"Isn't it strange? All these great stories, these... 'literary wonders' of our time seem to share one interesting trait: they are plagued by monologues.

Let it be a foreword, the start of a chapter, the climax of any major segment in the story, with every one it is always the same affair: the creators take a moment to open their very souls and flood our minds with all of their wisdom. Questioning ourselves and our true nature. Questioning our place in this world, our very existence as equines. Leaving us with naught but a lingering, unspoken promise of providing an answer. One that will truly bring enlightenment once the great tale has been told...

...and all such tales are naught but bloated, overflowing heaps of absolutely worthless nonsense!

After all, why should you allow your story to speak for itself? Let it slowly unfold and reach clarity on its own?

No, you should instead make a pathetic attempt to hide your incompetence. Save the effort of writing something meaningful by bombarding the audience with thunderous speeches, as one would cloak something of little value with an expensive veil. Play it loud and unyielding, like the opening chord of the great symphonies, and let nopony hear the foul notes that you hide underneath.

But already we have fallen to the illusion, mesmerized by those magnificent words. Our blissful stupor shall betray us, leaving us numb to the underlying sting: our thirst for true wisdom. When it does return, gaining no satisfaction from the empty rambling, it now drives us merely to continue. Submit to hearing more of the tale in a vain hope of finding what we seek...

Bah! Don't listen to me, Beardy, I speak too much! Let your thirst be the one adversary which troubles you, for tonight we shall vanquish that as well!"

– Star Swirl the Bearded: Tales Between Drinks Between Friends (excerpt)

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Could you have ever believed it?

A few years ago you probably would have laughed it off and reached for another bottle from the pack. You were small, insignificant, and no troubles of the world could bother you.

Now, here we stand before an entire ocean of ponies. Roaring, screaming, thrashing about to your every sound and motion.

When you look upon this great mass of unrestrained life, what do you ask yourself?

Perhaps you might wonder how you came to be here?

Maybe it was a gift of some higher order? A random, or perhaps a deliberate choice that fell upon you, granting you the talents one would need to achieve such immeasurable success?

Or was it your own doing all along? No will of some world beyond, no predestined path for your life to take? Only your strength and determination pressing you forward, letting you surpass all others that tried the same path?

Who could ever know? Does it even matter to us now?

Only one thing is certain: something happened on that fateful day almost a decade ago, and your life took an entirely new turn. You stepped forward boldly, embraced the unknown, and went on to shake the very foundations of Equestria.

One could assume it is a story worth being told...

Author's Notes:

Moved this into its own chapter.

EDIT: This fic originally included the lyrics to some of the songs that it contains. Due to the new site rules, I decided to remove them. My apologies if this led to a decrease in quality...