Chapter 4 - The Ancestor (Edited 01.04. by JBL)
The throne room was quiet, eerily so. Not a word had been uttered since the bearded pony had emerged from the mist produced by the staff. The princesses were rooted to the spot, their eyes wide and mouths comically agape as they stared at the unknown pony. The guards stood at the ready, their spears aimed at the intruder, but he didn’t seem to take note of them.
Several tense moments passed before the pony spoke once more. “It’s good to be home, to see Equestria and familiar faces.” He looked around the room, sounding relieved for some reason.
Still the princesses stared, their wings splayed out and frozen, until one of them lurched forward . “S-S-Starswirl? Is that you?” Celestia carefully asked, her voice trembling with uncertainty.
The bearded pony smiled and nodded to her. “H-How can this be? You disappeared so long ago!” Luna queried, visibly swallowing.
The bearded pony, who I now understood was named Starswirl, took a few steps forward until he stood right in front of Celestia. He met her gaze and smiled fondly, then reached out a hoof towards her chest. His hoof passed right through her, causing Celestia to scramble backwards, the confident and unyielding demeanor I had come to associate with her completely shattered.
“I’m sorry, girls, but as you can see, I’m not here as you once knew me.” There was a note of sorrow in his voice. “My story is long and the time I have left is short. May we speak in private?”
“Everypony is to leave the room immediately! Nopony but my sister, Princess Sparkle, and myself shall remain! We shall not be interrupted!” Princess Luna's voice boomed throughout the throne room, causing me to instinctively cover my ears.
The guards began to escort the assembled nobles out of the room, eliciting spirited protests, and I found myself being levitated as well. A unicorn guard had enveloped me within his magical grasp, and I floated in the air behind him as we headed for the doors. I took one look at my hands and noticed a tan aura covering them and indeed my entire body.
“Not him!” the bearded pony said loudly, my head swiveling to look at him. “Put the boy down. He must also hear this.”
The guard who carried me stopped in his tracks, looking to the princesses for confirmation. Celestia and Luna looked at each other, then to the bearded pony, before nodding to the guard. I found myself gently placed down onto the floor, hooves first.
“Come, boy, sit with me. This is about you.” His voice was like that of an old man, full of experience and the years to back it. His eyes held a note of grief in them, however. Despite my confusion at this entire situation, I once again briefly wondered how I could read their facial expressions so easily. These ponies were so much like humans, yet so different at the same time. The sound of the door being shut echoed across the room, causing me to jump slightly. I looked around the room, now noticing that I was alone in this room with the three princesses and the pony that had emerged from my staff.
I began to slowly walk towards him. The eyes of the princesses shifted from me to the old pony, observing us both. It was as though they were ensuring that I wouldn’t do anything untoward to him. The sound my hooves made on the marble floor echoed throughout the large room, each step careful and measured. Finally, I stood a few meters from Starswirl and was about to sit down when he held up a hoof.
“Come now, Magnus, don’t be shy. I would never dream of hurting you.” He waved a hoof, gesturing for me to come closer.
His voice! It suddenly struck me! He was the one who spoke to me when I was unconscious! Once I focused on his voice I remembered what he told me.
“You…” I swallowed the lump in my throat as I took a single step forward. “I remember your voice.”
He nodded in reply. “That was me, Magnus. I tried to guide you as well as I could. As you can see, we are both in a very special place.”
As he spoke, I took the final steps and sat down cross-legged next to him, resting my chained hands in my lap. Who was this pony? How did he know my name and why had he appeared from the staff? I looked behind me. The staff still stood upright like a fencepost, the white mist having mostly dispersed, though some still lingered within the room.
“How do you feel now? Is your head okay?”
“Huh?” I turned back to the bearded pony.
“Your head.” He pointed to my bandaged forehead. It occurred to me that this was the first time that a pony had shown genuine concern about my health. “Does it hurt?”
I lifted a hand to my head and the bandage. I didn’t actually feel anything from it, other than the tight bandage itself.
“Uh, no, I… I feel good,” I answered and rubbed my forehead.
Starswirl nodded and smiled to me, seemingly satisfied with my brief answer. He then turned to the princesses again, his eyes falling on the purple one to the far right.
“Oh, who’s this?” he asked and walked closer to Twilight Sparkle, who had done little but stare at him for past few moments. “Another princess?”
Her jaw looked as though it was about to fall to the floor. She didn’t respond, and it took Princess Celestia nudging her before she snapped out of her state.
“I… uhm, I-I’m Twilight Sparkle, Sir Bearded— I mean Sir Swirl!” she stuttered out, a sentence that took nearly half a minute to complete.
“Never mind the titles, Princess Sparkle.” He chuckled. “I was never fond of them before, and I’m certainly not about to start using them now.”
Twilight Sparkle looked like she was about to faint and began to wobble slightly but managed to sit down before she nearly fell over. The bearded pony smiled at her before turning back to the other two princesses. The two larger ponies had kept their eyes glued to him, a longing glint evident, but now their gazes shifted to me. The anger in their eyes was gone, instead observing me speculatively.
“Celestia, Luna, it’s good to see you here. It’s been so long.” He sounded invigorated, the subtle tenor of sorrow having vanished. “The years have been kind to you.”
Much to my surprise, Celestia and Luna both gave a slight bow to him. It wasn’t much but enough to make me understand that they respected him deeply.
After raising their heads, Celestia spoke quietly, “How can you be here, dearest friend? We thought you were dead.”
“I am dead,” was the single reply that came from Starswirl. The princesses gasped. He poked a hoof at his chest and it passed right through as it had done with Celestia, like there was nothing physical about him, as if he was a mirage. “This is a construct, a being of my own magic that bears a copy of my memories.”
“Then…” Princess Luna took a cautious step towards him, as if to move quickly would disperse his very existence. “You have truly passed away?” Her voice trembled at the last word, her eyes bright with unshed tears.
“Indeed, Luna. I could not live forever—few can. My passing came long ago and it happened peacefully.” He gave them a reassuring smile tinged with sadness.
“I… see.” Celestia looked defeated, the glow of her mane seeming muted. A single sparkling tear trailed down her cheek and matted her fur. “We always hoped that… that somehow… somewhere…”
“Oh, I was somewhere alright,” Starswirl replied with a loud chuckle. “A place you wouldn't believe—another world.”
“Then he…” Celestia was about to ask when Starswirl finished her answer.
“Yes, his world.” He walked right next to me and sat, mere centimetres away. “Magnus’ world. Earth.”
“How do you—” I began to ask before he held up a hoof.
