//------------------------------//
// Arcanichalcum 
// Story: The Book Of Friendship 
// by XombieSlayr 
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(Starlight asks Trixie if she would like to help write this next entry. But Trixie is too busy reading through a chapter of the book detailing advanced stage magics and acts of prestidigitation. She's far too engrossed for a full answer and merely waves a hoof for Starlight to go on without her)

(Starlight rolls her eyes then opens her journal to a fresh page and scribbles the title at the top)

Starlight's Journal: Arcanichalcum

Archanichalcum is a hypothetical naturally occurring element first coined by Star Swirl The Bearded in one of his later texts. He describes it as and I quote: "Very pretty. A translucent blue crystal-like material, that is extraordinarily heavy, yet when measured, it weighs less then nothing. It has mysterious unknown properties of which we are unable to decipher in our age. The only thing we know is that it is able to store and preserve magic, seemingly, indefinitely. A natural element, yet nigh impossible to find, and even rarer to find in more then a few small pieces." End Quote.

Now, Oceana, friend of Omnipotence and The First Element Of Loyalty, as well as the queen of Seaquestria, had discovered Arcanichalcum on the ocean floors, thousands of years before Star Swirl's parents were even born. She details her findings and thoughts in her chapter in The Book Of Friendship. She says, and I quote:

"The more of it we find, the more we feel we must know about it. My scientists have uncovered several more slabs of the stuff while I write this, and they have already discovered several things about it."

"One: It's naturally occurring, and it has apparently been on this planet for far longer then any of us have."

"Two: It has incredible magical properties, but more so it seems that it is able to preserve any kind of magic for an unlimited amount of time. Somehow, as long as there is another piece of this stuff somewhere in the world, then it's all completely unaffected by time or damage. We haven't managed to even scratch a single piece yet."

"Three: One of my scientists in particular, Coral, has informed me that if it were needed, Arcanichalcum can also be used to preserve a pony in suspended animation, keeping them alive for thousands if not hundreds of thousands of years. It would also halt the aging process, keeping them the same age as when they were first frozen in the stuff. Of course, such a thing is ludicrous to think as a possibility. Research will continue as expected."

It's the last thing she says, that speaks to me the most: "Suspended animation, keeping them alive for thousands if not hundreds of thousands of years."

Immortality or at least agelessness has only ever been a quality of ancient alicorns, most notably Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, who have been the same age for over a thousand years, and alive for several more thousand.

Now...what if other ponies could do this? Staying alive, perfectly ageless for untold centuries. I can only imagine the possibilities.

Encasing yourself for preservation is one thing, but what if Arcanichalcum's ageless properties could be harnessed to simply allow a pony to live as long as Celestia and Luna? Perhaps a talisman or charm of some kind.

I'll do some side research into this, in addition to my entries on The Book Of Friendship. I may also bring Twilight into helping me with this as well. I feel like I haven't even begun to scratch the surface on what this mysterious element can teach us.

For now, I will end my latest entry here. I may also add any findings on Arcanichalcum I discover to my journal, along with future entries.

Until my next one!