The Choice of Greatness

by ThoriumIsBestActinid

Rating: teen
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rainbow Dash, Other
Length: 4325

A short story exploring the relationship between Starswirl the Bearded and Clover the Clever.

We know Starswirl the Bearded was Clover the Clever's mentor, but what was their relationship really like? Where they best of friends? Was it a father-daughter relationship? Was it anything like Twilight and Celestia? It seems history has glossed over this detail. Join Twilight and Rainbow as they search primary sources for answers in this tale of realpolitik and destiny.

Written for Old Toby in bookplayer's Secret Ponyfic Exchange.

Also, my first honest-to-god fic, so comments and criticism welcome.

Published 2012-12-26 05:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-12-26 05:40:01 UTC

Prologue

Prologue

The door cracked open, kicking up dust as Twilight Sparkle trotted into the room. Her eyes scanned quickly, taking in the whole of the room with the light from her horn. Not grand in size by any means, yet it had the tall ceilings of a storeroom. Dust-covered mounds of wooden debris dotted the floor and while the unicorn did move rather quickly, she was careful to not accidentally disturb any of the piles. She quickly turned back to the entrance and called out to her companion.

“Rainbow! Come on, I found another room we can search!”

Dash slowly walked into the room, her head down with an expression of exhaustion and annoyance.

“How did I get roped into this?” she grumbled to herself.

“You said you wanted to come!”

“You said it was going to be like Daring Do!”

“I did no such thing. I merely said that I wanted to explore a forgotten building in an abandoned town on the edge of the Everfree forest and asked if anyone wanted to come with me.”

“Oh come on! That’s practically the setup for Daring Do and the Book of the Dead!”

Rainbow sulked the best she could on four hooves. Ordinarily, she would have been hovering and would have crossed her forelegs in front of her, but she didn’t want another fit of sneezes and glares from Twilight. Nopony makes that mistake twice.

“And yet you’re still here,” Twilight teased.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m the best,” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. “I’ll take this side I guess?”

Twilight nodded and promptly began searching through the nearest pile. While the other rooms were long stripped of any valuables and yielded nothing interesting, this room was hidden in the basement level. The entryway was blocked by a collapsed wall, which wasn’t much of a problem for the duo.

Twilight returned the ceramic shards to the scrap wood stack and moved to the next pile.

Alright, Twilight, no need to worry, there are a plethora of piles to sift through. I mean, nopony is expected to find something culturally relevant, valuable or otherwise interesting in her first—

“Hey, Twi, I found something.”

Twilight dropped the wooden chair leg and raced over to Rainbow’s pile, bumping the pegasus aside. Dash had been dragging what looked to be a metal-bound wooden chest out from under the rubble. Twilight carefully levitated the chest to a clear spot in the room. She summoned a feather duster and lightly cleaned off the front of the chest. A small bronze plaque was placed above the latch. Twilight and Rainbow leaned in to read the tarnished lettering, when Twilight suddenly gasped and turned quickly to Rainbow, hitting the pegasus in the head with her horn. Rainbow groaned as Twilight began speaking excitedly.

“This is Silverspeed’s chest! His collections of Pre-Classical artifacts have helped historians for centuries. Every few decades a chest or box of his is discovered in some old attic or back room that ponies forgot about.”

Rainbow rubbed her forehead and muttered something about warning her next time.

“Here, let me open it,” Twilight said as she carefully unlatched the top with her magic. Inside were smaller boxes with straw around them. Twilight levitated one of the boxes out, and after some inspection, she opened it.

“Hmm, this looks like there are a few intact scrolls. Oh, I can’t wait to see what they say!” Twilight said excitedly.

Carefully unrolling the ancient parchment, she began reading the still legible script.

“Based on the dates, it looks like these are from the 430s B.C....” Twilight commented.

“B.C.?” Rainbow asked curiously.

“Yes,” Twilight began in her lecturing tone, “ Before Celestia. Year zero is when Celestia and Luna began ruling Equestria. There’s actually current debate on whether or not to add Luna to the descriptor, as the nomenclature arose roughly a century after Nightmare Moon’s banishment and I’m sure scholars wouldn’t have wanted to offend—”

“That’s nice Twilight, but what do the scrolls actually say?” Rainbow interjected.

“Oh,” Twilight said sheepishly, “ I haven’t read them yet.”

Twilight scanned the page.

