Starswirl's Spell and Shadow Play

[ManaMinori 4,149]

Spoiler

( I was graciously given the approval to post this by another user (NuvaPrime, on dA). I am not claiming any content or thoughts expressed in this OP as my own nor posting it as such.

source: https://www.deviantart.com/nuvaprime/status/14736497

So this is something that occurred to me over the summer:
 

"From one to another, another to one. A mark of one's destiny singled out alone, fulfilled."
— Star Swirl the Bearded's unfinished spell

This spell [however unfinished] triggered the Elements of Harmony. Given that Starswirl had no idea that the EoH even existed [let alone apparently what his special Tree was supposed to do]; what was his unfinished spell actually supposed to do?

It sounds more like a prophecy, and we know that Twilight’s destiny was signified by her cutie mark, which was also the Element of Magic, which by the episode’s end was fulfilled [for the most part] But it’s a spell, and since he had no idea about the EoH; again, what was the spell supposed to do?

It seems to be a triggering spell; but if that’s the case, then what was it supposed to trigger? And why would Celestia give Twilight a triggering spell if she had no idea what it was supposed to do? How did Celestia know that a triggering spell would start the process that would ascend her to alicorn status?

Clearly the EoH altered the spell to suite a greater need, and while that WOULD fit in with SS not knowing about the EoH, it still does not explain how Celestia knew to use it to ascend PrincessTwilight WITH the aid of the EoH [clearly they were essential to the process] Its also very likely that Celestia had no idea as to the origins of the EoH or the ToH [otherwise she would have relayed this information to Twilight at some point. Its only fair] So again; how would she have known?

And if she DIDN’T know the EoH were essential; then how did she intend for Twi finishing the spell to ascend her to the Ascension Plane?

Did SS make the spell just before disappearing but gave up halfway through because he thought Friendship was a waste of time, and then years later Celestia assumed it would work for Twi, maybe because of the EoH?

‘From one to another’ [likely Starswirl to Celestia] ‘Another to one’ [likely Celestia to Twilight] ‘A mark of one's destiny singled out alone, fulfilled’ Likely Twi’s cutie mark and pertaining to her destiny as a Princess. The ‘fulfilled’ part implies the spell was meant to carry out that destiny, and that maybe Starswirl did in fact have a prophetic vision seeing Twilight as a new Princess, and the spell was meant to carry that out, but he could never figure out how to complete the spell, and so it forever went unfinished.

However, this theory starts to fall apart when one remembers that Starswirl had no reaction to Twilight at all suggesting he’d ever had any visions of her or anyone like her; he wasn’t even impressed with her alicorn status.

They might retcon the Two Princess’ origins so that they were normal ponies before ascending and that Starswirl had figured out through them how to ascend ponies, but perhaps figured it out by accident and forgot the process before he could write it down. So were the EoH just conveniently there helping the unfinished process along?

Aaargh. ‘Shadow play’ threw such a big@$$ @#$% wrench into everything.


For absolute real, if you feel so inclined, ask about and get a discussion going so that someone can get to the bottom of this error

Edited August 31, 2018 by Nightmare Muffin

[SharpWit 2,872]

1 hour ago, Nightmare Muffin said:

what was his unfinished spell actually supposed to do?

Perhaps powerful unicorns can feel when something has meaning but aren't able to discern what that meaning is which is why Magic is like a science to them because testing is required. He just needed the right item(s) to cast the spell on for anything to occur and what resulted would be the answer.

1 hour ago, Nightmare Muffin said:

How did Celestia know that a triggering spell would start the process that would ascend her to alicorn status?

Personally I found this to be one of those episodes that's intent was to boost toy sales at the sacrifice of good story telling, but maybe Celestia didn't know and simply decided that Twilight was the best pony to finish the spell since the possibilities are endless with the elements of harmony.

1 hour ago, Nightmare Muffin said:

Did SS make the spell just before disappearing but gave up halfway through because he thought Friendship was a waste of time, and then years later Celestia assumed it would work for Twi, maybe because of the EoH?

True that he didn't see the value of friendship, having to go into limbo has a way of interfering with your work. He probably just dropped whatever he was working on at the time and met with the pillars to go and save the day. It's just a matter of sorting your priorities in a limited amount of time.

1 hour ago, Nightmare Muffin said:

So were the EoH just conveniently there helping the unfinished process along?

By coincidence as far as they're concerned, I'd say yes.

[Twilight Luna 31,493]

That's a problem that I have with that episode. It never says what Starswirl intended for the spell to do and what Twilight's completed spell does. Somehow both spells interacted with the elements of harmony which did no exist in Starswirl's time.  The completed spell caused the other elements to fire at the bearer of the element of magic and send her to the ethereal plane (or whatever it's called in FiM) which Celestia is able to access. Maybe it was a spell to test potential alicorns, I dunno but its a big hole left in the episode which will never be resolved.

[ManaMinori 4,149]

On 8/30/2018 at 9:35 PM, Twilight Luna said:

That's a problem that I have with that episode. It never says what Starswirl intended for the spell to do and what Twilight's completed spell does. Somehow both spells interacted with the elements of harmony which did no exist in Starswirl's time.  The completed spell caused the other elements to fire at the bearer of the element of magic and send her to the ethereal plane (or whatever it's called in FiM) which Celestia is able to access. Maybe it was a spell to test potential alicorns, I dunno but its a big hole left in the episode which will never be resolved.

Starswirl has been in two episodes since Shadow Play, I really feel like they at least could've brought it up at least once. But nope.

[EpicEnergy 23,247]

On ‎8‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 10:46 PM, Nightmare Muffin said:

Aaargh. ‘Shadow play’ threw such a big@$$ @#$% wrench into everything.

Yes, that's what happens when you bring writers who are ignorant of previous seasons into later seasons. MLP sometimes contradicts itself in other areas because of this reason.

On ‎8‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 10:46 PM, Nightmare Muffin said:

‘From one to another’ [likely Starswirl to Celestia] ‘Another to one’ [likely Celestia to Twilight] ‘A mark of one's destiny singled out alone, fulfilled’ Likely Twi’s cutie mark and pertaining to her destiny as a Princess. The ‘fulfilled’ part implies the spell was meant to carry out that destiny, and that maybe Starswirl did in fact have a prophetic vision seeing Twilight as a new Princess, and the spell was meant to carry that out, but he could never figure out how to complete the spell, and so it forever went unfinished.

The entire theory doesn't fall apart, just this section of it, that's all.

Shadow Play doesn't necessarily disprove this part, because Starswirl could have experienced an unclear, prophetic vision of Twilight's alicornship that compelled him to make the spell. A vision so unclear that he couldn't identify the pony as neither Twilight or even an alicorn, just a vague, shadowy figure who was to become somepony important and powerful with the help of Starswirl's spell.

 

In the end, this theory appears to be very legitimate, and I think it fits in quite well with "Magical Mystery Cure", and is hardly disproved by "Shadow Play" at all.

Edited September 3, 2018 by EpicEnergy