“I will tell you how I know about Earth,” he turned to the princesses, “and to you all as well. I would advise you to take your seats, as my tale is quite long.” The princesses nodded to him and sat down on their cushions, curling their legs under themselves like cats.
Starswirl took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and sighed, seemingly collecting his thoughts. “It all began after the last mare in my herd passed away. Diamond Constellation was my lead mare, my first love, my…” He shook his head slightly. “I was wracked with guilt and sorrow. Despite all my power, my magical prowess, I could not save her from Hornrot. It ate at her, left her weakened and delirious, and I could do nothing but watch as she slowly succumbed to the disease. My anguish was so great that I began to bury myself in my research to escape from the world, doing all that I could to try and avoid the heartache.”
“We remember,” Luna murmured quietly. “We attempted to comfort thee in thine time of need.”
“And I pushed you both away,” Starswirl replied quickly, lifting his mournful eyes to meet Luna’s. “I was so angry—angry at the world, angry at the illness, angry at everything. I pushed you both away when I needed you the most, and for that I’m sorry.”
He took a deep shuddering breath before continuing. I could plainly recognize grief when I saw it. My grandfather’s funeral had been just over two years ago, and I had been a wreck for weeks. Even my friends had shed tears for him, for he had been a presence in their lives as well.
“My desperate attempts at avoiding my grief had finally reached its peak. I heard of the weather manipulating abilities that the griffons used, and although it was basically the same magic of the pegasi, I wanted to investigate it to look for discrepancies. Six months after Diamond’s funeral, I left my family's castle and found a trading vessel headed for the Ironfeather Kingdom, leaving the Unicorn Kingdom and eventually… Equus.
“It was off the coast of what is now Western Equestria it happened. One moment, it was a tranquil night, chaos the next. I was fast asleep in the cabin when the alarm bell sounded all over the ship. Wide awake within moments, I rushed up to the deck to see what was happening. I expected pirates, but what I saw nothing could have prepared me for: a golden orb of light hovering above the water’s surface.”
I released a strangled sound of surprise, causing Starswirl to briefly look at me and nod. “The very same.” He turned back to the princesses. “We were stunned, all of us. None of us had seen anything like it before, and we were captivated by its beauty. Nopony even noticed that the ship was slowly being dragged into the orb. The creaking sound of the ship being broken apart was the only warning, and by then it was all too late. Our efforts to steer away were without effect, the bow destroyed first, followed by the sails and masts. In our efforts escape, I sensed my grip on the deck slipping until I could feel it no longer. I was in the air, moving rapidly towards the orb of light, and then… I felt nothing more.
“I don’t know much time passed before I regained consciousness. It might have been days or hours, but when I did, I found myself on a sandy beach, battered and bruised but still alive. Somehow, I found the strength to cling to a door that managed to keep my weight afloat, and the current must have carried me to dry land. I didn’t even lose my hat.” He smiled and looked up to his pointy hat, which seemed a few sizes too large for him.
“You were always fond of your hat, dear Starswirl.” Celestia giggled lightly.
“You know me: better take good care of a good hat.” Starswirl replied with a good-hearted chuckle that ended quickly, his face adopting a thoughtful expression.
“I remained on that beach for hours, hoping that the other crewmembers had survived and perhaps would find their way to me. I had no idea where I was, but I knew that I had to stay put. As the first day was about to end, I found a small pond with fresh water near the beach, edible but disgusting tasting grass, and built myself a small shelter. However, the greatest discovery I made concerned the earth I walked on, the water I drank, the grass I ate, and the air I breathed. Though it might sound unbelievable, I offer you the truth.” He paused, seemingly measuring the reactions of the princesses before him. “There was no magic to be felt anywhere.”
His statement made the assembled ponies gasp. They looked at him as though he was a madman, disbelief obvious in their eyes. “That’s impossible!” Twilight Sparkle interjected passionately, scrambling to sit up from her cushion. “Life can’t exist without magic! It’s a fundamental fact that you proved long ago!”
In return, the elderly pony just smiled to her. “Just because magic cannot be felt doesn’t mean it's not there, young princess. However, I will return to that subject if I am allowed the time.”
The lavender princess opened her mouth to respond, seemingly eager to discuss this magic of theirs. Her large eyes looked manic, and it took what seemed like a great effort on her part for her to calm herself and sit down on her cushion. Starswirl merely nodded before continuing.
“It soon became clear to me that I was no longer on Equus. With this world brimming with magic, having felt it within one’s body and mind all one’s life and then suddenly not feeling it anymore… It left one feeling very much alone and rather frightened. Still, at the time, I was focusing on survival itself and less on studies of that strange place. Every day, debris was washed ashore by the currents and tide–barrels of fresh water, a crate of soggy food, an apple or two…” He paused for a moment. “Then bodies.”
He clenched his eyes shut. “It was on the third day that the bodies came in with the tide. There were fifteen unicorns on the trading ship; only ten were washed ashore and I buried them on that beach the very same evening. With my wife's funeral fresh in mind, the mass funeral I gave them brought back many memories. I cried myself to sleep that night.” His jaw trembled slightly before he grimaced.
Slowly he opened his eyes, a spectral tear falling. “I knew then that I was on my own and that I couldn’t remain at my shelter. With my mind on survival, I left the beach with a few flasks of water and some scavenged food, and headed inland. For days I trekked through swamps and dense vegetation. When my food ran out, I was forced to eat hay, grass, and edible plants, none of which were particularly palatable. Nevertheless, I was determined to outlast that place. For two weeks I wandered, surviving on the land itself while looking for a settlement or locals in an effort to find help. Dangerous beasts often tried to attack me, believing that I was a easy meal for them. However, they were no match for my magic.” He cracked a small smile and looked up to his horn that poked out from underneath his hat. “A small gout of flame usually scared them off. Even if that strange place didn’t have magic, it didn’t affect me at all.”
“Did you meet the inhabitants of the land?” Celestia asked.
“I did,” he replied with a nod. “One day I came across a peculiar creature that looked very much like Magnus here.” He gestured with a hoof at me, the princesses turning and studying me like I was on display. It made me feel like a piece of meat at the butcher’s shop.
“A human?” Luna asked.
“Yes, a female wearing primitive clothing and wielding a crude spear. I was surprised to find anypony living here, and she was just as surprised as me. She was wary at first and refused to approach me. Her language was one I could not understand. My efforts at communicating with her were eventually fruitful, and through images written in the dirt, I told her that I came from the sea and was looking for a village for help. She understood and, through her own images, said she came from a village two days away to the north of our position. I asked if I could come with her, and she agreed to lead me there.”