“This looks like correspondence between one of the head servants of the main castle of the Unicorn Kingdom, Bootshine, and the host of a manor house, Holiday Faire. We could learn so much about the day-to-day lives of these ponies. How exciting!”

“Yeah, exciting.” Rainbow said sarcastically while sitting on her haunches. For her, this was even more boring than—

Twilight gasped and turned Rainbow’s head toward one of the scrolls.

“Look! Read this one!” she exclaimed hurriedly.

Dear Holiday Faire, ….

The Choice of Greatness

Bootshine levitated his parchment checklist. His eyes scanned the document and rechecked all the items related to the upcoming journey. Surrounding him were several wagons packed for a short two and a half day journey there and back again. Servants rechecked all the items, the condition of the wagons and anything to keep themselves looking busy. The old unicorn sighed and glanced at the large wooden door that lead out to the courtyard from the atrium. They were supposed to leave four hours ago.

The thunder rolled outside and pitter-patter of the rain seemed to intensify.

The pegasi are really bringing it down tonight. Today of all days!

Bootshine was now certain the journey would not set out until tomorrow morning. They would still arrive on time, providing that the storm ended by morning.

He turned to ask one of the maids a question, when the door burst open. Moonlight silhouetted a stallion in a soaked robe and hat. He wore a grim expression as he walked into the large atrium. Stopping once he was inside, he snapped his head back, causing this beard to fling droplets of rainwater on Bootshine’s list. The stallion simply glared behind him. A younger unicorn in a simple brown cloak slowly walked in, resignation painting her face.

Bootshine cleared his throat.

“Master Starswirl, your room has a fire waiting for you. May I take your robe and hat to dry them?”

Starswirl turned to face the servant and nodded. He levitated his robe and hat off and transferred them to Bootshine’s magical grasp. Starswirl turned to the young mare in the cloak and addressed her solemnly.

“Go to your chambers. I shall see you early on the morrow.”

The sullen mare as she dragged her hooves across the atrium, not bothering to remove her drenched clothes.

“Clover.”

The mare stopped at Starswirl’s statement of her name. He continued.

“It is up to you to decide if you are to do great things No one else can make that choice, not King Argent, not Princess Platinum, not even me. You always have that choice. “

Clover wordlessly left.

Starswirl the Bearded, archmage and advisor to the king of the unicorns, closed his eyes and let out a sigh. After a moment, he turned to Bootshine.

“Sometimes I wonder, Bootshine, if I am doing the right thing.”

“Sir?”

“I mean, am I pushing her too far? Did I inadvertently cause her to turn back on years of teaching? Is it even my right to guide her as I have been?”

The mage shook his head. Bootshine chose this moment to speak up.

“Sir, you mustn’t torment yourself. You are doing the best you can. Just have some faith in the girl.”

Starswirl looked at his head servant with sad eyes.

“That’s the problem.”

A warm summer breeze gently blew through the mane of a young Clover as she froliced in the grass. She trotted care-free up a rolling hill and stopped at the top. Below her were squat farmhouses with a vegetable garden, a chicken coop and small brown barn. The buildings lacked any ornamentation and were as no-nonsense as the earth ponies who inhabited them. Her violet eyes scanned the expanse of the larger farmland, finding a sea of golden wheat as far as she could see. She had never been to a farm before, though she was still young enough to have earned her cutie mark only a few months ago.

The tinkling of bells heralded the arrival of a much older unicorn stallion. His cobalt robe was adorned with golden stars and silver moons. The hem had small brass bells attached. Along with his long white beard and blue pointed hat, there was no doubt as to his identity; a fact which did not escape the farm ponies below. A young colt saw the two unicorns and ran into the house. Another, older colt began slowly walking toward the hill.

“Master Starswirl,” said the young filly, “Why do earth ponies work in the fields and unicorns not?”

Starswirl kindly smiled at his pupil.

“Because Clover, their talents are making things grow. They can do these things better than unicorns.”

“So, why is it that ponies say unicorns are the better?”

Starswirl looked at Clover with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

“Pony tribes have not been kind to each other. We rely on each other, yet many try to forget that. What would happen if all the pegasi disappeared?”

Clover thought for a moment, “There wouldn’t be any weather, obviously. But then there woudn’t be any rain which the earth ponies need, so no food for anypony.”

“Exactly. Unicorns, as powerful as we are, wouldn’t be able to fix it. We need each other.”

