> A Different Maestro Spectrum
>  by The REAL Mister Pkmn
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> Prologue: One Day, He Just... Appeared.
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At that moment, in Equestria…

A unicorn stallion with a black mane and tail was talking with his third wife. “Nimbus, we must move on. Harmonic was a sickly colt. We both knew that there wasn’t much we could do. It’s best we try our best to be there for the children we still have.”

A mare with bat wings with a dark gray mane and tail sat across from him, and looked away from his pink eyes to look to their children- the twins that she’d only recently had. They were sleeping soundly. Nimbus sighed. “I know Tempered, but… He was my first born. How am I supposed to get over losing him? I just don’t know if I can.”

Tempered lifted his wife’s face so he could look her in her royal blue eyes that had slitted pupils. Tempered’s maroon coat bristled slightly, but went down as he comforted her. “My sweet, you are the success of my life- The wife I’ve had the longest. To me, as long as we are together, we can make it work. It took time for me to come around to you after my second wife’s death, but I eventually did. I will always be grateful for that. And you know I’ll be here to help you through this tying time. We’ll survive this together.”

Nimbus’ tears were still staining her purple coat, and she buried her head into Temperd’s shoulder to cry. “I know we will, but… It seems so far off now…”

Tempered sighed. He wasn’t completely sure how they would get through this- after all, even though he was putting on a brave face, he’d never lost a child before. Servo and Chessmaster were both alive and well. His ovular platinum locket swayed in a gentle breeze- his anvil Cutie Mark engraven upon it. “I promise that we can get through this. I don’t know how yet, but we will.”

Nimbus lifted her head a little and smiled. “I sure hope so.” Just then, a loud BANG was heard coming from the nearby woods. The two shared a look of concern, and rushed off to find the source of the noise. When they reached the area, they gasped at what they saw.

It was a dark teal unicorn colt, who had a reddish-brown mane with a single turquoise streak down the center. His tail was a vibrant rainbow with all seven colors, and his eyes were heterochromatic- his right being blue, his left being green. He had with him a portfolio slung across his shoulders, but not much else. He didn’t even have a Cutie Mark, but that wasn’t all that odd considering his apparent age. The colt was rubbing his head with a hoof, and spoke. “Ugh. What hit me? I can’t seem to recall…” He was muttering incoherently after that.

Tempered whispered to his wife. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

Nimbus nodded slightly. “Yes! He looks like Harmonic, but slightly different. Why?”

Tempered sighed. “It could be something dark in nature. Just let me-”

But, they were soon interrupted by the colt. “Um, excuse me…” The two then turned their attention to the colt. He then continued. “I’m not exactly certain where I am… Or of much anything else, really. All my memories seem to be pretty scrambled…” He then tilts his head slightly. “Do you think you can help me? I think there’s something I’m meant to do here, but… I can’t quite remember what it is.” He then leveled his head, and put a hoof up to his chin. “If I only knew…”

Nimbus spoke first, her Cutie Mark of a nimbus cloud with a checkered racing flag popping out of it becoming visible. “Of course we can help you! We may not know where you came from, but we can take care of you until you sort things out!”

Tempered shook his head, and voiced his concerns. “Now Nimbus, I know that he looks somewhat like our son, but taking him in like this? We don’t even know if he’s safe to be around! And taking him in would mean trusting him with the family secret! He’s an outsider!”

Nimbus looked Tempered squarely in the eye. “Weren’t your first and second wives outsiders? Wasn’t I? And yet you let us in. You trusted us. They took the secret to their graves, just as I plan to.” She then pointed a hoof to the colt. “That colt is alone, with virtually no memories. He doesn’t know where he is. He is innocent to the world at large. I think we should give him a chance.”

Tempered looked like he was about to argue, but he looked into Nimbus’ fierce eyes, and sighed in defeat. “Alright. We can try.” He then turned to the colt. “Say, how’d you like to become a part of our family? At least, until you regain your memories. What d’ya say?”

The colt pondered this for a moment, then nodded. “Something’s telling me that acclimating myself to my surroundings is paramount to why I’m here. Thank you, mister…”

Tempered blinked, and sighed. He pointed to himself with a hoof. “I am known as Tempered Steel.” He then gestured to his wife. “This is my wife, Nimbus Speedfang.”

