The Desperate Journals of Starlight Glimmer

by Arararagi

Entry #6

There are four different categories of magic: spells, enchantments, natural, and primal magic. The first three are fairly common in Equestria. Unicorns can use spells, and especially talented ones can permanently infuse objects with their magic, creating an enchantment. Anypony can use natural magic. Each tribe has their own form of natural magic. Pegasi can fly at ridiculous speed and manipulate the weather, and Earth ponies to get their super strength. Unicorns can levitate objects without casting a spell. It is their innate natural magic that allows them to do this.

Spells are slightly different. They require using our bodies as a conduit to pull mana from the Aether into Equestria. Then, when the correct amount and type of mana is gathered in our horn, we can form it into a spell. Doing this process quickly can require immense amounts of practice, depending on the spell.

Primal magic, on the other hoof, is very rare. It only occurs under extraordinary circumstances, and until now I had only known of its existence in theory. I am explaining this because after thinking hard throughout the day, the only explanation I can think of for my sudden travel fifty-five years into the past is primal magic.

Starswirl’s focus crystal must have absorbed an insane amount of mana in the time that it was left there, alone. Princess Luna did say it was left there before she was imprisoned in the moon, so that would mean it was there for over a thousand years. Focus crystals absorb and, with a unicorn’s help, can convert mana into useful energies, or even other kinds of mana.

One known circumstance for primal magic to occur is when an extremely large amount of uncontrolled mana is gathered in one spot. The uncontrolled part is the difficult part, because if, say a unicorn were to purposely try to store a very large amount of mana in a focus crystal on purpose, it would most likely just dissipate harmlessly. Something very different happens, however, when the mana gathers naturally. I won’t get into the details (go read one of Twilight’s textbooks if you’re that interested), but the gist is if that crystal slowly naturally charged itself with mana, then it is theoretically possible for it to cause very strange things to anypony who gets near it.

Honestly, I got lucky. There are old stories of ponies who encounter primal magic and disappear forever, never to be heard of again. I briefly considered the possibility they got thrown into the distant past as well, but I can’t think of much evidence to back that claim up. More importantly, I can’t think of one case where I’ve heard of somepony appearing claiming to be from far in the future.

What is a more pressing concerning to me, however, is the strange predicament I find myself in. No known spell in existence will get me back to the year 1248. I briefly considered going back to the castle here, in the past, and trying to replicate the event but in reverse, but it is far too risky to consider. First of all, I have no idea how primal magic works besides basic theory, and secondly no pony has ever pulled off such a feat. At a time like this, I wish Twilight were here, but sadly she won’t be born till over thirty years from now.

On a happier note, I spent the rest of today getting to know the Apple family from this period. Even now, Granny Smith is still the head of the household, despite being not much older than me. I see no signs of her or Ambrosia’s parents, but I did glean a bit of information when Ambrosia once called Granny Smith ‘big sis’. I had never heard of Granny Smith having a sister, but the more burning question I have is about their parents. Where are they? Several times I almost asked, but it felt too presumptuous. I am just a guest here after all, and they only just met me.

I am far too tired to write much more tonight, so I will sign off here. Hopefully tomorrow I can get some more useful information.

*******

June 10th, 1193 R.C.

Ponyville really isn’t the same. I knew it, but seeing it in pony was hard for me, emotionally. I guess I’m getting homesick already. The really odd part was meeting ponies. They introduce themselves and I can try and do the mental math and figure out who they are related to.

For reference, I’ll write information about all the ponies I met today here:

• Butter Hooves -(Probably) related to Ditzy Doo, currently single cream colored pegasus. The only pegasus currently living in Ponyville. Is responsible for the weather, but often makes mistakes.
• Sweet Tooth - Rose colored mare with a light blue mane. Runs a candy store called ‘Sweets and Treats’. The building will later become Sugarcube Corner. Might be related to either Mr. or Mrs. Cake.
• Mrs. Stickler - I don’t know her full name. Runs the Ponyville Library. As you might guess, she has strict rules. I prefer Twilight’s library in the castle.
• Post Haste - The Mailmare. An earth pony stallion with a grey coat and a curly, lime green mane.
• Stone Foundation - A well-built earth pony stallion with a golden coat and a brick red mane. When I asked Granny Smith about him, she told me he mainly repairs furniture and plumbing, but he is also the first pony you talk to when you want to build something.
• Mane Doo - Runs the only clothing store, and barber shop in Ponyville, Manes and More. Despite peach colored tones that make up his coat and mane, and the rather nasal voice, Mane Doo is a stallion.

I guess I should also write about what actually happened today, huh? To be honest, it was a bit boring. I should probably write down one conversation I had with Granny Smith and Ambrosia, though. We were at Sweets and Treats having lunch, when Ambrosia brought up my past.

