Legends of Magic Issue 1

My Little Pony: Legends of Magic #1 is the first issue of IDW Publishing's My Little Pony: Legends of Magic comic series. In the issue, Sunburst discovers an old legend left behind by Star Swirl the Bearded.

Summary
At Canterlot Castle, Princess Celestia shows Sunburst the personal study of Star Swirl the Bearded to assist him in his research into the history of Equestria. Among the self-written records in Star Swirl's "Legends of Magic" collection, Sunburst discovers one about himself, Celestia, and Luna. Later that night, Sunburst reads the record in his Crystal Empire home, transitioning into a flashback.

When Celestia and Luna were young, Star Swirl was their magic instructor, and Celestia often made fun of Luna for not learning spells as quickly as she did. Star Swirl explains to Luna that, despite his patience with her, it's important for her to learn as much as she can from him before their time together comes to an end.

That night, Luna sneaks out of the castle with one of Star Swirl's spell books and tries in secret to master a simple bubble-making spell. However, she still has difficulty casting it, and she gets more frustrated when Celestia discovers her and ridicules her again for failing to cast basic magic. Luna eventually gets so frustrated that she tries to cast a spell that not even Celestia can do: a dimensional doorway. Much to Celestia's surprise, Luna succeeds in opening a portal into another world, but the evil creatures in this world reach out to Luna and offer to teach her to embrace the darkness within her. Before Celestia and Luna can close the portal, the creatures pull Luna through to the other side, and the portal closes.

A tearful and hysterical Celestia informs Star Swirl of what happened and expresses immediate regret over pushing Luna too far. Star Swirl explains to Celestia the unpredictable nature of the multiverse and that, as a future leader of Equestria, the weakness of others must be regarded with encouragement and compassion, not ridicule. He tells her further that, while they can physically retrieve Luna from the other world, Celestia may forever lose her emotionally if she doesn't treat her like an older sister should.

Star Swirl reopens the portal to the world Luna was dragged into, and he and Celestia travel there to save her. Racing ahead of Star Swirl, Celestia finds Luna in the clutches of a group of rock/tree golems, who are outfitting her with dark-blue armor. Celestia blasts the golems away and frees Luna, but they encounter a much larger golem as they escape. Star Swirl appears to hold the golem off while Celestia and Luna get back to the portal. As Luna further resists the temptation of evil that this world offers, she and Celestia go back through the portal and return to Equestria.

Celestia apologizes to Luna for making fun of her so much and offers to help her with any spells she has trouble with in the future. Luna accepts, and the two sisters reconcile just as Star Swirl emerges from the portal. Star Swirl's record ends there, and Sunburst returns it to Celestia in Canterlot some time later. As Celestia and Luna share a laugh together about their youthful hijinks, Sunburst takes another book off of Star Swirl's shelf about a pony named Rockhoof.

Quotes

 * Sunburst: "Legends of Magic"?
 * Princess Celestia: Starswirl was fond of myths and legends. Stories of ponies with exceptional power.


 * Young Princess Celestia: Starswirl, I'm no knave. I'm a princess.
 * Star Swirl the Bearded: Celestia, no two ponies have ever done more to convince me that an individual can be both than you and your sister.


 * Star Swirl the Bearded: When a crisis arises, I may be called on to deal with it, and someday I might not return. Sometimes our lives require us to do things that do not seem immediately possible to us. As a princess, someday those things might be the difference between the survival of your kingdom or the fall of all of Equestria. If your best is not up to the task, either you must find a new best, or be willing to live with the consequences.


 * Young Princess Celestia: Hey, I want you to get better. If you can figure out this kid stuff, maybe we can get to some real magic.
 * Young Princess Luna: You think you're so great.
 * Young Princess Celestia: I didn't say I was so great, just a lot better than you.


 * Young Princess Celestia: Luna was in the garden and she made the bushes go poof and I laughed at her so she tried to make a door and then the door ate her and she's gone and it's gone and I don't know what to do!
 * Star Swirl the Bearded: Was any of that actually words?


 * Star Swirl the Bearded: You must realize that you are a big sister, and that you will someday be the leader of Equestria. And you must remember that the truly strong do not regard weakness and effort with derision, but with encouragement and compassion. Your sister is lost to you today because you failed to show compassion. But she is only physically lost. The physically lost can be physically retrieved. However, if you fail to provide the care needed, you may lose your sister emotionally. And you may never be able to get her back.


 * Young Princess Celestia: You're throwing rocks now?! That's it! No more Miss Nice Princess! Only I get to pick on my sister!


 * Young Princess Celestia: I've been a bad big sister. I should have been looking out for you, not making fun of you.
 * Young Princess Luna: But you're right to make fun of me. My magic is weak. I'll never be as good as you.
 * Young Princess Celestia: Nonsense! You made a portal to a whole other world. You're incredible.
 * Young Princess Luna: But I can't even make a bubble!
 * Young Princess Celestia: We can work on the bubble! You and me, together, okay?