Even Stars Cast Shadows
“I had no choice.” The declaration rang through the great chamber. It was the only noise to be heard, though it soon faded and the room fell silent once more.
A man bedecked in the garments of a high ranking mage stood alone in the middle of the chamber, staring wordlessly up at the throne before him. He was of an average build and had shoulder length black hair. The features of his face were unremarkable and slipped easily from one’s mind. It was from this man that the statement had issued forth, the one it was addressed to sat high upon her golden throne staring impassively down at him.
Princess Celestia of the sun and co-ruler of Equestria sat in judgement of the man, her normally kind and benevolent features now grown cold and unreadable. Clad ivory silks and gleaming golds, ethereal hair billowing gently on an unfelt breeze, she looked every inch the the untouchable demigod she was. Though a princess only in title, the sun itself moved at the whims of the golden empress.
“No choice,” she repeated.
“Yes princess,” the man affirmed. “I saw no alternative solution and acted as I thought appropriate.”
The silence returned for a moment as Celestia chose her words.
“And you believe this justifies what you did?” she asked.
“I do,” came his answer.
“You believe that, though they lead to the loss of an entire empire, a long standing ally of this kingdom, your actions were warranted?”
“Yes, princess,” the man replied. “I deemed the cost to be acceptable when compared to what else we might have lost had I not acted as I did.”
“And who are you to make such a decision?” Celestia demanded.
The man in question straightened himself, standing proudly before his accuser. “I am Anonymous of Equestria, magister of this court, personal student of her royal highness Princess Celestia of the sun, and the greatest mortal sorcerer of this or any other land,” he declared grandly. “As I thought was proven by my victory over the mad king Sombra.”
“Victory?” Celestia nearly whispered. “You call what happened in the north a victory?”
“I am here, Sombra is not, the kingdom still stands, and harmony still reigns. The loss of the Empire is regrettable, but could not be avoided. Sombra dragged it with him when I banished him from this reality.”
“And you maintain that there was no other way? That there was nothing you could have done to change the outcome of this conflict?” Celestia pressed.
“I do.” Anonymous affirmed. “Given more time I might have had that opportunity, but time was not something readily available to me. The confrontation was too sudden. But the banishment, though lengthy, is only temporary and when he returns so will the empire and its inhabitants. In the interim we will have ample time to prepare for the next confrontation with Sombra and I am confident that next time we will be able to permanently do away with him with minimal collateral damage.”
Celestia stared coldly down at her pupil. “There should not have been a first time, Anonymous. You made frequent visits to the Crystal Empire and had the most interaction with Sombra out of anyone else in this court. How was this allowed to happen?”
Here, the mage’s stoic features softened somewhat and a tinge of uneasiness bled through.
“I… there was no indication that he was capable of any of this. Not once did he ever show any signs of his corruption,” he explained falteringly. “It wasn’t until my most recent visit to the empire that he started exhibiting any kind of instability. When he made his intentions clear it became obvious there was no reasoning with him and I made every effort to put a stop to the situation before it got out of hand.”
A few moments of silence passed as Celestia considered his words, no indication of what she might have been thinking visible on her face.
“You say there was no way you could have known?” she asked at last.
“No, Princess.”
“At no point during your studies of dark magic together did he show any manner of instability?”
The mage’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. “With all due respect, there is no such thing as dark magic. The only thing that may be dark about magic is its user’s intent. All that exists is power and what is done with it.”
“What exactly were the two of you researching?” Celestia demanded.
“It was research into the use of negative emotions as fuel for magic,” Anonymous explained, a hitch in his voice as he tried to keep his irritation from showing.
“Why exactly would you be conducting studies on such a subject?” the princess pressed.
“It would facilitate in making magic more accessible. Standard magic is fueled by the emotions brought on by positive social connection and interaction with others, but not everyone has access to such connections and an alternate source of fuel for magic would allow for more practitioners.”
“And what were the results?”
“Our research was never finished, but what we found was that negative emotions provided for the use of more powerful magics in the short term for more advanced practitioners. To those with less practice or few to no social connections to draw from it could offer a more readily available power source.”
“Did you not think that magic born from such things as hate and fear could be dangerous to the wielder?” Celestia asked.
