appeared in the mist. Three earth ponies.

“… You have been touched by grief…”

One figure vanished.

“… And you have fought for the greater good of Equestria.”

A gangly, graceless creature walked toward them in the mist. It wore a unicorn’s horn, but was no unicorn. It, too, disappeared.

All the remaining figures and books and quills fell away, back into the starry void. Star Swirl turned back toward the princess, the two of them alone again.

“There is wisdom in you, Star Swirl,” said Princess Celestia. “And now, I offer you a new responsibility… A new purpose in your life.”

Star Swirl’s eyes shone as brightly as the stars overhead. “How do you mean?” he asked.

“The stars, Star Swirl. That is what I offer you. Dominion over the stars.”

The lights above the two of them seemed to shimmer at that. All of them, beautiful.

“You will sit beside my sister and I,” said Princess Celestia, “as a new ruler of Equestria. A Prince of the Realm. And you will keep balance. This is your new life, Star Swirl. This is the Purpose I offer you.”

“The Purpose you offer me,” Star Swirl breathed. Princess Celestia looked at him, and saw that he was a child again, wonder filling him up entirely.

Princess Celestia’s smile rivaled the stars. “Yes, Star Swirl. Oh, I knew that you would prove yourself. After reading your work, after all that Princess Luna told me of you, I knew that you had the strength to learn the world’s most advanced magical theory. I knew, from the moment I first sent you to Whither’s Hollow, that you could discover the magic of Friendship, and protect your friends from the Jackals. I knew that you would do what had to be done to secure the future of our species. There is such wisdom in you, Star Swirl, blossoming already. The rest of your life lies before you. You cannot help but succeed.”

Princess Celestia looked into Star Swirl’s eyes, to see that wonder again, that blessed fulfillment, that promise of a long, fruitful future –

Something was wrong.

A dawning confusion in Star Swirl’s mind considered the words of Princess Celestia, dissecting and examining. Those words…

I knew, from the moment I first sent you to Whither’s Hollow… protect your friends from the Jackals…

Sudden and sharp, clarity burned in Star Swirl’s mind. He looked up at the princess.

“You knew.”

Something happened. Star Swirl reached deep inside himself, and with a cold, relentless explosion of magic, he tore the misty plane asunder.

Star Swirl felt himself falling. The stars began dying in the sky. The mist rose up, wild and tumultuous, and the white nothing soon obscured everything.

Princess Celestia, so surprised by Star Swirl, so surprised by this magic, could do nothing to prevent the dreamlike world from collapsing, and the two of them together went tumbling back down to earth.

They returned to themselves in the throne room, just where they had left.

They were both breathing fast. Princess Celestia swallowed, eyes wide, unsure what to make of it.

Sweat began to break out on Star Swirl’s brow. He eyed the princess with deadly precision, and quickly backed away from her. His voice was venom.

“You knew,” he said. “From the moment I first stepped into this throne room… Long before I’d even arrived at the palace gates… you knew…”

Luna's eyes danced between the two of them, wide and fearing. "Sister," she said, "Star Swirl, what's happened?"

Celestia tried to regain her composure. “Star Swirl,” she said, her voice low and restrained, “I’m not sure what’s the matter. If you can help me understand – ”

“The Jackals,” Star Swirl hissed. “You sent me out to Whithers Hollow, alone, with no one to help me, with no one to help them… And you knew what was out there. You knew that any night, we all might die in our sleep.”

Celestia felt as if the floor had dropped out from under her. She fought to keep her voice level. “I see,” she said. “You are concerned about the Jackals. I can understand that, certainly, yes. You see, Star Swirl… The threat of the Jackals… Well, it presented a very… delicate political situation. But you trusted me, and that’s what counts. And it’s all resolved now, thanks to you. The king is gone, and the threat of the Jackals is being purged as we speak. I couldn’t have dreamed of a cleaner end to this horrible affair.”

Star Swirl’s eyes began to water in his fury. “You knew,” he cried, voice breaking, “and ponies have died. They’ve died, Celestia. Because of you. Because you wouldn’t trust me.”

