[-25 years later-]

Midday

24th January, 86 BNM

Equestria, Midland Mountain range

Capital city of Canterlot

Magical Academy

"And in case anypony was thinking of asking me for supervision with your projects, hoping to have me as company over the weekend, don't. I am your temporary instructor, not your wet nurse, and I expect you all to be perfectly capable of doing it yourself, and most importantly, I have my own research and leisure time I would rather not have taken away from me. Any questions?"

Of the Unicorn Mares and Stallions sat in the lecture classroom, most of them raised their hooves in the air. At the front of the lecture hall, Starswirl resisted the urge to groan, as he pointed at one pale green Unicorn 2 rows back:

"You first young lady."

"Is it true you beat those 3 sirens who were hypnotising many in Canterlot 10 years ago?"

Pausing, Starswirl had some misgivings about that event, his greatest failure.

Well, when he said failure, more embarrassment that he hadn't been able to best them, and so 'cheated' slightly.

…Meanwhile, on the other side of a magically dormant mirror in the Crystal Empire's vaults, currently ruled by Princess Amore…

Thousands of light years away, approximately 35 millennia in the future

24th January, 921 AD (world's dating system)

Late Evening [local time]

North American Midlands

Hunched around the fire they'd built for the night, the 3 Sirens fought off the bitter cold in their small cave they'd found.

10 years they'd been here, all because a certain Wizard hadn't been able to beat them with raw magic or musically outperforming them, himself or finding out of Canterlot talent [who could?], instead he found a 3rd, rather cheap move.

One magic portal, sucking them in, and now they were wherever they were, a world without magic.

And no settlements it seemed, besides the odd wandering tribe of darker, almost red skinned hairless ape creatures that called themselves 'men and women'. Some even wore silly feather headpieces.

Still, they were these 'humans now', when they changed to them with their pendants, and irritatingly, Siren longevity meant they would likely be in this world a while.

One yellow, one blue, one purple. Adagio Dazzle, Sonata Dusk and Aria Blaze.

In their human forms, as she shivered in the cold biting through the cave, Adagio grumpily remarked amidst the quiet:

"…Anyone considering hibernating until we sense any magic to use?"

"Maybe until that mirror portal opens again?" Sonata offered herself. Aria, warming her hands, bitingly remarked:

"We'd have to wait until somepony else comes through, someone who uses magic."

"I'm sure somepony will, eventually. Anything beats waiting who knows how many seasons awake." Adagio reasoned, as another cold breeze bite through their bodies, even with the fur pelt clothing they'd forged to keep them warm, human or siren bodied by their magic pendants. Their magic was limited, so hibernation was perhaps wise.

Later that year they would hibernate, awoken over a thousand years later when a Unicorn, Sunset Shimmer, came through. They could quickly adapt to the new settlement and modern world they'd find given time, just as Sunset would.

Anything beat this.

"Buck Starswirl… Buck him." Adagio cursed under her breath, as Sonata fed the fire again, and Aria nodded in agreement to the insult.

Back to classroom

"Yes, now any questions besides that minor incident?"

Starswirl nearly grimaced as he still saw hooves raised. By the spirits he hated curious first year academy students if only for them being too curious about things that weren't truly important, like gossip or the personal lives of others, his own among them.

No wonder the Wizard Meadowbrook, despite being somewhat Seperatist faction affiliated, had sent him a humorous letter of condolence. Perhaps he should take the path Meadowbrook was taking, and sticking to research and forging useful artefacts, like the set of 8 he was currently working on perfecting over the next 10 years.

Spirits knows Siral would say the same if Starswirl had found him, and yet 25 years of being back gave absolutely no sign of Siral whatsoever.

Still, the students from the magical learning guild he established in the 60 years he stayed on before presumably jumping to the last point Starswirl did were skilled. Not even they knew of Siral's whereabouts, the very school he set up.

Honestly, with the entire situation in Equestria, with civil war and infighting for glory, power and sharing the spoils of the territory gained from the New Gryphon war, he understood if Siral gave up. He had enough bad experiences with Alicorns even before coming back to Equestria, though in this Starswirl expected him to side with the Seperatists if he were to pick one.

Though if Siral had remained, if they met again, given Siral had stayed on for 60 years while Starswirl jumped forwards, they'd be the same age. That would cast some odd context upon their meeting to say the least.

