Chapter 1: Princess of Magic
"A lovely day in Ponyville isn't it girls?" Rarity said alongside Spike, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash.
"Sure is, mighty fine job Rainbow." Applejack answered.
"Thanks, but since we're having a cloudless day today, we'll be having a mean rainstorm in a week." Rainbow said in her usual confidence.
"It's so nice of Twilight to invite us over for dinner." Fluttershy said, changing the subject
"Yeah ever since we came back from that weird dimension, she's been cherishing everything she laid her eyes on." Spike said.
"Say, aren't you supposed to be helping her cook?" Applejack asked.
"I told her I would help but she said i'd been through enough and that I could use a break. So she sent me to invite you girls." Spike said.
"Wait where's Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow asked
"She was already at the library when I left and said she'd help twilight co-" Spike said
"WHAT IN EQUESTRIA?!?" Applejack interrupted as the other turned to face Twilight in a duel with somepony... and losing
“TWILIGHT!” The mane five and Spike yelled in unison as they rushed over to Twilight’s side as she fell to the ground with her horn steaming.
“Are you alright sugar cube?” Apple jack asked
“Your horn is steaming! What magic did he use on you?” Rarity added
"Oh Twilight, I should have never made you accept! I'm so sorry!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"Pinkie what did you make her do?" Rainbow Dash yelled
"Twilight, please forgive me! I never knew this would happen!" Pinkie begged as her mane deflated slightly.
Twilight sat up confused, rubbing her hoof to her head in pain and looked toward the Unicorn across from her. “H…how did you do that?” The stallion across from her had a pale grayish blue mane with a pale white coat. He even had a beard similar to that of Starswirl the Bearded but very much shorter. He put on his wizard hat while his robe was still on him with soft blues and purple aurora. Small twinkles within to show the stars. He had a gaze upon his face which showed nothing but hatred, but never any rage.
The stallion trotted forward a few steps and spoke, “I challenged you to a duel of magic, you agreed, I blasted a beam of energy, it met with yours, and I won.”
“But… how were you able to beat an alicorn in a magical duel? You’re just a unicorn?” Twilight asked, still dazed from the defeat.
“Though you may be an alicorn who also represents magic, you still have a lot to learn. Now if you excuse, me I must be off to Canterlot.” The Battlemage said before turning and trotting toward train station.
“Now hold on a second, Bub!” Rainbow dash had flown in front of the mage and exclaimed, “So you just hurt our friend and you think you can just walk away?” She huffed.
“Essentially, yes.”
“What in Equestria, makes you think you can do that?” An aggravated Rarity asked.
“I challenged her to a duel, and she said yes. No laws state that dueling someone with their permission and winning is against the law. So long as nopony is fatally hurt, permanently disabled, or killed you have nothing against me in the courtroom. As far as I can see, she is just hurt from the duel she accepted.”
“He’s right girls, as long as I accepted the duel. We have nothing agains- OWW!” Twilight had a headache and speaking made things nothing but worse.
“Twilight you should just get some rest for now. You do seem badly hurt.” Fluttershy said with the softest of voices.
“Yeah you are pretty hurt, plus you’re a princess! Surely he broke some law?” Rainbow said ecstatically hoping for an answer.
“I assure you, I have not cast any spell to permanently hurt her in any physical way, and have not broken any laws involving her title. Just a few good night's of sleep and she should be fine within a week.” The Mage cleared his throat, still with his angry grump of a look, and continued; “Now if you excuse me, I must be off visiting Canterlot.” He bowed toward twilight and said, “Have a nice slumber your majesty, and this won’t be the last you will hear of me.” He stood up and trotted toward the train station before being stopped by a certain voice.
“Wait!” Twilight asked. He turned to gaze upon the sitting princess with his usual angry and grumpy face.
“Yes?” He asked.
“How did you beat me? I’ve been practicing and learning magic my whole life, on top of that I have Alicorn magic which is far more powerful than any unicorn. What did you use? Was it some dark magic? Or perhaps some magical trinket?” She pleaded in pure confusion as her friends comforted her while other ponies stood nearby in confusion and fear of what they had just witnessed. Their dear princess and librarian, known for being adept in magic had been defeated in a duel by this strange unicorn.
He trotted toward her only to be stopped by a nearby Applejack and Rainbow Dash which stood between him and Twilight. Their eyes were filled with nothing but hate toward this wizard who harmed their close friend as they returned his gaze back to him. He stared at them for a moment then turned his gaze back to Twilight and spoke, “While I will not explain my victory I will address two things. First off Trinkets are for those either too weak to try hard or disabled in some way, so they use enchantments. Secondly, dark magic is for fools to blind to see that it never ends well. Now if you excuse me I have taken too much of your time.”
With a final bow he told her to rest well and apologized too all her friends for all the time he had taken. No matter how apologetic he spoke, he never changed the anger he in his expression. With that he left a very confused group of friends along with the entire town in the center of Ponyville. He was off to Canterlot, to meet another.
Two, to be exact.
Chapter 2: Princess of the Sun
An average day for Donut Joe, he had recently opened the shop a few minutes ago. Early in the morning and expecting a few customers to come within the half hour, Donut Joe was greeted by a unicorn with classic wizard robes as his store bell rang. A bit confused but still wanting to show hospitality and spoke "Well hello there, are you new around here?"