“No, Star Swirl, that is not why I – ”

“No, you’re right. That’s not why.” The water in his eyes dried up, and a dark, burning fire replaced it. “Why did you do it? Because instead of telling me the truth, you decided it would be simpler to manipulate me. I was nothing but a shield against the Jackals to you, wasn’t I? I was a puppet dancing on your strings all along, and I was too much a trusting fool to know it. Is this your precious version of friendship, Celestia? A version where trust only has to be given one way, as long as it all works out in the end, even if it costs blood – ”

“Enough, Star Swirl.”

Celestia planted a hoof on the marble floor, and the resounding CRACK shook the throne room.

She spoke. “The ponies of Equestria,” she said, “put all of their faith in me to lead. And that is what I do. It is not always easy, and not every choice I make comes without a cost. But whatever I do, I do because I care for this land. I am no trickster. I am the Princess of – ”

“Tell me, Princess,” Star Swirl said, “how many students have you had? How many ponies have you taken under your wing? How many have you twisted and manipulated for your own secret purposes? Was I the first? Will I be the last?”

Celestia drew herself up to her full height. She stood over Star Swirl like the threat of a terrible storm.

“I do not,” said Celestia, her voice filling the hall, every syllable falling with the weight of a cannonball, “have any obligation to justify myself. Not to you, Star Swirl. Not to any pony.”

“Sister, stop this.”

Celestia whirled around. There stood Luna, beside the throne. Her gaze shifted between Celestia and Star Swirl. She walked to them.

“Celestia,” she said, cool and cautious, “please. You are too severe. Listen to Star Swirl. And Star Swirl, give my sister a chance to explain herself. There is no need for this – ”

“Luna,” said Celestia, “stop.”

Luna stopped. Celestia’s nostrils flared.

“This,” Celestia said, “does not concern you.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed.

“It most certainly does, sister,” she said. “And you are wrong, by the way. There is one pony that you must justify yourself to. And that’s me.”

Celestia turned fully on her sister, breathing fast. “The burden,” she said, “falls on me. The ponies of the land look to me.”

A shade of exhaustion flashed over Luna’s face. She turned her gaze from her sister. The short silence was electric.

Finally Luna committed herself, and looked her sister in the eye.

“Yes, they do,” she said. “But I will say it now, or else I fear I never will. You are changed. The love of the common folk is wonderful, yes, but to you – it bloats your head as much as it bloats your heart, Celestia. Ever since the Fall of Discord, you’ve labored under this self-imposed responsibility to rule. Well, I am here, Celestia. I am here to be your partner and your sister. I have longed to be both again for years. You don’t have to rule alone. And you can’t.”

Celestia stared at her sister, dumbfounded.

Suddenly her face darkened, and there was a great flash of light, so bright and hot that both Star Swirl and Luna had to shield their faces.

Celestia’s horn was a beacon of daylight. Her eyes brimmed with Sun Fire. An unnatural wind swept the hall.

The Royal Guards flattened themselves against the wall, watching with wide eyes and trembling limbs as Celestia rose into the air and looked down on Star Swirl and Luna.

“I am the Morning,” she boomed. “I am the warmth and the light and the life of day. And I shall speak.”

She looked down on her sister. Luna looked up, shielding her eyes.

“If I have every pony’s love but yours, sister, so be it. I cannot change your heart.”

Star Swirl peered over at Luna. Even in the blinding light, he could still make out the silver shine of tears running down her face.

Celestia turned her gaze on Star Swirl.

“And you, Star Swirl. Your arrogance and faithlessness is insulting and pitiable. I have given you my support and my guidance. In return, you have given me your hatred. Hear this: You have failed to master the magic of Friendship. Your tutelage has come to an end. Leave Canterlot Palace. And do not return, so long as discord burns within you.”

Star Swirl squinted against the light and the wind. He removed his hat, glaring up at the inferno above him with a strange sort of deference. With a voice both quiet and commanding, he spoke.

