//------------------------------// // Chapter The Third: On The Longest Night // Story: A Different Maestro Spectrum // by The REAL Mister Pkmn //------------------------------// Looking to the sky, Maestro saw the moon of Mytharia. The Mare in the Moon, the only blemish on what was once a perfect sliver ball. It was due to disappear later tonight (or near when the sun was supposed to come up) according to the prophecy. He knew as he looked to the stain glass window he’d created that it could go one of two ways. The window fluctuated between the two outcomes, seeing as the event had yet to happen. He looked to the rest of his home, a place that most would think unorganized- lest they looked at it his way. It wasn’t organized by alphabet, but by color. Every day, he would shift around where everything was, just for kicks. He sighed as he walked to his door. The people of Equestria knew nothing of what was to come. Either the world would be consumed by the night, or the path to a bright future would start to be built. After all, Luna was pivotal to the balance of everything. Frankly, Maestro was surprised that Equestria - let alone all of Mytharia - had survived this long teetering on the edge of tyranny. He shook his head. He knew that no matter what the outcome, things would start to change. He left his house, which he’d set down in a small town called Oaton. The ponies here knew of him, but he didn’t come here for recognition. He had been drawn here by something, though he didn’t know what had done so. He smiled at the townsponies, who he had spent some time getting to know earlier today. They were excited to see the Summer Sun rise. They may not have trekked to Ponyville to see the celebration in person, but they wanted to see it nonetheless. Maestro raised an eyebrow though that they were going to a stage. He shrugged, and followed. What he found was interesting, to say the least. Trixie, the mare he’d saved in the Everfree earlier this week, had come to the town to perform. He went backstage see her, and found her nervous. She’d donned her cape and hat, and was talking to herself. “Okay, Trixie. This is your fist real stage show. You can’t mess this up! Think of what mom would say: ‘Just imagine that all of them are me giving you a gentle, caring smile, and you’ll be fine.’” Knocking on the wall to grab her attention, Maestro smirked when she turned around. “Hey there. Got first show jitters? I know what that’s like.” As she raised an incredulous eyebrow, and was about to rebut, he continued. “I know what you’re going to say: ‘You, Maestro Spectrum, had first show jitters once? As if.’” He smirked smugly at the expression on Trixie’s face. “Yes. Even I get nervous. A trick that I use is to envision myself in my practice room, to help myself alleviate the pressure.” Stunned for a moment, she shook her head and smiled. “Well, if it isn’t mister unpredictable himself! What brings you here? Just giving out free advice?” She looked back to the backstage entrance, and raised an eyebrow at the guard to the room. “Gave him an autograph, I take it? So that’s how you got in…” She turned back to Maestro, and gave him an incredulous look. “Surely you didn’t hear of my show and come all this way just to see me, right?” Shaking his head, he smirked. “No, but it is nice to see you, my friend.” He then looked to the window as the sun started to set. “I don’t know why I came here, actually. I just was… drawn here.” He then jerked his head to the general direction of the stage. “Better get out there. They came here to be entertained, so give them what they want.” He smiled. “I’ll be cheering you on from the audience.” He then left, and went to his seat in the crowd in the front row. The wait wasn’t much longer when the announcer came onto the stage. The spotlight fell onto the announcer, and he cleared his throat to get the crowd’s attention. Once he had it, he spoke up. “Ladies and Gentlecolts! Colts and Fillies of all ages! Prepare to be astounded by the Great and Powerful… TRRRRIXIIIIIE!” The announcer left the stage and the crowd erupted with applause as Trixie stepped into the spotlight. She held up a hoof, and the audience fell quiet. An air of confidence arose about her as she addressed the audience. “Thank you, one and all for your enthusiasm! Now, The Great and Powerful Trixie will perform her first trick of the night!” She pulled out a deck of cards. At the crowd’s faces, she pontificated clearly. “Trixie will need a volunteer from the audience!” Many hooves went up, and Trixie regarded the volunteers for a moment before finally pointing to one of them. “You! Come up on stage!” As the