The mare sighed. She was certainly tired, as usual, but it was her job. The library wouldn’t take care of itself. Splinter Star hesitantly made her way to the dressing room located across her chambers and took a quick glance around, forcing a smile at her pink casual dress. ‘Ponies say a smile brightens up a day’, she thought to herself before using her magic to help her fit into the dress.
“Darling, it’s late! I’m off to the Palace,” a rather deep voice called out from the living room. Splinter Star cantered toward its source and nuzzled the blue stallion. “You’ll do great today, my dear,” she whispered, and placed a quick peck on his muzzle. Then, with a wave, Stomphorn made his way out of the house in his royal guard uniform.
Splinter Star sighed. She walked over to the kitchen and began preparing two bowls filled with oatmeal and milk. She disliked seeing her husband like this, working for the Guard. He was a stallion, so there was not much else he could do without the magical superiority unicorn mares had been graced with. ‘If only it had been they with the power to raise the sun,’ thought the mare, annoyed, ‘Stomphorn would have been a wonderful king, and would have embraced me as his equal.’
Splinter Star was born into a relatively wealthy family of nobles. Her mother, Ruby Star, always told her not to mind the lesser stallions; that she should not set her eyes away from the selected few the Palace chose every year for the noble mares to consider marriage. She was a beautiful young mare, but that was not enough for her. One day, when visiting the Palace on request of Princess Silver Rain, she met her personal guard, Stomphorn. Needless to say, the two unicorns soon started going out in secret to the Palace Gardens and spent their time there. Eventually, because of her daughter's insistent nature, Ruby Star talked the Princess into handing over that particular guard to serve as a bodyguard for Splinter. Yet, the young and tenacious mare decided to take it even further, and soon found herself in a secret marriage ceremony, standing next to the stallion.
Reduced to a simple librarian, Splinter Star’s beautiful face was doomed to be covered in wrinkles and bags from an unsatisfied lifestyle. She often felt regret, but there was a certain something that, no matter when she decided to look, she had to smile and regain hope.
“Starswirl, time for breakfast!” she exclaimed, as the two bowls swiftly made their way through the air towards the round wooden table. The tall unicorn mare gracefully took a seat on a purple cushion with golden lining, Ruby Star’s present from her last birthday. Soon, the young foal’s hoofstomps against the wooden staircase could be heard close by. A few seconds later, a small, blue creature stepped into the kitchen. His eyes were a mix of purple and pink, just like his peculiar mane and tail. A wide smile spread on his face. The smile Splinter Star loved and always felt forced to return. He’d become seven a week from then, and officially find himself in Shantalar City’s Starter School for Colts, a place his mother would have never sent him to, should she have a choice.
“Mother, why do we have horns?” was something Starswirl always asked.
“It gives us power,” was the mare’s usual response.
“Power over what?” he’d ask back.
“Over everything,” would be the final reply, usually followed by a command such as ‘eat your oatmeal’.
“This afternoon, dear, you’re going to help me!” Starswirl’s mother exclaimed, gleefully. “Father’s gone to work, but I have to go pick up a few books in Mane Street. Honestly, I’d much rather for you to stay home, but you’ve always asked me to let you help at work,” she said, smiling. A spoonful of oatmeal approached her muzzle.
“Can I stay with you in the library afterwards, Mother?!” the young foal asked, hope in his voice. “I would like to read a few books!” The blue pony grinned.
“Alright. Please, though, remember to stay in the foals’ section,” she said, as she took the empty bowls to the sink.
The mare then took his sprout with her toward the door. They walked along the street calmly. Eventually, the foal looked up. “Mother, do you like working in the library?” the small pony asked, tilting his head in curiosity.
“Of course I do, dear,” she responded, without even thinking about the answer. The foal, however, was clearly unsatisfied.
“Why is that?” he asked.
“…Well, simply put, I can read all I like,” was the mare’s reply. It didn’t take long for her to think that up. “That way, I can… leave. I can visit worlds that never were, and that never will be. That’s also why I like fantasy novels the most, my dear,” she added later, deciding to be much more honest. “But come, my little pony. We’re here!” she exclaimed, looking up at an unkept, gray house. She knocked, and an elderly stallion welcomed her. He hoofed over a few books, which were placed into the mare’s saddlebags. “Very well. Now, we return to the library, my dear!” she announced, before taking the route Starswirl already knew by heart.
