Obscure Unicorn History: Starswirl and the Magus Magnus

by Miniscule Literary

Chapter One

"Unacceptable!"

The voice pierced the silence of the study, but Auburn already knew what the commotion was about. As Starswirl's assistant, the message from the Princess was brought to him first, and hearing his employer's reaction as such was far from surprising. The Princess had requested Starswirl curb his research; his study of the nature of magic had proven incredibly useful, but she believed that further knowledge was needed about the nature of the spells already conceived. In other words, she did not want Starswirl going any deeper into the nature of magic itself. And, of course, this upset the aging stallion greatly.

"What is it, Starswirl?" Auburn asked innocently, feigning ignorance.

"Auburn, have you seen this? Celestia has the audacity...the gall!...to ask me to stop everything I've worked for! Does one tell a blacksmith of old to work without a forge, simply because it is something new?" Starswirl fumed, pacing back and forth in front of a large window overlooking Canterlot. "We were so close, Auburn! Close to understanding the very nature of magic itself! We could've revolutionized the practice of magic throughout Equestria! And now we're supposed to quit? To give up on all we've worked for, so we can refine the use of parlor tricks?!" he spat angrily, casting his furious gaze onto Auburn.

"Surely the Princess has her reasons."

Starswirl snorted. "She may the ruler of Equestria, but I am no foal who needs tending. She doesn't understand the importance of what we've discovered, Auburn. If she did, she would not ask this of us."

Auburn frowned at his mentor's words. Looking out of the window, into the darkened sky above, the colt couldn't help but stare at the moon that loomed above the city, the familiar image projected on its surface. The symbolism was not lost on either of them.

"What about that new theory, about the magical power that comes from the bond between friends?" Auburn asked, trying to change the subject.

"Please," Starswirl scoffed, waving a hoof dismissively. "The evidence to support these 'theories' relies on the study of the Elements of Harmony, and we all know they've been inert for decades. Let them debate the magical value of friendship; we've got more important things to do. Or, we did," The old stallion hissed, staring hatefully at the letter on the floor.

As Starswirl continued to mumble angrily to himself, his assistant retrieved the letter and placed it upon the older stallion's desk. Although Starswirl taught him a lot about magic, Auburn could not put his teaching into practice. The two were an odd pair: Auburn, a reddish brown earth pony, destined to a life of note taking and study, which was reflected in the mark on his flank, which was a quill.

And Starswirl, a blue-black unicorn and master of magic, which was also reflected in his mark: a grouping of three swirls of blue dust of varying shades. To many, this marking was confusing. But those who knew of Starswirl's accomplishments would know these were the prime ingredient in his conjuring techniques. This was made all the more astounding by the fact that Starswirl received his mark ten years before he created the technique it depicted.

The study was an immaculate structure with shelves upon shelves of books, detailing spells of all kinds, many of which were written by Starswirl himself. A perpetual smell of fresh paper hung in the air, a smell the two had long since grown accustomed to. The cleanliness one would experience upon entering was by no means the result of Starswirl's actions; although the unicorn was very professional, he hardly paid any attention to keeping things tidy and organized, with the exception of his books. No, what visitors saw was the work of Auburn, but he received no recognition for his efforts, nor did he want them in the first place. Although very different, the two were a pair that worked well together, that much was sure.

"Auburn, where are my notes on the amniamorphic spell?" the old stallion questioned, his graying beard swaying from side to side as he scanned the area around his desk. It was only then that Auburn realized his mentor's mood had shifted from anger to determination.

"On the third shelf to the left, sir," Auburn responded, confusion evident in his tone. Starswirl knew where every piece of literature was, why was he-

"It's not here," Starswirl said suddenly, gesturing toward the indicated shelf.

"That's...where it always is..." Auburn mumbled as he approached, immediately spying the empty space amongst the books. The two kept everything organized, and if one didn't know where something was, the other surely did.

"I put it there last," Starswirl stated, and Auburn nodded. The assistant hadn't touched the bundle of notes- a work in progress of his mentor- since it was placed there. "It seems we are the victims of a thief."

Auburn scanned over the list of visitors to the study, which was a part of the Greater Canterlot Library, accounting for the presence of each and every pony that was on it. He was there, after all, for every single visit. To his knowledge, none showed any suspicious behavior, or were capable- as far as he knew -of any malicious intent. After discovering the missing material, the two had searched the study to see if anything else was missing. Much to their surprise, they discovered more absent literature from the study's stock. How or why a thief could steal these pieces, all of which were unfinished research material, was a mystery to both.