selected pony did so, Trixie held up the deck of cards in her hoof as she uncovered her horn. “Take notice that Trixie’s horn doesn’t glow!” She handed the deck over to the volunteer, and spoke. “Please confirm that this is an ordinary deck of playing cards!” The volunteer did so, and gave the deck back to Trixie. She then fanned out the cards. “Now that the validity of the cards has been established, please pick a s card, and show it to the audience. But please refrain from showing your chosen card to the Great and Powerful Trixie!” The volunteer carefully thought out which card to pick, and took it from the deck. The volunteer then turned to the audience and showed them the card: the seven of diamonds. The card was then shuffled back into the deck as Trixie pulled out a novelty bow and arrow. She then addressed the audience. “Now behold as Trixie shoots the correct card right out of the sky!” She then tossed the entire deck into the air over the audience, and aimed the novelty bow. She took her shot at the cards in the air, and the card she hit was pulled back to the stage. She took the card off the arrow, and showed it to the audience, a smug look on her face. “Was the seven of diamonds your card?” The volunteer nodded dumbly as the audience tried getting over their shock. Maestro started clapping, out of respect for the new spin on an old trick. The audience soon followed suit, and Trixie bowed enthusiastically. However, as she was about to go on to her next trick, all of the sudden the four stars collided with the side of the moon, and the Mare in the Moon disappeared. The audience didn’t seem to notice, nor did Trixie as she continued with her show, but Maestro did. He silently concealed the lighting of his horn as he summoned a doppelgänger, which he made invisible. He sent his invisigänger to investigate. Using a technique he’d studied, he moved his vision to coincide with his doppelgänger’s. His doppelgänger paused at the edge of the Everfree, as it noticed a shadow descend from the sky. His doppelgänger’s eyes widened as the shadow took shape as the fallen form of Princess Luna, Nightmare Moon. Maestrogänger backed off slightly, careful to not make a noise. He was right about her return, but of course he’d kept his knowledge of such a thing secret. He backed away as he watched her light her horn with silver magic. A doppelgänger popped into her place as she went off towards Ponyville. The doppelgänger lit its own horn, and its magic then shot at the dam holding back the water of the river. Maestrogänger’s eyes widened as he acted on impulse, lighting his own horn. His magic struggled to keep the dam from falling apart as his magic fought Nightmare Moon’s. The doppelgänger narrowed its gaze as it poured a surge of magic into flinging Maestrogänger back. He wound up colliding with a tree, and dispersing. Maestro’s eyes shot open, cut off from his connection. As Trixie was about to start another portion of her routine, a distant rumble came from the direction of the dam. As the townsponies heard it, they were about to riot against Trixie, who now had a scared look on her face. Maestro however, came to her rescue. “The dam has burst! Trixie was too far from it to cause it! Let’s worry about stopping the flow of the water!” The townsponies saw reason, and rushed to the dam. Maestro dragged Trixie offstage with his magic. “Ack! Careful! What’re you doing? We should get out of here!” Looking back at her with a disappointed look, he sighed as he set her down. “Fine. Run away if you like. As for me…” He started off towards the dam. “I found why I was called here. To help.” As his pace picked up, he noticed that Trixie actually had started following. He smiled. I knew that she had the heart for it. He didn’t pick up his pace until she actually caught up. “I knew that you would wind up changing your tune. C’mon! They need all the help they can get!” At her nod, they picked up their pace, and soon found themselves near the dam, or what was left of it. The townsponies were desperately trying to keep the water from getting any further, but they were being pushed back at a steady rate. Trixie and Maestro joined the fray, both adding their magic to the effort. It helped slow down the progress of the flood waters, but it was not enough. Maestro looked around, and saw a possible solution. It was risky, but it was their only shot. He turned to Trixie, and yelled over the sound of the water. “This can’t hold forever! Our best shot is to redirect the flowing water away from the town!” She called back incredulously as some of the townsfolk overheard. “How!? It’s gallons of water, Maestro! How’re