Hours later, the foal found himself looking up at the top shelf of a bookcase. He had been looking around the library for answers: He wanted to know the truth behind everything. However, he was unsuccessful: He could find no title called The Truth behind Everything, so he’d have to improvise. After trying out several sections, the young unicorn came upon a certain one. The section sign simply red ‘On Unicorns and Lore’. He looked at the top shelf of the farthest bookcase. A large blue book, Guide to the Unicorn’s Magical Prowess, leaned on several smaller, lesser books. He had to get that one down somehow, if he wanted to know the reason unicorns held so much power over everything, as mother always said. At least, that was his reasoning.
After a pair of minutes of planning and calculating, the foal’s hooves folded, and he attempted to leap toward the book, with little success. His body hit one of the lower wooden shelves and almost threw the bookshelf back. However, it easily managed to regain balance. A sigh of relief left the unicorn. He then took a careful look around. If he tried to leap once again, he’d most likely knock the bookshelf down, and troubling mother was the last thing he wanted at the moment. A air of seconds later, though, he saw it a movable staircase, at the far end of the opposite aisle. With a wide grin on his face, the pony galloped toward the tall object and, with all his might, he began pushing it between the bookshelves, in an attempt to get it to the larger shelf he had seen earlier.
A few minutes later, Starswirl found himself carefully balancing the book on his back, carrying to the nearest reading table. He carefully pushed it over the edge and placed it on the surface. Once he felt it was stable enough, he hopped on one of the chairs and leaned his forehooves on the table. The unicorn’s mouth took over. He carefully turned the pages over, until he came to an index. His face gained color and his eyes glistened with hope as soon as he saw an entry on unicorn magic basics. He turned the pages with joy, and read carefully. “Unicorns with great talent in magic will more often than not start off their lives with no sign of it,” he read out loud. “For that very reason, the following spell is the very first thing taught to young mares at school. The size of the magical wave resulting from it indicates the young unicorn’s magical prowess.” Starswirl smirked. Could colts try that out too? Everypony knows only mares succeed greatly in magic. That is why they make stallions keep the hard jobs, so that they won’t be completely useless. But he decided to try it out, anyway. Nevertheless, he decided to try it out. ‘A lost chance is a lost life,’ father often said. The little unicorn’s horn began sparkling. He was focusing, but it was hard to unleash his power. A few seconds later, though, a bolt shot off the tip of the horn, and gleaming light left its base. It was as if that single pony was a lightshow. Kind of like the displays made during festivals at the Palace. The light illuminated the entire library. Its wooden floor effectively reflected it, creating a fantastical atmosphere.
Star Splinter’s voice could be heard calling out for the colt, but he didn’t mind it. Her hurried hoofsteps approached the source of the light. The bookshelves surrounding the reading table released their treasured collections. The scrolls and tomes circled around the pony in an organized frenzy. A few pages had been ripped off by an unknown force. It seemed as if gusts of air were leaving Starswirl’s horn. The mother attempted to reach her foal. However, the magical forces spun and spun. They surrounded the foal completely, as his hooves left the ground and hovered slight centimeters from the chair, which instantly was knocked away by one of the forces. Soon, Star Splinter had lost sight of her young pony. She swallowed, worried, as she fruitlessly attempted to charge into the magical shield that had enveloped the pony. The wind-like forces slowly got closer to the pony’s body. His eyes lost the sight of everything he was familiar with, to face only colors. Pure colors. The size of the magical whirlwind diminished, until it only covered the young pony.