"Look over the visitor log, Auburn. I've a meeting to attend with the Princess," Starswirl had instructed as he put on his traditional outfit: a large pointed blue hat and long blue robe, both of which were decorated with ornate bells and stars. The old stallion left without another word, and Auburn guessed the meeting was as much about the theft as it was about the letter. The former did little to distract his mentor from the latter, it seemed. After reviewing the log, Auburn could only conclude that the theft took place when the two had left the study, probably to sleep. But it was not without locks, nor was the library it was a part of without guards. How such a thing could happen under such security was beyond him...

After informing the guards of what happened, and making sure the study was locked, Auburn gathered his things and left, heading toward the Canterlot market. He remembered hearing rumors of other thefts in the city, as well as things concerning the Everfree Forest. As a resident of Canterlot all his life, he had a few connections that could tell him more. Namely, his longtime friend Lightning Dancer. It wasn't long before he spotted the Pegasus pony arguing with a few others he did not recognize.

"Light?" Auburn said as he approached, prompting the mare to turn.

"Oh hey Auburn," 'Light' responded with a smile, completely abandoning the heated debate she was just a part of. The two ponies seemed offended by her sudden change of focus and stormed off in a huff. "What's up?"

"Trying to find out where a few of Starswirl's books went."

"Since its nearly impossible for you two to misplace any of your books, I'll assume you mean they were stolen."

"That is correct," Auburn responded, frowning.

"It isn't the first, as I told you a few days ago. A few of the stores down here have been losing ingredients daily. No matter what they do, they say it never keeps whoever is doing this out," the mare explained as the two began to walk slowly down the street. "And believe me, they've been trying."

"Since this is the first we've been stolen from, I guess we should be thankful."

The market district of Canterlot was not unlike those seen elsewhere: extravagant stalls were set up in all directions, their owners preaching about their incredibly rare and valuable wares. Shoppers crowded the street most hours of the day, usually dressed as incredibly as the stalls. Lightning Dancer and her ilk were one of the few not fond of fancy clothes, and perhaps that was why Auburn enjoyed her company as much as he did. Being the assistant of such a renowned unicorn as Starswirl, he had his fair share of dealing with Canterlot's high society.

"Especially with all those pony folk going missing down in Dodge City."

"Dodge City? That new settlement down by the desert?" Auburn asked with some disbelief. The barren lands around the town were slowly encroaching upon it. In time, he guessed, it would be a very pleasant place to live. He really questioned why those ponies had decided to build their livelihood there in the first place.

"But its not the desert that is the problem, Auburn. It's the Everfree Forest. It's always been a dangerous place, but 3 ponies have gone missing just this week. They were all heading toward Los Pegasus, and then suddenly they were gone."

Auburn's frown deepened as Light explained. It was unlikely the two incidents were related, but considering the strange nature of the thefts, perhaps they were. After chatting with the pegasus about unrelated things, mostly to give his mind a rest from the current problem, Auburn made his way back to the study, hoping Starswirl's meeting with Celestia would explain more. As he entered, he saw Starswirl, his hat tossed carelessly onto the desk, pacing back and forth once more. The assistant could tell from his expression alone that he was troubled.

"We have a task, Auburn." The unicorn sounded disgusted by his own words, but Auburn did not question why. "The Princess wants us to investigate the issue down in Dodge City."

"You mean, with the ponies going missing?"

Starswirl gave a hesitant nod. Usually the old stallion was cheerful and passionate about his work. So far today, Auburn had only seen bitterness and frustration. "With our current pursuits suspended, the Princess believes this is an adequate use of our time."

After a few silent moments, Starswirl's frustration turned completely into defeat. "Why is she doing this, Auburn? Why does she inhibit us when we are so close to greatness? I trust in her millennia of knowledge, but when I inquire about her decision, all she can give me is 'some things are better left unknown'," Starswirl explained as he slumped onto a bench near the desk, struggling to understand the reasons behind Celestia's decision. "What kind of an answer is that?" he added with a sigh. Auburn approached with a sympathetic frown.

"I guess all we can do is trust in the Princess' decision."

"I suppose...And a break from our research won't hurt either," Starswirl added after a moment, Auburn nodding encouragingly.

"That's the spirit. Now let's get some rest. We have some sleuthing to do tomorrow."