we supposed to direct all of it so none of it- or at least a negligible amount- gets into town!?” Gesturing to the few unicorn residents, Maestro beckoned to them. They came over, and he explained. “Us unicorns could use our magic to guide the flood water down the old river route near the town. Working together, we can ensure none of the water makes it into town. Are you with me?” The other unicorns muttered for a moment, before nodding in unison. Trixie spoke up. “It’s worth a shot. Let’s go.” The unicorns spread out their numbers strategically, and got their magic ready for when the other townsfolk would let go of the floodwaters. Once they had their magic at the ready, the waters were released, and they all began to funnel the water away from the town with their levitation magic. Cautiously, they retained their hold on the flood water, managing to keep hold of the spell, seeing as the weight of it was spread out amongst several unicorns. Even so, some of them took elixirs to keep their mana reserves from running too low. After holding the spell for what felt like hours, the flood waters shrunk down to a trickle, and it was safe to let it fill out the old river. Releasing his held breath, Maestro calmed down. “Thank goodness the town’s okay.” Before he could continue, the sun started to rise. “And the sun’s back! That night was getting a bit long, but it’s over now.” The townsponies muttered for a bit until the mayor came over to the two outsiders. “Thanks to your quick thinking, we were saved from an imminent flood. However can we thank you?” Brushing off a bit, Trixie was about to respond when Maestro cut her off. “No thanks necessary aside from words, my good man. That’s all I need.” Maestro turned to leave. The mayor stopped him as he was about to leave. “Couldn’t you at least consider staying for a small party?” Shaking his head, Maestro moved on. “I’ve business to attend to. Farewell, fine ponies of Oaton.” Maestro left the town, while Trixie decided to stay for the party. Maestro teleported away, and found himself in Ponyville. He approached a group of ponies, whom he knew to be the heroes on his stained glass window. They were talking with Celestia and Luna. Maestro called out to them. “A moment, if you would, your majesties?” The Princesses, and the six heroes, turned to see Maestro. Cellestia addressed him with an eyebrow raised. “Maestro Spectrum, my old student. What brings you here?” Bowing with a flourish, Maestro replied. “I was called here, drawn by my… sixth sense.” Raising himself from his bow, he teleported his portfolio to him. “I have a special piece to mark the occasion of your sister returning to Equestria, and shedding the darkness.” He opened it up, and pulled out a stained glass window. He showed it to Celestia, and she gasped as she took it in her magic. “I call it The Cleansing of Nightmare. What do you think?” Tears were in Celestia’s eyes as she beheld it. The six heroes were shown wielding the Elements, and the rainbow was touching Nightmare Moon as it showed her mid-transformation back into Luna. “It’s beautiful, Maestro. I’ll display it proudly in the hall, to always remind me of the day Luna returned.” She dried her eyes. “Tell me, how much do you want for it?” Instead of listing a number and currency, Maestro shook his head. “No need for that. I’m plenty wealthy through the selling of my art. All I ask is that you take care to appreciate your sister more, lest she dip back into darkness. After all, it was partially your fault she became Nightmare Moon…” They all gasped, and Twilight pointed a hoof at him, and was about to rebuke him when Celestia raised a hoof. “Please, Twilight. Do not attack him for telling the truth. There were so many things I could have done to prevent all of this. I should have been a better sister back then, been more active in her life.” She smiled at Maestro. “You truly are something else. Tell me, why did you not stay on as my student? You could’ve wound up the Bearer of the Element of Magic!” They expected him to be surprised like the six heroes were, but Maestro only shook his head. “Maybe so. However, I didn’t feel right, wasting away in that castle. I needed to travel, see the world! It’s just… part of who I am, as a person.” He then looked to Luna, and bowed a little. “It is good to have met you, your majesty. The night will look better than I’ve ever seen it, now that the proper constructor of it is back. Please, do not hold onto your guilt. It will only hurt you- and possibly others- in the end.” Dusting himself off, Maestro left them awestruck at his insight. Just who was he, really? Who was Maestro Spectrum?