//------------------------------// // Chapter Three: But for the Grace of Celestia // Story: Court Magician // by Moonlit Novel //------------------------------// Author's Notes: Thanks to Deadinlight for beta-reading and helping me edit Chapter Three: But for the Grace of Celestia ~ ~ ~ “Tenebrosus Magus care only about living and will do whatever it takes to keep living, even promising more power to their captors. They will never submit to death rather they will fight to their last breath [...]” ~The Tenebrosus Magus: What Drives Them, By Royal Script, Royal Researcher ~ ~ ~ “What do I intend to get out of our relationship? You, I have all I need being with you Shay” said Rich Quick feeling as if she was on the precipice of falling into a suicidal despair. “Why me? You can guess what I did to Silver Hoof, what makes you th-” she was silenced by Rich Quick pulling her into a kiss which when it broke, she bawled, grabbing on to Rich and holding on to him tightly. “I don’t want to run anymore, Rich… But I don’t want to die, I am scared” she said into his shoulder and she bit her lip before pulling away and turned to face the princesses face down and her sight disabled, unable to meet their eyes. “I’m ready to take my punishment, just… Just make it quick.” said the mare as she closed her eyes, hoping to never to see the light from the spell they would cast to end her life. “Oh Bright Star…” said Celestia as she moved over to the, at the moment, completely blind mare. Celestia then nuzzled the mare, “Those ponies you killed had killed without remorse, and without pity for the victims of their attacks. I might not approve of your methods, but you did what you knew how to do in order to save the ponies of this city…” said the white mare as she attempted to comfort her. “I still killed, they might have been saved… I-” “Doom Hoof, Silver Sickle, Brass Hooves, all these ponies you killed have records at least as long as my name and tail, Bright Star.” said Celestia and Luna swallowed. “Those gangs you shattered had ties to groups outside Equestria that would love to see this land fall to destruction…” admitted Luna as she bit her lip. “Baby, I told you, you have done so much for ponies” said Rich Quick as he hugged the mare close. Shadow Eyes started to cry again. “Thank you… I can die happier knowing I did some good.” she said through tears of happiness, her life of murder and destruction may have done some good for the ponies she sought to protect. “Thou misunderstands, thou art not going to be killed.” Said Luna grudgingly as Shadow Eyes took a breath. “Torture then? After all I am a Tenebrosus Magus” said the blind mare and Celestia choked back a sob. “N-no, Bright Star” “Please if I have done as much good as you have said, please… Just call me Shadow Eyes, I can't… I won't be called Bright Star, she wouldn't have done half the things I have done” said the mare and Celestia actually sobbed at that before nodding. “Alright, Shadow Eyes” said Celestia with a swallow and a nod. Princess Luna however spoke up angrily. “I did not run from what I did, what makes you think you can, changing your name?” “Am I running? I won’t bring a blemish to the Star household, not one as dark as mine. But what is to become of me, if not torture or death?” asked the mare and Celestia nuzzled the mare comfortingly. “I planned on offering your spot back in my school, to let you finish your schooling, and to give you a position I was planning on giving you when I learned of how skilled you were in magic, almost as skilled as my former student, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Shadow Eyes, even in her position scuffed. “Almost? I know what my cutie mark represents, princess, skill in all magic, light and dark” “As I was saying, my little pony, I plan on giving you the position of Court Magician” said the solar triarch and Shadow Eyes took a step away from the princess shaking her head. “You would take a mare that has killed, that would be willing to kill again for this city, and give her the most powerful position short of being a princess herself?!” Shadow Eyes exclaimed as she backed away from the princess slightly hyperventilating. “Are you insane? What would the nobles think!” said the blind mare and Celestia shrugged. “You have been through the wringer, Shadow Eyes, isn’t it time you caught a break?” asked the white alicorn and Shadow Eyes shook her head. “You needn’t give your answer now, I will inform the guard you have a royal pardon, regardless of your choice. However, just so you know, that is a misconception about the position. True you are granted whatever powers I deem fit to grant you during the course of the jobs I send you on, but you have very little actual powers save to practice whatever magic you deem fit enough to be kept safe for future generations. You also will be given a stipend amounting to 100,000 bits monthly, You, will have the authority to acquire an apprentice. Granted you will have a lot of political clout, you are for the most part still at the beck and call of the Equestrian princesses.” said the solar triarch and Shadow Eyes started to back away. Princess Luna was confused as well, why give this pony so much after she had killed so many? Granted, they were ‘bad ponies’ that didn’t mean she should be rewarded for being a murderer. “Sister, why art thou rewarding the mare? Is she not still a murderer?” asked Luna and Shadow Eyes nodded in agreement. and Celestia gave a sad smile. “Murders that could have been avoided if I had found her sooner, sister, it is as much my fault as it is hers, I can not punish her for those murders and not punish myself, and no pony will let me punish myself therefore better to skip the punishments and give her what I had intended on giving her from the beginning” Shadow Eyes scowled at that. “By that logic, you couldn’t punish any murderer, thief, or any other criminal. Because if you had gotten to them sooner they may not have committed their crimes” said the unicorn mare and Celestia surprised them by motioning to Clever Ploy, and then to the door. “The ponies here are all murderers and thieves, and any number of any other criminal occupation.” said Celestia and Shadow Eyes narrowed her eyes distrustfully at the ponies in question. “I saved them from breaking laws, I gave them a career that they could use their talents for the betterment of Equestria” said the white mare and Clever Ploy nodded in agreement. The mare in question was a master thief and she made a name for herself getting things that others believed to be untouchable. “Then why not offer me a job here? Why offer me a job with that much power?” asked Shadow Eyes as Luna moved to speak. “I wondered dear sister, had thou gotten over thy foolish belief that honor was more important than protecting our ponies” said Luna and Shadow Eyes turned to Luna in surprise as Rich Quick pulled Shadow Eyes into a hug. “Shay, she said you don’t have to answer yet, perhaps you should think on it before you say no” said the stallion in her ear, he knew how she was feeling, but he wouldn’t let her just say no to the offer without thinking about it, it would help her in the long run…