It was long ago in older ponytimes that there lived a pony who was named Starswirl. He was known for his contributions to the knowledge of unicorn magic and for his magnificent beard.
He was a pony of high status within the unicorn society and was mentor to his student, Clover the Clever.
One day he was called forth by the Unicornking. ‘Starswirl,’ he said, ‘you have brought us many things and redefined our kingdoms greatness.’
‘What is it you want from me,’ he asked the king.
‘I want you to find a place outside our kingdom where we can get our gems from, for our gems are nothing near plenty and Platinum’s chamber can’t be completed without them.
‘Where shall I look?’
‘Somewhere far away from this land. The Earthponies and Pegasi are not to be trusted.’
‘I shall leave immediately.’
Starswirl left the castle and headed home to prepare for his long journey.
The following morning he left the lands of the Unicorn, the Pegasi and the Earthponies. He traveled over mountains and through forests. He traveled until he came across a village. It was a strange village populated with a kind of pony that was not known to any of the unicorns. They were white with black stripes or was it black with white stripes, he did not know. He was taken in as their guest, and when Starswirl told them he was looking for gems, they took him to see a nearby mountain. It was quite a large mountain and it was literally filled with gems. It was a remarkable sight to say the least.
The Zebras also did warn him. They said that no Zebra has ever mined for any gems before, because they did never wish to. Also they said they told folktales about the mountain. The tale goes that the mountain came to be when a spirit of greed was defeated. The mountain -filled with gems- was in fact it’s punishment, for all the greed it had fed on.
‘Then I shall look further,’ said Starswirl and continued his journey.
He travelled far and wide, but after a year of not finding a thing he turned back home.
When the king heard he was back in the kingdom he rushed over to his house. The King knocked at the door and Starswirl opened it.
‘And, how did it go,’ asked the king with excitement.
‘I have found nothing,’ answered Starswirl.
‘Not even the tiniest diamond?’
‘Well I did find something but-’
‘Oh splendid.’
‘But, highness wait. I have been warned that it may be unwise to mine them.’
‘Oh don't be silly. diamonds are diamonds and beauty is beauty. Which are both things one can never have enough of.’
‘Very well my king. ... I shall trust you on this.’
'Good. I will send you there tomorrow in company of my miners and their overseers.'
'Very well. ... Good night, your highness.'
'Good night.'
The following day Starswirl, the miners and their overseers journeyed to the mountain of gems.
There they eagerly begane mining, except Starswirl. He turned back home.
Sometime later, about a month, the king come to Starswirl and said that the miners had not yet returned to deliver the gems. 'Starswirl, Can you please find out what is going on there.'
'I will,' said Starswirl and he left that same day.
When he came to the mountain he could not believe his eyes; the zebras were mining!
But on a closer look, he saw that they were mining for the unicorn overseers.
'What is the meaning of this!' yelled Starswirl to the overseers.
'Well, the miners didn't cooperate. They only kept the gems for themselves and have all since fled.'
'But why do you let the zebras mine? Do you not know their folkstale about this mountain.'
'We do, but we needed the gems and letting them help was the best thing to do, for us and for them.'
'Do they even want this?'
'Well, not all of the time.'
'Have you enslaved them!?'
'Well, you can call it that.'
'You know what, never mind.'
'You're quite welcome.' said the overseer.
Starswirl stoud outside and did not know what to do. He sat on a stone and only looked at the situation. He sat there and saw the hatred between the overseers and the zebras. For six days he sat there, untill the earth shook and a terrible creature left the mountain. It was a white equinelike creature, without hindlegs and a tail as large as a one of a fish. It quickly fled out of the land.
The zebras were enrage at the overseers and drove them out of the zebra lands. 'Starswirl,' the head of the zebras said, 'thanks to your actions have we released the Windigo! Therefore you and your kind are no longer welcome in our lands. Now begone.'
Back at the castle of the Unicornking the four overseers were telling him their storys. They all told the king of how they were droven away be the zebras. They all told the king that there were no gems there, only danger and zebras. Starswirl came in.
'Starswirl!' said the king in a loud voice, 'how dare you lie to me! Thanks to you we have lost our finest miners to the bloodthirst hooves of those prehistoric stuck zebras! You hereby lose your privilege to teach unicorn magic and your student Clover the Clever will be mentored by another. Now begone!' Starswirl left the castle.
There was a knock at the door. Clover the Clever opened the door and let Starswirl in.
'What's the matter, is something wrong?'
'The king has ... said you shall be mentored be another.'
'But, why,' Said Clover shoked.
'The overseers have led the king into blaming me. Their foalishness has awakened the Windigo, a creature looking like a white equine. The zebras say it fieds on greed, but I think it feeds on hatred.'
'How can you be so sure.'
'There were only fpur overseers who were not that greedy; they were only serving the king, nothing more.
The zebras were the ones working and they hated the overseers to quite an extend.'
'Will I ... still be able to see you?'
'You may, but ... I may not teach you anything, about the unicorn magics.'
'I'll miss you, Starswirl.' and Clover huged him.
'I'll miss you too, Clover.'