But then it stopped. It simply stopped. The pony plopped down to the cold wooden surface. His mother didn’t lose time and galloped in his direction. With mixed feelings, she noticed something different about the unconscious young unicorn: His flanks were no longer blank. A white star, surrounded by multi-colored gusts, and smaller stars, was now there. He had achieved his cutie mark, and a very impressive one at that. Sadly, there was simply one problem: He was not a mare. “My child… In the world we live in… You have made a dire choice, for it is best for a stallion to remain blank forever, than to try and excel in what he’s not supposed to,” she whispered, nudging the unconscious sprout. “However, let me assure you… You can count on me. And let us hope somepony fixes it all. Let us hope you manage to become what you were always meant to be,” she finished, smiling, as a tear rolled down her muzzle, slowly.
***
“Mother, why do we have horns?” asked the tall unicorn. His mother sighed.
“Do you always have to ask me that, Starswirl? I always answer the very same thing,” she complained, annoyed. The two plates floated over to the table, and the male pony poked the salad with his hoof, a rather disgusted expression on his face.
“It’s just… Mom, what’s power? And… What’s everything?” the teenager asked. The mare’s annoyed frown soon turned into confusion and ignorance.
“I… Well, other ponies, I suppose?” she finally answered.
“And who is the one that gave us this authority over them?” the colt asked once again, hesitantly taking a forkful of salad to his mouth. The mother blinked. What was he thinking?
“You cannot get rid of your horn. It comes naturally,” she finally answered after a few seconds of thought, leaving her salad still untouched.
“It’d all be much better,” Starswirl mumbled, “If only stallions weren’t forced to do certain jobs and were given freedom of choice. Wouldn’t it?” he asked, blinking his large eyes at the confused mare.
He was right. Splinter Star would still be in a large manor, hosting balls and having afternoon dinners in the gardens with her family. Starswirl would be able to display his cutie mark without getting ponies outside to whisper about it. Over all, Stomphorn’s fate would’ve been changed. He would still be here.
***
The rain hit the window crystal aggressively. “The Pegasus ponies again,” complained Ruby Star as her weight shifted on the cushion. “Those featherbrain ponies know not better than to annoy us,” she continued, a frown on her face as she stared at the fireplace. “Of course, that’s what war’s for; we’ll teach them better!” the old mare exclaimed, cackling furiously.
“Mother!” exclaimed Splinter Star as she walked into the living room. A silver tray layered with cups and a teapot floated before her. “Don’t speak like that of other ponies,” she scolded the older female. “At least not in front of Starswirl!” she added before taking a seat and smiling at her young foal. He was too busy staring out the window in wonder to pay attention to the grumpy elder. The stars were hidden by the amazing clouds. Sometimes, Starswirl wished he had wings so that he’d be able to fly to the clouds and take naps in them. But the one time he told Splinter Star about this, she simply responded with something along the lines of, ‘Don’t ever mention that again.’
“That foal is useless and you know it,” Ruby Star spouted, as some sort of counter-attack. “Having a talent in magic, as a colt? Hah! Yes, let’s let him try. He won’t be a good guard, and he’s not a mare. So he’s mediocre at most. Who cares what he listens to?” she finished, with yet another cackle.
“Mother, shut up!” the younger female cried, now filled with rage. “We… Let’s go home,” she mumbled, making her way to the window to grab the colt and place him on her back. “Good-bye, Mother,” she said bluntly, shutting the door behind them.
The soft touch of the colt’s hoof on her shoulder brought the mother back to reality. “I’m off to school, then,” the young unicorn stated, as he prepared his messenger bag. He placed a peck on the mother’s cheek and walked out the doorway. A few blocks down the street, Starswirl encountered a friend. The mare was shorter than him, and had a flowing golden mane. He always thought of her as rather attractive.
“Starswirl! Hey!” she exclaimed, waving her hoof in the air excitedly. “Bouquet, hello,” he responded calmly, smiling at her. He approached the mare, but stopped in his tracks as soon as he noticed a certain figure walking toward them.
“Bouquet, again?!” the juvenile mare exclaimed, a devilish smile on her muzzle. “Are you talking to your personal guard again? I told you, these kinds of ponies are meant only for carrying your stuff around,” she said. Crystal was just as old as Starswirl, but of very different beliefs. She was also the daughter of Duke Lake, so it’s not like one could easily respond to her. “Pfft, this one’s even worse. His cutie mark, do you see it? You’ve found yourself the most useless guard ever!” she cackled.
