Talk:Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2/@comment-24223616-20140522070405/@comment-10390252-20140522094005

Celestia's exact quote was that Star Swirl "did not understand the power of Friendship as you do". We know that, in the FiM-verse, Friendship is a distinct force, possibly a fundamental force of nature associated with or possibly another name for the force of 'Harmony'. It is clear that Star Swirl never realised that and, for this reason, he was never able to ascend.