It was a glorious day in the breathtaking city of Canterlot. A day in the great rule of Twilight Sparkle. Everyone was busy with their routines. It so happened that a young filly, about the age of 16 was trying to read the entire Canterlot Library. She was a guest in the magnificent city. Both her parents were natively from a faraway place. She, herself, was raised and was living in Ponyville.
It was a visit to Canterlot for the well-known holiday Hearth's Warming that made her entire family travel all the way there. But a nerd as she was, spent almost all of her time there doing research and reading books. She wanted to be as learned as Starswirl the Bearded himself, an ambitious trait she inherited from her mum. Ever since she found the delights of the Canterlot Library, she wouldn't do anything else! Her hair, light amber and sun-kissed, was tied in a messy updo. Big bags under her eyes, were all just a hint that she was all worked up. She didn't even care what she was eating. She was a serious egghead.
Although her parents were the heads of the School of Friendship, she still found it a waste of time.
She was Luster Dawn.
A purple coated beautiful mare was scanning the books with a studious frown etched on her face, hidden behind a levitated book, was abruptly interrupted by a concerned voice emerging from behind a bookshelf.
"Still here are you, Sweetums? Did you even realise that it was Hearth's Warming yesterday? How many times have I told you to get out of this pile of books and enjoy the snow with a few friends!" Starlight taunted.
"But Mum, a good book is way better than a friend. Friendship takes you nowhere. It is what I have learned from years of study. By the way, today's extremely important! I just found a way to replicate yourself without your horn but with your own wi--"
"Fine. . . Fine . . . You're caught up in something really, really important that you don't have time for anything. Anyway, we're leaving today. Better pack up so we don't have to miss the train," Starlight said as she turned to put the books back in order magically.
"We're leaving? I didn't finish my research! I can't go!" Luster whined
"Well, you can always borrow the books and return them on time. And if you pack up quickly and meet me by the train station, I promise to tell you a story," Starlight offered.
"Mum! I'm no filly! Stories are fake. I rely on facts," Luster said.
"But this might be a real one. I'm sure you'll like it,"
"Okay," Luster started to pack some books in her saddlebag as Starlight teleported back to the Canterlot Castle.
"Visited Luster, I presume?" Sunburst asked Starlight as he was stuffing a few things in a humungous suitcase. Starlight sighed and gave a look of regret.
"Yep. . . Still being a nerd. If only I was there for her during her childhood, she might not be who I know she is today,"
"But it's not your fault, Stars. We couldn't help it, the duties in the school were so much when she was born, that we had to keep a nanny to take care of her. But there must be something you can do," Sunburst tried to soothe the moment a bit.
"But there's nothing I could do, nothing could change her point of view,"
"But something must be it. Perhaps a long lecture? Or a story on Friendship? Maybe tha--" Sunburst was cut off before he could finish his sentence,
"That's it! I promised her that I'll tell her a story, and I know just what to tell. Oh, SunBun! You're the best," she said as she pecked on his cheek and headed to the train station.
Sunburst was left behind, red as a beet,
"Good job Sunburst, you're a natural adviser after all," he complimented himself.
After the family of three was all settled on the train, Luster seemed to be the only one so enthusiastic,
"So - What's the story about mum? A knight? A princess? An orphan?"
"This story is about a unicorn who lived for nearly two thousand years ago," just as Starlight began, Sunburst started to read a book titled 'Vampire Ponies And How To Fight Them'
"Ahem . . . Once everyone is listening attentively, I shall continue," she said sharply.
"Oh, right," said Sunburst as he put the book aside.
"So, where was I? Oh yes,"
The you unicorn colt had a lot of power and magic concealed inside him, but he was too afraid to unleash it. He was bullied and was even made fun of, for being a unicorn who couldn't even do a simple plant growing spell. He had a title as 'The Weakest' But a day came when two Gargoyle brothers were hatching a plan to suck the magic out of his land for eternity. The unicorn colt heard about them from the whispering people in the market. He thought about it. He realised that this was a golden opportunity. Then he had the craziest idea ever. He thought, that if he was brave enough to stop them both, he would show the world that he was powerful as well.
So, in the dead of that night, he took a cloak with stars and crescent moons on it and put on a very jingly pointed hat with many bells, so if he ever found himself in trouble, he would shake his head so hard that people might help him out. He set out with a determination he never felt before. He walked and walked and walked and walked until he came before a forest.
It looked creepy.