The colt bowed his head a little as he followed them back to their house. “Thank you for your hospitality, Mister Steel, Missus Speedfang.”

Nimbus chuckled at the colt’s formality. “Oh, there’s no need for that. Since we’re going to adopt you anyway, why not call us ‘mom’ and ‘dad’?”

The colt stopped as they reached the house, and they gazed back at him expectantly from the doorway. He hesitated. He barely knew these ponies. Why should he call them such things? He shook his head. “I’ll… think about it.”

They brought him into the house, and introduced him to their children. The foals were different from each other in slight ways- for one, they were different genders. Their colorations were very similar, both having pale blue coats. The filly had bat wings and fangs, and her mane and tail looked like an aurora. The colt had dark blue stripes, and his mane and tail were white as snow. The foals both had hazel eyes, but the colt... was blind. The new pony blinked. He’d never seen blindness before… had he? He shook his head, and looked to those that took him in. They looked back. Tempered then spoke. “So… We can’t just call you colt forever… What would you like us to call you?”

The young colt pondered for a moment, and recalled something. He smiled. “Spectrum. Maestro Spectrum.”

That day, everything changed. The ponies known as “Tempered Steel” and Nimbus Speedfang took in the travelling unicorn who’d taken to calling himself Maestro Spectrum, to raise him as their own. And now, our story begins...
> Chapter The First: Rise To Fame
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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...
> Chapter The Second: A Kindred Spirit
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Things had been going smoothly so far in Maestro’s career. Year’s end was approaching, heralding the start of the 1,000th year since Nightmare Moon was banished to the moon. Some may think it silly of him to believe in such “old mare’s tales”, but his adoptive family knew the truth- it wasn’t just a story, it actually happened. They knew this because of their meticulous history keeping, to unbiased accuracy. These records had never been published- after all, who knows who would try and tarnish them if they came to light. He knew that by the Summer Sun Celebration though, all would remember the truth. He shook himself out of his reverie. He was having a stroll in the Everfree during the winter, one of its safer times. It was a little after Hearth’s Warming, so things were rather quiet. He liked to walk in the brisk cold air to think. It was peaceful. He sighed in contentment.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” This single scream shook him out of his reverie. Was that a young mare? What were they doing in the forest? He decided to break into a brisk trot at first, seeing as it seemed a little urgent. “SOMEPONY HELP!” Now, when he heard the second cry, he broke into a full gallop- after all, with the level of fear in that scream, he needed to get there as soon as possible. He weaved around the trees until he came into a clearing. Backing up against a tree was the mare he’d heard, he was sure. Her powdery blue fur was standing on end, a sign of genuine fear, along with the wide look in her pink eyes. Her silvery blue mane and tail were a bit frazzled, but otherwise fine. He took note of her Cutie Mark- a star-tipped wand that emanated a smoky crescent-shape with white pinpricks.

He then looked across from her and saw what had frightened her. His eyes widened. “An Ursa Major? But I thought that they were all in hibernation with their cubs!” He turned his eyes to the mare as he came further into the clearing. “How’d you wind up waking one of these brutes up?”

The mare looked abashed. “It’s not my fault, exactly… Well it sorta is, but I only went in there because some idiot had the brilliant idea of taking my magician’s cape and hat!”

Maestro noticed that she held a cape in her hooves, a purple star-studded pattern that looked a little worse for wear. He then looked back at the Ursa. He hadn’t noticed it before, but there was a hat that matched the cape’s pattern placed atop its head, making it look a bit like it had a horn. Maestro shook his head. “Alright. Let’s see what can be done here…” He may have looked calm on the outside, but on the inside, he was terrified. After all, he’d read about how dangerous an Ursa Major could be when awoken in the middle of hibernation. Then, his face lit up with an idea. It then fell a little. Would such a thing work? He shook his head. No time for doubt. I’ve got to try. He looked to the mare. “I know this might sound forward, butI’m going to need to borrow a bit of your magic.”

She balked at that. Asking to borrow magic was kinda a big deal to unicorns; it was like entrusting a piece of yourself to somepony else for a bit. It simply wasn’t done lightly. “Why? What do you need it for?”

Smirking a little, Maestro explained. “Illusions. You’re good at them, right?” At the mare’s nod, Maestro continued. “I need to use that, combined with my magic to pull off what I’ve got planned.”

