Chapter 10 - A Friendly Face
I was seated at the kitchen table; a brown book before me and a seed cake pushed off to the side. I eyed the book with a mixture of trepidation and curiosity. This was finally my chance to understand why I was viewed in such a light, despite Celestia’s less than positive view of me.
And yet… despite the information placed before me, why did I feel a sense of dread? Perhaps it was the fact that I disliked being talked about behind my back. No… that may have bothered me back in the past, but I honestly couldn’t care less about how these ponies view me.
So why did the book unnerve me? The answer came to me soon enough as I eyed the title, or to be more precise, the author. StarSwirl the Bearded… he was an interesting individual.
(Roughly 1500 years ago)
I had been out exploring the forest, searching for herbs and anything edible. I had been running low on my stock of food and I needed to replenish the larder. I knew of an area which harbored edible mushrooms. A bit earthy, but tasty enough in stew. As I made my way through the forest, I felt a… disturbance I suppose. It was not unlike a signal, a magical morse code that traveled through the air. It was hurried, anxious… someone was in trouble.
I considered leaving whoever was in trouble to perish. It was hardly my fault if someone got themselves eaten because they ventured too far into the Everfree. And yet, despite my nonchalant attitude, I felt drawn to its source. It was strong, clear, whoever was in trouble was adept at magic. Certainly more so than the so called ‘mages’ Celestia kept throwing at me. One of those idiots even had the audacity to claim I cheated when I cut his horn off with my sword!
I bit my lip as I considered my next move. While I had no obligation to help any pony, perhaps aiding this individual would ease Celestia’s rage. At the very least, it would sate my curiosity. It probably wasn’t easy sending such a clear signal, and from within the Everfree as well.
Deciding on a course of action I made my way towards the distress call, my fingers gently coiled around the pommel of my sword.
It only took me ten minutes of walking to finally reach the area from which the distress signal originated. It was a decently sized open area, a circle of grass in which the trees of the Everfree could not permeate. I warily entered the clearing, my blade drawn and Arcwind held under my arm.
Several minutes prior the signal had died off, leaving me confused and disoriented. It was strange for a signal like that to simply cut off. Either the individual was no longer in need of assistance, or they were dead. I had already walked thus far though, so I decided to investigate the disturbance.
A disturbance which turned out to be nothing. I gazed around the clearing, searching for anything that could explain the origin of the signal, however, there was nothing to be found. No sign of a scuffle, no markings in the ground and certainly no blood.
I frowned in concentration as I continued to scour the forest floor. Surely there must be some magical residue left over… there almost always was. It was during my inspection that I eventually felt a presence at the edge of the clearing. It wasn’t long after that I was able to put a voice to it.
“So this is the ‘creature’ that Celestia asked me to deal with? Honestly, dragging me away from my own studies to deal with her problems. Well… I guess that’s just one of the many jobs of being the head mage.”
I grew irritable as I turned to face the offending individual. He was an old grey furred stallion, garbed in a blue cape and hat, bells attached to the seams. That actually surprised me the most. How is it that an old stallion with a large assortment of bells had managed to sneak up on me?
I coughed. “And apparently you’re the pony who lured me here with that signal.”
If the stallion was insulted in any way he didn’t show it. He simply nodded and trotted forward. “I am. My name is StarSwirl the Bearded, Lead Mage and head of the magical court under Princess’ Celestia and Luna.”
I raised an eyebrow at that one. I had no idea there was an Equestrian magical court. Still… StarSwirl was a familiar name. Briefly mentioned a few times in the show if I remembered…
“Is that so? Well StarSwirl, how exactly do you plan on ‘dealing’ with me?”
The grey stallion shrugged his shoulders. “From what I’m told you’ve already bested the greatest of mages, escaped all attempts of capture from the Royal Guard and have caused nothing but grief for the princesses. So, after giving it some thought, I decided to take a different approach.”
I eyed him cautiously, letting the tip of my sword rise a bit. He noticed the movement and laughed in response, waving a hoof in my direction. “No, no, you misunderstand me. I have no intention of doing battle with you, quite the opposite in fact. I was wondering if you’d like to have a chat over some tea?”
My cautious expression gave way to one of confusion. The only reactions I’d had gotten from ponies were either of fear or violence. This pony certainly was taking a… different approach.
