StarSwirl C.1
There was long ago, a saying; my magic can move mountains, but my friendships can move the world. That saying came from a unicorn by the name of Sower, a stallion with a great grasp on life. Sower had written many books and studies on the magic of friendship. Before his time was up his stories had gone on to inspire many ponies; some even greater than Sower himself.
Sower's work had always inspired Starswirl. He was very proficient at his magic but he often found that his social life had to pay the price for his constant learning. He just kept on reading and when he felt lonely he would read a book by Sower.
This really only made him feel more lonely but what could he do? He had a responsibility to his princess to continue in his studies of magic and spells. He kept telling himself he would have time for friends later but he had always understood the way that life worked.
He would be forty-six next year, his life was already halfway over and the closest thing he had to a friend was Celestia, who really felt more like a teacher to him.
Starswirl stepped out onto the front porch of his shack and breathed in the cool night air.
There was an emotion that seemed to open up deep inside of him when he was alone under the stars. The wind lightly passed through his hair causing it to float up and sway softly in the breeze. Starswirl looked up at the array of stars above him as he counted the many constellations he could find.
He had always had an intense fascination with the night sky ever since he had first met Princess Luna as a young colt.
He had asked her how she made the sky and her answer had changed his life forever.
"My Princess," Starswirl had asked, how do you make the sky? Do you think of some beautiful thing, or are you simply naturally gifted at crafting vast seas of stars and planets?"
Luna stood still in thought for a moment before rising her head to answer.
"Well young one, I am in fact in a way naturally gifted to create these things. However, the way I make them and how they appear is completely up to me."
"So I'll tell you the real secret of how I make the sky and the many objects it holds.
I look into the eyes of my many subjects. Eyes have been called the gateway to the soul and I do not disagree with that statement."
"I have seen many young ponies over my years of being ruler here. I see so much in the eyes of the young, the beautiful excitement and curiosity towards the many wonders of life they see around them. I see a deep and wonderful innocence in them, their hearts unaltered by the sad truths of life."
"When I look into your eyes young one, I see a wonderful longing for the knowledge that there is to know; and that excites me and makes my heart long for more as well."
"The eyes of the young and the innocent, that is what I think of when I craft the stars."
"Wow Princess," Starswirl was still trying to process what she had just said. That is a wonderful approach to creating the night sky, yet I have to wonder; you mentioned the eyes of all of your subjects, do you create something based on what you see in the older ponies eyes as well?
"I do indeed young one, the eyes of the old and the wise inspire me to make something as well. In their eyes I see wisdom and a contentment. I see many ponies in their last days of this life. I always see the same things in their eyes. At first it's an unquenchable fear and horror at knowing that their time here has come and gone; and when that finally fades away there's something else."
" I see a spark, it means they understand the truth. They finally get that they have done it, completed what they originally set out to do. They had long ago told themselves that they would do something special with their lives; their curiosity had gotten the better of them and they had followed it... just to see where they could go if they really put all of their heart and soul towards something. So they had put everything towards something, and they realize in those last few moments that their existence was not in vain no matter who they had been or what they had done because... everyone has done something. Everyone has in their life performed at least one act of kindness. If they haven't I feel deeply sorry for them. So in that moment they know, and they feel complete, and then they leave. This moment is never really sad because it's more of a moment of realization than a moment of death. Their mission here on this earth had been completed and it was time for their next one. That is the beautiful truth of life."
"So, to the old and the wise and the dying I create the night itself. An enormous space of endlessness, because I believe that there needs to be darkness for one to truly understand the beauty of the light."
That, little one is how I make the sky."
Starswirl had been in complete shock after hearing this from princess luna say this, he had been expecting a different answer; perhaps a complicated scientific one, but she spoke of love, kindness, and the fragility of life.
He was amazed and baffled that the princess understood far more than just facts and laws, but also it seemed that she had a far deeper understanding of life itself and a deep love towards her fellow ponies.
At that moment Starswirl felt a great change occurring inside of himself, perhaps a paradigm shift. He suddenly felt inspired to do something with his life. No, to change the world for the better. Starswirl would not just sit around and let precious time slip out of the cracks in the hourglass of his life he WOULD DO SOMETHING GREAT!
"Princess Luna, those were the most inspirational words I think I've ever heard. Thank you for sharing your time with me."
Starswirl turned towards the door of the throne room, happy his question had been answered and still very impressed and shaken by Luna's reply.
Luna was surprised at this."young one, you haven't even told me as much as your name and you're leaving? I want to hear about you, it is not often that I see someone at your age who thinks as much as you do. Your question alone showed me that there was something powerful in you. Now go on, sing me your song. Tell me the story of your life up to this point."
Starswirl turned back towards Luna, he was shocked that she wanted to know more about him. After all, she was the princess who had crafted the heavens in the image of the eyes of those long gone. How could she want to hear anything about himself, a young colt; barely old enough to even use magic past simply playing with it.
Yet there she was, wanting to hear his story.
He turned to her and spoke," alright Princess, you want to hear my story. I only have one question for you before I begin.
How much time do you have?"