“I hope,” he said, “that one day, I will meet the Princess Celestia who is so loved and celebrated by the ponies of Equestria. I am told that she is wise and just; the great leader of our kind. Perhaps we may yet see her again in my lifetime. Perhaps she never existed at all. But I will not find her here."

Star Swirl looked to Princess Luna. Then, he spoke again to Celestia.

“I do not belong in this empty throne room, I belong in the world. That is where I’m bound. And I shouldn’t wait here a second longer. And so; goodbye.”

Star Swirl placed his hat back on his head and turned.

“Star Swirl!” Luna cried.

But Star Swirl was already gone. He marched back up the long red carpet, past the petrified guards, and out the doors. As the hem of his cloak disappeared into the hall, the tall double doors swung shut. The metallic boom of their closing sang with finality – gong – and then shimmered into stillness.

Celestia descended from the air.

The light of her horn faded to nothing. The fires in her eyes burnt out. Her hooves touched the floor, and she stood, trembling and panting, staring at the closed doors.

Her eyes flickered to the Royal Guards, and stuck there. She had never seen them as they were. She had never seen them look at her as they looked at her today. Not one of them stood as straight as a rod. Not one of them covered his face with the hard glaze of discipline.

No – instead, they stood there, seeming utterly small in their armor, looking up at the princess in panic and fear. And unease… yes, she saw that, too. They did not know what Princess Celestia would do next.

They did not trust her.

She attempted a reassuring smile. “My most loyal guards,” said Celestia, her voice thin and weary after the roaring of her declarations, “why do you shake? Back to your accustomed positions, please. All’s well…” She took a tottering step toward them.

The guard standing closest to the door flinched.

It was a nearly imperceptible thing; a twitch, at best; but Celestia saw it. She stopped. The guard’s hoof had, for a fraction of a second, flashed in the direction of the closed double doors.

You, too, thought Celestia, the world swimming before her. Always, your bond to me was unbreakable, my Royal Guards. Always, you followed me. You followed me best of all. But now. But now, you, too, are fearful. Distrusting. I have finally lost my Royal Guard.

A single thought, vast and overwhelming and fathomless as the sea, swam into focus before Princess Celestia:

I have been too severe.

Luna’s voice was a whip-crack. “Guards,” she said, “leave us.”

And they did, quickly. The throne room doors opened and closed, and then Celestia and Luna were alone.

Celestia turned to her sister, every raging fire in her heart extinguished.

“Luna,” she said, eyes glistening. “You understand. You must understand. Moments ago, I was cruel to you. That voice was not mine… It ought not to be mine. I’m sorry, sister – ”

Princess Luna hastened past Celestia toward the doors, without a second glance for her sister.

Celestia did not understand. “Sister,” she called, “sweet, dear Luna, I am sorry that – ”

Luna whirled around. Her eyes were daggers.

“You’re sorry,” she whispered.

Celestia had never heard such a voice from Luna before. It was pitiless, it was unforgiving. It was an accusation.

The cold, sharp steel of truth came crashing down around her, and she was speechless.

Luna flew to the doors, leaving Celestia alone in the throne room, with the dark spirits of terrible mistakes hovering over her.

Star Swirl had nearly reached the Western Tower when he heard Princess Luna’s voice calling out behind him:

“Star Swirl! Wait, please!”

Star Swirl stopped and turned in the warmly lit hall. Princess Luna landed before him, catching her breath.

“Are you all right, my student?” she said. “Are you hurt? If you’ve been hurt, I swear I’ll – ”

“No, Princess. I’m unhurt.”

Star Swirl himself was surprised to hear the cool calm in his voice. His heart beat steady and slow. He could feel the power of that calm sleeping inside him.

Princess Luna heard it, too. “Are you certain you’re all right?” she said.

“I’m fine, Princess, truly. Better. I am extraordinary.”

“I am sorry for her, Star Swirl, for your sake and mine, I will always be sorry for her – ”

“But I am not.” As he drew himself up to his full height, Star Swirl was surprised by how tall he truly was. He wasn’t all that much smaller than Princess Luna.