The clouds were dark and the plants were growing unusually. He gulped. But he went inside, the forest seemed so quiet that he could hear a snake slithering from a distance. Cold wind bustled through. Then, breaking the silence, a voice so raspy so cold, almost like a growl, that made the hair on his neck stand. The really loud raspy voice sounded more frightening than Death itself. A hand mysteriously clutched his neck and he was made to stare deep into big amber eyes which had small slits as pupils.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? NO PONY'S ALLOWED HERE!" said a ghastly gargoylish beast with a humanoid-like body, dark brown, really dark mane, bat-like wings a thin tasselled tail that looked like a snake in a wig. He opened his mouth to drain the magic from him, but the unicorn thought hard and realised that the beast must be one of the Gargoyle brothers and pleaded,
"Please spare my life, O great beast! If you do, I'll show you the delights of my land,"
"Delights of your land? What can there possibly be in your land that could make me happy?" the beast said, going slightly soft.
"There are many! People of the unicorn tribe would be more than happy to have you as a guest. Just give me a chance," he begged.
"Very well, if there's nothing that would make me happy, I shall drain all the magic from your land and you will be killed," he threatened. The unicorn agreed to this and took him to his land.
Very unlikely what the Gargoyle imagined, the people were very kind towards him. They gave them garlands and cakes and he made a load of friends. He was finally pleased. But not one spoke to the Unicorn. he asked him why so and also assured him that he'll try his best not to let his brother attack the noble land. The unicorn said that he has trouble with magic and he cannot control it.
"Then you just have to believe in yourself. Believe that you're no less than anyone. Let's try. . . What about this apple, try and turn it into gold," the beast placed an apple in front of the unicorn who hesitated, but it didn't work for the first time. The beast asked him to try again, he tried again, but the apple blasted to smithereens. The beast took another apple and asked him to do the spell, there was an unusual glint in his eyes which the unicorn liked. He cast his spell this time, the apple not only turned to gold but before stood a head-turning Golden Apple Tree. Then a blinding flash of light and he finally got his cutie mark.
"I did it! I can't believe I did it!" he danced merrily.
"Thank you, O great beast!" he bowed low before him.
"Please, call me Scorpan," the unicorn was bewildered by the sudden change in the gargoyle's behaviour but it was a great reformation.
Scorpan stayed for a couple of weeks before leaving to find his brother, but he gave the unicorn something before he left,
"Take this book, and write every achievement you've done. It'll help you to believe in yourself,"
The book had the unicorn's cutie mark on it. The unicorn was glad to have a friend and he promised he would never forget Scorpan and would write all the important things in his life.
Time went by and the unicorn came to be known as 'Starswirl The Bearded'. He even became a mentor to two pretty fillies, who, by great things became alicorns. The mares started ruling the land of harmony 'Equestria'.
Scorpan once returned to Equestria to warn the royal sisters and his old but dear friend that his brother had returned and was draining magic from Equestria. He, unfortunately, didn't get to meet Starswirl and he became very sad that his friend forgot about him. He went back to his land and never came back.
And Starswirl thought his friendship had faded over time and never bothered to make another and thought it a waste of time. Little did he know that friendship was the reason he was who he was then. He did great things with a few other ponies known as Pillars of Equestria. But they weren't his friends. Because of his incapability to understand friendship, he misunderstood a pony and he was to be trapped in limbo for a thousand years. Later an alicorn 'Twilight Sparkle' showed him the right way and freed him from limbo. He lived his life and passed away.
"Woah, Woah, Woah! The story is about The Starswirl? The pony I look up to?" Luster asked.
"Yep! And what did you learn from it?" asked Starlight.
"Friendship is not a waste of time I thought," Luster was deep in thinking.
"Good story, Stars. I didn't know you were a storyteller," complimented Sunburst, poking an elbow.
"Aww. . . C'mon! I am a natural," then her gaze hovered on Luster and she said in a very motherly voice.
"You must visit Twilight and tell her about it. It might help you understand it more,"
"I - I'll think about it. Thanks for the great story mum," she side-hugged her mother.
"Glad you liked it, Dawny," Said Starlight.
"Muuum, don't!"
"I know, I know,"
"Aren't you missing somepony?" asked Sunburst.
"Sorry dad,"
The train came to a screeching halt. There was something Luster was desperate to do after that . . . and that was to meet Twilight as soon as possible.
And what happened next? Well, its a story for another time . . .