Early Afternoon

Equestria, Midland Mountain range

Capital city of Canterlot

Royal Palace

King Nova sagged in his throne slightly as the other noble families who represented the Nationalists and Seperatists left the council chamber.

It had been a fool's hope, trying to get a more peaceful talk over despite all the arms buildup, squabbling, and even in some cases outright hostility considering many things.

The Separatists wanted Equestria as separate states that traded, but governed themselves, with NO alicorns at all, with pegasi, earth ponies and Unicorns having their own nations. In short, a regression to Equestria pre-unification 800 years prior.

The Nationalists wanted Equestria to have no royal family, but have a number of different families that were equals by decree, a sort of permanent hereditary council of Alicorn families, each ruling a sub state but as a collective still one nation.

Meanwhile the Royalists, his own, wished to keep the royal family, which just happened to now be Alicorn dominated, and united as one nation.

A simple round table discussion, to find any common ground at all, between the Alicorns and Ponies of the Royalists, the Alicorns of the Nationalists, and the Ponies of the Separatists, turned into, for lack of a politer description, a complete clusterfuck.

It got so bad that drinks were thrown at each other shortly before the family representatives left, and the servants were already having to get mops ready to clean the hall up.

The dark blue furred, white and light green maned Alicorn king groaned as beside him, Queen Aurora couldn't help but remark with some rare bitterness:

"That went well."

Turning to his white furred, and black and light pink maned Alicorn queen, Nova gave a sarcastic reply laced with truth:

"Oh it was, they only threw drinks, no spells or weapons."

"What events to come because we couldn't make peace, might herald such things being hurled at each other." Aurora remarked, the Alicorn queen standing up to leave the hall, while Nova stood up to go with her.

"Why must they be so pig headed? Lives are at stake if this war goes ahead."

"Not everypony is as caring about the masses as you. And if I recall, you were somewhat staunch in your position near the end of those debates, like others were."

"You could have helped." Nova probed, to which Aurora shook her head, remarking with a mixture of lament, and dark humor:

"There is no point in wasting words on a hopeless case."

"I wish you were wrong on this count." King Nova remarked, as he followed his queen to the main throne room.

In the main throne room, their chief of serving staff greeted them, Haymund Blacksaddler, decked in his black servant chief attire, the Black maned and furred Unicorn bowing as he greeted them, noticing their slightly displeased looks:

"Good afternoon your majesties. I, ahem, I presume the meeting went as well as expected?"

King Nova merely grunted, while Queen Aurora added politely: "Yes, you could say that."

"Very well, but I do have some good news."

"That would make a change for today." King Nova said, as he turned to face their chief servant with his queen beside him. As they stood by the throne, Blacksaddler unfurled the scroll with his magic, remarking as he levitated it to their grasp:

"Your daughters had success in the Crystal Empire, they recovered the Crystal Heart from the Dragon that stole it from Princess Amore and the empire, with enough pony and Gryphon help."

"Gryphons?" Queen Aurora asked, surprised.

"Yes my queen, apparently they care enough about their more northern trading partner in Equestria helping them after the war 10 years ago that they actually lent help to those who beat them in that war, even if the Empire was less involved."

As King Nova unfurled the scroll, he read the contents with some pride in his daughters.

When that dragon had stolen the newly found crystal heart, Princess Amore, a Unicorn 5 years the elder of Princesses, asked for help, claiming that the help of 2 Alicorns would be greatly useful. Feeling they were ready, King Nova sent them off, with Starswirl giving a recommendation as their personal magic instructor in their years, despite Luna having only finished with Starswirl 2 years ago, and Celestia 7 years ago.

Despite reasoning with the dragon to return the heart to the crystal ponies who needed it to endure the northern tundra conditions, and for Princess Amore to not exhaust her magic in the heart's absence, the dragon didn't relent. When he revealed he didn't care about the ponies, and only took the heart despite not liking it much, simply because everything in that mountain chain was claimed as his hoard, did Celestia lose her patience.

Celestia's anger was enough to apparently send the greedy dragon cowering far back into the cave systems, and let the Crystal Heart be returned, and Princess Amore to host the first ever Crystal Faire in the Crystal Empire.

Among the festivities, Princess Amore introduced an up and coming Councillor to her, Sombra, and his childhood friend Radiant Heart, an associate of his. All in all, Celestia, and Luna in tow, had claimed great success in stabilizing the northernmost region of Equestria.

A far cry from today, though perhaps the lack of an already established Alicorn pig-headed ruling family helped.