Starswirl leaned down to nuzzle Clover.

“There are many misconceptions about the other tribes that our society unfortunately teaches. But I believe you are starting to see the truth of the matter.”

Clover looked out to the farmland. The young colt was halfway to the hill. After a moment she looked back to her mentor.

“But Master Starswirl, how is any of this related to my studies? What does this have to do with magic?”

Starswirl gazed contemplatively to the horizon.

“Everything, my dear Clover. Everything.”

Two fillies were playing the castle courtyard. One had a white coat with a silver sheen and a bluish-silver mane. She wore a dress she would call simple and what most others would call extravagant, lined with gems and golden thread. Her cutie mark was a bright crown. She trotted with purpose, her head high. In her magical grasp was a ball. The other unicorn had a roughed up looking mane of purples and blues and a coat of light purple. Her cutie mark was a clover surrounded by stars. She wore a simple cloak and moved quickly around her companion. She spoke quickly, explaining the rules of the game.

Starswirl, in his vantage point high above the courtyard and in the King’s study, looked pensively at the two fillies. The princess was taking to his pupil quite well. He supposed that was due to the princess’s isolation; any children of royalty would most likely be used to curry favor and rank from the king. However, Clover was the apprentice of a common unicorn, who just so happened to be the Crown’s advisor.

King Argent III, ruler of the unicorn kingdom, watched Starswirl the Bearded turn from the window. For the past few months his daughter, and heir to the throne, and this mage’s pupil have become friends. Well, as much as royalty can befriend a commoner. In any case, it was time for the business at hand.

“Starswirl, what do you know of the Mane Valley situation?”

The elder unicorn shook his head.

“Not good my lord. Pegasi soldiers have cut all access to the northern farmlands. They say they are reestablishing order after the Pudding uprising, but we all know how true that is. A scout of ours was captured and he is still held prisoner.”

Argent felt his blood boil.

“So, those brutes think they can just take what they want, eh? Do they even know what they are up against? We are the day-bringers! They think they can attack us and not suffer the consequence?! What would they think if suddenly the moon did not set and the sun did not rise? Maybe they need to be taught a lesson in humility.”

Starswirl looked sternly at the king.

“Do not go down that path. You know as well as I do where that leads. We cannot break our end of the Equine-librium.”

“And if they break theirs? Hmm? What are we supposed to do, let them run over us? Sit on our fancy chairs and gasp, “Oh, my!” and just hope and pray they don’t decide to continue invading after they swallowed up the earth ponies? Tell me, oh wise one, tell me.”

Starswirl suppressed the urge to sigh. The calmly spoke.

“We do as we have done and enact sanctions. We use aggressive diplomacy. We still have control of the Pony river, we still have that bargaining chip. But I think we need to try a different tactic, my lord.”

“Oh?” Argent asked, somewhat genuinely.

“Let’s try to work with the earth ponies on this one. Let’s start by determining what they want first and then try to use that to help drive out the overt military influence.”

The king scoffed, “What those mud ponies want is strong protection from the other tribe. If the pegasi’s tactics remain unchallenged, there will be more and more earth pony ‘uprisings’ that the pegasi will have to ‘quell’. No, we do as we have done before and not waste our time trying to pretend those dirt ponies are anywhere close to equals.”

Starswirl’s practiced face did not show his anger at the king’s ignorance. He calmly replied.

“At least send someone who can diffuse the situation. This requires tact, my lord.”

“Fine,” Argent huffed, “I’ll send you to the region to speak with the pegasi and earths. And I’m sending you as part of an envoy. No going off on your own on this one.”

“Never dreamt of it my lord,” Starswirl replied with a smile. In a more serious tone, he added, “And what of Clover?”

Argent turned back to Starswirl, “Do you think she’s ready?”

“She has to be. She’s part of this world whether she likes it or not.”

Clover looked up to the sky and saw a veritable army of pegasi with storm clouds moving into position over the city. She paused, as this was somewhat out of the ordinary.

A downpour was scheduled for this afternoon, but it is supposed to be a light shower, not a deluge. Unless...

She looked back to the castle and contemplated returning. Clover shook her head.

No, I’m not doing that. I’m not their pawn anymore!