Blushing a little, she stammered. “C-combined!?! D-don’t you have decency!? We barely know each other!”

Seeing her flustered face, Maestro sighed. “Listen, it’s the only way to get the Ursa to leave us be. I promise I’ll only use your magic for what I need, then give it back, alright? No illicitness, I promise.” Seeing her hesitation, Maestro decided to sweeten the deal. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll make it up to you later. But for now…”

She saw his outstretched right front hoof, and finally gave in, lighting her horn with a pink aura. “You better keep your word by not doing anything weird to my magic.” She focused, and fractured off a portion, sending it to her right front hoof. “Otherwise, I won’t forgive you, alright?”

Smiling and shaking his head, Maestro accepted her hoof, and felt the magic exchange. “Gotcha.” After he let go of her hoof, he lit his horn with their magic, sparking turquoise and pink. A pink-turquoise mist surrounded him as he started to change shape. He needed to focus, otherwise this wouldn’t come out right. He felt his bones shifting and extending as his fur became coarser and his body grew larger. His coloration became darker as his eyes gained slitted pupils. Tendrils sprouted from his body, growing wispy like a shadow. His tail shifted to become silver, solid and sharp like a knife. The mist dissipated, and he growled to get the Ursa’s attention. As the Ursa saw the massive behemoth that Maestro had become, its eyes widened. It let out a whimper, and darted off fast enough to leave the magician’s hat behind. In a puff of pink-turquoise smoke, Maestro returned to his default state. He smiled, and turned back to the young mare. “See? I kept my word.” He focused on the foreign magic, and forced it back into his hoof.

The mare took back her magic eagerly, and sighed in relief. “Thanks for saving me. How did you know that would work?”

Chuckling nervously, Maestro explained. “I didn’t. I just took a few things I knew scared Ursas through what I’d read in books, and amalgamated it into one form, and hoped for the best. Simple enough.”

The mare shook her head as she grabbed her hat with her magic. “You’re certainly something, I’ll say that much. Didn’t expect Maestro Spectrum to be like this…”

Quirking an eyebrow, he responded. “Oh? Has my reputation spread that far already? Heh, sometimes it feels so surreal…” He shook his head. “Well. Let’s get you out of this forest.” they started walking, and he decided to ask her something. “Say, what’s your name? I never did ask earlier…”

Shaking her head and sighing, she replied. “Honestly, you’re expected to do at least that before asking for a lady’s magic.”

Maestro chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry. Wasn’t really thinking of that, you know. Just focusing on trying to get you out of that mess.”

Smirking, she continued. “And I already thanked you for that.” She adjusted her cape before offering her hoof in a shake. “Trixie Lulamoon.”

Maestro accepted her hoof gingerly. “An honor, to meet the heir of house Lulamoon. I hope your exploits of stage magic become legend enough to usurp Hoofdini!”

After the hoofshake, Trixie looked away, abashed. “You really think I could do that?”

Nodding, Maestro answered confidently. “Of course! I’ve got an eye for talent, you know. As long as you put effort into your illusions and slight of hoof without relying on tall tales, you’ll do fine!”

Trixie blinked. “Tall tales? Why did you mention that?”

Shaking his head, Maestro replied with confusion in his voice. “Not sure. It’s just… I seem to have strange advice for many I meet. They’ve often thanked me for it, but I don’t know why I say it any more than you do.”

The pair walked in silence to the edge of the forest, where they went their separate ways; Trixie back to her home in Canterlot, and Maestro to his next destination. However, that night, both thought that they had made a valuable friend indeed.
> Chapter The Third: On The Longest Night
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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?
> Chapter The Fourth: It's No Boast If It's True
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days had passed, and Maestro found himself once again drawn to Ponyville. This time however, he knew why. His friend Trixie was going there, he was certain of it. Call it intuition, or what have you, he just… knew that she’d be there, and if he wasn’t there, she would run into quite a bit of trouble. So, before she arrived, he came into town, but refrained from announcing his presence. After all, he was here to see a friend, not make profit. As Trixie came into town, and set down her stage, he found his way into the crowd after exiting his store, and found  himself near the Heroes of Harmony. They were whispering amongst themselves when he interrupted them. “I do so hope you enjoy my friend’s stage magic show. Trixie has worked hard to perfect her act. I do hope that you’ll be entertained. After all, that is why she’s here. To entertain.”