“No more than standard magic might be to one poorly trained in its use. No more than starting a fire might be to one without the knowledge to do so. Nothing is inherently good or evil, the morality is in the hands of the wielder. Control is the key word here.”
“Sombra was once a good man and a valued friend and ally. As his friend, what do you think caused this sudden change?”
“I could not say, Highness. Perhaps the sudden surfacing of previously unknown latent instability,” Anonymous hypothesized. “I am unable to accurately speak for the why.”
“Are you aware of the recent events involving his queen?” Celestia asked.
“Of course, princess,” Anonymous confirmed in mild confusion. “The events that led to the creation of the swarm were a tragedy. I kept Sombra’s company for many days while he grieved.”
“And did it not occur to you that perhaps with such wounds so fresh in his mind that it might not have been the wisest thing to be experimenting with magic that fed off of negativity?” Celestia suggested.
“It was at his request, princess,” the mage explained. “I never brought it up. He was the one who broached the subject of my research. I even mentioned such concerns to him, but he dismissed them and in fact went so far as to suggest that it might help. He made a rather convincing argument.”
“And you agreed?”
“He was the only mortal sorcerer that could be considered my equal. He was just as capable as I am and the closest of my friends. I never had any cause to doubt him before and I saw no reason to begin.”
“And so you allowed a possibly unstable man scarred by the recent loss of his wife to delve into research that required that he fill himself with negative emotions?”
Anonymous’s face turned stoney. “Are you implying that my research is what drove him to this? That I in someway corrupted him and turned him into the madman that he became?”
“I am not saying you did so knowingly,” Celestia said, her voice tinged sympathy.
“No!” Anonymous declared forcefully. “That is not possible! I have been exposed to this kind of magic for far longer than he and in the years since I began my research I have exhibited none of the corruption he did.”
“Perhaps you overestimated the king’s fortitude,” the princess suggested.
“No, my research can’t have done this!” Anonymous asserted, a hint of desperation beginning to color his denial. “If the loss of his wife is what drove him to madness, then it was that alone. Magic is magic, regardless of what it is born from, and the same magic that I have been exposed to for years without incident could not have caused such a drastic change in so short a time. I am convinced that he would have attempted his mad takeover with or without my involvement, my research simply provided the tool with which to do it.”
“Be that as it may, this new brand of negativity fueled magic unsettles me. And under the light of recent developments I am afraid I can no longer condone any further research into this subject,” Celestia declared. “It is my will that from this point forward all practice of dark magic is to be discontinued indefinitely.”
A pit formed in the mage’s stomach at Celestia’s words, his eyes widening in alarm. “Princess, I implore you to reconsider!” he all but begged. “Do not let the actions of a single madman tarnish the image of an entirely new branch of magic, think of all the good that might come of it! I’ve hardly scratched the surface of its potential!”
“Some things are best left unknown, Anonymous,” Celestia said gravely.
“You can’t do that!” Anonymous exploded, a tinge of green seeping into the whites of his eyes. “This has been my life! I’ve poured my blood, sweat, and tears into this! You can’t just throw it all away!”
By the end of his rant the whites of the mage’s eyes had turned completely green, a dark violet energy radiating from them.
He would have continued, but he was soon driven silent as Celestia’s throne erupted into flames, her own eyes burning a bright white as the might of the sun filled her. Slowly she stood from her throne, casting a baleful gaze down at her defiant protege.
“You dare challenge me in my own court?” she demanded, her voice filled with a power that made the air quake with every syllable she spoke.
Everyone present looked at their ruler in undisguised awe and fear. Even her own guardsmen broke their normally stoic facade and took a few hesitant steps away from the furious deity.
The temporary insanity that filled Anonymous fled instantly in the face of the realization that he’d so upset his mentor. The unnatural color left his eyes and the anger on his face was quickly replaced by fear.
Seeing that her student had returned to his senses, Celestia ended the display, an air of silence and unease quickly moving in to replace the heated tension of earlier. But though the burning wrath of the sun had faded a stern look of disappointment was etched upon the princess’s face.
