3. Going Into Town
Starswirl awoke to the sounds of birds chirping outside his open window. A ray of sunlight streamed through the gap between his curtain, and cast itself upon his face, promising a much less pleasant wake-up call. Mixed in with the birdsong were the voices of his neighbors, who were already up and about greeting the day with a happy smile on their faces. Usually, Starswirl would sleep well into the afternoon, since his study and research sessions tended to make him forget that sleep was an actual thing.
Seeing the ray of light creep closer towards his eyes, Starswirl resolved himself to actually get up with a groan. His blanket gradually flew off him by way of a simple spell and made itself as soon as Starswirl stood on his own four hooves. With bleary eyes he navigated his way through the small cottage he called home and through the door into the living room which doubled as a kitchen.
Still half asleep, he floated over some stale bread from yesterday and started munching on it. Not the heartiest of breakfasts, but it would have to suffice. Cooking was never his strong suit, so the decision to leave the accursed trade to other ponies came easy. With the smallest flicker of his magic; every curtain and blind around the cottage flew open at once. The windows he opened shortly after to let in some fresh air. Sunlight flooded into the room, causing Starswirl to flinch slightly and close his eyes in pain.
Not a lot of things decorated his little cottage, and some would even call the interior design spartan. The bare necessities like a table, a few chairs, and a couch were all present. But aside from that, the only thing of interest were the rows upon rows of books neatly arranged on bookshelves that covered every inch of his home.
Finishing his dry breakfast, Starswirl decided he might as well show his face around town for a bit. He’d only returned last night, after being absent for almost an entire week. A week he’d, of course, spent at Atlas’ secret cave on the side of a nearby mountain.
Checking for anything out of the ordinary inside of his humble abode one last time, Starswirl made his way over to the door before opening it and stepping outside. The sun glared directly into his eyes, which made him believe it had some sort of ardent vendetta against him. He lifted a hoof in an attempt to shield his eyes from the orb of death in the sky, which only resulted in what he would consider moderate success.
“Good morning, Starswirl,” came a voice from his right.
“Good morning to you too, Flowing River,” Starswirl responded.
Standing in front of her own cottage while watering her flowers, was Flowing River, Starswirl's neighbor. The earth pony mare had a turquoise coat with a blonde mane that reminded Starswirl of hay. On her flank were a trio of flowers: red, blue, and yellow, that represented her talent as a florist. It definitely showed, as almost every inch of her property was covered in flowers. All of which, were meticulously arranged to form patterns that were aesthetically pleasing.
“Finally got tired of the great outdoors, did you?” Flowing River asked. “Some of our neighbors have started betting on how long you’ll be gone.”
“I’ll never grow tired of what nature has to offer,” Starswirl replied with a chuckle. “Especially in a new land. Where so much land has yet to be explored. That aside, I hope my return has netted you some profit.”
“Oh no, I don’t bet,” Flowing River said. “But, Fertile Soil will be overjoyed once he learns of your return,” she added with a wink.
“Got some exciting stories to share of your travels?”
“Oh, nothing special. Just the usual: lots of trees, mountains, lakes, and the occasional animal crossing my way.” Starswirl said, moving a little closer to Flowing River and taking a whiff of the pleasant smell the flowers exuded. “I did meet one especially colorful snake, though.”
Flowing River shuddered slightly at the mention of a snake. “Ugh… snakes. Never liked the critters,” she said with a cringe. “They’re just so… slithery.”
“That they are, my dear,” Starswirl said with a smile, as he thought about how Atlas would react if he had heard her. “Yet, they’re still beautiful and gentle creatures. Well, unless you step on one, of course…”
A fact Atlas was very fond of pointing out for some reason. It seemed that at every practical chance he got, Atlas would remind Starswirl to “No step on snek!” The phrase was always accompanied by a goofy smile. Albeit, Starswirl never really got the joke.
“Well, I’m off to do my rounds, see you later,” Starswirl said with a slight nod towards River.