Still, they were proud of their daughters, and upon seeing their return date, Queen Aurora gave the positive remark:

"Celestia shall be back for her 25th birthday. It only seems yesterday she was a newborn at my flank."

"Well, we can celebrate the success of our daughters, and Celestia's birthday to boot."

King Nova truly was proud of his daughters, and maybe a tad jealous, given they'd done what he'd failed to do today. Even so, one region made peaceful wasn't much leeway over pretty much all the others barreling towards civil war.

The arms were already being built, bought and stocked as it was.

26th January, 86 BNM

Early Evening

Equestria, Midland Mountain range

Capital city of Canterlot

Royal Palace, ballroom

The 25th birthday of Princess Celestia indeed was a celebration worth having, though the shared success of the sisters in the crystal empire, bringing peace to at least on part of Equestria, especially a Royalist aligned one, was appreciated.

In wake of the breakdown in relations with those of more Nationalist and Separatist nobility though, the party was a less crowded affair than previous royal birthdays. Probably for the best, to avoid any more scenes being made.

Slightly shorter than her parents, Princess Celestia, a white Alicorn mare, her shining light pink mane flowing as pristine as ever, dressed in a gorgeous yellow dress of the time, politely finished speaking with the Duke and Duchess of Mareton, as she peeled off towards the front of the ballroom.

The nobility milled about, enjoying the festivity on behalf of her birthday, but also of having at least one region in Equestria actually more politically calm than it was a few days ago. Any celebration was welcome in this political climate.

Her eyes gazing around the party, Celestia spotted a familiar pointed blue hat among the crowds of mostly Unicorns, about 24 Alicorns of varying size and shape [all the biggest in the room though], and a few Earth ponies and Pegasi. And she could have sworn she saw what appeared to be a Salamander in dark red and brown attire somewhere, but she'd lost sight of it.

Somepony suddenly bumped into her as she gazed about, and she saw the dusty brown Alicorn in the romper suit burst into an embarrassed fluster as his drink spilt a few drops onto his chest shirt, the delicacy drink of chocolate in milk leaving some faint brown marks on his shirt:

"Oh my goodness, uh, Princess Celestia, forgive me, I only just turned when I, I am so sor-."

"It's perfectly alright, I was distracted as well. Here, let me help with that."

As her yellow magic faintly set to work, the small chocolate milk stains on the Alicorn stallion's suit shirt vanished. Calming slightly, she saw him in more detail now. He was a reasonably handsome looking Alicorn stallion, perhaps her age [give or take a few years], and he had slightly blue feathers on his wings and a black mane atop his dusty brown furred body, and quite lucid looking red eye colouration amidst the whites of them.

As he gave a nervous smile, he mumbled a shy word of thanks, while she asked: "I think I've seen you somewhere before, but we haven't met. What is your name?"

"Gaudium, Gaudium Valhoof. And, uhm, yes, I come with my parents to many events. Kind of dull sometimes, but I can enjoy them enough." Gaudium nervously pawed the ground with a hoof before the Princess, despite his best self-control. The drink incident had ruined his composure.

Celestia gave a slight giggle, agreeing with the late teenage/early adult Alicorn stallion: "Yes, some of these parties can be dull. Even more so with less attending."

"Yeah, well, my family still likes yours, and how things are and have been for a while in Equestria. And, you seem to be a future we can get behind too."

Smiling at the stallion, Celestia looked away, giving a slight sigh as she remarked:

"It was wonderful running into you Gaudium, but I have to find somepony I actually need to speak to myself."

"Oh, I understand. And, again, sorry about bumping into you."

"And again, we'd have not spoken if we hadn't. Until I next see you Gaudium." Celestia gave a slight bow of her head, while Gaudium bowed even lower, before Celestia set off towards the blue wizard hat visible in a corner of the semi crowded ballroom.

As the music played in the ambiance, Gaudium fought off the blush, knowing that Celestia was just being polite. He just wished he wasn't a slightly clumsy, easily flustered stallion, even as an Alicorn.

Then again, compared to Celestia, he was sure anypony, Alicorn or lesser his age, would feel shadowed by her, or her sister to a lesser extent.

Gaudium would be proud to even measure up to the potential greatness the two sisters seemed to have.

The dusty brown Alicorn stallion wandered off, to find his parents. The Lord and Lady of Trottingham would like to hear that their son was on good, personal terms with the eldest royal princess.

