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// Chapter The First: Rise To Fame 
// Story: A Different Maestro Spectrum 
// by The REAL Mister Pkmn 
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It all began after Maestro got his Cutie Mark- he was so excited to share his art with the world that he kind of rushed into it. At first, nobody really saw much in it. His works were often strange looking by conventional standards. He didn’t let that get him down, however. With a little help from his adoptive family, he got into a prestigious art school and graduated in a short four years at the young age of ten. This got people talking- how good was he, if his work could get him such high marks at a school that judged art by techniques most would take years to master?

Surprisingly though, he didn’t reopen his shop just yet- he instead traveled the world, learning various art techniques from all over. By his fourteenth birthday, he’d managed to master virtually every technique in the world. This impressed the Princess so much that she offered to teach him magic personally. He accepted the offer, and was a quick study- especially with enchantments. He met the previous student, Sunset Shimmer, only shortly before she disappeared. He was wrapping up his studies as Celestia’s student when Twilight came into the picture. He’d only been there four years.

After all this, he finally forayed back into the spotlight of his shop- and his popularity skyrocketed. His work was sought after, but not a single work from his earlier days was displayed. The ponies didn’t mind, though. After all, those early pieces were unconventional and strange. He had no real rival, for his work was impeccable in all techniques.

However, never once did he ever speak about his homeland- only saying that his memories from then were scrambled. Not even those that had taken him in ever found out- not that he had a choice in the matter. He became the enigma of enigmas, the greatest mystery of the era. Many tried to postulate about how this unicorn from nowhere came into the picture, but no answers made themselves apparent.

Not that Maestro seemed to mind. He kept getting a bigger following, never once looking back. He seemed not to care about if he ever got his memories sorted out. He continued his work, little anomalies cropping up in his actions. He never seemed to use ponyisms, but he explained that “It didn’t feel right.” He often seemed to push everyone away, not letting them get close. He was alone- but he seemed not to mind. Not a friend in the world, but he seemed happy enough with his level of fame.

Yet, many believed that it was all an act. Many elites of society feared what he might do- After all, he was from a place that nobody knew. Was he truly just here to be an artist? Or was there something else to him? Did he have a heart at all? Or was he a golem? They planned to remove him, if he ever stood against what they wanted.

Instead of quaking with fear at that prospect, Maestro openly admitted that he knew very little about himself. Yet, he insisted that some of the ideas that the elites had about him were just absurd. After all, golems didn’t have the prowess to simulate emotion to the degree of a sapient being. He knew that they wouldn’t give up, so he invited them to “prove their claims! Watch me carefully, and you will see the truth!”

At this point, he was twenty-one. The year was 999 A.B., and he’d kept to his work. But one night, he was in Manehattan, and a turquoise light shone from his room. Those that saw hurried to it, and saw him floating in the air. He was working with colored glass, making a scene that none had ever seen. His eyes were glowing bright white, and his magic was overflowing. The scene that he made was too difficult to see for anyone looking into the room because of how bright it was. And all of the sudden, a pulse of light knocked the onlookers back, and closed the door. None would see the completed work.

Rumors spread like wildfire- that stain glass window he’d made was the talk of the world. Some said that it was a prophesy, others said it contained a clue to his origins. Still others claimed it was a new style of art that would take the world by storm. Yet, despite all the speculation, Maestro refused to show it to anyone. Eventually the rumors died down, and Maestro went back to his work unhindered.

Yet, some noticed that after that day, he wasn’t quite the same. He often looked into the distance, seeing something that nobody else did. He was quieter, and seemed to be lost in thought. The public said that it obviously had something to do with the mysterious stain glass window he’d made, and that it changed him a bit. They even managed to ask him about it, but he shrugged it off, saying:

“Don’t worry about it. It just took a lot out of me, is all. It’s quite a piece, and I hope to show it to the world. But, I feel as if it isn’t meant to be seen just yet. So if I seem preoccupied, that’s because I am thinking about how I’ll unveil this piece when the time comes. So don’t worry about me. I’ll be back to my old self before you know it!”

And despite their doubts, he did recover from his funk pretty quickly. Some believe that he should’ve just taken a small vacation to relax a bit, but he wouldn’t have any of it. He kept working, making better and better works. His popularity had reached a peak unattained by other artists until later in their lives at the young age of twenty-one. Almost half the country was in his fanbase, and he was still gaining by the end of the year. Yet despite all this, he was still distant. Some tried to connect to him, but none got close. Until...