It was a new day in the majestic city of Canterlot, as Celestia’s sun rose over the horizon, and its sleepy residents were beginning to awaken to their daily lives. The streets slowly began to fill with working ponies, royal guards, and snooty upper-class nobles. High in one of the many towers of the Canterlot Castle, Celestia finished raising the sun, and turned to the door as she heard somepony trotting towards her. “That was great Princess!” exclaimed Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Magic and Element of Harmony, as she entered the room.
“Thank you Twilight, but it is nothing to special.” replied Celestia, Princess of the Sun with a pleasant smile “But now let us begin today’s duties. The nobles probably have some new ‘crisis’ they want us to fix” The two princesses giggled and trotted off to perform their various tasks and responsibilities, blissfully unaware of the cataclysmic events that were about to occur…
There are only three ways to enter the city of Canterlot, for it is perched atop a large mountain, supported my magic to prevent it from falling and everyone dying horribly. The first is flying; the second is via train, which ran only from the village of Ponyville; and the third is the Crystal Roads. A series of tunnels beginning from four entrances at either cardinal direction at the base of the mountain, which climbed up until the tunnels converged and reached the city of Canterlot. At the gate of the entrance to the Crystal Roads there was a small checkpoint created after the Changeling invasion. There were two guards stationed there, playing a game of some card game from Las Pegasus, something about ‘caravans’ when the bell on the gate rung, telling of the approach of somepony seeking to enter Canterlot.
“I’ll get it” sleepily muttered one of the guards, a unicorn, setting down his cards. He ambled his way over to the gate’s wheel and turned it with his magic. As the gate rose up her could only gaze with wonder at the mysterious creature the stood there. Standing on two legs, like a Minotaur, it wore a long black duster tightly around its torso. Its leg fur was a jet black and its long, billowing mane was the same color; but it had two streaks of white running through it. A pair of small gray horns jutted out of its head, and its eyes were the color of a roaring fire. The satyr was leaning on a wooden staff, which curled up as it reached its highest peak, forming a swirling form.
“Good day sirs” the satyr said. His voice was quiet, but echoed with the wisdom and power of a being as old as time as itself. Moving forward with even pace, the satyr walked out into the streets of Canterlot. Upon reaching the main plaza, he paused and raised his staff into the air. And as if the entire city was under a spell, the ponies began to funnel out of the city through the Crystal Roads. Pegasi began to soar up away from Canterlot, and if one was capable of doing so, the Princesses Celestia and Luna could be seen appearing in the sky with a flash of magic.
“What’s happening?!” yelled the unicorn guard as he was swept up in the wave of bodies, somehow unaffected by the spell affecting everypony else. And with a metallic boom, the gates on the Crystal Roads slammed shut, and a large shield of magic sprung up around the now almost empty city, sealing the city of Canterlot in a solid sphere of red magic.
Deep within the labyrinth of books that was the Royal Canterlot Archives; Twilight was face deep in a book about some ancient magic spells. Reaching the end, she shook her head and shut the book; looking around, she noticed her ever-accompanying guards were gone. “I wonder where those two went off to.” Twilight wondered aloud. Looking around the rest of the Archives, she found that there was nopony around, and upon further inspection, there was no one in the castle either; the Princesses included. “Where is everypony?! Did something happen to them and the princesses?!” she ran towards one of the many balconies that were dotted across the castle “Is it Changelings?! Discord?! Maybe-” Twilight was silenced by the sight that met her as she ran outside. Canterlot was floating in an expanse of red space, dotted with small twinkling stars and other wonders of the night sky. There was no moon, but there were several shards of a white rock floating above, each roughly the size of the Empire Stable Building. “Wha?!” was all the astonished Alicorn could stutter out.
“MAGIC” a voice rang out across the city “MEET ME IN THE CITY CENTER. WE HAVE MATTERS OF IMPORTANCE TO DISCUSS.” Startled, Twilight quickly recovered and took off out of a nearby window into a shaky flight towards the city, with a face of rage at whatever monster had attacked her hometown. Upon reaching Canterlot’s center Twilight clumsily set down in front of the creature (a satyr if she remembered correctly) and opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the satyr. “Now please listen, Magic for we do not have enough time for pleasantries. I am Magikos, and I mean you not long term harm. My reason here is to test you.”
“Test me!? What are you- Never mind, what have you done with the Princesses and the citizens of Canterlot!” Twilight yelled, her wings flared and her horn glowing.
“You bear a powerful title Magic; but you have not fully earned that title. Yes, you do bear the Element of Magic, and are one of the most skilled spell-casters, but to truly transcend you must show me your true power” was Magikos only response.
“Transcend? My title? What are you talking about!?” Twilight questioned confusedly “Where are the ponies of Canterlot? Why do you keep calling me ‘Magic’? WHAT IS HAPPENING!?” Twilight was horrendously confused, her mane was sticking out everywhere, but her face wore and expression of rage; not her usual of insanity when she got like this.
“Please, Magic, as they say; do not get your panties in a twist. I am here to test your skills with magic in a hostile environment so that you may access a higher tier of power, unmatched by any spell-caster in this plane of existence. As for the ponies of this city, I merely… convinced them to leave for a period of time so that we may have free roam of Canterlot. As for why I call you Magic, it is because you represent one of the most powerful of magic’s; Friendship.” Magikos responded. “You have two hours and eighty-seven minutes to prepare for one-on-one combat. I will be waiting for you here” the satyr took out a pipe and took a long puff from it “I suggest you make haste, and use the time I have given you wisely. Because ready or naught… I will find you. And I will kill you.”
Suddenly, in a flash of light, Magikos disappeared from sight, leaving a very confused and terrified Alicorn in his wake.