“I think that your exposure to this magic has had a far greater effect on you than you believe. Your judgement appears to have suffered greatly from it. In light of these circumstances I have decided that it would be in everyone’s best interest for you to take some personal time to recover from your ordeal.”
“P-princess?” Anonymous asked uncertainly.
“Until such a time as your rational thought is no longer compromised by the stress placed upon you by your conflict with Sombra and your exposure to this dark magic you are hereby relieved of your duties as court magister.”
“Master, I’m sorry! Please do not do this!” Anonymous begged, all sense of composure finally lost.
“I am sorry too, Anonymous,” Celestia said with the weight of finality, “but until you are clean of the dark effects of your research, I am no longer your master.”
The mage was left wide eyed and speechless, hardly able to process the turn of events that had taken place. Dismissed from service? How could this have happened?
Seeing the effects her words were having on him, Celestia’s expression softened somewhat. “Take some time to yourself,” she said. “Rest and recuperate from your ordeals. When I am satisfied that your judgement is no longer impaired, then you will be allowed to return to your duties and your studies.”
Anonymous simply stared blankly ahead, not focusing on any point, but simply looking into the distance.
“Of course, Princess. I apologize, I forgot myself,” he said flatly. “I will begin making arrangements for my leave immediately.”
And with that Anonymous turned on his heel and strode from the throne room, the golden gates barring his passage cast open with gesture and then drawn closed with just as little effort.
When her now ex-protege had departed Celestia lowered herself back onto her throne, slumping gracelessly against the backrest as the stress of the encounter took its toll upon her. Resting her head in her hand, she glanced at the guard to her right who was quite clearly doing his very best to look as though he hadn’t noticed her attention fall on him.
“I suppose I could have handled that better,” she said to him.
If it were possible the guard stiffened more, casting a nervous glance to his princess. “The display of power might have been a bit much, Your Grace,” he offered hesitantly.
Celestia sighed and returned to staring at nothing in particular. “I suppose it was, wasn’t it?”
“Then why did you feel it was necessary?” a different voice rang out.
Celestia groaned. “I suppose you’ve been watching this whole time, have you?” she asked rhetorically.
A black mist gathered at the foot of the stairway leading to Celestia’s throne, congealing into the shape of a person before dissipating and leaving behind a woman. Clad in deep blue robes and shining silver armor Princess Luna struck a stark contrast with her sister, something like disapproval on her face as she looked up at Celestia.
“Don’t you think you might have overreacted?” Luna asked.
“I may have reacted more harshly than intended, but I stand by my decision. I will not have my authority questioned, especially in my own court by my own student,” Celestia replied.
“But discontinuing his research? How many years has he spent studying that magic? It would have been his life’s work if he continued with it. That would have been his legacy.”
“Such magic has no place in this kingdom,” Celestia said firmly. “Look at the tragedy that befell the Crystal Empire. If such a thing is possible there, who is to say something similar couldn’t happen here where a full third of our population are magic users?”
“I know we’ve had troubles with it before, but I think Anonymous is more than capable of mastering this magic. You just need to have a little faith in him,” Luna insisted.
Celestia frowned. “I trust you haven’t forgotten what happened when Starswirl delved too deeply into such studies.”
“Of course I haven’t,” Luna snapped. “I am reminded whenever I pass through the sculpture garden. But give Anonymous some credit; I believe he may be able to accomplish what Starswirl could not.”
“I will not take that chance. Anonymous is already showing signs of corruption. He never would have challenged me like he did before he began his research. I am putting a stop to this now before the situation gets out of hand.”
“I believe those were Anonymous’s own words when he explained his reasoning for banishing Sombra,” Luna pointed out.
Celestia’s eyes narrowed. “My mind is made up, Luna. I will not lose another student to this vile magic. One was too many. I gave him his chance, but I cannot ignore what has happened. I refuse to allow Starswirl’s tragedy to repeat itself with Anonymous,” here her stoney expression softened and a slight, almost imperceptible quaver entered her voice. “I could not bear it.”
Luna was silent for a moment before answering. “I simply hate to see him so torn. His methods may have been questionable, but he did prevent an unimaginable catastrophe.”
