Part 1
BEING A REPRINT
FROM THE REMINISCENCES OF
SHINING ARMOR, ROYAL CAPTAIN,
LATE OF THE CRYSTAL KINGDOM ROYAL GUARDS
Starswirl The Bearded
On the 9th moon prior to Twilight Sparkle attending her first day at the Royal Castle as Celestia's apprentice, I completed my leadership training within the Canterlot Royal Guard. As most Lieutenants are assigned after they completed their training, I became a drill instructor to Royal Guard recruits in Saddle Arabia. After awarding four classes their honorary Royal Guard harnesses, I requested to be assigned to a station of work closer to Canterlot. My sister wrote extensively how she missed me, and it broke my heart to think she struggled without me by her side.
Upon my request’s acceptance, I returned to Canterlot with the station of overseeing the Canterlot Policing Force. My sister rejoiced upon my return, allowing me to fully commit my heart to helping organize and enforce Canterlot law.
As my sister grew with her studies under our majesty Princess Celestia, I became aware of a certain aspect that my sister was missing. I never saw her friends visit our home, and she would always come straight home after her classes. When she was sent to Ponyville to learn about friendship, I was deeply heartbroken. Princess Celestia explained to me however that my presence enabled her to seclude herself from others, and that she needs to learn to adapt to new social conditions to grow in her studies. I was comforted by her wisdom, and seeing as I had no need to hold such a reserved position, I requested reassignment to the castle of Celestia.
Originally promoted to First Lieutenant of the Canterlot Royal Guard, my weary war-torn Captain soon retired from his station due to a weakening heart. Upon his resignation, I assumed role as Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard.
The next several moons, I earned my status as Captain as well as the respect of the stallions under my care. Despite this, I still felt an emptiness in my heart, I missed my dear sister. A mare friend of mine would comfort me as I worried over my sister's involvements in Ponyville. I would every fortnight exchange sentry posts with guards overseeing the Royal Castle library, just so I could visit the world that my sister considered so much more important than anything in the city squares.
My guard post partner, a stallion who was always assigned library watch, was rather talkative. His words filled the aisles of the library with pompous tales and opinions even when no pony was there. I found him rather bland in personality, but the chatter helped me stay awake during the nights I held shift there.
During the fourth night of holding the Royal Castle Library sentry post, my post partner regaled me the story of a grizzled stallion who visited the library at night. He told me that he was wise beyond his years, an expert in all the fields of study, and would frequent the library to add books to the collection.
The mention of this wizened stallion tantalized my curiosity, and I requested my partner to show me where he might be found. As ridiculous a claim it was that an elderly stallion could sneak his way into the library with guards posted at the doors, the dreary and sluggish nights left my curiosity fertile. My post partner directed me towards the farthest wall within the library, far away from the doorway we protected. With goading on my partner's part, I left my post to find this rumored stallion.
I walked through the dark halls with a lantern as my only light. I passed the royal histories, the studies, the biographies, and reached the donated works section if the library. That was when I saw him.
A cloak and hat, with several books floating. Quickly in succession, books flew into the shelves. “How fascinating!” I thought. A stallion donating books in the midst of the night, oh I was amazed to see the rumor in the flesh!
“You there, what brings you away from your post?” A rough and acerbic voice called out from underneath the hat.
“I, I was looking for you!” I stumbled over my own words, it was quite embarrassing to have my abandonment of my post be so obvious no matter how short a distance I wandered.
“You were looking for me?” The stallion chuckled, and turned toward me. The shadow of his hat shrouded his eyes from my view, but I could see the rest of him clearly with my lantern light. His beard was pale and long, it dragged and bounced against the stone floor as he spoke. Upon his mane a pointed hat, many celestial symbols adorned the fabric. His cloak was similarly designed, but the fringes of his coattails told of its ancient age.
“Well, what is it boy? What was it that was so important that you would abandon your post to chat with an old pony?”
I staggered backwards at these words, his eyes scanned me as I blushed out of embarrassment.
“I,” I coughed as I stuttered, “wished to know why you came at such a late hour to deliver books. I do not remember hearing of a pony such as you coming through the Royal Castle Admission Board.” I stiffened my back, and mustered as much authority as I could.
“Ah, a curious filly aren't you,” my face formed a scold at this blatant insult, but the old pony raised a hoof before I could retaliate. “I am here to secure the future of my collection. I donate books now to use later. It is quite simple. I am not recorded on the admission records because I have royal approval to move about as I please.” He flashed an ancient version of the Canterlot Royal Guard's sigil, but despite its age it was in perfect condition.
