Starswirl's disappearance left many ponies confused. I decided to investigate some spells he used to write. He is one of the ponies who you don't want to mess with when it comes to magic...
Starswirl disappeared over a thousand years ago and with Celestia and Luna being his aprentices, I had to ask them first. Of course, neither of them knew what had happened so I decided to investigate the castle library, finding what could have been the remains of a forbidden spell used many, many generations ago for darkness. Should I tell the world what I had found or keep this a secret of how he really disappeared? Only I knew what could and will be to come if I dare to say a word....
My name is Rosalina Snow but just call me Detective. It all started when I was a filly, watching those mystery movies like Indiana Jones or Inspector Gadget (Who really wasn't a detective but whatvever) with my family or my sister. It made me want to be a cop or detective when I was young. It pushed me to get good grades in school. I got an "A+" in every class but social studies. That was just an "A".
I was in choir for a little bit until they kicked me out for "not participating", which also brought down my grade. My mother told me to join choir since I needed to "Loosen up a bit" or "Stop being so serious". It sort of hurt my feelings a bit since I was getting good grades in almost every class. For all I know, she should be proud of me.
Then, on my senior year at 16 years old (since I was excelling in school, I moved up 2 grades), I graduated the youngest senior and even got my own award. After that day, I immediately tried to join the police academy. I still remember the name of that place to this day... Equestrian Police Acedemia. I trained hard, I ate fast to get back to training, and I pushed everyone away so I could keep up with my training. It may seem rude, but I didn't go to the police academy to make friends.
About 3 years later, after I graduated there, I bought my own house in Canterlot, where, I've heard, has the most "accidents" happen. I wanted my training to be put to the test in the best way possible by starting with something hard. Then, all the little things that happen will seem like nothing to me.
I told my parents about my plan before I graduated and, like any parent would do, almost convinced me not to go.
"Why?" I said at the time. "Why am I not allowed to move to Canterlot?"
They kept telling me, "It's too dangerous!" Or "You'll be leaving us here by ourselves!" It was rediculous! I could visit them whenever I wanted to (when I'm not doing a police task). I told them the exact same thing. Of course, they were not on board with the idea at first but agreed to the decision.
I soon told my sister about it and she was okay with my decision. In fact, she wanted me to leave (I bet she just wanted my room). But, since everyone was okay with me moving to Canterlot, I guess I should go ahead and move.
And that's where my story begins, moving to Canterlot and becoming a detective. Guess they'll have to call me Detective Snow now. But, the second I move in, Princess Celestia decides to welcome me with a new house only costing 38 bits. I took it as a starter home until I raised enough money to buy my own. It was a one story house that was basically half-way off of a cliff with a balcony. The wallpaper inside was and old one with roses here and there and the roof looked as if it were about to fall on top of me. I used my unicorn magic to put a beacon connecting the ceiling and the floor since I wasn't much of an architect. I would have to hire one but, until then, this would have to do.
I began to decorate the house with my couch and loveseat which matched my glass coffee table. I set up my clock and fake tree in the living room also. I had to buy a new bed since, a year ago, my sister broke the wood to the headboard. Of course, the cheapest one was three hundred sixty-nine bits. I had just bought food for the week so I don't think I could buy it.
I check the refrigerator and noticed how disgusting it was. There were maggots and leaches eating the corpse of a dead squirrel. I immediately shut it and and realized I need to make a list of things wrong with this house to save enough money and buy them. I grabbed a piece of paper and pencil and wrote down the three things I noticed I needed so far: new fridge, new bed, and, so far, new walls, ceiling, and floor. "Why floor?" You may ask. Well, I checked all 4 bedrooms and saw that, in the master bedroom, there was a massive hole in the floor. It was so big, in fact, you couldn't get to the other side of the room.
I decided to look around since I just moved in to the most "amazing" house in the neighborhood. I knew I couldn't have anyone over at the second though. I didn't want anybody over because I'm not much of the one to make friends but was friendly. I walked over to the house that was left to my house and knocked on their door. The pony was wearing a black cloak, hiding its face from anyone seeing it. All I could see was a shaved beard. He walked up to me with a frown as if he were mad or sad. I pretended to smile, showing my teeth even if I was sweating.
"Hello, sir." I said, attempting to shake his hoof. "I'm your new neighbor to your left. I came to say 'hi' and-"
"I don't say 'hi' to nopony!" He yelled back, pushing my hoof away. I saw that his hooves were gray. "I don't accept visitors either!"
Was this guy Ebenezer Scrooge or something? All I said was "hi".
"Um, sorry, sir, but, I just wanted to say 'hello' to you-"
"I don't care! I'm about to have dinner soon and I do not want to be interrupted!"