“Have a good day,” Flowing River responded; waving at him with her watering can as she flashed him a smile.
“You too.”
Starswirl was off to survey what had changed in the small town during his absence. While the town had started off relatively small. There was still a heavy influx of new ponies arriving constantly. As a result, new homes were built, and construction sounds were ever present throughout the day. By now, the town had grown to a decent size and now housed at least a few thousand ponies of all races. There were even a few cloud houses that could be spotted floating over the city, that provided living space to a few of the better off pegasi.
Altogether, the collection of houses made up the town of Vanhoover. Once again, a fact that seemed to amuse Atlas for some reason.
Letting his eyes wander, he took in the now familiar styles of the homes that were built towards the center of town. The only thing that seemed to change near this part of town were the decorations in front of the lawns, or occasionally, even the ponies who lived inside them. The dirt road Starswirl was traveling on lead him straight towards the town's marketplace, which was built along the side of the river that snaked its way in between some houses. Said river found its end not too far from the town. Where it joined the sea.
Due to their proximity to the large body of water, trade had begun to thrive, since merchants had begun to frequent the newly minted harbor town. Ships of all shapes and sizes could be found downstream- resting at the docks. The docks and the marketplace were always alive with a flurry of activity. Merchants and their employees were unloading their wares or lifting heavy crates onto their ships, as well as moving goods to and from the marketplace. These circumstances made the market the best place to hear about news and rumors from all over Equestria. It was also a great place to meet other new citizens, since everypony would eventually find themselves one way or another in the marketplace.
Whenever Starswirl came here he couldn’t help but smile at the picture. Ponies of all races living together in harmony, and co-operating to create a better world for each other. Well, mostly. Racism still reared its ugly head from time to time, it especially was a problem from the older ponies.
There were also villages and towns all over Equestria where purity within a tribe was still valued above all else, but Vanhoover was thankfully spared from that old mindset.
Approaching one of the stands that was selling locally grown vegetables, Starswirl caught the attention of the earth pony manning the stall. An absolute beast of a stallion loomed comically behind a sunroof that hid his face behind the fabric. His coat was a dirty brown, and his mane a hearty chestnut color.
“Starswirl!” the stallion exclaimed in a deep baritone voice. “You just made me a richer stallion!”
“I already heard from Flowing River. You’re placing bets on me now?” Starswirl replied with a chuckle.
“Of course, anything that will stave off the boredom at the tavern!” The stallion gave a hearty laugh.
The giant stallion’s name was Fertile Soil, and he just so happened to be Flowing Rivers husband. Since they were neighbors they’d gotten to know each other over time, and had grown to be friends shortly after that. Fertile Soil worked the fields together with most of the other earth ponies, and occasionally he sold produce at the market. While they didn’t spend a lot of time talking during the day. Their nights at the local tavern were the stuff of legends. The stallion could drink every local in town under the table while barely breaking a sweat.
And even then, the only reason he sweated was because River chewed him out for spending their bits on booze.
As it was, Fertile Soil’s demeanor and social position made him somewhat of a news hub for everything going on in Equestria. He frequently talked to the sailors, as well as the locals, so if there was anything worth knowing; Fertile Soil was the stallion that knew it.
“So how much did you bet?” Starswirl asked with a raised brow.
“Let that be none of your concern. Just know that tonight drinks will be on me!” Fertile Soil replied happily.
“Just beware, they might accuse us of cheating, since we’re friends and all…” Starswirl pointed out.
“Don’t worry, ponies far and wide know about our local wizard’s peculiar whims,” Fertile Soil said waving him off. “Once you’re off on one of your little adventures; everypony knows you don’t come back until you’re done... doing whatever it is you do. We’re just waiting for the day where you just don’t come back at all.”
“Oh, I’ll be sure to tell you if I ever leave for good. For now, there’s more than enough reason for me to stay in the area,” Starswirl said cryptically.
“Sure, sure. Don’t meddle in the affairs of wizards, got it,” Fertile Soil said. “Anyway, you looking for the usual?”