Starswirl narrowed his eyes and walked up to the brat. “Be careful, for nothing’s what it seems!” he exclaimed, still rather calm. “Actually, let me correct myself. Not everything is what it seems. Because you seem to be rather ignorant and childish, and, in fact, you are very much that,” he said, smiling with pleasure. Needless to say, Crystal felt insulted. She fired a bolt at Bouquet, but Starswirl was quick and managed to reflect it. As such, the bolt hit the snooty unicorn, whose body flied back a few meters. Victorious smiles turned into worried gasps as soon as tears began running down Crystal’s muzzle.
***
“Offensive behavior when addressing a mare?” the slim stallion asked. His expression displayed a lack of satisfaction. “Even worse: Offensive behavior when addressing a noble! Goodness me,” he sighed. “I apologize, but this is not something I can protect you from, if your colt also attacked her with magic amidst the street, in plain daylight,” he explained, and walked out the door. The mother sighed and let her hooves release her body, so that she’d plop down on her seat.
“It was not me, mother… She started it!” the colt repeated for the thousandth time.
“Even if you’re not being untruthful, my dear, you know better than to respond to such an aggression,” she said. But Starswirl wasn’t one to remain silent about everything.
“Mother, why do we have horns…? Everything would be different if we had no horns,” Starswirl said, and nuzzled the mother. She, for once in a few years, felt once again as herself: Star Splinter, the brave young mare whose acts threatened power.
Perhaps, it’s her bloodline’s destiny to challenge and, eventually, get rid of unfairness among genders and, perhaps, even races. Star Splinter smiled at this thought, and got up on all fours. “I want you to heed me, my dear,” she said, “Should anything happen in this trial, please remember never to lose hope. Pursue what you believe in. Don’t let anypony, not even the queen, tell you what to do if you don’t believe it’s right.
***
“Exile…” the teenager mumbled. He made his way out of the court room, wiping his tears. One of Star Splinter’s hugs was enough for him to handle himself. She had packed his messenger bag with seeds, food, water and a sleeping bag. As he walked up to her, a tear ran down her muzzle, but a smile took over her face.
“This is what you’ve been looking for,” his mother whispered softly. “This, my dear, is your chance,” she added. Her horn gleamed, and a necklace floated over to him, carefully knotting itself at the back of the colt’s neck. A belt hung from the string. “You’ll surely remember me whenever this sounds, dear son, and know that I’ll always be with you. But I’m certain you’ll soon return to my side, victorious.” And so, as he walked out of the city after kissing his mother, finally had Starswirl’s voyage begun.
The colt’s mud-stained hooves calmly made their way through Bogslime Marsh, a place famous for its oversized mushrooms and, of course, the bandit camps that littered the area. Starswirl was a smart pony, of course, and he had already managed to get past two different campsites without being noticed. Yet, he wondered if the bandits he was trying to avoid would welcome a fellow delinquent. These ponies were, after all, also exiled. That’d be the only reason to settle down in such a terrible place.
“Don’t be foolish,” Starswirl’s grandmother suggested, a few years earlier. “You think you can trust any pony who thinks like you. But you can’t, Starswirl. Those ponies will eventually become your worst enemies, and that’s because of they hold the same goal as you. And we all know, little foal, that two ponies cannot share.” The elderly mare’s argument spun around his head. An exiled pony, after all, needed allies more than any other, so he planned on taking any help he could. That is, if anypony offered it at all, of course.
A day before, though, the unicorn let out a sigh of relief. An unfinished cobbled road led him to a peculiar village. He could see no more than ten wooden buildings built on frail-looking planked platforms. A small lake calmly rolled beneath them as canoes boarded by pony collectors left trails on its surface. The sunlight gleamed on its surface, giving Starswirl a sense of relief and hope. His hooves swiftly cantered along the road as a smile formed on his muzzle.
As soon as he approached the first wooden platform, a young tan-colored filly approached him. She appeared to be no more than five years of age, and she lacked a horn. This surprised the taller unicorn because, except for that characteristic, this young pony looked like every other unicorn. The earth pony’s forehoof reached out and poked Starswirl’s right hoof, before letting out a giggle. In response, the foreigner decided to smile and stroke the filly’s mane.