Star Swirl went on. “Whatever happens in Princess Celestia’s head,” he said, “one thing she said is true. My tutelage is over. I will stand on my own hooves now. I must.”

Even now – after he thought his soul was finally numb – Star Swirl felt a trickle of sadness inside him, now that it came right down to it. To saying goodbye.

“You have been so good to me, Princess Luna,” he said. “I’ll never forget it. But I will look to no pony else for guidance. That time is gone. My life begins. I intend to live it well.”

Princess Luna looked at her student, almost as if he wasn’t quite her student any longer.

“What will you do?” she asked.

“I’ll start by travelling. Much good can come of that. And I think… It’s what she would have wanted. If I find adventure, or friendship, or even a Purpose in this life… Well. That’s not up to me. But I will hire a carriage immediately to Whither’s Hollow. There, I will collect a few things. And then – I am off.”

Luna looked at him. Then she nodded. “You would not consider staying here,” she said, with a sort of tired resignation. “When my sister has had time, she may regret her words.”

Star Swirl shook his head. “Princess,” he said, “I am impatient to begin.”

Luna went to him, and two of them embraced for the very last time.

“Be safe, Star Swirl,” she whispered. “Be smart. Be safe.”

They parted. For a fleeting instant, they shared a final look. A final connection. Then Star Swirl turned, and in a flurry of starry blue, he was gone.

Celestia sat on the floor beside her throne. Her gaze was lost in space and thought. Her mane did not shine so brilliantly as before. The feathers of her wings were ruffled, and her splendid white coat was somehow dulled; as if the Princess had gone out from her. Quiet reigned.

I have been too severe.

Celestia had dismissed all but one of her Royal Guards. Their wits were scattered, and she felt it best that they were allowed a rest. The Captain alone kept sigil at the doors.

Best, she thought. Best for them. Best for them. Yes. That is good.

A week before, a day before, Celestia would have bid the guards collect themselves and return to their posts. That would have been best for her. But today, that did not seem wisest.

Celestia turned her eyes to the Captain, an armored statue. She raised a hoof and gently waved him over. He was at her side immediately.

“Captain,” she said, “the purge of the Jackals. Do you happen to know what its status is presently?”

“Your Highness, the ponies involved in the purge will be in place and ready to begin their assault by this evening at the latest.”

“Please send letters to the group leaders. The purge must be revised.”

“… Your Highness?”

Celestia stood. She moved like a dragon, waking from a long sleep.

“Yes,” she said. “It occurs to me now that we are dealing improperly with the matter. My original instructions were for the Jackals to be subdued by any means necessary. That is the most practical course. The easiest course. But… it is not what is right. I will not be responsible for a genocide. Draft a letter to the group leaders, and tell them that no Jackal is to be killed. They are all to be contained, and transported back to Tartarus. The Jackals are so much less in power now, that this should be possible, without risking the lives of my subjects needlessly. If all falls together, we might remove the Jackals without a single casualty. But only if the Royal Guards and court unicorns do not opt for the easiest solutions. Will you please see to it that this message is prepared, Captain? I shall consult with my sister, and you shall receive further instructions shortly.”

“At once, Princess Celestia.”

“Thank you.”

The Captain bowed and left at a trot. Princess Celestia smoothed her ruffled wings and blinked the fog from her eyes.

No sooner had the Captain left than Princess Luna appeared in the doorway.

Celestia’s breath caught for a moment. Then she walked to her sister.

“Hello, Luna,” she said. Her voice was gentle; Celestia felt as if everything inside her was somehow gentler. “If I may, I would like to consult with you on some official plans. The purge… I would like to prohibit the murder of Jackals. It is entirely possible for – ”

Smack.

Luna’s hoof swept through the air like a knife, slapping Celestia across the face with deadly precision. For a moment, Celestia was paralyzed by the stinging on her cheek. She lifted a hoof to her face and closed her eyes.

“That, I think,” said Celestia, “has been long in coming.”

Luna tried several times to speak, but nearly chocked each time, her eyes watering with white hot anger. Finally the words came.

