Magus. The title coveted by earth ponies, pegasi, unicorns, and solar ponies alike. Long before the Princesses came to rule Equestria, there was a tumultuous period of transition as each of the four tribes tried to reconcile with each other and form a strong pony nation.

To achieve this, they created the Council of Magi. A gathering of the four strongest pony mages in all the land, one from each tribe. From the earth ponies, a Geomancer named Avanlanche the Unstoppable. The pegasi, a lithe wind mage called Lunestra the Silent. The unicorns, a water molder known as Sonus the Persistent. From the solar ponies, a flame shaman known as Ignis the Searing. Each pony respected each other for the mastery of their individual arts, and so peace was achieved amongst the four tribes.

This continued for a half-century before one by one, the Magi grew weaker and closer to death. In order to continue the Council and thus keep the nation bound together, they adopted a system of holding tournaments within each of the four tribes to determine the successor for each Magi: the Magus Apprentice. Being determined as the strongest mage of their generation, each Magus would train his or her apprentice in all the ways of their magic and thus heightened their prowess until they were ready to take over in the Council of Magi.

However, something went wrong. During the first Tournament of the Sun, the entire solar pony tribe had been destroyed, without a trace of what had caused such a fate. With no apprentices left to teach his skills to, Ignis the Searing resorted to one desperate measure: he froze himself in a body of light, to remain in stasis until one suitable to learn his art would re-appear in the world and take over as the Magus Firus.

Centuries would pass before his hope would be rewarded.

They called him Starswirl. The Father of all Magic. Greatest Conjurer of the Pre-Classical Era. And the last Magus of the pony tribes.