“I believe I will be taking my leave. Now if you don't mind, I would like to be directed to the royal garden's Harmonic Fountain.”
I laughed in response to his request, as I heard earlier in the evening that the fountain was shut down for re-sculpting.
“I'm sorry, how insensitive of me,” I informed him, “the fountain was shut down hours ago for new landscaping, the Royal Garden Maintenance Committee posted that it would be many moons before it reopens to the public.”
“Bah!” he turned from me, and spat on the floor in great disdain. I felt some fury then, for I did not know his role in Equestria at the time.
“Excuse me, but it is improper to spit upon the royal floors! Now, I must escort you out of the library if you plan on becoming belligerent!” I growled, but to my anger he laughed.
“Oh such a big strong stallion you are! Well, if you must know I have more right to spit on these floors than any pony in the castle save the Princess!” He shrilled, with obvious intent to mock me.
“Oh, and who are you! What makes you on par with her majesty Princess Celestia?” I roared. My post partner must have heard me, because he galloped to my side right before the old pony replied.
“I am Starswirl the Bearded, and I will demand your respect!” I reeled as he scolded me, powerful winds pushed my partner and me onto our rears, and my eyes widened as I realised who was speaking to me.
Starswirl trotted to my snout, close enough that I could see the glint of his eye-pieces against my lantern light.
“I hope you understand what I am saying,” he leaned back from my face, and I gave a sigh of relief, “the Harmonic Fountain is under construction, this will not do!” He shook his head, his long beard bouncing in the air, “I can't travel so soon without those waters, oh where will I stay…”
He pawed at the ground with his hooves, and my post partner remarked jokingly, “Why don't you stay with the Captain here? He has an empty room in his home anyways since his sister is away!”
“Well, it would only be reasonable that the stallion who has troubled me so tonight would provide me my accommodations.” spoke Starswirl. His horn glowed, and he raised his hat above his head magically. A large luggage bag dropped from the brim of the hat, and I watched in stupendous shock as he prepared to come to my home.
“Now, stallion, who do I owe the pleasure of accommodating my old and frail body?” Starswirl trotted forward, carrying his luggage behind him with a newfound positivity. The aura of happiness he held was a shocking shift from the rude and spiteful pony I faced before, so I had no presence of mind to protest the accommodations.
“My name is Shining Armor, Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard.” tumbled the words off my tongue.
“Shining Armor, a strong and proud sounding name! I should warn you I have a tendency to great lengths of silence, and sudden bouts of activity. Don't worry about these sudden changes, merely leave me be and I'll become sociable once again. Time also slips my mind, so you may hear me do my work at odd hours. Since we will be living together, it is only appropriate to know each other's flaws beforehand.”
I was quite astounded by the maturity of the thought, and so I replied in suite, “I myself tend to move around a lot. I don't enjoy tea time chatter nor being lectured. I also become grievously defensive when people I care about are threatened."
“Ah, as you felt when I spoke of Princess Celestia. Well I believe I can manage those rows. I hope that we keep each other comfortable until I get out of my trapped predicament.” Starswirl nodded with a surprising acceptance of the situation.
“If you do not mind my foolishness, what would be the predicament?” I asked. I do not remember what he said in response, but it was to the effect of, “you wouldn't understand, so don't think about it.”
After our introductions, we spent the rest of the night talking about various ways books are made. Starswirl presented interesting examples of this topic, such as how in ancient South Equinet parchment was made out of mashed palm leaves, and how in Ramssia literary works were originally written on tree bark. He directed us to various parts of the library to show us examples of such strangely made books. At one point Starswirl found an “ancient tribal magic bark tablet” which had the magic to purify water. His tone when he described its properties was rather bubbly, but the excitement over it was lost on me.
We continued friendly discussion until morning. We left the Royal Castle, and paid for a carriage to deliver Starswirl and I to my home. Upon entering my household, I arranged the sleeping quarters for Starswirl and promptly fell asleep.
Author's Note
The beginning of The Adventure's of Starswirl the Bearded. To those who have read the original Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, you will be able to draw many parallels between this work and the "prequel" chapter detailing how Watson met Sherlock. However, from here on out the parallels will become more distant, as the mysteries of Equestria are quite a world's apart from that of Britain!