“Ascension,” she said. “You offered Star Swirl Ascension. And not a word of it, not the barest hint, did you breathe to me.”

“That was awful of me, sister, I see that now. I was so hasty… Why was I so hasty… But now, we must work together to – ”

“And then.” Luna began slowly circling Celestia, cat-like and icy. “Your rage… The ridiculous, selfish dramatics of it! And you dismissed Star Swirl. My great friend, my greatest student – our greatest hope for a worthy heir – cast out, as if he were nothing but a pawn with too many opinions. This has gone on – you have gone on for long enough, Celestia. When you dismiss Star Swirl, you dismiss me.”

“You are right.”

Celestia could not find the will to argue. For the first time in too long, she bowed her head before the one pony she must answer to.

“And you have been right,” said Celestia, lifting her head, “in all that you’ve said. I am too severe. And I have been too severe for too long. Things will change, sister – Oh, you will see the change, you’ll see it with your waking eyes, I promise you! There is a path that leads to benevolence, a path to patience and wisdom. And I shall journey it, come what may.”

“No.”

The word chilled Celestia to the marrow.

“I know you, Celestia,” Luna said. “Today you repent, to win back my favor. But tomorrow…”

Luna’s face was difficult to read. Dark. Piercing. Strong.

“No, Celestia,” said Luna. “You cannot undo what you’ve done. You cannot unmake yourself. I know you… I know you so very well. Look at me, sister, look around you, and see, truly see what you are, what you’ve done.” Her voice began to rise. “You’ve destroyed our last hope for an heir. You’ve pushed me aside, Celestia, just as the rest of them do, just like the rest of Equestria, and I cannot bear it. I used to have a family in you, but even that, you’ve taken from me with your negligence and selfishness! You’ve… You’ve made a waking nightmare of my life, Celestia! Rule as you’d like, alone, unhindered – I’ll have no more part in your devilish farce. Yes, I see now that it’s true, there can only be one princess in Equestria. And the fates have fallen on you. I leave you with your kingdom, Your Highness. Goodbye. May the ponies of Equestria thrive under the blistering heat of the sun.”

Luna rose into the air on wings like rolling ocean waves, tsunamis, and soared to the throne room doors.

Princess Celestia ran for her, a hoof in the air, reaching. “Sister!” she cried. “Please!”

Luna crashed through the doors and vanished, leaving only wind in her wake.

The air settled. Celestia quickly went to a window, looking out at the front of the palace. She could just see the tops of the palace walls from here –

Far away, at the gates, a bolt of night blue shot into the sky, wheeling on wings that cut the air like razors. Into the sky climbed the blue arrow, and into the distance. So soon, the speeding blur disappeared entirely, melting into the bright sky of day.

Celestia stood, staring out the window at the spot where her sister had disappeared. For how long, she knew not. The sound of hoof steps clattered behind her.

“Your Majesty,” said the Captain of the Royal Guard, “Princess Luna… Has something happened, Your Highness?”

“Yes.”

Princess Celestia turned from the window. “Do not go after her,” she said. “It is not my place to act as Princess Luna’s authority. I think she will come back. It may be some time… But I do hope that she will come back.”

Princess Celestia walked to the open throne room doors.

“Princess,” said the Captain behind her, “is there any way I might be of help? What are you planning to do now?”

Princess Celestia stopped in the doorway and turned to the Captain with a smile.

“I plan to do what a princess must,” she said. “The realm is imperfect. Thus, there is work to do.”

Star Swirl was as good as his word. That evening he arrived back at Whither’s Hollow. He spent the following morning packing a few things from thirty-three Blackwood Road. Only enough to fill a modest backpack worn over his cloak. The road would be long, Star Swirl knew, and it would be best to travel light.

For the remainder of the day, Star Swirl made his farewells. Farewell, he said, to the baker and the butcher. Farewell, he said, to Agnes Whither, and the shop owner who had sold him his hat. Farewell, he said, to the lonely maple tree standing on the green riverside, and the darkened windows of The Blue Rose. Farewell, he said, to thirty-three Blackwood Road, and the small town which had grown to be his home.