The six heroes noticed him, and turned to the strange, enigmatic unicorn. Raising an eyebrow, Twilight asked the question that was begging to be asked. “So you know this ‘Great and Powerful Trixie’, then? And you, Maestro Spectrum, one of the most renowned artists of our time, is her friend? Why?”

Amused a little, Maestro chuckled. “Do I need a reason? If I must give you one, then I find in Trixie a kindred spirit, a person who wants to give to the world rather than to take away. Besides, she and I met some time back after I left Celestia’s tutelage. She and I share a bond, quite similar to you sharing a bond with your five friends, I could say. She even has some similarities to your friends, in some ways.” He then hushed them. “It’s about to start. Let’s watch.”

The fireworks accented the stage, and Trixie’s voice echoed outward. “Fillies and Gentlecolts! Bask in awe at the illusions of the Great and Powerful TRIIIIIXIEEEEE!~” The curtains parted, and Trixie came out on stage, with a flourish of fireworks. The majority of the crowd clapped politely, including Maestro. The Heroes of Harmony however, held their opinion for the moment. After the clapping died down, Trixie removed her hat, and pointed to her horn. “Pay attention during this trick that my horn never lights up!” She then produced a Nebula Wand (identical to the one pictured in her Cutie Mark) from seemingly nowhere. The wand’s tip glowed as she passed it over her hat. Then, she spoke some magic words. “Tricky Tricked Trickster! Appear from the aether!” After she spoke these words, she reached her hoof into her hat, and pulled out a rabbit, namely Angel Bunny. Trixie shrugged nonchalantly “Well, not the result I expected, but still a great trick, don’t you think?”

The audience erupted into applause as Trixie bowed, and Angel hopped over to Fluttershy after being set down. However, the Heroes of Harmony were not amused by this, but they knew Maestro would defend his “friend”, so they decided to stay quiet on their dislike at this point. Trixie rose from her bow and addressed the audience. “For my next trick, I will require an assistant from the audience!” Several hooves went up into the air, and Trixie scanned the audience carefully. After a bit of deliberation, Trixie chose an Earth Pony filly. “You, how would you like to come up on stage?” 

The excitable young filly found her way through the crowd, and Trixie helped her onto the stage. Trixie then procured from the backstage three oversized paper cups. After a little whisper into the filly’s ear, and her nodding in return, Trixie turned her attention back to the audience. “Pay close attention, everypony! Watch as I shuffle the giant cups, one of which my helpful assistant will be under. When I stop shuffling, I will call on a member of the audience to guess which cup has my assistant under it. If they guess right, the game continues. If they guess wrong, another member of the audience will be given a chance to guess. If we all understand the rules… Let the game begin!” Trixie covered her assistant with one of the giant cups, and placed the other two down beside it. With a little help from her magic, she shuffled the cups slowly at first, then sped up a little. After a few shuffles, she stopped, and her horn stopped glowing. She then turned to the audience. “Alright, which one of the cups is my erstwhile assistant under?” 

The audience all whispered trying to figure it out, but one of the Heroes of Harmony was done biting their tongue. Applejack huffed as she stepped forward. “Alrigh, tha’s enuff outta you. Ah’m done tollaratin’ this nonsense! This ain’t no magic! It’s a children’s game!”

Hushed whispers went through the crowd, murmuring at what Applejack had accused. But Trixie was not intimidated. “Oh? If that’s the case, why don’t you guess which one she’s under? I’ll even give you two chances, just to be sporting.”

Boldly, Applejack pointed at the one in the middle. “That one!” Trixie lifted the cup, and had a smug smile as she showed that nothing was under- or in- the cup. Mildly irritated, Applejack then pointed to the one on the left. “It’s gotta be that one!” However, once again, it wasn’t. 

Trixie couldn’t resist a mild chuckle, and went over to the third one. “Rest assured, you weren’t going to guess right- see?” She lifted the cup, and once more, nothing was under or in the cup. She placed it down. “Not to worry, I can bring back our wayward filly!” Once again brandishing her wand and ensuring that all could see that her horn wasn’t glowing, she waved it over the cup and spoke her magic words. “Tricky Tricked Trickster! Return from the aether!” Once she said the words, she lifted the cup, and the Earth Pony filly from before was revealed. Once said filly was revealed, the crowd erupted into applause, and the duo bowed.