I chewed the inside of my cheek as I considered my options. Here was a pony, the head mage no less, that wished to sit down, have a cup of tea, and chat. I found myself growing surprisingly nervous. I’ve had little social interaction over the past few years and I’ve come to terms with living in a hostile environment. How could I be certain that this pony isn’t leading me into a trap?
Starswirl seemed to notice my hesitation. He rolled his eyes and turned around, beginning to walk back into the forest. Without even a glance back he called out to me, “The decision is yours to make. I’m not forcing you to join me nor am I leading you astray. I simply wish to learn more about you.”
With that said he re-entered the forest, his blue cloak standing out among the brown and green. Still, it wouldn’t be long before the darkness helped to conceal him. I was left with less than a minute to come to a decision. For the first time in the five years I’ve been here I actually had another living creature that wished to converse with me. My curiosity won out over my desire to stay hidden and I quickly followed after the stallion.
Half an hour later I arrived at what looked to be a small tent in the middle of the forest. The journey had been maddening to me as it was done so in silence. Every time I attempted conversation it was promptly shot down, usually accompanied with a, “We’ll talk when we arrive.”
I stayed a few paces behind the stallion as we both entered the encampment. I constantly scanned the area, searching for any signs of ambush. The stallion, once more, seemed to pick up on my unease and chuckled. He walked up to the entrance of the tent and pulled back the flap.
He motioned for me to enter his dwelling, but I shook my head. “I’m not going in there first,” I responded as I grabbed the fabric of the tent, holding it open for him, “You first, I’ll follow after.”
He appeared affronted at my request, but didn’t argue, choosing to enter his tent with a huff. Once he had entered I followed closely behind, ducking slightly due to the height difference. Inside I beheld a phenomenon I had only previously read about. The inside of the tent contained more space than it physically should, the volume of it far surpassing the physical expectations.
There were various instruments scattered around the room ranging from vials and beakers to maps to a lone telescope tucked away in the corner. while examining the place my attention was brought to Starswirl with a cough. He was seated a table with another chair across from him. A kettle and two pots were placed on the wood surface. He called me over, “Come and have a seat, we have much to discuss.”
I warily made my way over to the chair, careful not to step on any of the junk littering the floor. Once I took a seat he filled the cups with tea and pushed one towards me. He took a sip of his own and seemed to relax. He smiled at me and spoke, “Tell me, you know my name, but I do not know yours.”
I found myself holding back a bark of laughter. On numerous occasions Celestia has inquired about my name. I mocked her at every chance I got and she resigned to calling me simply ‘creature’. Annoying, yes, but the satisfaction I got from emphasising her own name more than made up for it.
And yet here I was, placed in the same situation, but with another individual. While I’m certain this is not what Celestia had in mind when she asked him to ‘deal’ with me, any information about my person would be of some use to her. The question is, should I answer truthfully?
I looked into my cup of tea as I thought over my options. A small part of my mind wondered if the tea was poisoned. I closed my eyes as I thought about that. I’ve been alone for so long, hunted since I first arrived. Can I truly bring myself to trust no one? Am I becoming less of a human and more of a creature of the forest?
It scared me to no end that such a fate could befall me. That it could already be happening...
“Robin… my name is Robin.”
Starswirl seemed surprised by my response. I grinned inward as he scrambled for a journal. Perhaps Celestia informed him of my less than willing nature to share information? Well, perhaps if she didn’t try to smite me upon sight I’d be much more cooperative.
Once he had everything he needed he looked at me hopefully. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to be… interviewed?”
I smiled and took a slow sip of my tea, savoring the rich flavor. “I think I can spare a few hours.”
I flipped through the book, recalling the questions that Starswirl had asked of me.
My name.
How I got here.
How my magic worked.
The book was more of an unfinished biography than anything else. Still, it was nicely written, the topics flowing together from one point to another. There were even some notes towards the back from the times we spent together talking about magic in depth.
I remember Starswirl asking me what I thought about his time travel spell he had been working on. I had noticed that he had some unknown variables in his calculations. And, wouldn’t you believe it, those variables were accounting for the travel through the void. Or, at the very least, something similar to it. I gave him some pointers and the next time we met he told me the spell was a great success.