“Where are you from?” She had asked, innocently enough.

“A town far north of here.” I answered, trying to be as simple as possible.

“So how did you end up lost in the Everfree Forest?”

“I don’t know. There is a gap in my memory, and then I woke up stuck in a tree. Granny Smith helped me get free.” I gave said saviour a warm smile of thanks.

“Do you know how to get home?” Ambrosia asked, showing concern for me the first time since I had met her.

“No.” I replied, and this time it was the honest truth.

“Do you want to go home?”

“Yes, of course. If you woke up in some other town, wouldn’t you miss Ponyville?”

Ambrosia nodded. “Yeah, I would.”

After that, Ambrosia acted a bit nicer towards me. The rest of the day was rather uneventful, and for that I’m grateful. I’ll sign off for tonight here. I haven’t come up with a plan quite yet, and I honestly, I could use a few days to think.

*******

Wednesday, June 11th

The morning came all too early for me. Ambrosia and I were rudely awoken at the crack of dawn by Granny Smith to do chores. While I did the rather mundane tasks Granny Smith gave me, I thought hard about my situation. I definitely need somepony’s help, but who could I ask? Who would believe me? Twilight wasn’t an option, nor were any of my other friends, which made me feel like there was only one pony in all of Equestria who might be able to help: Princess Celestia.

The problem, then, is how to get a private audience with Princess Celestia. From experience I know that she can’t just have a private meeting with anypony who asked. If she did, she would never have any time left to govern Equestria. That meant I would have to go through her aides and her staff, ponies that would probably be different from the ones I knew half a century from now.

Once our morning chores were finished, Celestia’s sun hung high in the sky. It was about noon, and Granny Smith announced it was time for lunch. She made hay sandwiches and sliced some of our freshly bucked apples. We sat around on a picnic cloth Ambrosia laid out for us as we ate.

“If I asked you how to get to Canterlot,” I said, chewing on my sandwich. “Would you know how to get there?”

“How to get to Canterlot?” Granny Smith laughed. “You walk north! That’s it! Or..” She rubbed her chin a bit, “I suppose some folks use carriages, but I don’t know when the next carriage ride to Canterlot would be. It might be a week or more from now. And you ain’t got bits, right, Starlight?”

I frowned. Walking to Canterlot could take several days, and a carriage wouldn’t be much better. I tried to remember how old the Ponyville express was. It must not have been built yet.

“What’s gotten into ya?” Granny Smith asked concernedly. “Did you remember somethin’ about yer past?”

“Only vaguely.” I nodded. “I was on my way to Canterlot. I think if I go there I might find out more.” I felt bad lying to Granny Smith, but I assured myself there wasn’t another option here.

We were all silent for a moment, before Ambrosia suddenly exclaimed,

“I think you should go then!”

“Yes, I should.” I answered seriously. “It’s what I need to do. I’m sure of it.”

“Well, if you need to go to Canterlot we better go buy some supplies. I know Stone will look after the farm for a few days if I ask nicely.”

“You’re coming with me?” I asked.

“Of course! It wouldn’t sit right with me if I found out you didn’t make it to Canterlot safely, so I’ll just have to tag along. I know Ambrosia here has been wanting to go on a trip for a while and this is a good chance.”

“Thank you!” I said sincerely, but Granny Smith started laughing hysterically. I gave her a confused look and waited for her to explain what was so funny.

“Oh Miss Starlight,”

“Please, just ‘Starlight’ is fine.”

She nodded and continued, “I hope you didn’t think I was accompanying you fer free.”

“I.. um, yes?” I gave her my best smile, hoping she wasn’t about to say what I thought.

“We’ll be pulling wagons of fresh apples the whole way. If we’re going all the way to Canterlot, we might as well make a few bits.”

All I could do in response was sigh. Ambrosia tried to give me a sympathetic look, but I could tell she was laughing on the inside.

The rest of the afternoon was rather uneventful. We bought various supplies for our trip, and I entertained Ambrosia with some simple games until dinner time.

The entire time I had to keep ignoring these burning questions I have about what happens to her between now and fifty years in the future. At one point she even called me out on it.

“Why do you look sad?” She had asked.

“Because I don’t really know what I’m going to do when we get to Canterlot.” I lied.

“I’m sure you’ll remember when we get there.” She replied back at me, grinning ear to ear. Her optimism was infectious. I smiled back.

“Yeah.”

We sat in silence, watching the beautiful sunset from the front porch, before going inside and eating dinner. We promptly went to bed afterwards, with the intention of beginning our journey tomorrow. So here I am, signing off.

Author's Note:

It took far too long for me to publish this chapter. I had to revise it several times, and I kept getting writer's block.

Next chapter is already being written, though. To Canterlot we go!