Chapter 1: Like the Stars in the Sky
Chapter 1: Like the Stars in the Sky
It all began on that starry night.
It was around midnight, and the stars were shining rather brightly. Starswirl laid there in the middle of that field, a open canvas of bushes and mud roads connecting small village to small village. This was normal as Starswirl had nowhere he could call home, running away to find adventure and excitement wherever he could. That was 10 years ago. He had since then been all over, from Saddle Arabia to Mooscow, only to find disappointment. Now, after scrounging all the spare bits he had, he could only afford a halfway ride to Canterlot. This field was his last stop, as the Earth-Pony carriage would only get so close to the border.
With only his thoughts with him, he looked up to the sky, that starry sky. The wind brought with it a cool breeze, only adding more discomfort to the pony. It was already cold enough being the middle of the night. As he sat there, in that field, he was brought back to a night in Saddle Arabia, where he spent most nights in the dwellings of a friend. It was a night like this one, except he had the comfort of a warm bed. The friend was a Unicorn by the name of Morningtide. A smart pony, Morningtide was an archeologist, and a teacher who taught the Liberal Arts. Morningtide was an old friend of Starswirl's, having met the pony back in Magis Mare School. The two were inseparable in school, having been at the top of their classes. However Starswirl felt bored, never finding a special talent that he could follow. So after his 5th year of school, in the middle of summer, he left. A few years ahead, Morningtide received a letter from the missing pony asking for a place to stay. Knowing of the magical prowess of the pony, Morningtide wanted Starswirl to work for him, hoping to secure the powerful pony for himself. One night, Morningtide came to Starswirl, requesting him to stay and work for him on the Excavation Team, but the pony didn't want to dwell on the past, only looking towards the future. Morningtide begged and pleaded, knowing that his team hadn't made any progress, and his benefactors were unpleased. If he didn't get Starswirl, then he would be out of a job. This didn't phase Starswirl, and on that night, he left. Morningtide was his last friend.
A set of hoof beats brought the dazed pony back to reality. He turned around to see the pony who had sneaked up on him, only to be met with the widest stare. He jumped back surprised, and fell over his tail. The small filly giggled to herself as Starswirl staggered to his hooves. She was a small thing, when he got a good look at her. She was small, like a filly, yet had an air of superiority around her, which unsettled him. She seemed to have a pure white coat, but seemed to be hidden behind layers of dirt and grime. Her mane was a dark pink, long and flowing, reaching down to her hooves. The small filly's sight was unpleasant, and almost disgusted Starswirl, if not for her eyes, he would've shunned her. Her pale, magenta eyes magnified with radiance like a star. Hold on now, Starswirl. He told himself, I am not a fillyfile. He turned back to the filly, who still had a look of serene curiosity.
"It's not polite to stare, little one." the filly's look of curiosity turned to confusion.
"Didn't you hear me? Stop staring!" Starswirl had raised his voice, hoping to scare the filly off. She just stood there, in front of the magical pony, with that same look on her face. Maybe she can't understand me. Great. He started making a shooing motion, hoping to get the message across that he didn't want any of her business. But the young filly still sat there, staring blankly at him, with that stare of hers.
"Don't you... understand me?" There he sat, with that small filly for what seemed like ages, before he spoke up again.
"So I assume you haven't learnt how to talk yet, haven't you?" More silence followed. Gosh, this is awkward, Starswirl thought to himself, This is getting old real quick.
"Okay, okay. Seeing how dirtied up you look, my guesstimation is that you got separated from your family awhile ago, and being a new-born filly, just went on your merry way and ended up here. Am I right?" The small filly had a slight smile on her face, as if to show that she understood.
"Great, just great. Just what I needed. A small pathetic filly who needs a babysitter." The wind picked up, and with it a freezing chill. The small filly began to shake, her fur was still new, barely able to prevent herself from freezing.
"Hmph, I bet you're freezing. I bet you'd want to get all comfy under my garb." She sat there, silently shivering in place.
"Geez. Fine you win." Rolling his eyes, he took off his precious cloak, a piece of wool with patters of stars stitched in and the moon and sun adorning the sides respectively. It was his favorite cloak, and was his only piece of clothing he had, along with a hat of matching designs. Placing it next to the small filly, she looked up confused.
"Go on, take it. Don't want you sick when we get to your parents". Her eyes widened, shining brightly like stars in the sky, and a smile grew on her face. Picking up the cloak with her teeth, she trotted over to Starswirl, and placed herself beside him and rubbed her face along his chest as a sign of affection. Slightly blushing, he placed the cloak over the small filly, who then began adjusting herself next to the grey pony, shortly before falling asleep.
Looking down at the small filly, snuggled under his favorite cloak with a smile on her face, he gazed back to the stars. He liked to view the stars, it was a hobby. He knew every constellation and could point each one out under the sky. It helped pass time, being a insomniac and all. As he looked up into space, he found something new. A new star, one he hadn't seen before. It was new, finding a star. He was used to seeing new stars that were already established in journals and books, but this one was new. One surprise after another, I suppose.
Author's Note
Oh dear sweet Celestia its late. time to hit the hay (pun intended)