She turned her back on the city and continued trotting toward the forest. Perhaps there will be enough cover in there and less rain clouds above. The sun was just above the horizon, about to set, when Clover stepped into the forest. She kept her eyes looking for any dangers and had a spell prepared in her horn just in case. The tall trees made an excellent canopy, casting the forest into a near-darkness. Clover had been in these woods before, but never alone. She tried not to think about that.

It was not hard leaving the castle with a saddlebag full of travelling supplies. After all, she was supposed to be leaving on a journey today, albeit with a larger group and her mentor.

Ex-mentor, she reminded herself.

Clover was about a half hour into the woods when she realized what was wrong. It was too quiet. The forest creatures should have made a soothing background noise, but they were silent. Not knowing what that meant exactly, but knowing that it was not normal, she picked up her pace.

Suddenly, there was a noise from the forest. A howl.

Timberwolves!

Several more howls joined and Clover began running as fast as she could. Branches whipped her and roots threatened her as she tried to navigate the best route out of the forest. She stumbled on a rock and fell into a clearing. She lifted herself up and assessed her surroundings. It was dark, but there was one unmistakable feature she could see. Three sets of yellow eyes and a low growl from across the clearing. Clover began backing away when she heard a growl behind her. She tried a different direction, but quickly realized that she was surrounded.

And then a flash of lightning and a roll of thunder marked the beginning of the downpour.

Clover racked her brain for an effective spell, now that fire was useless. The wolves approach did not help her any. She began to hyperventilate, beginning a full panic. Her mind began locking up and she couldn’t think. All she wanted to do was run. Just run away. Maybe she could make it if she bolted—

A bright flash of white light briefly blinded her. Her sense were on overdrive, which was the only reason she could make the faint sound of tinkling.

“Back, you wolves of darkness! Back!” roared an unmistakable voice.

The air was suddenly filled with the cacophonous noise of pots and pans crashing together followed by a few quick yelps. Then, silence, save for the pour of rain.

Clover’s vision returned and before her stood the very pony she did not want to see.

Starswirl the Bearded looked back at his apprentice with worry.

“What were you doing out here?! What possessed you to run out into the woods in a rainstorm?! For that matter, why were you not at the castle earlier so that we would be on our way already?”

Clover met his face of concern with one of disgust.

“Because of your petty manipulations!” she spat.

Starswirl’s eyes widened and he gasped.

“What?! How can you say that? All I am doing is trying to teach you!”

“Really? And how well do you think that’s going?”

“I don’t know, young one. Enlighten me,” Starswirl said with a hint of sarcasm.

Clover’s face contorted in rage. She finally let the dam burst free.

“I’m just another piece in your political machinations! You treat ponies as if they were tools to be used! If that’s not true, then why was I introduced to royalty so young? Hmm? Why did I spend that summer, and every summer thereafter, with the princess? You have all these grand plans, and yet you never make any plans for what I want! What if I don’t want to be involved? What if I just want to be in a library, left alone! Did you think of that?! I’m not nobility, I shouldn’t have to be subjected to the poison of politics! My entire apprenticeship, you’ve just been molding me into what you want. Why? I—”

Clover suppressed a sniffle. She gave him a hurt look. Any anger or annoyance in Starswirl’s face was replaced by contriteness.

He spoke softly to her.

“Why are the pegasi making this unexpectedly heavy thunderstorm?”

Clover gave him an incredulous look.

“I don’t know. What does that—”

“Why are the pegasi doing this?” Starswirl interrupted.

“I said, I don’t know!”

“Horseapples. You know it!”

“And you don’t?” she shot back.

With a dismayed sigh he said, “I can’t say I’m not disappointed.”

Starswirl turned his back on her and began walking away.

“Transportation,” Clover stated softly.

Starswirl stopped. He turned back to face his pupil.

Clover let out a defeated sigh.

“Transportation. Nopony wants to be out in this weather. Any who have made travel arrangements to leave today will put it off for tomorrow. When it doesn’t let up, the more brave might venture out, but they will find the roads muddy. Not enough to completely stop traffic, but enough to slow it down. Any flooding of the rivers or landslides triggered in the mountain passes is just bonus. Sure, the roads can be dried or cleared, but that would still cause a delay.

“The storm will continue the day after tomorrow because they have been hoarding raincloads. They already missed two showers in the past three months claiming “missing cloudware,” but now we know where they went. They will claim they are just making up for lost time and that we should be grateful.

