Background Pony #CB65
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Description
Borg said:
So let’s chat. But we should work in the question of what magic would be required to track down the remaining pieces of our Yggdrasil seed, since we’re visiting a friend who’s likely to know.
You move to the living room, and take a seat together on a soft-cushioned sofa, basking in the morning sunlight. You start the conversation by asking Moondancer if she knows anything about the Yggdrasil tree.
Moondancer: “The world tree? As much as anypony else; it’s the world’s source of magic. What about it?”
You tell the unicorn what Ratatosk told you about the Yggdrasil seed and its properties.
Moondancer: “So you’re saying that the magic in these Yggdrasil seeds is stored somewhere among the stars? And it was the legendary Ratatosk of Yggdrasil himself who told you this? Really.”
You nod, and briefly recount that the seed you found was shattered centuries ago, and that you are looking for a way to track down its missing pieces. You ask the unicorn for advice.
Moondancer: “That’s… quite the puzzle. Usually, a simple spell could tap into the knowledge of the piece you have in order to find the others — but if its magic really is out there, then that’s out of the question.”
Apple Basket: “Uh, why’s that?”
Moondancer: “Well… how familiar are you with the fundamentals of magic?”
You and your friends look to each other, then back at Moondancer with a blank stare that says it all.
Moondancer: “Oh. How about a quick lesson, then?”
You nod, interested in better understanding the challenge of your quest.
Moondancer: “Let’s start with the basics. The first thing you need to know is that while we use the word magic a lot, we usually refer to the most common type of magic in this world, which is actually called arcane.
Arcane differs from most other types of magic in that it is, for lack of a better word, alive. It’s essentially a combination of six elements of magic — the physical elements of fire, water, air, and earth, and the ethereal elements of light, and dark.
Each body of arcane combines these six elements in a unique pattern, and this pattern is what we call a magic signature.”
Moonflower: “Ohh, that’s what that is!”
Moondancer: “Mhm. So, when a creature is born, he or she is bound by a pool of arcane, and given its signature. Because of this, when a unicorn casts a spell, and arcane is channeled out into the world, that magic is drawn back to its matching pool, and returns to it over time.
This phenomenon is known as Horn’s Law. Among other things, it allows us to cast spells onto any enchanted object to gain its knowledge, such as by using it as an anchor in a time travel spell, for example.”
You deduce that the magic tome that once taught you Dispell Strike used this principle.
Moondancer: “Precisely. An exception to this rule, however, is the firmament — the barrier between the sky and the stars. As we understand it, physical elements cannot pass through it, and so any arcane that does so loses its magic signature, preventing it from ever returning to its source.”
Which is why unicorns of old lost their magic when moving the sun and the moon, you conclude. And while it explains Ratatosk’s warning about using the seed’s magic, you can’t help but wonder what makes alicorns an exception to the rule.
Moondancer: “Well… I only know about alicorns as much as Twilight does. According to her, in addition to arcane, alicorns can use some kind of purely ethereal type of magic with its own signature, which is able to pass through the firmament untouched.
Unlike arcane, however, it doesn’t seem to be a living type of magic — or at least, not one that we are able understand — so while powerful, it can only be used to affect things, not perceive them.”
Apple Basket: “So, not even a princess could track down these shards?”
Moondancer: “They could try, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up. There is one unknown factor in all of this, though.”
Moondancer looks over to Moonflower.
Moondancer: “You’re the first bat pony I’ve ever met — or heard of —, so when I got back home a few days ago, I thought I’d do some research to learn more about your people.
And I tried to, but I’ve been through all the libraries in Canterlot, and I couldn’t find a single mention of bat ponies. Not even a hoofnote!”
Moonflower: “Yuh uh! Bat pony pass down what they know by word o’ mouth, and most of us don’t really talk to the other kinds o’ ponies since the Mare in the Moon thing happened.”
Moondancer: “Really? But that was over a thousand years ago! No wonder… Well, anyway, you said that your Oracle sent you on a trial to get a seed from the Yggdrasil tree, right?
She practically sent you chasing after what any other pony thought was nothing more than an old mare’s tale, and yet, against all odds, you managed to do it. Not to discredit your accomplishments or anything — like I said, I don’t know the first thing about bat ponies, or the magics they use.
But if this Oracle of yours somehow predicted everything that had to happen for you to succeed, then there might just be magic at work here that’s unlike anything we know. Do you see where I’m going with this?”
Moonflower: “Oh yeah! Maybe the Oracle knows how to fix the seed. Ooh! I bet she already knew it was broken, too! Whoa! Do you think that’s why she sent us there to begin with?!”
Moondancer: “I’m just speculating here, but that’s the feeling I’m getting. And Twilight did tell me that I should learn to trust my instincts.”
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