As the filly was sent back to the crowd, Trixie was about to announce her next trick when another of the Heroes of Harmony voiced their displeasure. “Oh please! You call yourself Great and Powerful?” Rainbow landed on the stage. She snorted, raising a challenge. “I highly doubt you could do what we do!”

Before things could get further out of hand, Maestro stepped in. "Now Trix, don't go doing anything rash. Clearly they wouldn't know a good show of stage magic if it was right in front of them!" He sighed. “Just ignore them, and get on with the show!”

The crowd was stunned that Maestro Spectrum was taking such a jab at the Heroes of Harmony- After all, they’d saved Equestria from Nightmare Moon! Hadn’t he himself been the one to supply the stain glass window immortalizing their victory? This caused a bit of murmur among the crowd, but Trixie garnered their attention handedly. “Ladies and Gentlecolts! It seems that Rainbow Dash has kindly volunteered for my next trick!” The crowd cheered, And Rainbow tried to back away, but soon found Trixie draping a foreleg around her. “Let’s give her a big round of applause for her bravery!” The crowd did so, which made Rainbow’s pride prevent her from turning tail. Trixie grinned as she lit her horn. “I think it’s time for a classic!” From the back stage, she produced a box, with three swords on the side. A look of terror was on Rainbow’s face, and Trixie allayed her fears as she opened the front of the box. “Relax, nobody’s died from this trick; you’ll be fine- as long as you cooperate.” Trixie led her “volunteer” into the box, and set her on the chair inside. She then shut the door. Once again, she ensured that the audience could see that her horn wasn’t glowing.

She grabbed the first sword, and went to one side of the box. “You know, I’ll be frank- the whole ordeal with Nightmare Moon, that must’ve been scary. I don’t think I’d handle that quite as well as you did. It must’ve been Tricky-” She thrust the sword in at an angle from the top, causing Rainbow to gasp audibly in the box as she dodged. “-to push down all of that fear, right?” She grabbed the second sword, and went to the other side of the box. “Then again, I was no slouch that night either. Ever heard of a small town called Oaton? With a little help, I Tricked-” She thrust the sword in from the bottom edge of the side at an angle, Rainbow dodging with a small yelp. “-the flood waters into a course that would leave the town unscathed.” She then grabbed the final sword, and stood behind the box. “It would’ve been simple for you and your friends, I’m sure- But for a Trickster?” She thrust the sword straight down through the top causing Rainbow to scream out. Trixie opened the box from the front, and the crowd gasped. “It was a piece of cake.” She then shut the volunteer-less box, and gave it a little tap on the top. “You can come on back, now.” She opened the box, and Rainbow was there, unscathed. Trixie took out the swords, and helped her out of the box. With a smug look, she asked. “Now, was that so bad?” The crowd applauded, and Trixie bowed. Rainbow just slunk back into the crowd without a word.

However, before Tixie could get ready for her next trick, Rarity stepped forward and voiced her doubt. “You, save a town? I highly doubt that. I think that you’re exaggerating. Not even with help could you possibly-”

Maestro interjected, and deflected her accusations. "It's true, you know. I was there. We saved that small town from a flood- with help from the townsfolk, of course." He sighed, shaking his head. “I’d rather appreciate it if you would stop trying to ruin my friend’s magic show!” He then glared at her. “I don’t think that anyone here wants to see me angry, so why don’t you and your pals just put a sock in it until the show’s over.”

The crowd’s whispers intensified. Nobody had ever seen Maestro Spectrum this cross before. He usually was calm and amicable. But the sight of this side of him was certainly something to behold. Even Trixie was astonished that anyone would do something like this for her, of all ponies. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, and nodded slightly in appreciation. “Thank you, Maestro.” she then turned her attention to Rarity, and smiled smugly. “So, you think that I’m all talk? That I’m doing more than a magic show should? Well then, I’ve got a special trick just for you. If you can prove that I’m using more than sleight of hoof, illusion magic, and misdirection- the three tools of us stage magicians- then I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, will bow out and leave this town without argument. However, if you can’t identify anything that is out of place for a magic show such as mine, then you and your friends shall leave my show alone for the remainder of the night. Do we have an agreement?”