“Give me all the juicy stories you got!” Starswirl said walking around the stand, as he plopped his ass down next to his friend.
“Hmm… where to start…” Fertile Soil tapped his chin with his hoof. “Ah, yes. Apparently, they’re trying to establish some semblance of proper leadership over the country in Manehatten. They say Gold Bar stepped down from his position to make way for Platinum. Same for Hurricane, but if the rumors are to believed; he didn’t leave as willingly,” Fertile Soil grimaced a bit at the information. “Seems like he is still against the tribes working together, and just up and disappeared one day. Some gal named Gentle Feather was elected to represent the pegasi. As for us earth ponies… well, Puddinghead might be weird, but she’s doing her job. Eventide’s line dying out was the best thing that’s happened to us in a long time... if you ask me.”
This time it was Starswirl to grimace. If Atlas had heard what Fertile Soil had just said he’d definitely go on a tirade. Of course, nopony knew that Belle was technically the rightful heir, and fewer ponies had known that she’d even existed. Still, Atlas knew, and he’d be furious if anypony sullied her name. Intentionally or not.
“That sounds like a step in the right direction,” Starswirl commented. “Equestria has been without proper guidance for far too long. Having some ponies actually calling the shots will surely benefit everypony in the long run.”
“Sure will,” Fertile Soil replied. “Was fun while it lasted though, no real regulations about what you can and can’t do. But, if the three tribes truly want to come together; we’ll need a government and strong leadership to serve as an example. Otherwise, the nay sayers will never shut up.”
“Agreed, what else is new?”
“Hmmm… Rumor has it that there has been contact with a new species to the west,” Fertile Soil said piquing Starswirl’s interest. “Call themselves ‘Griffins’, and they look like the result of a one night stand between an eagle and a lion. Not much is known about them yet, but apparently, they like to fight and the glint of gold above all else. They drive a hard bargain, which has caused the merchants to mostly avoid them, lest they be robbed of their last bit.”
“That’s interesting. And... somewhat unexpected…” Starswirl said with a raised eyebrow.
Of course, the planet the ponies lived on was big and they hadn’t exactly pushed to explore the mountains or the sea of their old lands. Finding new intelligent species shouldn’t be a surprise. Especially if the creation myth was to be believed, but this newest development made Starswirl wonder what else might be in store for the future of Equestria.
“Just watch! Next time it’ll be earth ponies with stripes!” Fertile Soil broke out in laughter at the ridiculous notion, as Starswirl joined in somewhat reluctantly.
“Speaking of ridiculous things,” Starswirl segwayed into the next topic. “Has there been any news on that unicorn settlement to the North? The one you told me about a few weeks back.”
“The unicorn settlement?” Fertile Soil had to think hard to remember. “Not that I know of... It still comes up here and there- but nothing concrete. Might actually be a thing, or otherwise, they’d have stopped talking about it by now. Why?”
“It’s just that a friend of mine has shown some interest in it,” Starswirl explained half-heartedly. “Although, I believe he’s more interested in the books they might have over anything else,” he added with a chuckle.
“Another bookworm! Not sure if Vanhoover can take two of you Starswirl!” Fertile Soil exclaimed loudly, as he slapped Starswirl's back in mirth. “Or... is that friend of yours some squirrel you like to talk to on your travels?” Fertile said mockingly.
“I assure you he is most definitely a unicorn,” Starswirl said with mock indignation.
“But, I believe that’s all of it. Nothing new of interest aside from that,” Fertile Soil concluded.
“I’m gonna assume you haven’t seen any of the ponies I described to you?”
“Can’t say I have. Didn’t hear their names get mentioned either,” Fertile Soil replied.
Aside from being Starswirl's source of information, Fertile Soil had also agreed to keep an eye and an ear open for any of Starswirl's old friends. And should he see or hear about a pony that fit the description, he’d promised to relay that information to Starswirl as well.