The sun began to sink, and soon enough, it was time for Star Swirl to make his final farewells.

With his pack on his back and his hat on his head, Star Swirl stood on the dusty road just on the outskirts of Whither’s Hollow; the lonely bridge connecting the town with the rest of the world. With him stood Pan and Emory. The light of the sunset clung to them all like rich golden silk.

Star Swirl sighed at the sight of his friends. He spoke first. “I wish,” he said, “that you could come with me.”

He looked at Pan. His time in Whither’s Hollow, too, was ending. In a few days Pan would begin his journey south, homeward bound.

Earlier that day, Star Swirl had invited Pan to his cottage, and there they sat and spoke. To clear the air, to say everything that needed saying.

“I have a terrible feeling,” Star Swirl had said, “that I misled you, Pan. And you deserve so much better than that…”

And Pan had said, smiling with watery eyes, “No, Star Swirl. You were a perfect friend to me. And me, well… I was searching for something that wasn't there. Foolish…”

“No, Pan, you weren't foolish at all –”

“Please, listen to me, Star Swirl – I think I've realized something important. I told you before that my cutie mark was a flute, and that sometimes, I felt like little more than that flute. That friendship was a stranger to me, along with anything more… But I was wrong. I'm more than a cutie mark. I know that now. And that started with you, Star Swirl. It started with a small, enormous step – with having a friend.”

Pan’s face had been a shifting plain, an expanse that said many things at once. “But if we have to part soon," he had said, quiet as a prayer, “then I can leave, with what I never knew… I can have friends. I learned that from this town, from Lily, Emory… but so much of it, I learned from you, Star Swirl. And that’s all I ever wanted.”

And now, they stood on the road, breathing the sweet, golden air together. Pan and Star Swirl's eyes met. With a trembling smile, Pan rushed to Star Swirl and threw his front legs around him. Star Swirl was surprised by the earnestness of the embrace. But it was a happy thing, and he returned it.

Pan backed away, his eyes beginning to glisten, and Emory stepped forward. He, too, could not travel with Star Swirl. “I’m sorry, my friend,” he had said when Star Swirl asked. “I am needed here.”

Now, as the daylight cooled, Emory beamed at his friend with shining eyes. “This,” he said, “is not too far from where we first met, Star Swirl. I remember it. We said our hellos; I helped you with your bags. There was a moment when I wondered if you would let me help you, or not.”

“You’ll never know,” said Star Swirl, “how glad I am that I did.”

Star Swirl removed his hat. Suddenly his face, which had been shrouded in shadow, was bathed in the slanting sunset. He reached into the pockets of his cloak, and as if from another world, he produced a tiny shell of gold, a fragment of light, whispering a golden ripple in his hoof. A bell.

He secured the bell to the rim of his hat. He put the hat back on his head. Free now, the golden bell sang softly in the breeze. Ding, it sang. Ding.

“I will be back one day,” said Star Swirl. “I’ve left some of my things in thirty-three Blackwood Road. Some papers, some candles… Some books… That is my promise. In the meanwhile, I take this bell with me. This bell means home. And so do you. Both of you. I shall take you with me, wherever I go. If I hadn’t met you – if you hadn’t taught me – I would not be the pony I am today. Thank you. I have been honored by your tutelage.”

Pan and Emory both knew that Star Swirl would keep his promise. So, when Star Swirl smiled at the two of them one last time, turned, and started down the road, they were not as sad as they might have been. Soon the sun was only a glow over the horizon. When Star Swirl was nothing but a fading blue figure in the distance, Pan and Emory returned to Whither’s Hollow. The yellow lights in their windows soon dimmed, and all slept easily.

Overhead, the stars came to life. For Star Swirl, that was light enough. He could see clearly the road before him. He saw that it was endless, and his pace quickened.

Words once spoken to Star Swirl by Princess Luna echoed in his ears. You may not feel it, Star Swirl, but you are still very young… Please remember how much more life you have ahead of you. Star Swirl remembered. He was glad he remembered.