“And I bet you bits to buttons that this storm is concentrated on certain cities and regions, ones where a day’s delay in leaving and a slower travel speed will mean that they will almost certainly be a day late or more to a particular meeting in three days on the other side of the Unicorn Range. And when that meeting starts, the unicorns won’t be able to push the meeting back to allow for their late companions because in the last meeting it was the unicorns who pushed to not allow the meeting time to be changed within a week of the original date.”

Starswirl smiled.

“And why, pray tell, would they want to do that?”

Clover looked down and gave another sigh.

“Because then the pegasi diplomatic envoy will almost certainly outnumber the unicorns two to one. They will either have enough leverage to push their version of the treaty or the meeting will just stall out. Either way, they plan to annex another third of the Mane Valley next month.”

Clover glared at her mentor.

“But you already know this, so why bother asking me?”

“Does King Argent know?“ Starswirl replied, “Does the council? Will they know in time? I can already see that you are thinking up solutions.”

Starswirl approached Clover and placed a forehoof on her shoulder. He looked her in the eye.

“Clover—”

“Don’t,” she snapped back.

The two waited in silence as the rain pelted them. After some time, Starswirl began walking away from the clearing. A few moments later, Clover followed.

“Happy?” she snapped.

“No, but I still do what must be done.”

The rain filled the silence for the rest of the journey back.

My dear Clover,

If you are reading this, then my predictions on the Legend of the Alicorn are true. I will have pursued it and unfortunately, this means I will no longer be in this world. It is with a heavy heart that I make this choice, and if I could have it any other way, I would choose to stay. But it is my choice to make and I realize the implications of it. I hope you trust me when I say that I am not doing this for my own glory and gain, but for ponykind everywhere. If we ponies continue as we have, then we will be but a brief flicker in the darkness that is our world.

I know you are aware of the immediate repercussions of my absence on the court. I’m not asking you anything. You know that unchecked, King Argent will steer the unicorns back into the same bickering and power-plays that have dominated our kind since the dawn of civilization. Clover, you are of this world whether you like it or not. It is up to you to decide if you are to do great things. No one else can make that choice, not King Argent, not Princess Platinum, not even me. You always have that choice.

I want you to know that it has been an immense pleasure teaching you. Everything I did was to help you.

With love and no regrets,
Starswirl

*****

Clover put the letter down as she fought back a tear. Three years ago she received that letter. She was distraught, angry, betrayed, confused. She understood with her mind why he did what he did, but not with her heart. Inevitably though, she accepted the position of court mage, but her advice fell on deaf ears. She watched the king rip open old wounds to make advances and undo the last decade of Starswirl’s work. A year passed and the king’s health had declined considerably. Clover, with some cunning diplomacy, averted a coup by a rival noble family and managed to have the court more-or-less accept Princess Platinum as their regent ruler. Platinum elevated Clover to prime advisor and bestowed the title “the Clever” on her. Clover spent most of her days trying to keep the kingdom together as relations between the three tribes continued to deteriorate.

And Starswirl made this seem easy.

The door burst open and a freezing Princess Platinum drifted in along with a blast of sleet.

“Clover the Clever! I need you!” the Princess said as she dropped to the ground, sulking.

Clover looked at Platinum, helpless on the ground. The snooty and hysteric unicorn that by no right other than her blood held the future of the unicorn tribe in her hooves. A future she was surely to squander in petty disputes and trivialities. It didn’t matter how hard Clover tried, Platinum and the other unicorn elite were talented in wreaking any sensible idea. There was no point in trying to steer a sinking ship.

Clover, it is up to you to decide if you are to do great things.

No. No, she wasn’t going to surcumb to dispair. Starswirl had taught her better. She might not do great things, but shouldn’t she keep trying to avert disaster? Who knows, that sinking ship might make it after all. If she stops trying she’ll never know. Clover the Clever took a breath and levitated a blanket onto her liege-lady.

“Yes, your majesty. Did the other pony tribes see reason as I predicted?”

Epilogue

Twilight set the last journal entry down. Arranged before her and Rainbow were the collection of letters, diary entries and other notes that came from the chest. The two sat in silence for some time, absorbing what they had discovered.

“Huh,” Dash said, breaking the silence.

The unicorn grinned and began putting the precious papers away.

“I mean, I thought it was kinda cool trying to piece it all together. Gives me a lot to think about, Twi.”

“That’s an understatement,” Twilight remarked, “Come on Rainbow, we have a history book to write!”