A smile came to his muzzle, and he sighed contently. “That was how I first met the daughter of the chief.” The way his eyes crinkled and the underlying warmth in his voice suggested that he had been rather fond of the chief’s daughter, perhaps even… No. A pony and a human? Just… no. Even if these ponies were sapient beings, the notion itself was… appalling. Bestiality generally was.
“During the walk to the village, I learned her name: Ailen. I gave her my name as well—after all, isn’t politeness a good first sign when meeting somepony new?” He cracked a small smile at his joke. “I tried to learn her language so that I could better communicate with her, but two days was a very short amount of time. I was also unsure of how her people would welcome me. Would it be with curiosity or spears? She always kept her spear close, and if I walked too close, she would grasp it tighter. I wisely kept my distance during our trek.”
He paused for a moment but continued before the sheer silence of the room could begin to unnerve me. “We finally reached her village. I knew from her crude spear and clothes that she belonged to a primitive race, and her village was a reflection of that. There were no proper houses or castles, only tents made from the hide of animals and crude huts made of clay and wood. There was a time when I would frown on such conditions, but I was no longer allowed to be picky.”
I noticed Princess Twilight grimace at that, though the look soon faded.
“When we entered the village, her people all gathered around me. I guessed they had never seen anything like me before, but they kept their distance. Ailen introduced me to the leader and her father, Chief Amitola. He was an older man, but strong and wise with an affinity for comprehending the images I drew in the sand. He understood that I came from the sea, but somehow he did not understand the image of the ship I had been on. Nopony could.” Starswirl once again chuckled heartily, much to the confusion of us all. Slowly his laughter died down and he composed himself. “Since I came from the sea and my name was Star, they called me ‘Star of the Sea’. Somehow, that name stuck with me for the rest of my life.”
“Star of the Sea.” Luna laughed at that. “You always liked traveling on the seas, dearest friend. The name they gave you was a perfect match.”
Starswirl smiled but didn’t respond, instead continuing his story. “It took many days for me to be completely understood by the chief and his daughter. Many waking nights were spent devising new images and creating ways to make myself comprehensible. In the end, I was allowed to stay in the village if I so wished, and with no other place to go, I chose to stay until I could discover how to get back home. Using my magic, I made for myself a new hut where I could live comfortably while understanding this land of no magic. However, it was my magic itself that attracted some attention.”
“They didn’t hurt you for it, did they?” Celestia asked, sounding a bit concerned for the old pony.
“Harmed me?” He burst into laughter. “Oh no! Not at all! They loved it, couldn’t get enough of it! While I built my hut, they all sat around and watched me. I’ve had a crowd before when I performed my magic, but this was a new level of awe. See, they believed me to be a spirit sent to them, to help them. To them, I was the Spirit of Magic, a creature born of the sea to wander the land. To them, I was a god.”
“Did they worship you?” Twilight asked. It would make sense, seeing that certain tribes believed in spirits of nature and that sort of things centuries ago.
“To begin with, but that changed as time passed,” he replied. “They welcomed me to live with them as a visiting spirit. I made it my mission to go back to Equus, and since a magical phenomenon had sent me there, I was determined to find my way back home. I began to investigate the land for traces of magic and found a companion to help me in doing so.”
“A member of the tribe?” Twilight asked.
“The tribe had a seer who knew of all the old and sacred places, but she was very old and frail and rarely left her tent. No, it was the chief’s daughter, Ailen, who became my steadfast guide in the strange land. She showed me the tribe’s sacred locations in the wilderness so that I could search for a source of magic. We visited many places, both near and distant, but there was nothing to be found,” he concluded and shook his head lightly.
I couldn’t say I was surprised that he didn’t find anything. My grandfather had told me of such places and their significance. Burial grounds, special glades in the forest, ritual sites—they were considered sacred because of their meaning. Burial grounds were to be respected, and ritual sites were places where offerings to the gods and the spirits were made, hoping for a strong son or beautiful daughter, a good year, luck in battle, and so on. It was all as make-believe as the burning bush.
“As the weeks passed and eventually months, I began to lose hope. Each place we visited was as barren of magic as the rest of the land. Sometimes it felt like I was walking in a desert despite the greenery surrounding me. I slipped into a deep depression and some days I didn’t wish to wake up at all. I felt… alone and without purpose.” Starswirl sighed and sat down on the marble floor. It was strange that he could, despite earlier demonstrating that he had no physical form. I was also reminded that I hadn’t even questioned how he could do all those things and how he had emerged from inside the staff. Frankly, I didn’t care. I had seen too many weird things lately.
“We are not meant to be alone, my friend.” Celestia flashed him a compassionate smile. “We are social beings, flourishing when we are together.”
“Indeed,” Luna added. “Our harmony is based on the friendships we form with other ponies. Surrounded by friends and family, we thrive and form bonds.”
Starswirl nodded sombrely. “Yes, I remember well the lessons you taught me. I made friends with many members of the tribe, and they often helped me when my grief about my situation became overwhelming. I also found a new calling: healing.”
“Uhm, didn’t they have proper hospitals or doctors?” Twilight piped up.
“No, their healing arts weren’t as advanced as ours were in the days of the Unicorn Kingdom. They used certain herbs and natural remedies with weak effects. Frankly, it was inefficient. I knew a fair bit about healing spells and often gave a helping hoof when a situation required it. I could weave flesh together and mend broken bones, alleviate pain, and heal certain diseases. A simple healing spell could save a life, and after working my magic on the sick and wounded, they asked me to become the tribe’s healer. I gladly accepted because now my existence had meaning.”
That made sense. If he knew how to heal with his magic, then he would be invaluable, especially back then. I had to wonder at the possibilities of their magic. To me, it seemed to be something powerful and useful. I imagine that if doctors and nurses back on Earth had healing magic, then we might not have illnesses such as AIDS and cancer. The possibilities could be endless if applied correctly.
“Two years passed in the blink of an eye,” Starswirl continued, unaware of my private musings. “I had found a new calling and a new purpose in my life, and I will say that I was content with what I had. I had learned their language and could communicate without problem. Often I would talk with the chief and his daughter about my world. I had revealed to them that I was not a spirit, merely a displaced being from another world who had lost his way. The friendship I had made with the two was strong enough that they accepted me even though I wasn’t of their world.”
The princesses smiled fondly at him. They seemed to be happy to hear that he hadn’t been abused or hunted. I suppose that the miracles he performed for the tribe had been too much of a boon to give up, or perhaps they had considered him a friend. Or maybe they had feared his wrath if he was harmed in any way.
