B.C. (before Celestia)

The alarm that Ursula’s sister stirred the village to an awkward emergency. No one had seen Ursula leave, she was with foal, and she was due any week now. It was winter, it was cold, and some pony had to go look for her. Kissing Crane and Kennesaw volunteered. Every moment made the trail grow colder. It would be difficult trek as the frost was hiding the trail. As Kissing Crane was muttering about silly mares, Kennesaw noticed some ponies headed their way.

Star’s entrance into the village of Ing, was meet with much sceptism and some dismay. After some time, his magic became useful to the weapons crafters. Star’s student showed an interest in dirt style fighting. Sombra had a talent for spear and shield, but what he excelled at was trident and net.

When Ursula dropped her foal, she had a vision that the colt should be named Odk. It was an odd name, but no pony put up much fuss about it, except Ursula’s sister. And even she dropped the issue for soon she had too many other concerns as Kennesaw wanted to marry her.

Just as quickly as did Star gain admittance to the village life, did Ursula and Star have to leave. Another mare dropped a foal, and it was a unicorn. Old superstitions carried much weight. While Ursula did not doubt Star’s commitment and fidelity to her, the village elders demanded that he and his magical ways had to leave. So Star and Ursula, Sombra and Odk, and now the abandoned foal unicorn packed up what they needed and left. Ursula had just started to wean Odk, so she had plenty of milk for the new foal. She named her Ing, and promise to never leave her, as she had been forced to leave the village.

The little family traveled back to the land that Star had come from. He apologized for the tough position he had put Ursula in, but she countered that little Ing was her way of bringing home with her. There in that pleasant little valley did they make camp. Star started a spell, it was something new and unstructured. He let need direct the spell. They had need, need for shelter. The magic swirled about searching for just the right target. It found a small sapling and invaded it. The sapling grew in size rapidly and the tree stretched it limbs toward the sky. Hollows formed in its bark and converge in the center of the tree expanding to a room. Irregular tiny alcoves formed off the center room, some deep, some shallow, one led like a tunnel down into the earth. Others followed within the tree limbs upward opening small ovals to let light into the home.

Odk grew under the shadow of his Ursula’s love, Star’s wisdom, and Sombra’s elder brother rough housing. Odk grew strong.