A harsh wind blew as a lone figure wound its way through the trees. Draped in a dark cloak and carying a large load on its back, it ignored the curious gazes of creatures in the shadows as it approached a large cleft in the rocks before descending into the dark. Relieved to be out of the wind, the figure reached up a hoof and threw its hood off, revealing a grey unicorn with a spiky mane dyed with blue and purple. Igniting his horn as he started down the narrow stone path, the small tunnel became awash in pale blue light.

Down and down he went, following the sloping path of the tunnel, with only his hoof steps and the occasional dripping of water from the rocky ceiling to disturb the silence. Every once in a while, a snake or large spider would cross his path before retreating back into the darkness beyond his light. Warmth emanated from the cavern walls and grew stronger as he continued his decent, though not uncomfortably so. It was just enough to allow him to shed his cloak, exposing a swirling book cutie mark and a tail to match his mane.

He continued his decent for some time before the tunnel opened into a large cavern. This cavern was warmer than then tunnel, though still not uncomfortably so, and a noticeable hum could be heard reverberating from the walls. Torches stood here and there throughout the room, providing ample light. A series of shelves and a large desk covered in various instruments dominated one side of the cavern, a little ways from a bed, trunk, and fire pit shoved into a corner.

The unicorn stood a moment and soaked in some of the cavern's warmth before trotting over to the desk and unloading his saddlebags, stacking a few books across its surface and sending the rest flying onto the shelves. Most of them were books on some of the most advanced theoretical magic from libraries across Equestria, but several tomes had an odd character to them and were written in languages unrecognizable by all but the greatest scholars and sorcerers. The last thing he brought out of his pack was a large, cloth-wrapped bundle, which he gingerly set in the center of the table, before turning to large tome laying already open off to the side.

A series of intricate tattoos caught his eye as he traced his hoof across the page, observing detailed illustrations and figures alongside ancient chants and rituals. This kind of magic was extremely old, older than even the royal sisters. These rituals were practiced in a time when the sun and moon moved themselves and the Earth was ruled by very different creatures.

And yet, he thought, the magic remains, just waiting for somepony to harness it once more.

His eyes once again flicked to the marks on his hoof. He couldn’t wait to begin. At last, the chance to have all his dreams fulfilled, he could almost taste the unlimited power that would soon be in his hooves. The possibilities were endless!

Ah, but he was getting ahead of himself. He himself was but one small piece in his plan. Before he could do anything, the others would have to play their part. It annoyed him that he would have to wait on them before he could really do anything, but he wasn’t too terribly concerned over it. He was confident that the magic rebound of this ritual would catch the attention of the sisters, and they would have no choice but to respond in kind.

Yes, all would go according to plan.

Tearing his eyes away from his hoof, he once again glanced over the ritual before levitating a piece of chalk from a drawer in his desk and drawing a highly complex figure on the cavern floor. It took him a few minutes, and he had to refer to the book a few times in order to make sure he was drawing it correctly, but it couldn’t be helped. One wrong mark could ruin everything.

Finally, after than more than one redo, he finished the final pattern and replaced the chalk and book on his desk, replacing them with the cloth bundle he had brought with him. This one thing had been the most difficult to obtain of all the necessary pieces, more so, even, than the books he had stolen from the Canterlot archives. He had endured many trials to obtain this, spending two years searching, but now, it would all be worth it.

Unwrapping the package and unceremoniously tossing the cloth aside, he moved to the center of the chalk figure and placed the item down on the floor. It looked like some kind of helmet, though a very odd one. It was bulky and made of hard plastic, which had broken away in places, exposing the highly corroded insides. The entire thing was filthy and decaying, showing its age, but Portal Page knew that it held all the power he needed.

“Well then,” he mumbled to himself, double checking his preparations to make sure he wasn’t missing anything. “No time like the present.”

He held his hoof forward, the now glowing tattoos casting an eerie light over his face as he began the ritual.

Princess Celestia groaned inwardly as she listened to Blueblood’s hour-long speech as to why a statue of himself should be commissioned for the palace courtyard. This is why she hated holding open court so much. In ages past, she had loved to listen to the struggles of her little ponies and offer any aid she could, but in the past ten years or so, Blueblood had been first in line to every single session. Honestly, it was not a good way to start her day, and it often spoiled her mood toward those who actually needed her attention.

Of course she didn’t let on to any of this. She kept her thoughts hidden behind a well-practiced smile.

“And so it is for this reason that I believe that my image would inspire the soldiers…”

Celestia felt a wave wash over her; a ripple of powerful magic. She gasped and held her head in a hoof for a moment. She needed to address this immediately.

“I’m sorry, Blueblood, but I don’t think that spending the funds necessary to build such a statue would be a...wise decision. Your request is therefore denied.”

“But Auntie—”

“My decision is final, Blueblood.” Her patience was wavering. She turned to one of her guards. “Inform those waiting outside that Day Court will be postponed until next week. Anypony with urgent needs may address Princess Luna about them at this evening’s Night Court.”

With that out of the way and the throne room now empty, Celestia made haste to the Royal Canterlot Archives, bypassing the main library completely and heading straight for an aisle seemingly the same as any other, casually pulling on two books to open the door to the restricted section of the Archives. Here was contained books on the most powerful and most ancient magics in the world. Taking one such book in her magic grasp, she flipped it open, hurriedly scanning its contents to confirm her fears. Keeping the book in her grip, she charged a teleportation spell, appearing in a flash and startling the poor chariot pony in front of her.

“Make haste to Ponyville. Bring Princess Twilight and her friends here immediately!”

Author's Note

Hey everypony,

Alright, the beginning of a new crossover, this time with the Fate anime series! I'm actually really excited for this one. I've been trying to get it into shape for about a year now before I settled on what we have here.

To anypony reading my other current story, Into the Wild, I will still be updating that as well. Personally, I find that having several stories going at once helps me deal with writers block. I still don't have a regular update schedule though, so new chapters will continue to be released whenever they're ready. The next installment in this one should be out soon, with another publication or two after that. Until then, enjoy!

~Moon Guard