“I had changed drastically from the pony I once was to this new ‘Star of the Sea’, and I wasn’t the only one.” A thoughtful smile appeared on the old pony’s lips. For a moment, his eyes drifted as he remained silent, seemingly remembering something. “From time to time, I still left the village in search of anything that could help me find a clue as to how I ended up there, and each time Ailen would come with me. We became good friends during the two years that had passed, and she would often come see me. Often I would end up simply admiring her. Her strange but unique form, her beautiful eyes, her smile, her… everything about her,” he added quietly, almost to himself.
“You mean to tell us that you…” Luna inquired hesitantly. “You developed feelings for this human mare?”
Starswirl nodded shyly. “I don’t know when or how it began. It just…. happened. Was it loneliness? Desire? Perhaps even love?” He shook his head slightly. “It just did. One day I was happy to have her as my friend, and sometime later I found myself thinking of her as more than a friend.” He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. “I tried my best to push notions of love out of my head. I was seventy-two years old, past my prime and with an uncertain future ahead of me. Ailen was in her early thirties, young and beautiful, without a mate, and many of the tribes warriors fought for her attention. Despite my best efforts, my emotions still churned in me.”
He opened his eyes and stared at the floor. “Denying that you are in love is terrible for the heart.” He looked up to the princesses and saw their fond smiles. “And I couldn’t do it. I had to know if she thought of me the same way. If she had feelings for me, then it was something I could work with and if not, well, then I would know the truth and would try to forget those feelings of love. That same night, I spoke with her. I poured my heart out to her, told her how I felt about her and the emotions that warred within me. When I was finished, she became silent for several moments.” Starswirl paused, a twinkle in his eyes. The princesses remained silent, not taking the bait, though I somehow knew from the way their lips curved that they had deduced what had happened.
I didn’t. It sounded disgusting.
After a long pause, a smile came to the old unicorn’s lips. At first it was like the corners of his mouth had been tugged upwards, and within seconds he wore a wide grin. “She told me that she had feelings for me as well,” he stated simply. “For almost as long as I had been interested in her, she had felt the same. When I asked her why she had fallen in love with me, her answer was… interesting. I was different than the warriors in the village. I behaved differently, spoke differently and—” Starswirl snorted lightly. “I was never good with the opposite sex, not even with another species. I could be clumsy and awkward at times, which she found humorous.”
“I do remember with great clarity certain incidents during our travels,” Luna interjected with an impish smile. “A particular bathing incident…”
“ANYWAY!” Starswirl blurted out, much to Celestia and Luna's amusement and Twilight’s confusion. “We remained a couple for a few weeks, but hid from the others when we met. Neither she nor I knew how the tribe would react to us being together, so to set things straight, we spoke to Chief Amitola and revealed our secret to him. He had no qualms about us being romantically involved and even gave me his blessing to marry her.”
‘Oh my freaking god!’ My stomach was churning, and it wasn’t because of the tasteless meal I had devoured earlier.
“The tribe didn’t have a particular ceremony for marriage. Instead, we simply opted to live together as couples did and enjoyed our time together. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, I was happy.” Do you know the grin that people flashed when they were madly, stupidly in love? That was the grin Starswirl wore now.
“Congratulations on your marriage, dear friend!” Celestia exclaimed. “I remember your grief, and I am truly happy to know that you found love once again.”
“We concur!” Luna added. “It seems that love crosses the very boundaries of worlds. Truly fascinating, it is.”
‘There are places on the Internet for that sort of talk, especially when bestiality is involved,’ I thought to myself. A human and a pony? I made a silent prayer that he wouldn’t go into explicit detail.
“Thank you, girls, but there is significantly more to my story. A surprise that none of us expected.” He paused for dramatic effect. He was quite a natural storyteller, I had to admit. “A baby.”
“WHAT?!” The three princesses shouted at once, and even I joined in. How could that happen? How? Why? It wasn’t possible!
“I know, I know.” He chuckled at the reaction he had garnered. “I was just as surprised then as you all are. I remember the stories I had heard back in the Unicorn Kingdom about ponies getting married with other species and legends of mixed offspring. And now it was about to happen to me! To say I was overjoyed is an understatement—I was overjoyed by the sheer prospect of it all. The mares in my herd had had foals, and I had often thought of my children and missed them dearly, but now… I was to be a father again, at my age even.” He shook his head, as if even centuries later he could not believe it.
“It took nine months. I often wondered what the child would look like. A mixing of our two species, man and pony—it constantly preyed on my mind. Then the day came when the baby was born.”
“Please, go on, Starswirl!” Luna urged him, clearly eager to hear about the child. Celestia also listened with rapt attention.
“It was a human baby.”
The princesses gasped, seemingly shocked to hear what the outcome of their romp in the hay had resulted in. I wasn’t. If the child was human, then the chief’s daughter had slept with a member of the tribe. Easy explanation.
“She was unfaithful to you?” Twilight asked. A pile of paper was stacked higher than her at this point, and an empty inkwell stood next to her with a freshly opened bottle.
“I believed so.” Starswirl sighed. “I was so sure that she had slept with one of the warriors that I stormed away from the village, not saying a single word to her. I walked around for days, stewing in anger and crying over the loss of my love. ‘How could she do that?’ I thought to myself. Was the love we shared so worthless to her that she wanted another human? I raged for many days until I decided to return to the village and Ailen with the intention of speaking with her.”
A shadow seemed to pass over his features. “I found my wife crying in the hut we shared, the newborn baby swathed in warm hides next to her. When I entered, she would not even look at me, and at that moment, I knew I had acted without thinking. I also wondered about the baby and wished to take a look at it for myself. I levitated the tiny bundle in my magic and began to lift her, only to see her change before my eyes.”
“She changed?” Twilight echoed. “Are humans shape-shifters like changelings?”
“No, Princess Sparkle,” Starswirl replied. “Her true form was revealed by my magic. She was half-human and half-pony, one of a kind, the only one of her kind.” A small smile graced his lips. “She was my beautiful, beautiful daughter, my precious Maiara.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Celestia asked, looking troubled. “How could she change? What did she look like?”
“Magnus, can you stand up for a moment?”
I rocked back, feeling as though I had been physically struck by his words. His daughter had changed? A creature that was half human and half pony? No, it couldn’t be. This was all just a façade, all just—
“Magnus?” I turned to Starswirl, who was gazing at me with a concerned look on his face. It took me a moment to comprehend that he was speaking to me.
“I… I’m not…” I mumbled, trying to formulate a response. Somehow, it was as though a piece of a grand puzzle had appeared in my mind, clicking into place, and I found my eyes drifting towards my hooves. “... I…”
“It’s okay, Magnus. It’s okay…” I heard Starswirl say calmly. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw him turn back to the audience.