“Halt!” an unknown voice cried out, making Starswirl’s head turn. A tall, muscular stallion stood nearby, and he carried a spear. His coat was a dark brown, just like his mane and moustache. “What does a unicorn want from our village?” he asked, before smirking in sudden satisfaction. “Take him to the chief, boys!” he exclaimed.
On the muscular stallion’s cue, a pair of spear-bearing ponies approached. One of them placed himself in front of the unicorn, while the other one made sure to guard his back. Young Starswirl decided it would be best to stay calm for now, as he didn’t want to be hated by yet another village. The two guard ponies, Starswirl, and what seemed to be the equivalent to a unicorn nation’s guard captain, made their way to the tallest building of them all. Fillies, colts, mares, and stallions all stared at the dangerous magic user as he paraded through town.
“Halt!” the captain yelled once again, and slammed the floor with the blunt end of his spear. The two guards stopped marching and moved aside. Only then could Starswirl see what was before him. He had been taken into a well-lit room, and he stood within a circle of torches. An old pony, older than even his grandmother, sat on a tall chair, decorated with red hoof-painted symbols.
“…Unicorn,” the elder called out after a few incomprehensible mumbles. It was surprising for Starswirl to hear him. Judging on the elderly one’s appearance, it was hard to tell if he was even a pony. His body was round and lumpy, and was lacking most of its natural fur. His snout was malformed and his mouth lacked a few teeth here and there. “Why… Have you come here?” he wheezed, and stopped moving entirely, as if a puppeteer’s hoof had let the strings loose.
Starswirl swallowed. It was clear that unicorns were not welcome in this village, so he had to be careful with what he said. “I come here in peace, great one,” he said, offering a slight reverence. “I wish to live with your people, as my own have decided to get rid of me.” He thought that was a perfect way to address the elder, but he didn’t count on the venerable pony’s quick wit.
“…You say you want to live with us. Share… Our food. Practice our… Rituals,” the chief said, between mumbles and sudden pauses. “Why would we take you, if you do not truly desire this? You… Have left it clear. You simply wish to find refuge, because the unicorns got rid of you.” Starswirl was surprised at the earth pony’s claims. They were all true, and a very good point to make. “…No. We do not take care of what others leave behind… Our village is filled with worthy, respectable ponies… Not the rubbish other tribes decide to leave behind.”
Starswirl sighed, and angrily stomped his hindlegs against the nearest tree. No, he could not take any more chances. Attempting to befriend the bandits camping in the area would get him nowhere farther than them grasping his mother’s bell from his neck, and that was a risk he couldn’t afford taking. He decided to keep going forward, since his logic told him that, eventually, he’d end up either on a road or out of the marsh.
A day had gone by, but the young unicorn was finally far away from the messy pools of goo and the enormous mushrooms. For the first time in days, his eyes caught sight of the setting sun, as he dipped his hooves in the clear, flowing creak. As soon as he made sure the hardened mud was off them, the pony’s tongue began spooning water and launching it into his mouth with ease.
It always struck Starswirl as a surprise. Every single time somepony becomes thirsty, water has the most delightful taste one could imagine. Yet, if one is no longer thirsty, the taste of the liquid is plain and metallic. This last pair of weeks made him understand that it was not simply water. Everything one knows in life behaves in a different way when you need it, and when you don’t. He realized that he’d do anything to go back to the unicorns’ nation and to be socially discriminated because of his gender, just to be comfortably sitting in front of a fireplace.
“No,” Starswirl mumbled to himself. “I must stop thinking like this. I have to.” The young pony hopped onto dry grassy ground and smiled at his own reflection in the water. That very moment, his mind began coming up with all sorts of beautiful images. He pictured himself standing in front of a crowd of unicorns and earth ponies, all of which stomped their hooves in applause as they smiled at him. The ponies cried out his name in delight and victory. The young pony then began thinking of his old childhood friend, Bouquet, and the feelings he always had for her but never exposed. He imagined the two of them as older ponies, living in a house built from rock on top of a grassy hillside. Starswirl walked back home, bearing his empty saddlebags, only to be welcome by two little foals and a beautiful mare.