The audience was hushed as their attention was on what Rarity would say next- none had given a challenge to the Heroes of Harmony like this before; and all were eager to see what would come of it. Nodding slightly, Rarity accepted her terms. “Very well. You will be exposed for the charlatan that you are, and you will leave the good ponies of this town alone. Now, show me this ‘trick’ of yours.”

Smugly, Trixie pulled out a bill of money- and the audience stared in awe. It was a bit foreign for ponies to see such a thing, even with rumors of Equestria phasing out the gold coins going down the grapevine. She then produced a pair of paper clips, and addressed the audience. “With only these three objects, I will astound this audience here tonight! No need for spells at all! Watch closely.” She gently placed one paper clip on each end of the bill of money, narrating a bit as she went. “These little paper clips want to get married, see? But the only one with that power available is Mr. Goldbeak here. So, with the power invested in him,” she then brought the two ends of the bill together, touching the two paper clips together. “He declares them wed!” she then pulled the bill taught, sending the two clips flying straight up. She then caught the now linked paper clips, and showed it off to the audience. “And there you have it- one newlywed paper clip couple.” The audience applauded enthusiastically, for they’d never seen such a trick performed. Maestro too applauded, glad that the trick that he taught her went to good use. She bowed, and smiled. “That’s all for tonight! I wish you safe travels!” The audience left soon after, glad to have witnessed such a spectacle.

Rarity was flabbergasted, but soon regained her composure. “I didn’t expect something like that, so you have my respect. But, do you mind if I ask one last question?” Trixie shrugged, showing her indifference, so Rarity continued. “Why is it that you don’t use real spell-”

Before she could finish, Maestro interrupted. “Illusion magic uses just as real spells as any other field. Just because she doesn’t use any ‘conventional’ magic doesn’t mean her claims are wrong. She said that she was a great and powerful illusionist, and she has given no reason to question that claim. She has boasted, yes. But, she has backed it up. So back off.”

Before she could talk back, Twilight held her off. “Rarity, don’t.” She turned to Maestro, and tilted her head. “So, what are you saying here? That it’s fine to boast, as long as it comes from a place of truth?”

Maestro smiled and nodded. “Quite so. As long as you can back up your claims, there’s nothing wrong with a little boasting. You should feel comfortable showing off what you can do, I mean, look at me! The song I introduce myself with when I enter a town to sell boasts of how my art survives a lot of crap, and I go to a lot of extent to show it. That’s why I’m the best enchanter around- barring the Princesses, probably.”

However, the Heroes of Harmony looked on confused. Rainbow recovered the quickest, and voiced the group’s confusion. “What song? We’ve never heard you sing.”

A bit surprised, Maestro shook it off and nodded in understanding. “Right. None of you have been around when I enter to sell things, have you? Trust me- It’s quite the show-stopper.”

The Heroes of Harmony looked between one another, and conversed a bit. After doing so, Twilight stepped forward. “The girls and I would like to apologize for what we did during your show, Trixie. It was uncalled for. You never boasted falsely, only using what you knew you could do. We’re sorry that we judged you harshly.”

Twilight hung her head, and Trixie was about to gloat, but Maestro lightly jabbed her, shaking his head. Trixie hesitated, but soon complied. “It’s alright, really. I don’t blame you for doing so. Though we ascribe to different ways of learning magic, I think we can get along. Maybe even be friends.”

Twilight blinked a bit, uncertain of what to think about that. She looked to the others, and they seemed just as uncertain. However, a silent part of them wanted to try. She turned back to Trixie, and nodded. “Yeah, I think we could try. After all, you can’t have too many friends.”

At this, there was a cheer, and the Heroes of Harmony started to chat with Trixie. Maestro looked on, and smiled. Though, as he was about to leave, Pinkie called out to him. “Hey! You’re her friend, right? So that makes you our friend now, too! Stick around, let’s get to know each other!”

Maestro was about to object, but he realized that he had no plans tomorrow. Surly, it couldn’t hurt to socialize a little. Shrugging, he went down to join them. “Alright, let me tell you about how I first met Trixie…” he expounded to them, and kind of lost himself in the moment. Time flew, and soon they parted.

Soon it was just Him and Trixie, and she looked to him. “I never did thank you for saving me from that Ursa, did I? I really should thank you properly.”