“My daughter shared many physical features associated with humans: she was bipedal, possessed hands and comparatively smaller eyes, yet there were several things that were distinctly unicornian about her. She had hooves, equine ears, furry legs and arms—more so than Magnus—and a horn. Her face was also a mix of human and pony, being slightly elongated. However, she lost her form when she was no longer in contact with my magic. She was a half-magical being in a world without magic, thus she took the shape of her mother when she was untouched by my magic.”
I looked away from the hooves and look at the princesses. They were fully enraptured by Starswirl’s story, but they seemed to sense my gaze, and turned to me. They smiled, but the gesture didn’t reach their eyes. Rather, their looks seemed somewhat forlorn, though I could not discern why.
“The tribe saw our daughter as a good omen and welcomed her with open arms. Now having a wife and a newborn daughter to care for, my hope of returning to Equestria was pushed aside by my new duty as a father and a husband. A duty I wanted to fully embrace.”
A sorrowful expression crept upon his face. Closing his eyes, I saw a sparkling tear trail down his cheeks. His lips began to tremble and though he tried to keep an impassive demeanour, it was useless. He suddenly fell to the floor as if his entire reservoir of strength had abandoned him.
The princesses scrambled to their feet and were about to approach him when he held up a hoof. I wasn’t sure what they intended to do, seeing as he was incorporeal. “Starswirl, what’s wrong?” Celestia asked.
“Give me a moment… The memories are too painful…” The princess hesitated but finally settled down, looking at the pony with concern.
After a few moments of strangled sobs, Starswirl got to his hooves again and sat down. I was rather curious as to what had caused him to break down like that, though I suspected I would soon find out.
“The years passed,” he continued once he had composed himself. “I enjoyed my life with my wife and daughter. I worked as the tribe’s healer and had also begun refining medicinal herbs for the benefit of us all. It all seemed so perfect… until the pain began. One day, when my daughter was about four years old, she fell dangerously ill and was confined to her bed with a migraine so powerful that she screamed in pain. I tried to give her medicine for the headaches, but they did little to alleviate her symptoms. When I tried to perform a magical scan of her, her true form was revealed and her pain ceased, as though it had never existed to begin with. I was puzzled as to why it had happened, but I couldn't figure out why.
“It occurred again the next month. Her headache came back, as strong as before, but disappeared when I channelled some of my magic into her. Truly worried now, I decided to perform a thorough magical scan of her entire body, and what I found seemed impossible. My Maiara was indeed a half-magical hybrid, but she had no source of magic to connect with. Unlike all who are born in our world, her core of magic wasn't there.”
“T-That can’t be!” Twilight exclaimed loudly. Her mane had started to look a bit frazzled, and she began waving her hooves in an effort to counter his statement. “That’s impossible; we’re born with magic and—”
“My daughter had no source of magic to connect to!” Starswirl shouted loudly. He shot a furious glare at the youngest princess, causing her to shrink back. “She suffered daily because the magic of Earth is still undeveloped! Only when I focused my own magic into her did her pain cease, but only for a month at a time. Magic exists there but in such a small quantity that no being of this world can be born there. Only non-magical and half-magical beings could hope to survive, or else there would be no life there at all. I have been on Earth and you have not, so I shall thank you if you cease belittling what I know for a fact and you do not!”
“Starswirl, please calm down. Twilight meant no disrespect. You of all ponies should know that hearing all this goes against everything we know,” Luna spoke gently in an effort to calm down the elderly unicorn. It seemed to work as he only huffed in irritation.
“Yes, yes, I know,” he muttered. Exhaling violently, he directed his gaze to his audience. “Forgive my outburst, Princess Twilight.” He gave a slight bow.
With an apologetic nod and a smile from her, he continued, “I knew then that she lacked magic and it was taking its toll on her. I began to have routine sessions with Maiara where I filled her with magic in order to keep her healthy. My desires had led to the greatest of my sins.” He lowered his head, staring at the floor for a few seconds in silence. Then he raised his head to meet Celestia’s and Luna's eyes. Something passed between the three, a mutual understanding that they shared.
My mind was still trying to recover from the mental blows Starswirl’s words had delivered. If there was one thing I knew about, then it was headaches. I’d had them for as long as I can remember, ever since I was a kid. I had seen doctors all over the United States, but none could accurately ever diagnose the root cause, and in the end I was prescribed strong painkillers that somewhat helped. There was a connection before me, but I couldn't see it clearly.
“I knew that when I passed away, my child would eventually die from a lack of magic.” Starswirl stomped his hoof on the floor, though there was no resulting thud. ”I could not let that happen. If she lived long enough to have children of her own, then her children would suffer the same fate and it would be passed down the bloodline. Forever more, there would be unicorn blood in my descendants, and they would all crave something they didn't know existed: pure magic. I wanted to protect her, to protect the children my daughter would have. That was now my new goal and I began my work."
“I set up a research station on the beach where I had been washed ashore years before. Constructing a small boat was arduous work, but several members of the tribe whom I considered good friends were all happy to help me. My goal was to set out to sea and discover how I had gotten to Earth in the first place, and to find the sphere of light and investigate it. My labors bore fruit.”
“You found the sphere?” Celestia asked.
“Not just one; several. Far from land, I could sense a weak source of magic coming from deep within the earth. It was too weak to form a bond with, too weak to be able to cast magic, yet occasionally it would grow stronger and a sphere of light would shoot up from the bottom of the sea and appear on the surface. My companions and I kept our distance to them while I studied the spheres and took notes. After several weeks out at sea, I was able to predict when a sphere would appear and its location to us. Using a spell, I was able to see the door of the sphere, so to speak—the black core and where it led to. Most of them led to empty space, but in others I saw worlds that were wholly uninhabitable. I never saw a single sphere that led to Equus.
“I noticed a pattern in these spheres and how often they would appear. I could even predict how long they would stay in place before dissolving into thin air. In the end, I deduced that a portal to Equus was extremely rare and would only appear once every seven hundred and fifty years.”
Starswirl sniffled, a hoof swiping across his face to wipe away his tears. Shaking his head in despair, he went on, his voice broken, “I had confirmed my fears: my daughter would die young. With no magic strong enough for her to bond with and no way to get back to Equus, her fate was sealed. She would go before her time, and the reason would be magic itself. I had failed her, my own daughter.” The bells on his hat clanged ominously as his head bowed briefly. The collapse of whatever inner fortitude he had possessed was almost visible.