The Unicorn raised his hat and set it on the counter to reveal a calm neutral face and spoke, "I am actually, Just visiting Canterlot on important matters. I would just like a doughnut and warm milk to go. Glazed."
"Coming right up." Donut Joe started on the order and asked, "Say, I don't get many ponies in classical wizard robes very often. Any reason to the fashion choice?"
"Oh I have many reasons..." Stroking his beard eyes closed then opened looking toward Joe after a moment of silence, "none of which I am comfortable revealing."
"Ok that'll be four bits, have a nice day." Joe had placed the doughnut in a paper bag with the warm milk nearby the bag. The Mage placed six bits on the counter then grabbing the bag with a bright blue aura of magic.
"Here's six, keep the change. Oh and i'd say eventful, will be my day today. Anyway have a nice day, and enjoy the sunlight. It is quite the beauty, I hope it never changes it's shine." Donut Joe could have sworn he saw a small smile grow on the wizards face when he looked out the window to the sunrise, before he changed it back to a straight calm face and cleared his voice and left the shop only to leave a Donut Joe stroking his chin. Donut Joe then disregarded the situation, and continued baking the morning batch.
A beautiful day in Canterlot. Clear skies and wonderful sunlight. Princess Celestia was ready to enter in her daily court where the citizens of Equestria may come and asked favors from her royal majesty. Celestia entered the court room and saw a long line. She then trotted over to her throne to hear from her subjects, smiling all the while. She then noticed a certain pony in line. He wore robes similar to that of Starswirl with the absence of bells. She let out a small giggle in curiosity of what this pony had to say. Then announced to the court room full of nobles, “Let today’s court begin!”
As time passed the pony in the robes of a mage came closer in line. Celestia was internally joyed to hear what he might say, mostly due to the nobles always coming with boring, seemingly pointless requests. As every noble spoke and left he came closer and closer to speaking. Celestia felt it was an eternity. Then it was finally his turn. He trotted forward and raised his hat to reveal his hateful face. Celestia was a bit surprised by his reaction. Then he spoke loud enough for the whole room to hear.
“Princess Celestia, I challenge you to a duel of magical strength!”
Silence
The whole room fell silent, the noble appalled, the guards confused to what they should do. They turned to see Celestia jaw dropped, with an eyebrow up. Her expression was nothing but confusion. Words tried to find their way out, but couldn't
She was dumbfounded. She had expected him to ask permission into the royal archives, or… anything! Anything but this! She hoped for something silly or spontaneous to brighten her day a bit more, not a challenge of magical strength. Celestia the closed her jaw and calmed herself wanting an explanation for this fools request. She spoke with calmness but not patience for she was a bit annoyed.
“Excuse me?”
“I have come to challenge your strength and will! The rules come to be as two ponies shoot a beam of energy toward their opposite. Not enough to lethally harm, permanently disable, or kill the other. The stakes are bragging rights. Do you accept?”
Celestia looked toward him in annoyance then spoke, “What would lead you to believe I would accept this challenge?
“Before my visit to Canterlot I entered Ponyville.” Princess Celestia’s eyes shot wide open, “I challenged Princess Twilight Sparkle to a duel, and won."
A moment passed before Princess Celestia’s eyes went from worried to angry, and spoke as calm as she possibly could, “You have entered my court to challenge my magic? Your challenge is denied.”
“Feh I had expected more from the sun princess.” He turned toward the exit and spoke, “Quite cowardly if you ask me.” As he was about to exit the door he was halted by two guards spears signifying his arrest. To which he spoke toward the guards, “I’m sorry but I don’t believe I can be under arrest. I have waited in line, made a request, and that request was denied. No where in the code of laws does it state that a challenging her royal majesty to a duel, to which the stakes are bragging rights, is illegal. So either you lower your weapons or I have a right to fight back to the corrupt guard who do not read their own laws!” They complied but had hateful faces toward him.
The Wizard then turned and faced the Princess of the Sun and spoke, “Before I take my final leave I would like to say two more things if I may.”
“Speak, then leave” Celestia huffed in anger annoyance and self control.
“When I first visited Princess Twilight I had noticed no guards around. What makes you think she will be safe in a library? Though she is the Element of Magic, surrounded by friends, and is an alicorn known for her adept talent for magic. She is still very vulnerable. What happens when the elements are not an option and her friends can’t help? I challenged her two days ago to a one -on-one duel. Her friends can’t stop me because she accepted the duel. I was not disrupting the balance of Equestria so the elements are useless. All she had was her magic and I beat her. In a different situation she would succumb to the will of the murderous villain. You have your Royal Guards, Princess Luna has her Night Guards, and Princess Cadence has her Crystal Guards. Where are Twilights’? While you think on that I want you to know I will be going to tonight’s night court to challenge your sister. If I find that it has been closed, I will return every night to challenge her. Don’t think that keeping it closed long is a good thing. After all, you of all ponies must know what happens when your dear sister gets lonely. Don’t you? Will you be able to see her grief again? But that is a silly notion, you are her sister. Of course you will see her sadness. And I’m sure you’ll be able to comfort her, just like you did all those years ago.” He turned and trotted out the court doors.
Silence
He had left the court in utter shock. Some turned to see the stunned Princess as she stared at the courtrooms doors. Her eyes were filled with shock, confusion, and horror. What had she just witnessed?