He slammed the door just like that. It gave me suspicions on what could he be hiding so secret he can't let anyone in his house? I had to investigate...
After that weird visit with that stallion, I had a strange feeling about him. Either I was questioning things or I was worried about him. Maybe both. It seemed strange that he was that rude to me even though I had been nice to him before. Very weird...
I called a pony to come and help me with the refrigerator since I had food I needed to put away. He said he'd come in about an hour so I decided to try to fix up the house a bit. I know it didn't have any heaters or central heating since it was below freezing in the house. And it was forty-nine degrees F outside.
I started with the furniture placement, attempting to at least move my couch. I pushed it and shoved it with my hooves, elbows, and knees in all. I moved it but scratched the floor in trying. But I got it where I wanted it to go.
I trotted into the kitchen in a happy mood since I just moved the couch, checking my food to make sure it was still good. My corn dogs were already thawed out as well as my pot pies (which were leaking out of the box). That guy needed to come ASAP. I checked the fridge and saw the leaches and maggots again. It grossed me out to the point I literally almost puked.
He finally came about 30 minutes after I dusted and swept the floor. Though it really wasn't of use, at least the house looked a bit better than before. He knocked on my door as I ran to open it. He had an orange mustache with slicked back, greasy hair. he wore a light blue suit with a utility belt attached, carrying his hammer with his wings.
"Are you Miss. Snow?" He asked with the straightest face I'd ever seen.
I nodded. "I am a new detective here in Canter-"
"Great. I'll need you to sign here and here for me to fix your fridge."
I knew he didn't like his job by the way he interrupted me. He just wanted to get it over with. "Okay?"
As I signed, he looked around my home, seeing there needed to be work done.
He sighed as he got out a checkbook. "Do you want to get this whole house fixed? If so, it would cost about twelve hundred bits for this massive amout of damage. We'd also have to spray your house for parasprites and maybe termites by the looks on the wood."
"Uh, I just moved here... I won't be able to pay."
"Well then, I'll do it for you. It'll give me something better to do than this lame job."
"Really? That's wonderful! How much?"
"Free."
"Great!"
"I just don't want anyone to live in a house like this."
He headed towards the kitchen to see all of my food in bags on the floor.
"So, fridge and freezer not working, eh?"
"Well, it's more like leaches and maggots but yeah. They don't work either."
"Alright." He started marking a calender. "This should take about 2 days."
"2 days?!" I exclaimed. "But, I need a place to stay! What if I helped you?"
"No can do. You have no personal experience with leaches nor maggots. Just rent a motel room while I'm working and I'm sure you'll be fine." He began to grab a bag of some kind to clean out the leaches and maggots, wearing gloves.
I started walking to a near motel that was only ten minutes away. It was a bit old but not much. In fact, it was connected to the castle! So, I could visit the library whenever I needed or even the kitchen to see what foods their making. I don't know where to even begin!
I walked into my new motel room, bringing my foods and clothes along with me. The room was sort of a luxary. Indoor hot tub, water bed and a normal bed (for unicorns since we have horns), carpet, and a kitchen. Obviously they want to make their guests feel at home (even if some of us don't have hot tubs). I lay my bags down on the floor as I put my food in the fridge. I looked around here and there to make sure there weren't any maggots and there wasn't. I don't know why I did this but I wanted to make sure.
I had glanced out of my window to see two ponies arguing. This made me think of the weird stallion next door.
"What could he be hiding?"
I decided to check out the library to see if anything would pop up about a blue cloak with stars and bells on it. Surprisingly, there was many. Some were myths or marestales while others talked about why the cloak had stars and bells. Very inspirational.
I looked under some of the book shelves and found an old book with ancient ponish. Not old ponish but close to it. The writing looked sloppy and not very well done. It read, "I don't want anyone to know about me and my past. Even though some may write reviews about me, they aren't true. Just because I help ponies-" It was cut off right there. odd I thought. If he didn't want ponies to write about him, then why become a master wizard of all time? Something very odd is happening and I want to know what... ~~~~ In the afternoon, I heard a knock on my motel room door. How did anyone even know I was even in the room? I answered the door and it appeared to be a guard.
"Hello, Detective." He said with a hurried look. "The princess needs to see you."
"Okay?"
Very, very strange. I followed him since he was a guard after all. Walking through the castle, I see many Hearthswarming decorations everywhere, streamers, trees, ornaments, and even an ice sculpture of a snowpony. We made it to the throne room as I see Celestia and Luna with agivated looks at me. I had no idea what was going on but I knew it was bad.
"So, Detective," The princess of the sun spoke. "You took a book from our library without a cover or name, huh?"
Oh no... "Uh, yes. But I am doing research."