“He traded one evil for another, Luna, and both were brought about by his own actions. Regardless of what he accomplished countless lives have been forever changed for the worst by what he did. He was the one who began the research. He was the one who involved Sombra. He was the one who banished the Empire. Anonymous must accept the repercussions of his actions.”
“But dismissing him from his position as your student?” Luna asked. “What purpose does that serve other than to upset him further?”
“It’s only temporary, Luna. I can’t allow him to continue his studies while his judgement is so impaired. He is liable to hurt himself or someone else in such a state.”
“Then couldn’t you have just temporarily suspended his studies rather than dismissing him altogether?” Luna argued.
“Bear in mind, sister, this is also meant to be a punishment. I understand he did what he thought was right, but none of it should have happened in the first place. All that did happen was due to his own actions. He needs to understand that there are consequences,” Celestia explained.
Seeing that her sister still remained unconvinced Celestia continued. “I didn’t want to do it, Luna; he might as well be family. When he was little he was like my son, and now he is akin to a brother. I know you feel the same, so you must understand that it hurt to do what I did. I don’t want to be angry at him, nor do I want to punish him, but what he did can’t simply be overlooked.”
“And so instead you send him away? Anonymous has been through more than any mortal should endure, why compound it with this? He should be surrounded by his loved ones after such an ordeal, not alienated from them.”
“I will allow him to return to his duties when I am fully convinced that he has recovered, but not a moment sooner. Though if it is your desire to go to him and help him through his troubles I will not stop you.”
“Why do you not go to him yourself? You are his master, it will be your company he desires now, not mine.”
Celestia let out a long, tired sigh. “There is far too much for me to do in the wake of this disaster. When my schedule permits I will visit him, but his actions have ensured that I will hardly have time for sleep these coming months. I am certain he would benefit greatly from your company though, if that is your choice.”
Luna took notice of the almost pleading tone that entered her sister’s voice near the end and slowly she began to piece together Celestia’s thoughts. Her sister was afraid. She worried for her student, but was reluctant to face him again out of fear that he would hate her for the judgement she passed out of necessity.
“I will go to him then,” Luna said at last. “I will keep our little brother’s company until such a time as he is able to rejoin your court.”
Celestia breathed a sigh of relief at her sister’s words. “Thank you Luna, I will see to your duties for as long as you need.”
With a curt nod of acknowledgement Luna saw herself out, the shadows racing back to consume her, carrying her away from the throne room and towards the only living being she could call brother.
The young mage stormed through halls of Canterlot Palace, his robes flapping furiously in an unnatural wind that had kicked up about him. He had been almost numb when he left the throne room mere minutes ago, but with each step his ire grew and the reality of his situation was hammered home.
His attention had since turned inward as he seethed, though he retained enough awareness of his surroundings to note the looks of fright the palace staff favored him with as he passed. He only halted on his warpath when he felt a hand upon his shoulder silently urging him to stop. The mage whirled about in a rage, a harsh reprimand already forming on his tongue for the poor fool.
The words died half-formed in his throat when he saw who the hand belonged to, replaced only with a blunt, “Oh, you.”
Luna drew back her hand as though it had been burned, her look one of uncertainty. “I would ask how you are faring, but you wear your emotions like heraldry. Instead I’ll ask if there is anything I might do to help.”
“You might convince your sister that she is making a mistake,” Anonymous responded icily.
Luna said nothing in response, though in truth she needn’t have bothered. Her face gave away more of her thoughts than her voice could have in that moment.
“You agree with her.” It wasn’t a question.
Luna held her silence a moment longer and chose her words carefully. She had never seen her friend in such a rage before and she was wary of exacerbating the situation.
“Initially I did not,” she began carefully. “But now that I look on you I think that perhaps it is for the best.”
Anonymous scowled. “You think I’ve been corrupted as well, do you?”
In response the princess held out her hand, a small mirror materializing in the air above it. For a moment the mage forgot his anger as he stared at his reflection, a hand going to his face. The man he saw in the mirror was a stranger to him.
His face had grown pale and gaunt as though he’d aged thirty years, and his hair was now shot with streaks of grey. Though what struck him most were his eyes, so like Sombra’s when the madness had taken hold. Angry red on burning green had replaced blue and white, and a constant stream of violet mist leaked from them. Striking though the other changes had been, it was still his face, albeit older. But those were not his eyes.