Starswirl shook his head. He had to stay far away from his fantasies, as he’d never achieve anything otherwise. But… What was it that he intended to achieve, again? He did not know. His mother simply told him it was the chance he’d been looking to get. But what’d he use such a chance for? 'Only time will tell,’ he supposed with a shrug.
Two days had passed when Starswirl found himself walking along a dirt road, which extended parallel to the river. It was much easier to move now, since he at the very least had a secure source of clean water and grass. His hooves were now clean and dry, thanks to the frequent baths he had been taking. Finally, this trip was becoming much less of a burden than it used to be.
Once in a while, a squirrel or other running critters would catch his eye, but the unicorn decided not to bother them. He had observed that eagles and falcons, however, didn’t think like him, and often swooped in to grab a meal or three for themselves. They took them toward the nearby peaks. Such an observation made Starswirl recall that, after the Marsh, the canyons separating Dream Valley from the Unicorn Lands could be found.
At school, Starswirl had learned that Dream Valley was an ancient and fabled place. It’s said that in such a place lived unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies in perfect peace. However, these claims are often regarded as simple fables to teach foals about the sense of equality, even if the unicorn government had certainly been insisting on the contrary these last few years.
Loud hoofstomps against the road interrupted Starswirl’s train of thought, making his head turn. It had been quite some time since he last spoke to somepony. And even then, it didn’t go quite well, what with getting himself kicked out of an earth pony village. The young unicorn stood aside, hoping that whoever it was would simply keep going and not even turn to look at him. As the sound got louder, the colt managed to make out a figure coming his way along the road. A red chariot had a large, golden, painted sign on top, which read ‘RAZZLE DAZZLE THE MAGNIFICENT’ in bold white letters. An alarmingly large tan earth pony pulled the vehicle with all of his strength, making Starswirl move back even more, cautiously.
The vehicle came to a halt near Starswirl, though. The brutish pony eyed him up and down with his large eyes, before pulling the saddle off of himself and making his way to the chariot’s door. The stallion pulled it open, revealing a tall, slim male unicorn. His horn was exceedingly long, just like his neck. His coat was a pale blue color, close to grey, and his wide green eyes made quite the impression. A smile spread on his muzzle, giving Starswirl some confidence, as he walked off the vehicle and onto the ground. “Somepony walkin’ these roads is an unusual sight, kiddo! What’re ya up to, ‘ey?” he asked, in a cheerful yet sophisticated tone.
“I’m… traveling,” Starswirl responding, stating the obvious. He really did not know where he was going, after all. “I want to get to Dream Valley,” he finally added, looking at the tall stallion with a determined smirk.
“Dream Valley? That darned place, kiddo? O’well. I ain’t headin’ there exactly, but I can give you a ride. It’s near my destination,” the tall unicorn offered. “Ah! The name’s Razzle Dazzle, ‘n case you hadn’t figured it out by now!” he added, and extended his hoof to his new acquaintance.
“Starswirl,” the blue pony exclaimed with a confident smile, shaking the other’s hoof. As soon as introductions were over, Razzle Dazzle moved aside so that Starswirl would be able to hop on the vehicle, and as soon as both were inside, he raised his hoof to let the earth pony know when to start pulling the chariot again.
“Oh! Y’come from Shantalar City, then!” the tall pony exclaimed after listening to Starswirl’s tale. The young unicorn had gone through a lot, and felt like telling his new friend everything, from the origin of his cutie mark to the reason he was on an aimless journey. “Right! Well, m’mother’s from there, too!” Razzle Dazzle nodded. “But then we moved to good ol’ Hoofeltat. Oh, that’s a village far north, kiddo, y’wouldn’t know ‘bout it!”
“Why are you traveling?” Starswirl asked after a few seconds of silence. The taller stallion offered him a daffodil sandwich, while taking a big bite out of another identical one.
“Kiddo, I wasn’t made for village life. I must show m’talents to the world!” he exclaimed. Something Starswirl had noticed about this pony since he first looked at him was that his flank was bare. No cutie mark was visible whatsoever.