"For hwone? We didn't send any genitives to search for something lately." Lunar princess mentioned in her Equestrian voice.
"I am doing a case about Starswirl the Bearded, ma'ams." I said, being calm. "Do you know what happened to him over a thouasand years ago?"
They both looked at each other before looking back and shaking their heads.
"I can't say we haven't." Celestia said, frowing. "But if this is your research, you are welcome to take any clues. We would like to know what happened to him also."
After talking with the princesses, I got out my notebook for notes and theories as I started writing.
Note #1, page #1: Starswirl was Celestia's and Luna's mentor. No information from them or anybody else yet. Found a book about him that might be helpful.
This was the only information I had and what I thought I could get. Barely anyone knew who he was or what he did. He could even be a nazi or something.... Who knows. I just had to read this journal.
I found it quite odd that the princesses got on to me for taking a book from the library when multiple ponies have stolen from that library. Some have even taken original copies of books and sold them. They may have even stolen the original journal of Starswirl or the new one. Maybe I had the old. It sure looked old and tattered but how was I to know?
I made it back to my apartment as I laid down on my bed with the journal opened and ready to read. It wasn't a very big journal but contained what looked like 70 some odd pages.
The first page read:
A new spell I have made; Quinjus Arcapllus. An incredible spell to create mass strength for yourself. Test Subject: Rock Hoof.
"Rock Hoof?!" I said alowd, accidentally yelling. "He was one of the pillars! Was he a result of Starswirls spell?"
I continued to read.
Another spell that I have made, called Succabus Loliticus, helps one with medical procedures and what to do with them. Test Subject: Mage Meadowbrook.
Several other spells after this were shown. Crowmentia and Momentary combined, Wintress Comintus, and then Quinnia Ponia. But there was an odd one on the page called Cogeria Persuadere. And, as it may sound, it is a mixture of those two spells but with something he added. He called it Reflectia; reflecting ones personality and making it mirrored or opposite from what it once was. This was strange considering these three spells were totally different but I think the strangest thing was the fact that persuadere was one of these. He'd have the power to basically mind control someone. This was a strange way to think but that's what it seemed like. I went on with my reading in his journal and found something weirder than what I had just found. He says he had a basement in his house to keep the "bad ponies". He doesn't say what he did to them he just says that that's where he locked them up. He wasn't a guard either so that would be illegal.
In the journal, he did say something about Luna and Celestia's mom being in his dungeon. And, if she is an alicorn like Celestia and Luna, she may have lived all this time. Maybe I can find out where he lives and rescue her and the other ponies from this dungeon. He talks about their mom having a mane that flows from orange to dark blue with sparkles going here and there. Her skin was white like Celestia's but she had a black crown like Luna's, which is probably where she got it from. In fact, their mom was a warrior. She fought in the battle between King Sombra and Equestria, locking him away. Celestia was only seven hundred ninety-eight at the time of the attack so she doesn't remember all that well (even if she has a place where she can view every memory of yours).
This book was very interesting with how everything was organized but the stuff in the book had been horrible. If he was a hero, he sure didn't do hero-like gestures. Seems like all he did was torture ponies with spells he created.
I have a theory their mother may still be alive. I am not sure about my discovery but it may be true. Was he the one who had her in the dungeon or did he just know about it? Something fishy is going on here.... ~~~~ I sat up in my bed after reading the journal, thinking. If all what he said were true, than all of the "marestales" about how the pillars got thier "powers" is just a myth and this is really how they got to be different. But, the spell Cogeria Persudere was strange because none of the pillars were the opposite of each other and he states that. Then who could he have used it in?
I pondered this for the rest of the evening while I was on my way to the market to pick up a few groceries since I was running low. I use my magic to push the door open and grab a cart. I put my purse in the front basket so i want have to carry it everywhere. I turn to my left to see the stallion with the shaven beard at the counter, paying for his things. That's my neighbor... I thought. I quickly begin rushing over to him.
"Sir!" I yell quite loudly. "Sir!"
Of course, he recognizes me, grunts, and starts fast-walking out of the store.
"Wait!" I pounce on him. Literally. "Sir! I am trying to speak with you!"
"Get off of me you hooligan!"
"No! Listen to me! I've been trying to speak with you since yesterday and you wouldn't listen. This is just karma."
"Alright! What did you want to tell me?! And make it fast!"
"Okay," She sighs, "do you know anything about the disappearance of Starswirl?"
Just then, he started to sweat. "Um..... If I did, would I have to say?"
"You do!" I saw him struggling to get up so I push him down. "Where is he? You are obliged to say so because I am a detective sent by the princess of the sun herself!"
"Fine! I'll tell you!" He sighs. "I know everything about him because, well, I am him."