A minor glamour restored youth to his face and chased the grey from his hair, and another returned his eyes to their natural color. Though scant moments after the spell was cast the foreign colors surged forth once more. Anonymous frowned and cast the glamour again, and again blue and white returned, but just as before it failed in moments and the new colors shone through. With a thought the mirror shattered, the shards fading to mist.
“It is aesthetic, nothing more,” the mage insisted. “I should consider myself lucky that all I lost in the encounter were a few years and the color of my eyes.”
“As you say.”
The answer irritated Anonymous, though if pressed he wouldn’t have been able to say why. “What do you want, Luna?” he demanded at last. “Have you a few titles you’d like to strip me of as well?”
“Is it so surprising that I should want to comfort my friend in his time of need?”
“You’ll forgive me for being skeptical, I’m not entirely sure who my friends are anymore when in the space of a week one’s tried to kill me and another disowned me.”
“She had to do it, Anonymous, what else could she have done?”
Anonymous spread his arms, a look of mock thoughtfulness on his face. “Welcomed me as a hero?”
“You are a hero, Anonymous. It was a vile act you were forced to commit, one utterly devoid of honor, but a hero is someone who does their duty even when there is no glory to be found in it. And duty demanded that you trade thousands for millions. I know it can’t have been an easy choice and nobody, mortal or otherwise, should have such a burden placed upon them. But you shouldered that burden for the sake of everyone, no one could have done it better.”
Anon’s face grew sullen. “I can think of one.”
Here Luna hesitated, it was a sore subject with the young mage and one she had dearly hoped to avoid. “Starswirl-”
“Tartarus take Starswirl!” Anonymous exploded. “I know what your sister thought; in her mind that thrice-damned hedge wizard would have banished Sombra and saved the day without putting so much as a single stone out of place and would have been back in time for tea and a few pretty words about what a tragedy it was. Starswirl will always be her hero, I’ll only ever be his shadow.”
Luna bit her lip in anxiety; they had never told Anonymous the fate that had befallen his predecessor so many years ago when he delved into the same realm of magic the youth himself had plunged so eagerly into. It had happened shortly after he had succeeded Starswirl as her sister’s student and he had looked up to the wizard with such reverential awe that neither sister had the heart to tarnish his vision of the man he held as his idol.
Though over the years admiration had turned to bitter envy when he found himself thwarted at every turn by Starswirl’s legacy. Always had people compared the two, and always had he been haunted by remarks of how he was almost as great as Starswirl. And no matter what he did it always followed him. Almost, almost, almost. He always came close, but it was always almost. When he found Starswirl's half-finished musings on magic fueled by negativity he had taken to it with gusto, hoping against hope that this could finally free him from the great wizard's shadow.
“Starswirl this, Starswirl that,” Anonymous ranted on, oblivious to Luna’s inner torment. “I’m sick to death of hearing about him. He’ll always be a step ahead of me, won’t he? My so called black magic was supposed to change all that, but small chance of that now that your sister’s made up her mind.”
Anonymous glared at Luna, fists clenched, those otherworldly eyes making his expression all the more terrible. “I have tried to live up to your ridiculous expectations, Luna, truly I have. I understand that none of you care one lick for Anonymous; you all just want Starswirl back, and so I’ve tried to do that for you. But tell me, sweet sister; how can I be Starswirl for you if none of you will let me?”
Luna racked her mind for something, anything to say, but came up empty. What could she possibly say to that? She could deny it, she should deny it. She should tell him how much she loved him, how much she valued him as he was, not for who he thought they wanted him to be. But silence was all that would come to her.
Then slowly it dawned on her why nothing would come: Anonymous was right. They had wanted Starswirl back so desperately that they had forgotten they had Anonymous. Though that wasn’t to say that they didn’t love him with all their hearts, he was a brother to them, just as Starswirl had been before him. But it would seem that somewhere along the way they had forgotten which brother he was.
Seeing that no answer was forthcoming Anonymous spun on his heel without another word and set back off down the hallway. Luna watched forlornly as he went, still desperately searching for some word that might give him pause or bring him back.
Only silence came.