The Bearded Journal

"There have been many inquiries about the origin of Chrysalis, the so-called Changeling Queen. She is violent, overbearing and powerful, much like her mother. I'm glad she's the only one of her kind. Never again shall an Alicorn mate with Discord. This has been decreed by the Royal Sisters, in response to the Chrysalis problem."

• Starswirl on The Genealogy of The Changelings.

"Pinkamena, here are yer rooms," Applebuck said, indicating the door in front of him, "Ah hope ya find everythin ta yer likin."

"If you'd seen some of the places I've slept in, anything with a bed is a luxury."

Starswirl and Silence made to follow Pinkamena into the room, but were halted by Applebuck.

"Opposite genders are not allowed in tha same room unless they're family, either by blood or by marriage."

Starswirl looked at him incredulously, "The three of us have always slept in the same room. It's been that way since we were fillies."

"Ah'm sorry, but that's tha way it is. Follow me please. Y'alls rooms are this way."

Applebuck started walking away, leaving the three friends standing there, unsure of what to do.

"Go on," Pinkamena said, pushing them after him, "I'll be fine. It's just one night."

"I still don't like it," Silence said, watching Applebuck as he disappeared around a corner, "It just doesn't seem right. We've never been more than a few hooves from each other for as long as I can remember."

"Come on," Starswirl said, "I'd rather not spend my first night here on the streets. We don't know anypony here, which means that they could be waiting for us to let down our guard so they can jump us. Let's hurry up and get to our rooms."

"Fine. See you tomorrow Pinkamena."

The two colts started galloping after Applebuck, who was patiently waiting around the corner.

"That was faster than usual," he remarked.

"What do you mean?" Silence asked.

"Ah mean, usually it takes longer for new ponies ta accept tha fact that they can't be in tha same living quarters anymore. Y'all are probably tha fastest ta adjust ta tha system here."

"How long does it normally take?" Starswirl asked.

"About an hour, on average."

With that, Applebuck started walking again, Starswirl and Silence following close behind.

Eventually, Starswirl broke the silence, "So why are colts and mares not allowed to room together? I assume it has something to do with Order?"

"You are correct. By keeping tha genders separate, unless they are family or married, we cut down on tha amount of fillies who don't know who their father is. Ah'm not saying we've eliminated tha problem. Far from it. It just helps ta keep tha population in check down here. We can only support so many ponies before we start ta struggle."

"So instead of having fatherless fillies, you'd rather there be no fillies?" Silence asked.

"Let me ask ya this: Do you know who yer father is?"

"No."

"If ya did, do ya think ya'd be down here, joining tha Resistance because yer life was miserable, or up there," Applebuck pointed with his hoof towards the surface, "livin tha happiest life ya could with yer dad in that chaotic wasteland?"

Silence was silent, honestly not knowing the answer.

Starswirl, however, had an answer, "I knew my father. He was a drunk. Almost every Bit we could scrounge up went into his bottle. And whenever he wasn't drunk, he was abusive. I didn't know what happiness was until one of Discord's mood swings caused his death. Unfortunately, that same mood swing killed my mother. That's why I've been trying to bring Discord down. Not because Equestria will be better off without him as our king, but because I want revenge. I want him to pay for my mother's death."

"However tha case may be, yerself had best find a better reason ta be fightin' Discord. Revenge is never a good motive fer overthrowin' a ruler, no matter how evil. It will only result in yer death. I suggest ye try feelin a bit of compassion fer all the other ponies who've lost family ta Discord. If ye can't do that, then fight ta prevent what happened ta you from happening ta any filly ever again."

Starswirl was dumbfounded. Never before had someone been so blunt with him.

"Ah. Here are y'alls rooms," Applebuck said, standing before another door, "Don't ye worry none about space. There's enough room in there ta house twenty ponies and still have ¾ of the house available."

"Thank you," Silence said.

Walking into the house, the two were absolutely awestruck by the interior. The last time they had seen such extravagance had been in the old ruins of Everfree Castle. The front entryway looked like a hotel foyer, with a chandelier hanging above an oak wood floor. On both walls of the room was a staircase, about 6 ponies wide, that lead to the second floor, with a banister that was covered in crenellations and embellishments.

All of this was in a building that was no more than a 10 hoof by 10 hoof cube.

"How is this possible?" Starswirl asked, "The dimensions of the building don't match the interior. This shouldn't even exist."

"Well now," Applebuck said, "There's a mighty big difference between shouldn't exist and does exist."

Silence, just wanting to sleep, pulled Starswirl inside before he could start asking more questions.

Applebuck, turning around, spoke once more before leaving, "Ah expect y'all are wantin ta sleep? Bedrooms are up tha stairs. And unless y'all plan on sharin a bed, ah suggest y'all take separate rooms."

Closing the door, Silence spoke, "If the front entrance looks like this, I can't imagine how the bedrooms look."

Surprisingly, the bedrooms were very Spartan in appearance and use. They were simple, with no additional flourishes or decorations. The beds were little more than cots, albeit they were softer than anything the two had ever slept on before. The 'dresser' appeared to be two filing cabinets pushed together, though the drawers were more spacious than they appeared, much like the house.

"This is much better," Starswirl said, having always been a pony who loved simple things, despite his curiosity, "Good night, Silence. See you when I get up."

With that, Starswirl shut his door in Silence's face before promptly passing out on the cot.

"Yeah," Silence said, suspicion in his voice, "Good night."