“Do you know how it feels?” he asked, though the question didn’t seem to be directed at anyone in particular. “To know that you are the reason that your own daughter will die? To know that if you had chosen loneliness, you could have spared yourself terrible sorrow and heartache? To know that… that you have doomed an entire family line to pain and suffering, that you are the reason generations suffered?”
I glanced up to the unicorn as he uttered those words, having struck a chord in me. That he had placed the blame of what his actions had caused was painfully obvious, but the extent of his self-flagellating seemed rather extreme. Even the princesses seemed to feel the same. Their weak attempt at comforting smiles died prematurely, drowned by the moisture in their eyes. The emotions in their eyes more than made up for it, the strength of compassion directed at the elder unicorn one I had never encountered.
“I… We have never known such a terrible thing, dear friend. I think I speak for us all when I say that our hearts ache for your loss,” Celestia said as a sparkling tear trailed down her cheek.
Starswirl nodded quietly. “To know what will happen is terrible, but to know that you can’t do anything about it is even worse,” he replied. “The terrible news almost broke me and my wife, and for days we cried and comforted each other. Although we attempted to keep our grief away from our little girl, she knew something was wrong, but I never had the heart to tell her.”
I shook my head. How he had to feel, knowing that his daughter would die… It was certainly tragic. Though I certainly couldn’t claim to follow all that had been said, I still listened intently to the old stallion’s tale. I had always liked stories, and I recognized that unravelling the message behind his was important.
The throne room certain felt significantly gloomier than when I had first been marched in, the sorrow exuding from the stallion almost tangible in the air. All three princesses were unashamed of any overt display of sadness, as their tears ran freely down their cheeks.
Luna sniffled and took a sharp intake of breath before speaking, her voice holding a quiet note of optimism amidst the heavy despondency. “But thou art here now, and thou brought this human with thee.”
“Remember, Luna, I died long ago. This form is not flesh, only a construct of magic, consisting of magic and memories.” He poked a hoof to his barrel, the appendage passed right through again.
“Death to my child and descendants would be a horrible fate, but I turned my despair into my strongest motivation.” His voice sounded stronger, his grief fading slowly, replaced by confidence and courage. “My sorrow became my motivation, then it became a wish fuelled by a desire to allow my descendants to one day see Equestria and to live a life of magic. In order to do that, I had much work to do.”
For each moment that passed, his voice began to sound increasingly assured. I could feel it in his voice, like a tepid wind morphing into a storm, the passion that had driven his actions.
“I began my work anew, for I was determined that death would not stop me from saving my human family! With fierce determination, I would break every single taboo of magic that existed in order to save as many as I could!” He stomped his hoof to the floor to punctuate his statement, a sharp echo resulting from the mostly empty room.
“From a single tree, I created a staff that I infused with powerful magic and several protection spells meant to protect the staff. Then I cast a spell on myself, a spell meant to copy my memories into my own horn upon death. I also created this construct to house the copy of my memories. A presence spell that would be activated when you two were present along with one of my bloodline was also placed on the staff and horn.”
“Your determination is admirable, my friend,” Luna commented with a small smile.
“Desperation is a good teacher, Luna.” He returned her smile with a wry one of his own. “With all the spells in place, there was just one more thing to do and that required removing my own horn. I asked some of my most trusted friends to remove my horn upon death and place it in a receptacle on the staff, thus completing all of the spells I had prepared.”
‘Wait! He said he wanted to bring his descendants here! And I’m here…’ I looked at my legs and the hooves, then I reached a hand up to the horn on my forehead. Could it be…? No...
I noticed Luna looking at me. She saw my hand about to touch the horn and, with a teary smile, she nodded.
‘No, it can’t be...’
“Thus, my work was done and there was nothing more I could do. I spent my final years with my wife and daughter, enjoying the time I had left while acting as the healer for the tribe,” he said with a sense of finality. He smiled briefly before continuing, the volume of his voice lowering considerably.
“It was a rather pleasant summer day when it happened. I had started to feel my age upon my withers long ago. I no longer had the stamina I once had, my strength had shrivelled, and my movements were slow. Still, once a week, my wife and I would go to a small stream so that our daughter could go fishing. It was her favourite pastime.
“Maiara and Ailen went down to the stream while I stretched out to rest in the shadow of a willow tree. As I sat there watching the two most important beings in my life, I began reminiscing about my sons and daughters in Equestria and what they were doing. Their absence was a constant ache in my heart, but with no way to contact them, I could do little but take care of my wife and daughter. As I watched them play in the water, both of them smiling from ear to ear, I thanked Faust for letting me meet Ailen and for giving me Maiara. Seeing how happy they were, I felt content just lying in the shade. While they frolicked under a brilliant summer sun, I felt so tired that I decided to take a little nap.”
A shadow of a smile graced his lips as he gazed at the assembled royalty before him.
“I didn't wake up.”
His words echoed in the room until they faded. I understood the implications of his final words: that he had passed away beneath the willow tree. The three princesses knew it as well, the expressions on their faces that of accepted sadness. Twilight Sparkle’s lower lip quivered as she strove to refrain from bursting into fresh tears. Celestia and Luna took it better than I thought they would, an accepting bow of their heads to the old unicorn.
Although I heard his words concisely, I almost paid him no heed. The pieces in my mind had begun to fit together, and although I recognized that it could be the truth, I refused to bode of them, desperately trying to distract myself from delving deep enough, to actually acknowledge it.
“I died the best possible way.” He smiled weakly, yet melancholy danced in his eyes. “I was with Maiara and Ailen, watching them live and have fun, just as I wanted. And as my body died, I was born. Me, Starswirl the construct, made for a single purpose.” He chuckled lightly, despite the subject. “I came to be the moment my heart stopped beating. From the horn, I saw what happened to me: my wife and daughter crying, pleading and begging me to wake up. I wanted to do just that so badly, but I couldn't. Eventually, I was carried to the village by two of my friends and my last will was carried out.”
“Y-You mean that they… your horn?” Twilight asked as she pointed to his forehead. She visibly shuddered at the thought.
Starswirl nodded slowly. “My body was treated with great reverence. I will not divulge details, for they are not necessary. Suffice to say, my horn was carefully removed, cleaned, and then mounted onto my staff. The funeral rites given to me were equal to that of the greatest and bravest of warriors and wisest of chiefs. Draped in cloth, my body was set on a wooden platform raised above the ground so that my eyes always gazed up at the stars, and weeks later when only bones remained, they were cremated and my ashes cast into the sea from whence I came from.”
“You did not ask for a funeral of the Unicorn Kingdom?”