And the road went on.

Comments

[Cerulean Voice]

I wish, I wish, how I wish I could favourite this story more than once. You have shocked me, Moose, and moved me to tears. Your execution of the story has been flawless and incredibly moving.

[Moose Mage]

4544769
It's wonderful to hear from you again, Cerulean! As always, the kind words I read here in the comments are my main fuel source for writing this story; that you should still enjoy Tutelage after all this time means a lot. Thanks again, friend, and I'll see you at the end.

[Moose Mage]

4671144
Yup, I'm opting for a variation (nice catch, by the way). It's not that I have anything against the backstory presented in the Hearth's Warming Eve episode; I think the historical dynamic between the three races is quite interesting. It's just that I feel the Celestial Tether better fits with the themes of personal responsibility present in this particular story, and will come into play again before all's said and done. I'm glad you noticed it - I figured that this variation would be well worth an Alternate Universe tag. Thanks for the read, Phazon!

[Moose Mage]

4676237
Hmm, it's interesting you bring that up. In truth, I don't think I ever considered adding a Romance tag to this story - as you said, though the relationship you're talking about is an important aspect of Star Swirl, I don't think it's the be-all-end-all purpose of this story, or of his character. (And since you seem to be around the eighth chapter, I won't go too far into it, lest I spoil what becomes of Star Swirl and Lily.) Thanks for the link to Good Intentions, by the way! I'll give it a read, see if I can spot the parallel you brought up.

[Moose Mage]

4681259
Your like is tremendously appreciated, Phazon! Thanks for sticking around!
What a subtle and fitting piece of music. (I admit, I haven't seen anything of Arrow myself; I ought to remedy that shortly.) And the title of that track is equally fitting for the scene, I think - very poignant of you to share.

[Dawn Darkling]

As a hero of war.

A hero of war. Is that what they see?
All medals and scars, so damn proud of me?
(Kudos if you get that reference. Extra kudos if you know just how heavy it is.)

I have thoroughly enjoyed this short-feeling story. In the end, SS's and Luna's pain is palpable
and that tells me that you have endeared me to these characters.
Bravo!

[Cerulean Voice]

4686036
Ooo! Ooo!
*Raises hoof*
One of my favourite songs!

What do I win?

[Dawn Darkling]

4686378
I don't know. Maybe it would help if I could see embeds on this site.
Hint: they are called kudos.

[Dawn Darkling]

4686378
But anyways, that song sums up my distrust for the current regime.
We could and should do so much better.

[Phazon]

4683774

And now I'm faced with a dilemma: Do I Favorite this or not? Admittedly, I tend to be very stingy with Faves, even more so than Likes, so rather than using Fimfic's favorites feature to track stories (like it's apparently designed to do), I try to use it to mark stories I actually consider my favorite fics on the site (read: stories that I especially liked at the time I read them, but probably haven't gone back to reread since).

At any rate, it looks like this story's about to come to it's full resolution. A couple plot points seem to have resolved, but the rift between Celestia and Luna is growing, and I imagine the consequences of that won't fully play out until years after the events of this story. It's also a bit refreshing to see someone call Celestia out on her bullshit in a believable way.

Though I don't think insisting on non-lethal force against the remaining Jackals solves anything. It doesn't do anything to mitigate the risk of a third king rising. And while that decision doesn't reek of the manipulation or scheming that got Star Swirl angry at her, it's still another unilateral action that she neither informed nor consulted Luna about before taking.

Also, don't worry too much about the comment thing. I think it might be a problem with the site's coding, one that's existed for months now. I've been meaning to bring it to knighty's attention, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

[Moose Mage]

4688271
The very fact that you're considering Tutelage for a favorite is compliment enough, my friend (especially considering the top-quality stories I'm seeing in your list of favorites). Hopefully, you can decide on that after reading the last two installments, which, with any luck, will both be up before the month is out. I hope you enjoy the rest, sir, and I'll see you at the end.