Maestro shook his head. “Nah, it’s fine. Your words are enough, Trix. It’s thanks enough that you’ve heeded my advice about your magic show. With it, you’ll possibly surpass Hoofdini himself.”

She looked to the stars, taking that in. “You really think so? That I could surpass his legendary feats?”

Maestro shrugged. “Someday, maybe. Just gotta play your cards right.”

Trixie smiled gently at him, a light blush on her face. “You flatter me, but thanks. We’ll see how far that dream goes.”

They said their goodbyes, and went their separate ways. Maestro traveled to where he’d set down his home, and went inside. He smiled at the sleeping rainbow dragon on the couch. “Oh, Prism. Never change, my sweet daughter.” He locked the doors, then went to his room. He tried to sleep, but he couldn’t quite get to sleep. This was nothing new. He’d had many sleepless nights pondering where he was from, and this night was no different. He sighed, resigning himself to it as he stared a the ceiling, trying to will himself to sleep.
> Chapter The Fifth: The Trouble With Fame
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of knocking on his door awoke Maestro the next morning. He came to the door quickly, and opened it. At his door was a postmare, who hoofed him a letter. He bid her farewell, and ducked inside his home. He took notice that the letter was from Celestia, so he opened with care. Inside was a letter thanking him for providing the stain glass window for the Heroes of Harmony’s victory over Nightmare Moon. It had encased within two tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala- one for himself, and one for a plus one. He instantly knew who he’d take along, of course- his adoptive daughter, Prism. Even if he didn’t want to attend, he knew that the Heroes of Harmony would all be there, along with Spike. This was as good a time as any to try and hook the two dragons up. Ah, the things he did for his daughter. He was about to get ready for the day, when he remembered that he already had one ticket for the Galla, aside from the two he had just received. This other one was one he had been gifted as an invitation from Prince Blueblood, to egg him on to rescind his bachelor status in one night. At first, Maestro panicked a little. Who would he give that third ticket to? But then, he got an idea- he’d give it to someone, and ask that they accompany him as his date. If he did that, it was sure to show up that pompous idiot! There still was the question of who exactly he would invite, but he decided to worry about that later.

He exited into Ponyville, glad that he’d taken a bit of a breather before getting on the road again. He was of course accosted from all sides for his autograph, but it was nothing that he wasn’t used to. He noticed that Trixie was cleaning up her wagon, and he stopped by. “Hey, Trix. you aiming to go somewhere soon?”

Turning to him, Trixie nodded a little. “I’m just preparing to leave for another show tomorrow. It’s going to a bit of a trek, so I’m minimizing the weight of my wagon.” She sighed forlornly. “It’s going to minimize the amount of tricks I can use at the show, however…”

At that choice of words, Maestro had an idea. “Where are you going for your show, anyway?”

Uncertain where he was going with this, Trixie quirked an eyebrow. “Hoofington. Why?’

His idea lined up even more with this new information, as he explained. “Well, my next expo is going to be in Hoofington. I could help carry a few of your heavier things, keep you company on your travels! What do you say?”

Trixie’s shock was so powerful that she couldn’t respond for a few minutes. When she finally could, she was stuttering a bit. “Y-you’re offering to tr-travel with me? I-it’s an honor!” She looked off in a bit of a daze. “Maestro Spectrum. THE Maestro Spectrum! And he wants to travel with me. Me!” She started to drift off in incoherent muttering for a bit.

Maestro placed a hoof on her shoulder, and shook her a little. “Focus, Trix. I’m your friend. I’m offering because of that, alright? I think travelling together is more conducive, because we are going to the same location. Okay? Please, calm down.”

Trixie did manage to calm herself, though she was a little embarrassed. “Sorry about fangirling like that. I-it’s just you’re so well known, and I’m… nobody. Wh-what if ponies get the wrong idea?”

Maestro blinked at that. He realized that people could construe it like that- after all, he was a bachelor, and she was a bachelorette. It was only natural that people might jump to that conclusion. He shook it off, and assured her with confidence. “No worries. We’ll just insist to them that we’re just friends travelling together. After all, it is the truth.”