Up near the front, as the party continued on, Luna sat beside her father King Nova, as she watched her sister mill about towards Starswirl in a corner.

"Go on, I'm sure he'll wish to speak to you about the same matter as your sister."

"Will he? Celestia seemed to do more then, and it is her birthday tonight too."

"You aided in the saving the Crystal Heart as much as she did, don't doubt your worth Luna, it is not good to do so. And your sister is older, you shall be at her level soon enough, and you two shall peak in your greatness as equals. Waiting 5 years for your own after your sister's is simply her being older. You shall gain a year on her in a few months, and 4 is less than 5."

Luna gave a small smile at her father's rather blunt, perhaps corny humor, as she let him nuzzle her gently before she stood from the table to walk over towards where Starswirl was speaking to Celestia of the Crystal Empire situation in detail.

Nearby, Queen Aurora waltzed over, noting with a small peck on Nova's cheek at his reassurance of the younger sister without a word. But she did remark:

"While you consoled our younger daughter, I noticed Celestia making some talk with the Trottingham Alicorn Lord and Lady's son, Gaudium."

"Him? Somewhat uncouth, but rife with potential as a magic wielder, and good at heart, shy if any flaws are to be said." King Nova remarked. Intrigued, Aurora sat down beside her husband, remarking:

"Why so knowledgeable of him?"

"I must be of stallions within my daughters' ages. Firstly, to see whom to drive away, and others to give a chance to."

With a slight laugh, Aurora asked innocently: "And how does Gaudium fare?"

"Before the nationalist and separatist families left our loyal circle, he was less likely, but reasonable. He's jumped up in approval by his family's loyalty still, something harder to find in recent years it seems."

As King Nova remarked, Queen Aurora sat down beside him, letting the ambiance of the party engulf her and her husband.

"You'll be starting in a few weeks, more advanced magic. I feel you are ready. It is not like your parents will want you to go into combat, but you'll be more than ready afterwards if the time calls for it."

"Yes Master Starswirl." Celestia and Luna said in conjunction. As they both bowed to him, and the Wizard in return, he offered these few words of praise:

"And, good work in the Crystal Empire. Negotiating with a dragon is not easy, and shouting at one is risky in itself."

Celestia turned a slight shade of red at this, while Luna suppressed a slight giggle. She may not have delivered the final blow to gain that resolution, but seeing Celestia downtalk a giant black and yellow striped dragon was a spectacle to behold.

Within a few more moments, the two sisters left to mingle in the party some more.

Later, Starswirl walked to a more secluded corner of the party room, where he found a familiar Salamander hiding in the shadows. Invited at Starswirl's request, but keeping a low profile.

"Done talking with your students?"

"They're worth their salt, or they will be when I'm done with them. Besides, you know I called you here to know your answer in person, and to catch up."

"The answer is yes, otherwise I'd have not attended. I can go undercover in separatist and nationalist territory; they're looking for forgers of weapons for non-magic user forces they're getting ready. I learnt forging in my days under my Bushido life, with or without a master. I can get by, maybe make a good deal of money while I do it too."

"Whatever gets you knowledge of the goings on, where I won't be able to get as good a set of eyes. They can search for magic users more easily than a non-magic wielder; it is like a giant clue for some trained Unicorns and Alicorns if I tried to infiltrate or others did."

Nodding, Chack gazed around the ballroom, then back to Starswirl, asking more casually:

"So, just curious, and I am not sure why I didn't hear about it before now, about some incident with you 10 years back with some big music event her in Canterlo-."

"I'd rather not speak of it, it wasn't my best moment."

"Can't play a tune to save your life by what I heard." Chack said, seeing an opportunity for a bit of teasing on Starswirl's part.

If Chack was going to be going undercover in territory on behalf of Starswirl, he'd enjoy some last japes at the wizard's expense, though in good taste for a friend and 'pen-pal' as he wandered Equestria for the past 25 years, exploring.

A stint as a civil war weapon forger may prove peaceful, and profitable.

28th January, 86 BNM

Equestria, Northern tundra, mountain range

Cavern system

Word had spread of the dragon being warded off, and the crystal heart reclaimed. In all honesty though, the news fell on preoccupied ears, as focus was upon the sides preparing for war, too many disagreements and disputes to talk it out any longer.

Not all ears were deaf though.

In the cavern, a Black Unicorn had travelled in secret, unseen, one who had long disguised himself in many ways over the last 25 years since his return to Equestria after a 49-year absence.