“Well, nothing we can do about that now, can we,” Starswirl said with a sigh, as he looked out into the masses of ponies walking by, as if expecting Crimson or Amber to just casually walk by.
“Don’t let your head hang down, remember, free drinks tonight,” Fertile Soil said in an attempt to steer clear of the topic. “The tavern at sundown. Be there or be square.”
“Oh trust me, I will...be there… Not a square of course,” Starswirl replied.
*Ahem*
The appearance of a customer clued Starswirl in to the fact that their little chat was over; so he got up and made his way into the throng of ponies again, “see you tonight!” he called over his shoulder.
Having concluded his business early, Starswirl set out to find ponies in need of his magical expertise in exchange for some bits. Since he was regularly gone for days at a time; it meant that he couldn’t take up a regular job. Instead, he just walked around offering his services to anyone that would have them. Be it construction, selling wares, moving cargo, or even just mowing somepony’s lawn. Starswirl didn’t shy away from any job, which had earned him a good reputation in the town. At this point, ponies came to him if they saw him walking by, to offer him work.
It was a somewhat reliable source of income, which allowed him to comfortably feed himself. Recently it had even become steady enough for him to even bring extra bits to Atlas and Discord when he went to visit. So, with the promise of free drinks still lingering in his head- Starswirl went to work.
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Will this story have sex or sexy moments in it?
One thing that I wonder is who was Starswirl’s wife that he got his daughter from? Personally I would have thought that Starawirl would have had a place a the court in the new Equestrian government or at least for counseling, not doing odd jobs for everyone in the middle of nowhere, or at least have some funding for his research.
Thanks for the update!!
Go Starswirl!
Two things......What is Vanhoover a pun for? We are half asleep.
And TWO........good chapter!!!
Damn, a filler chapter, that’s what I hate about waiting for stories to be updated
8213497
Vanhoover is a pun for Vancouver
No step on snek!
Earth ponies with stripes? You're a madmare!vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/d/d8/Zecora_"it%27s_an_abuse_of_power%21"_S3E5.png/revision/latest?cb=20121208073352
8213510
Thanks!! We are grateful!!
......you just had to jinx it, didn't you?
Keep up the good work.
8213392
Story isn't even rated mature dude, chill
So, funny story. Earlier I somehow unticked the box that say’s you’ve read a chapter for the last chapter, so I thought it updated, and now it has!
*Magic*
Also, is there a set schedule for updates to this story?
...Sniff sniff. You just HAD to remind me of that time you made everyone cry...
8213392
suddenly the phrase “Oh yes! Pound My Tuna!” Comes to mind
There shouldn’t be a paragraph break here, since it’s the same person speaking in both.
These should probably be one sentence with a comma.
Replace these dashes with commas.
Could use a comma here before Starswirl.
This should be wrapped in double quotes.
These should be two separate sentences, split after ‘again’.
Good shit tho. 👌
Nice LotR reference.
Segue.
Why not indeed, awesome chapter, eager to see what's next.
More story plz
That's right brother, we -the readers- are pleased, don't stop popping those chapters out you hear me!
You amazing author you! 
Make them nice and hot and covered in melted butter and salt!!! Yeah!! /)
my all-time favourite subreddit, so glad that it came into my life
Don’t step on the noodle!
8216256
and that would beeeee?
8217714
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and guess r/nosteponsnek
Nice bit of slice of life.
Hopefully he'll get reunited with his daughter.
A few questions/plot points that hadn't been resolved:
Starswirl hasn't gone to the capital/royal court/whatever to find Princess Platinum, and by extension, his daughter? (Plus likely Crimson, Blue, Amber, etc?)
Did White Mallow ever find a successor to his Earth Pony Magics after Belle passed? Presumably he's dead by now (I doubt the elderly had a high survival rate during the Long Cold and trip to Equestria.) Did Earth Pony Healing pass with him?
8213392
I wanna know aswell
:)
8213574
Gahhh you're no fun
:(
no step plz
8557695
The council has spoken