Starswirl's Apprentice

Determinedly, Starswirl entered the cave, Allen straggling behind for a few moments before eventually following him.

The entrance of the cave was shrouded in smoke, and advancing into the cavern became harder as the air got heavier with heat and smoke.

“Starswirl, where are you?” Allen asked, coughing from the oxygen starved air.

“I’m over here!” Starswirl called.

Suddenly, the smoke cleared and Allen was able to see; though, he wished he couldn’t. In the center of an even larger hollow in the mountain, a large, sleeping red dragon lie on a bed of gold. Lava poured into the cavern from various recesses in the earth. Allen trotted over to his mentor, and in a panicked, but quiet voice, he asked, “What do we do?”

Starswirl began mumbling. “Not enough water in the air to help us. I will just confront the dragon from here.” Starswirl turned to face the dragon. ”Apophis?”

The dragon awoke and scratched his head. “Starswirl the Bearded? Is that really you?”

“It is, and this is my apprentice, Allen. We are here on behalf of a scientific experiment, and we were wondering if you could give us some of your scales?”

“Starswirl, my good friend, it’s been too long. Please, stay awhile. We have much to discuss.” Apophis said.

Starswirl leaned over to the surprised Allen. “He’s not like most dragons. He tries to keep his natural anger under control, but he can’t always control his temper, so for now, we stay as guests, but be careful.”

Starswirl then continued, “Ah, I’m glad we caught you when you are in a good mood. How about some coffee and solitaire, like old times?”

“That would be wonderful. So, you have an apprentice now?” Apophis inquired as Starswirl pulled a pack of cards out of his saddlebag.

“You win again, but I must get back to the subject at hand. We need a few of your scales.” Starswirl said, after losing his fifth hand in a row.

“I’m sorry, Starswirl, but I cannot help you. My scales are like my hoard, and it would hurt me too much to give you my hoard.”

“I’m sorry for pushing you, but my apprentice needs to get home; to do that, we need your scales.” Starswirl asked again.

Apophis shook his head in response.

“You don’t understand, Apophis. We need your scales.” Starswirl was getting impatient now.

Apophis twinged in anger and breathed deeply. “You must go. I’m sorry, but my anger is getting the best of me now. I don’t wish to hurt either of you.”

Allen was about to argue when Starswirl held up his hoof. “Allen, it’s of no use. Let’s go.” Allen sighed and hesitantly followed Starswirl out of the cave. After a few minutes, Allen remembered that without the scales, there was no hope of him ever getting back home. “I’m going back in.” He said as he began dashing back towards the cave. There, he confronted the dragon.

“Apophis, give me your scales!” Allen said stubbornly as Starswirl entered the cave behind him.

“Allen, what are you doing?” Starswirl shouted. The dragon’s anger finally broke through “You’ll never have my scales!” He yelled as his claws pierced into Allen’s side.

At this moment, Allen’s confusion from being in Equestria disappeared, being replaced by a fear for his own life. He began to break down, crying and flailing, looking for a way out; there was none to be found.

“Hey Lizard-Face!” Starswirl yelled, shooting a rock at the dragon. Apophis took his index claw, which was currently embedded into the weeping pony’s neck, and ran it along the length of Allen’s face, then allowed him to drop to the ground.

Apophis turned now to confront Starswirl, placing one of his hind claws just above Allen’s gut. Starswirl took his own action, gripping the dragon’s bones with his magic. “Let him go, or I shatter every bone in your body.”

The dragon laughed and said his own threat. “You shatter my bones and my claw comes down on the boy. You leave, and the boy dies. You stay, and you both die.”

They stood there, locked in a silent standoff that seemed endless. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, Apophis broke the silence. “Starswirl, I grow tired of this charade. The boy dies.” With this, Apophis brought his claw down, narrowly missing the unconscious unicorn. Just afterwards, Starswirl fulfilled his end of the bargain, the dragon’s bones being no match for his powerful magic. After the dragon fell, Starswirl plucked the scales from his body and rushed to Allen’s side, teleporting them to the first sanctuary he could think of; the royal throne room.

“Sister, I’m heading to bed.”

“Alright Luna. Rest well.”

Suddenly, with a flash of light, Starswirl stood before the two princesses, a pile of scales and his bleeding apprentice at their feet. The guards rushed to Allen’s aid, taking him to the infirmary. Starswirl, exhausted from their adventure, passed out on the floor.

Luna looked over to her sister. “Are you going to be able to handle this?”

Celestia nodded, heading to Starswirl’s side. “Starswirl, what am I going to do with you?” She sighed. “This is the third time you’ve teleported to the throne room with a near dead apprentice, and each time they’ve died before they reached the infirmary.”

Starswirl began to snore. Celestia looked for a guard, but all of the guards in the throne room had taken Allen to the infirmary. Again, she sighed, levitating Starswirl off of the floor and walking to his laboratory where she set him on his couch. As she walked back to the throne room, Celestia remembered the scales. ”Well, you got the scales. I just hope that this one lives. I’m tired of wiping your memory to help you cope.”