“No, Celestia. I was quite content to follow their funeral ceremonies as I had lived with them for over twenty years,” Starswirl replied. “After the funeral ceremonies were completed, the staff was given to my daughter and she became revered as the ‘Daughter of the Sea Star’, and was given a prominent position as a medicine woman and shaman. It was during this time that I first contacted her.”
“How did you do that?” Twilight asked.
I had a faint idea, and before I knew what I was doing, the words escaped me, “She touched her forehead with the horn…”
“Exactly so.” I turned to Starswirl and found him beaming at me. “She knew what she looked like when my magic flowed into her, and she knew that she too had a horn. By touching my horn to her forehead, she formed a mental link with me, allowing us to communicate with each other. However, this link only allowed me to show her images from my memories of the life I lived and what I saw as I was a construct. In a way, I could still give her advice even after my passing.”
“Was it only your daughter you could speak with?”
“No, Princess Sparkle. The mental link only formed for some of my descendants, although I still managed to convey messages to my daughter regarding the love I held for her and her mother.” Twilight Sparkle now had a sizable stack of papers next to her that seemed to wobble, threatening to fall over any moment.
“But let’s skip ahead a little bit.” Starswirl straightened himself. “The years passed by as I looked on from the horn. I saw the toll the lack of magic had on my daughter and the pain and suffering she had to endure. However, there were happy moments as well. She found herself a young hunter whom she chose as her mate, and within one year she gave birth to a son. Although she lived a life of pain, she endured for the sake of her son and never gave up. But eventually she…” He took a moment to continue, his voice quavering once again.
“S-She died...” Ethereal tears dripped onto the floor, vanishing smoothly into the marble floor. “She... She was only twenty-five and had been a mother for less than a year….”
Immediately, Celestia and Luna were at his side, lying down on either side of him in an effort to comfort him. Their wings and hooves passed right through him, and their whispered words of comfort to him didn't seem to help at all. During all this, Princess Sparkle seemed frozen in place, seemingly unsure what to do. I bit down on my lip hard, almost enough to draw blood, my heartbeat and the pressure on my mind increasing.
“She died… too soon. She never experienced the full joy of being a parent, to see her own child grow up. There was so much she never experienced. Worst of all, I noticed the signs in her son as well. When my grandson was four years old, he too fell ill to the lack of magic.” He shook his head morosely.
“Starswirl, I—” Whatever words Celestia was to offer him was drowned out by his anguished cry.
“AND IT HAPPENED OVER AND OVER FOR GENERATIONS!” he cried out. Broken, the old unicorn mumbled words that were almost incomprehensible. However, I heard him repeatedly ask for forgiveness.
“Generations passed by and the cursed thirst for magic claimed life after life,” he muttered. His tears had stopped, as though that well of despondency had dried. He stared at the floor, as if the marble itself could provide him security. “They all suffered the need for magic and didn't even know it. If I could have sacrificed my soul to help them I would… but I couldn't….”
“You couldn't know, dear Starswirl.” Luna’s voice was soft, at odds with how she had initially appeared to me. “Nopony could know. It was love, was it not?” He nodded in reply.
“It was love, Luna. It always was.” He looked up to the ponies that flanked him and smiled weakly. “Well, let’s move on with the story, shall we? As I said, I spent many years in the staff, but I could also leave the staff and spend much time at sea studying the spheres. My predictions came true.”
“A sphere appeared and you saw Equestria?”
“Yes, Celestia. A sphere appeared almost exactly seven and a half centuries later, exactly where I predicted it would appear. I could feel the magic from this world emanate from it like an old friend beckoning me to come home. And I was determined to go home, but not alone. And so I waited another seven hundred and fifty years for the right time, always watching over my descendants and sometimes speaking with them through the mental link my daughter and I had discovered. Through the ages, it became a traditional ritual amongst the tribe that my descendants belonged to. However, not once did any of my descendants die of old age. They all perished due to the lack of magic.
“Three years ago, I sensed the time drawing near for the next portal to open, and I began preparing. Although the world had changed over the many years, I had no problem finding the way to where the portal would appear. The only thing I had to do was impart this knowledge to my only two living descendants. However, the plan almost failed when the one called Joseph passed away.”
My heart almost stopped beating, the realization that he had apparently known my grandfather’s name another strike against the mental wall I had hastily thrown up.
“Joseph’s passing forced me to impart this knowledge unto Magnus here. Although the mental link that was passed down from one generation to the next had all but disappeared into legend, I was still able to give him instructions on where to go.”
I sat still, staring in disbelief at the unicorn. He stood up and stepped forward, then turned to me, smiling gently. “Although Magnus here is a stubborn and very strong-willed individual, and resisted the initial attempts, he finally gave in and followed the visions I gave him. They led him to the Bermuda Triangle and to the area where the sphere would appear. Unfortunately, he was injured when the boat broke apart and lost consciousness, but a certain princess found him in the sea.” He looked to Luna, who nodded to him.
“'Twas my pleasure, dearest friend,” she responded.
Starswirl turned to me. The relief in his eyes was obvious, but I couldn’t even think straight now, the barrage of information overwhelming me. Then he opened his mouth to speak.
He seemed to search for the right words, finally settling on a whisper. “You, Magnus Powell, are my last living descendant. You are of House Galaxy of Equestria. I brought you here to avoid the fate of your ancestors. I... do not deserve your forgiveness for of all the pain I have wrought, all caused by a weak moment of lust. I wanted so badly to save as many as I could, to avoid pain and early death, even going so far as to trick you into coming here. A... A plan fifteen hundred years in the making, and the only one I could save was you. I have... failed so many, but I have not failed you.”
He looked into my eyes. Wiping away a few tears, he turned to the princesses and straightened his back. Puffing out his chest a bit, he spoke with a strong and clear voice.
“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Allow me to introduce you to my last living descendant of my human family, Magnus Powell.”
Here it is! The reason why Magnus is in Equestria. Surprised?
I want to thank all the readers who's liked my story, added to their favorites and even the people who now follow me! Thank you all. You are awesome! 
Also, I plan to write a blog post where I'll explain why Magnus looks like he does instead of the usual Satyrs we see from time to time. His appearance almost destroyed my story at one point and required change.
Edit 02.01.2016.: Fixed a continuity error where Star Swirl claim his daughter was the only one he formed a bond with although he made a mental bond with Joseph and Magnus.
Edit2 01.07. 2017.: Edited by JBL. Go visit his page and give him some love. Also check out some of the stories he's worked on. 
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Right, read this and forgot to leave my comment.