The Black Wizard, the Savant.

He had made his presence known at the mouth of the cave, and the rumbling voice deeper inside her ordered him to come further inside. Soon enough, in a place where the darker cavern blotted out much of the light, the Black Wizard stood upon a small rise in the stone flooring.

Ahead, he didn't flinch as the large dragon's scaly black and yellow tinged snout and glinting golden eyes were illuminated by a puff of small flames from his large mouth, big enough to swallow Siral whole.

Siral's grey magic lit up the cavern slightly, revealing the dragon in his 200-foot glory, huddled in the far reaches after being outright humiliated and cowed by those Alicorn princesses into his surrender of the crystal heart.

But it was the dragon's apparent swiftness at attacking the crystal empire, and now seeming dislike for Alicorns, that had dragon Siral here today, and made his offer.

"And what do I gain from this?"

"The eventually downfall of all Alicorns, beyond just those that humiliated you."

"There is more to offer, is there not?"

"The spoils of success, if you cooperate with my planning, will be great enough that no cave you find could house it all if you stacked it to the roof."

The black and gold striped dragon, barely lit by Siral's grey horn light, rumbled in the darkness:

"Many presume dragons as merely greedy, instinctive beasts. But, we possess a keen sense of knowing when deceit is afoot in those we speak to."

Leaning his large head down towards Siral, the dragon's breath washed over the Unicorn, who hid his mild disgust entirely, the dragon gave a slight pause as he said with some genuine intrigue:

"What exactly, do you have in mind?"

"A long term plan, perhaps 2 decades, no more than 3. You would be merely one of a handful or more of most powerful beings, crafted to utter perfection and greater than you could have ever been normally. I already have some who will be as high ranked as you, but different in role and skill, and more after you if you join my cause."

The dragon pulled his head back, asking curiously in his rumbling voice: "There is something about you, but I must know. What is it I sense, the common idea we share, that makes me trust you more than I would normally a mere pony. What ideal do you and I share, if you were to deduce it?"

"We both have a dislike for the Alicorns."

A very slight smile adorned the large dragon's snout, as he rumbled his name:

"Golmov. And who might the kindred spirit be that I have just struck a deal with?"

As he gave a small smile of success, Siral's grey eyes shone slightly with his grey magic, the Black Unicorn stood before the much larger dragon in the cave revelling in yet another being to mould to his desires for powerful servants falling into place:

"Siral, the Savant."

Golmov would join others he was slowly accumulating at his fortress in the northern midland mountain range of Equestria, his fortress disguised as an Equestrian border outpost against possible New Gryphon attack if a second [unlikely] war broke out.

One of 4 beings he now had under his sway, now counting Golmov, and already counting Teal Quirt [a cripple horned Unicorn mare], a Pegasus mare [shamed for her 'lustful' manipulating of some delegates in her family and bringing shame, despite persuading them to become more allied], and a noticeably fat, gentle but disenfranchised Minotaur male [a migrant who disliked the local Equestrians greatly, after they took the land, and food, he'd worked hard to grow in abundance and, in a fit of justifiable 'gluttony', didn't want to give up because of that for the 'war' effort against the Gryphons].

And Siral had plans for more. Golmov made 4 in his roster, and all of them would be improved by his eventual experiments, healed, made better than ever before.

And the Civil War about to unfold would provide the perfect distraction while he progressed his plans unhindered in his fortress, under the façade as a Unicorn keeping a watch against any unlikely northern invader.

Author's Notes:

The civil war's first part, of more standard warfare, shall be glossed over, as its not worth covering gain less back and forth skirmishes and conflicts that don't really change much in terms of territory or the characters. We're skipping right to the start of the interim years of 79-72 BNM, a sort of ceasefire a few years after costly fighting on all sides lasting for 7 years, where tensions decrease in hopes of a truce, and when the true intrigue starts to surface with the wizards, royalty and with these 'beings'. This culminates in the start of the heated 2nd stage, and by heated, I mean it winds up destabilising the day and night by the end of it and with the Alicorn population nearly wiped out/depowered.

Kudos to anyone who realizes who Gaudium is foreshadowing/who he eventually becomes. Not that he'll remember any of this ever again in his life.

The dragon, Golmov, who becomes the greed being a la Siral, is based off the one from the IDW comics that stole the crystal heart. He'd develop a dislike of Alicorns for humiliating him and taking what he viewed as his.