He even helped me with some of my own magic. Starswirl was the one who suggested I try to manipulate the life force of not just sentient beings, but anything considered biological. I hadn’t even tried that until his suggestion and, wouldn’t you know, I was able to do it.
Out of all the ponies I had met back in those days Starswirl was by far my favorite. He took things with a grain of salt and never made any conclusions from a single point of view. While Celestia had condemned me from the start, Starswirl had actually given me a chance to explain myself.
I wouldn’t be far off in saying that the old geezer was the only friend I had back then. A shame those meetings couldn’t go on forever, but all good things must come to an end. Celestia eventually found out about our constant meetings, something she immediately put an end to.
And yet… this book exists.
For all the hate that Celestia has show towards me, why did she allow Starswirl to write and publish this book? What could have changed her mind about this… about me, perhaps?
I need to get to the bottom of this. It’s going to bug me otherwise.
My attention was taken from me as I heard a noise from the front door. I watched as Trixie entered the kitchen, two buckets of water hanging from her harness. She had a frown on her face and looked absolutely miserable. While the sight was heart wrenching, I knew it was for her own good. When I had first asked her to fetch the water she was able to carry back a two buckets, but with much difficulty. Now, however, she was doing so without any visible exhaustion.
As she set the buckets down nearby she unhooked herself from the harness. She turned to face me, her head held high. “Trixie has fetched the water like you requested.”
I smiled and nodded at her. “Indeed you have,” I glanced out the window to see a good portion of the day had flown by. Seems I got lost in my memories again. Returning to the tired mare I continued, “Tell you what Trixie, you’ve had a rough morning so why don’t you relax for the rest of the day.”
She looked surprised by the offer, but composed herself quickly enough. “Thank you very much, Robin. Trixie shall take a quick bath in the river.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at that one. Not to long ago she would say the exact same thing, but with a hint of disgust in her voice.
As she made her way out the door I stopped her, “Oh, and Trixie? One more thing.”
She halted and turned around, looking at me in confusion.
“I suggest you also go to bed early as well. I think you’ve studied the language long enough and you’re ready for the next step. Get a good night’s rest because tomorrow you’re going to be practicing with magic.”
Her eyes lit up in excitement as she squealed in delight. She didn’t even respond, choosing instead to rush out the door and make way to the river. I laughed as I picked up the book once more, continuing from where I left off.
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Good history is good. :3 Little curious as to where this will all go and how Celestia will react to it.
~yay~ new chapter! Wait, holy shit man your story got featured! Take a screenshot!
YEAH! Some bonding! :D
Maybe you mean "later".
Good Chapter.
Nice job!
Great! A new chapter! And what's this? Robin was friends with Star Swirl eh? Fascinating!! I adored Trixie's cuteness in this. Great work. Also, by far, this chapter has to be my favorite. Why? Simply because my friend! Lol.
5932775
A 'larder' is a room, chest, or otherwise where one stores food.
5932803 Well, learn something new every day I suppose. Thanks.
encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQOEaI2GqoogFTjzgaF5g9BapuP7-sv7A3fisyLdF36BRH1qrdrnw
*GASP*
A new chapter!! 
Tis getting good, cant wait to see if Trixie becomes hooked on vengance if she learns robins magic, look forward to more, nice job.
5932767 Great Scott!!! Grab the camera!
5932764 I've got that little scenario all planed out. I just need to write it.
5932767 5932907 It's only featured cause you guys enjoy reading it. Thank you so much
5932769 Woo, emotions!
5932778 Thanks!
5932799 Couldn't have put it better myself! Thanks a lot!
5932904 Robin's trying to beat that side out of her. Well, not actually physically beat... at least, I don't think so. *grumbles and checks the script*
Your version of Starswirl was great.
I usually have a hard time reading crossover stories but...this one is pretty good. I like that you don't concentrate on references and just tell a story.
Short but sweet. Good to have you back, big guy. Our own meeting is still a ways off though (in terms of chronology). In terms of writing, however, you let me know when you want to get working.
5933050 I always pictured him as a calm clear headed individual. That is, when he isn't about to learn something new.
5933158 What, you mean like referencing the game it's from? I do, but I don't focus on it. A story is meant to entrap a reader, not bore them with a history lesson about a game.