I'm pleased that my theories as to his origin where right. As in; Swirl ending up on earth in the past, relationship and leaving his horn behind for reason. The history dump was very good at fleshing everything out. It was a good thing, in a way, that they missed the first orb. Luna would have still been on the moon at that time.
As for your crossbreed; I don't have an issues with it. Ancient Cultures like to make their crossbreeds via Ancient Photoshop. Cut and paste body parts and features together. Your version seems a bit more organic. Fur remnants but spare in location, ungulate legs with hands, etc, etc.
Gosh i cant wait for the next chapter.
I love the writing style, the story line, just...everything!
How did his grandfather live so long if the all die young?
5897618 Thank you
5897672 That's the thing I was trying to go for when it comes to Magnus' appearance instead of the 50/50 satyrs. Organic, spread, but not too much. In his family line there's only one unicorn while the rest are humans.
5900622 That will be revealed in a future chapter. That one was tricky to explain but I'm content with the idea I have. Not so sure if you guys will be content with it.
Interesting story; definitely a twist on the standard HIE plot. Waiting eagerly for the next chapter.
FYI: 1500 years ago, a woman in her thirties would be considered an old crone, not 'young and beautiful'...
5906547 Thank you, it's nice to hear that my story has a twist, especially as it is a HiE.
I'm not sure what the average age among native Americans was 1500 years ago, as life expectancy varies depending on diet, physical health, number of illnesses and even what part of the world we live in. At the beginning of the last century the life expectancy in the US was just below fifty and now it is just below eighty. Modern medicine along with a healthier lifestyle has given people an extra 40 years to enjoy life with. I'd like to think that Star Swirls powers of healing was a boon to the tribe, as he was able to cure a number of ailments and injuries, overall improving their life expectancy at least a little bit.
I dug around the internet and found some statistics that showed me the "rough" life expectancy from ca 0 AD to 2000 AD. Starting at 0 AD and up to ca 1050 to 1100 AD showed a noticeable increase in how long a person would live, going from ca 26 years to just over 30 and then just increasing slowly but steadily. Around 1850 the life expectancy made a sudden jump as medical science improved and again in the mid 1900 life expectancy made a dramatic jump, going from around 50 to almost 80 in fifty years.
In my book that is damn incredible. Still, I found no information regarding the life expectancy of native Americans 1500 years ago.
I'm glad that stat swirl tried helping his family the best way he could
Really likeing this story. It is a unique take on HiE. Also the writing style really lets me paint a vivid universe that I almost stop seeing the words and just imagine it playing out inside my imagination. As to Magnus' appearance, I am guessing it is like the fauns in the Chronicles of Narnia except equine instead of goat and fur only from the ankle/wrist to the knee and elbow.
One thing I would suggest doing with the writing is to put some kind of break like "*****" or something to denote scene changes.
5918295 Thank you for the kind words, it's comments like yours that makes me wanna write even more.
My earlier writing style before joining Fimfiction was very different; short, precise and paid very little attention to the surroundings of the characters. If a character was in a room, he was in a room, and I didn't describe it much. My current style leaves very little to the imagination as I try to describe everything as much as I can, almost to the point that it becomes too much. I've learned to tone it down a bit now. I want to paint a world with plenty of details with some points vague where you, the readers, can fill in whatever you want.
My style is heavily influenced by Tystarr, whose stories where the first I read here. Of all the writers on Fimfiction, she's my definitive favorite writer. Too bad she doesn't post new chapters often.
After the next chapter I'll post a blog where I'll talk a bit about the physical appearance of satyrs in pony fics. You should check it out if it interests you.
***** has been noted and will be implemented, starting at the next chapter.
....it's....good....huh....never...thought...I..would write "it's" whit the '
5953957 I think you're the first one who've noticed
From the start, our hero was more like pawn in this game. I think the next step is matchmaking him with some unicorn mare, his "perfect mate", and making babies for ol' Star Swirl. Also, his job and the house where he will live for the rest of his days also was already decided for him.
Have the Princesses apologized to Magnus for treating him like a criminal yet?
I saw a few similarities to Ezio from Assassin's Creed's death when Star Swirl died.
Faust? Realy? He was living on Earth wher one day Faust will be born. And he is praying to her?
...what angers me is that Luna suddenly goes from enemy to best friend in a second.
Wait wait wait wait. How did he remember himself dying if he copied his memories onto the staff way before he died. It would only make sense that his memory self would only remember what had happened up to the point of when the spell was casted.
7070296
The spell copied his memories the moment he died, not when he made the staff itself.
I know this is a good story if it doesn't make me cringe...why doesn't this have more likes
Wow this made me cry the story is good
6741110
He should gave all of them the finger, disappeared.
I know I'm late, but wouldn't he have spoken another language other than Lakota if the sea was off the coast of Florida?
10217132
I'm not sure who you are referring to, but I'll give an explanation a shot, although its blind.
Magnus is from Montana, and he speaks English and a bit Lakota. Lakota is spoken in Northern and Southern Dakota, but also a few places in Nebraska, Minnesota, and Montana.
Starswirl landed in the greater Florida area first, thus he learned the language spoken there around 1500 years ago. Over time, the staff and its keepers probably moved around quite a bit, eventually moving north. And since Starswirl was a construct at this time, and could interact a bit with the staffs keepers, he could probably quite easily pick up a new language.
And now there's a big fat target on his back as a 'unicorn killer'.
Welcome to Xenophobia 101, how may I help you?
well the ponies are all xenophobic dicks as is Magnus to some degree.
I'm honestly rather surprised that not more people use the Bermuda triangle as a means of traveling from one dimension to another. There is already lots of mystery surrounding that body of water as is
11372842
True, I've only seen it done once or twice before in stories I've read. At least he didn't wake up in a tiny pond in the Everfree Forest
Best way I remember reading how someone ended up in Equestria was via an ancient enchanted wardrobe that exited into Celestia's own wardrobe. It was dark inside, and the human got himself tangled up in one of Celestia's dresses and stumbled out in front of her, then panicked and ran back inside, but the way back to Earth was closed off somehow. Celestia spent several chapters trying to get him to "come out of the closet". I can't remember the name of the story, but I remember laughing until my stomach hurt from the sheer absurdity and phenomenal funny writing style of the author
11372842
Part of it may be that the Bermuda Triangle is last century’s news and its “mystery” basically doesn’t in fact exist; it’s just an urban, or rather naval, legend that some enterprising people used to sell books for a while.
Of course, the idea of that part of the ocean being a spoooky place being fiction is not technically in and of itself a reason not to make use of it in further fiction, especially since I suspect that the basic concept at least kind of is in the public domain anyway.
I’m just trying to put things into perspective a bit.