“What are these… talents?” the young unicorn asked. He didn’t want to intrude too much, or insult this pony. Nopony likes being kicked out of places, let alone twice.
“Why, m’showponyship!” the other one exclaimed, raising his forehooves to the air. “Let me explain. I am a pony of many talents, but I’m not especially good at any specific one. I c’n do any kind of magic tricks, I sell exotic souvenirs and artifacts. A jack of all trades, if y’will.”
“I… see,” Starswirl nodded with a smile. It was then, thanks to Razzle Dazzle, that he finally realized that a cutie mark couldn’t hold you back. You could make your life what you wanted it to be, without minding the mark on your flank one little bit, but it wasn’t so easy, because everypony kept saying the opposite. Starswirl either had to try harder to fit in without doubting himself, or make honor to his magical talent and forcefully get rid of these erroneous views everypony had.
Of course, the colt was not easy to budge. He’d continue to try and do anything necessary to make his people take him in and accept him just the way he is.
Almost a week later, Starswirl already seemed as if he was another addition to the family. Almost every night, he’d hop off their vehicle and walk next to Clamdot, the muscular earth pony in charge of drawing the chariot. He wasn’t a pony of words, and often could be found singing to himself, or humming. The young unicorn joined him in song some times, as long as the piece was popular or a common lullaby. During the day, he’d leave the chariot with Razzle Dazzle and help him gather berries, fruit, and water near the river. Occasionally, the tall stallion would tell Starswirl a story or two about his travels and the tales he heard while moving from town to town. “As a performer,” Razzle Dazzle explained one time, “One has to take advantage of the location. There’s certain things that will get the local ponies interested, and they are the key to success.”
Another time, Starswirl had been refilling the water keg by using his levitation spell on it to scoop up the crystalline liquid, when the other pony approached and took a seat next to him. “There’s a funny story ‘bout that keg," the stallion smiled. “There was this inn I stopped at t’sleep during the night. ‘twas a while before I got the chariot actually! So, anyway, I stopped there t’sleep, and I happened to come ‘cross the cider bar downstairs. I d’cided to take the opportunity to talk to some of the locals, and they were more than pleased t’share their stories.”
Starswirl dropped the keg between the two ponies, and then climbed on top of it and smiled at his friend. “What does that have to do with the keg?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck in confusion.
Razzle Dazzle raised his hoof. “Almost there, kiddo! Be patient,” he exclaimed, before resuming his story. “So I start talkin’ to this ol’ pony. His name was.. Er, Saltsea, I b’lieve. He was a sailor. He told me about a local legend. S’pposedly, a ghost lived in a sunken ship close to town and, during the night, he visited and took their cider and their apples, j’st because he was mean like that.” Starswirl nodded, as his hooves gently tapped the keg’s surface.
“So I decided, kiddo, to stay f’r a week instead. I put on my show, as I normally do and, on the last night, I ask the bartender for a few kegs that, of course, would be paid for after the show. I was supposedly goin’ t’use them for a magic trick. I hired a few ponies t’help me put on an act: The kegs would slowly fly off towards the shore, as if ‘twas the ghost in action, while I freaked out on stage and scared the ponies. ‘Twas a success, and I got to keep one of these kegs!”
Starswirl looked down at the wooden container and hopped off, while Razzle stood up and stretched his hindlegs. “A’right kiddo, time to go!” he exclaimed, as they both started making their way back to the chariot.
It was a few days later that they finally crossed the canyons and entered the land known as Dream Valley. One could see that the place was no longer what ponies spoke of in the past, as it now looked more like a forest than anything. It was an enormous forest, with tall treetops and tons of different plants. The roads that were supposed to be there were not visible from the high road the ponies were standing on, but Starswirl decided to part away from his friends for now. Waving goodbye and thanking them both for the lunch they packed for him, the young unicorn made his way downhill with utter care, doing his best to not trip over any rock or root, until he arrived at the edge of the towering forest. He spotted a dirt road nearby, and decided it would be best to follow it obediently, hoping that one of these days he’d finally be able to find something he was supposed to do.