5933162 Thanks, I also never really left. Just wasn't sure how to write the next chapter until a few days ago. I got roughly 90K words in reserve I need to edit still! As far as the crossover, I'm currently working on two at the same time. Once one of them is finished, I'll be sure to contact you.
^need to be spaced (seemed to have done this throughout the chapter)
============
Awesome chapter, can't wait to see how he trains Trixie next(?) chapter
5933201 What I mean is that a lot of crossover stories usually try to...they usually just sit there and constantly talk about the thing their referencing. It's usually about the material that is used for the crossover and not mlp.
loved the update and I eagerly await the next!
Isn´t this an informaton he should not share, if he is unsure if he could trust him or not? I saw that it worked out, but he didn´t knew it back there.
I am glad for the new update, this is one of my favourite Displaced storys, i have nothing against a Crossover or too, but there are some storys, which are Crossover after Crossover, and the Displaced has not a real chance to continue in his own story.
still a little worried that the book and dictionary were missing...
5933522 Ugh, for some reason I thought I was doing it right. I'll be sure to change that soon, thanks for pointing it out.
5934001 *looks at it a second time* Huh...
5934450 Update may come a bit sooner than than the last! The two month delay was a mixture of personal stuff and lack of ideas.
5934587 No, you're right, should have word it differently. Was more thinking along the lines of how it worked in the ways of affinity and type advantages. Robin would never explain to a pony how to actually use his magic. And, I'm really glad you like this story! I do have some crossovers planned, but I don't intend on shoving a ton within this story. Right now I have three planned with maybe another or two as a possibility. Even if a crossover doesn't occur, Robin can still give advice through the use of his token. It was one of the reasons I created it like that. It allowed the story to fit in with the theme of the displaced, but doesn't actually require a crossover to occur. This is still Robin's story and it will never truly deviate from that.
5934815 Are you referring to Robin's previous copy of Nosferatu and the translation? Oh, I'm sure they'll turn up eventually...
Starswirl has good tastes when it comes to drinks.
5934867 Tea is as basic as you can get!
5934871 But it is good.
5934873 Never said it wasn't. Just can't go wrong with tea.
5934876 Indeed, As you said though it is simple. Perhaps that can say a bit about Starswirls's personality? Or maybe I am just over thinking it.
//Read.exe
//Running...
//Chapter Found
//Reading...
//Chapter Finished
//Finding Chapter...
//ERROR
//CHAPTER NEEDED
5935580
public static void main(String[] args)
{
int ChapterCount = x;
String Upload;
if (Upload == true)
{
ChapterCount = x + 1;
}
if (ChapterCount < x +1)
{
System.out.print ("I'll be sure to work on it after I finish my final exams.");
}
}
TIMELORD TECHNOLOGY!
HE IS THE DOCTOR!
MOAR PLEASE MOAR!
You would not believe the size of my grin when I saw this chapter up.
Yep, lookin' forward to more of this one. Lovin' this story so far.
5937841 THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE! Starswirl dies seem more level headed than others! Great with magic! A TIME TRAVEL SPELL! "THE greatest mage of his TIME" IT ALL MAKES SENSE!!!
5954200 http://inception.davepedu.com/
5948316 I'm glad you like it. Working on the next chapter and about half done with it now. A crossover should also be coming up soon as well.
5956522 Pffffhahaha, and the best part is I forgot that I had Awakening, and thus am now playing it!
5979373
This is indeed true in worlds where you are able to make up a god or gods who are imperfect.
Great story, I would love to know if when you have finished you let me translate it into Spanish, for my little blog I'm putting in right now.
No more, I wish you well, I hope you continue this entertaining story.
Greetings.
Mattgenesis
5981116
I'm glad you like it! Going a bit slow now as I work on some crossovers with other writers. As far as the translation, you're very welcome to it. Not sure when I'm going to be done though. As it stands, it might be a rather long story.
5981263 I'm glad you're interested in my offer and do not worry, I hope your story is very long and quality that are showing.
No more I hope you visit my blog http://tiobronytraductor.blogspot.com/
And you see how it could be your story translated, with my first job.
Greetings.
Mattgenesis
6014733 spanglebob for the win.
I have to wonder how much of the show Robin has actually seen, he must've seen at least to "Magic Duel" because he mentioned steering Trixie away from that.
When will we see more of this story I love it?