For some reason, Trixie felt a little torn about his reply. What was this sadness mixed in with her relief? She had never quite felt this way before. She dismissed it, and focused on the positive. He was looking out for her, just as a friend would. Yet… something still nagged at her as she thought about that. She shook the uncomfortable feeling away, and decided to focus on getting ready to leave the following morning. As she adjusted the wheels of her wagon to ensure that they were on tight, she noticed something odd about Maestro’s demeanor. He looked to be lost in thought for a while. That was until Twilight came into the area. “Phew! I think we lost them, Spike.”

Maestro noticed how she was acting, and spoke. “Having trouble with something,, Twilight?” She turned around suddenly, sending two gold tickets flying. Maestro grabbed them in his magic, and drew them to himself. “Gala tickets, eh?” He then levitated them back to Twilight, placing them in her grasp as he let go. “I already have three- I don’t need another one.”

On the other hoof, Trixie looked at Twilight’s tickets with envy. “Lucky. I wish that I could go. The Gala…. Oh, the advertising opportunity I’d have for my shows!” She shook herself out of her reverie, and looked to Twilight. “You probably already have plans for that extra ticket. So go on, skedaddle! If they come looking for you, we’ll say that you left in a hurry.”

Twilight nodded in gratitude, and rushed away to her home. Maestro regarded her with awe and respect. “I’m impressed! I half-expected you to try and get that ticket for yourself. I’m proud that you resisted the urge.”

Abashed, Trixie looked away. “It wasn’t easy, but I knew she wouldn’t dare part with it for somepony she barely knows. She’ll probably give it to one of her friends- or that dragon assistant of hers.”

For a long moment, Maestro considered something. Trixie was a good friend of his, and she wanted to go to the Gala. He had plans for that third ticket, yes- but he didn’t even have anyone to fill that role as of yet. He knew that he might regret this, but he rummaged through his portfolio, earning the attention of Trixie. He then pulled out one of his three Gala tickets, and handed it to her. “Here. I don’t exactly have anyone else I could give this extra ticket to anyway- I’ve got one for myself, and one for my daughter.”

Trixie was at a loss for words for a while, but then she pushed it back to him. “I appreciate the gesture, but I think that you should save that for a special somepony to bring along. I won’t take that from whomever that ends up being.”

Astonished at her actions, Maestro thought for a moment. She had passed on a great opportunity, all out of selflessness. She wanted him to go forward with his plan for the ticket, even though it meant that she would be unable to attend. She truly was something else, that was for sure. He nodded, and returned the ticket to his portfolio. “You never cease to surprise me, Trix. You’re a good friend. I’ll see what I can do to get you a ticket. After all, I do have the influence for it.”

Two opportunities for tickets had presented themselves to Trixie, both of which she had refused. But this third one was not like the others… “You’d do that for me? I… don’t know what to say…”

With a toothy grin, Maestro replied. “Think nothing of it! I just want you to be able to go. I mean, I’d rather not go myself- but I kinda have to, it’d be rude to refuse Celestia’s thanks. But if you’re there? It might not be so bad.”

Once more, Trixie found herself in awe of Maestro. The lengths that he went for her… He truly was the best friend that she’d ever had. She smiled. “Thanks. You really are the best!”

The two said their goodbyes, and Maestro went to peruse the market for a while. As he ensured that his stocks were good for a while, he could’ve sworn that he heard a voice as he made his way back to his shop. “Obs… rum.”

He looked around, trying to locate the voice. “Hello? Who’s there?” However, after a long wait, it seemed that whomever had spoken had left. “Huh. Odd…” Maestro shrugged, and went inside his house to prepare for tomorrow.
> Chapter The Sixth: Off To Hoofington
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Maestro woke up with a bit of cheer. He’d never had anyone aside from Prism accompany him on his travels, so it was quite something to be excited about. As he entered the dining room, he saw his adopted daughter scratch idly at her golden belly scales while yawning, causing her silver spines on her back to stand on end. After her yawn ended, she blearily blinked her bronze eyes tiredly. “Hey dad.” She stretched out her wings, giving them a good airing out. “So when do we leave for Hoofington?” She sat down at the table, wings now collapsed to her sides as she waited for breakfast.

Maestro set two bowls on the table, one full of various gems for his daughter, and one with a healthy yet tasty cereal for himself. He was well enough off to afford such commodities, though he admittedly had connections so that he didn’t have to buy gems. He sat down, and spoke frankly. “Not long. After breakfast, I’ll go check on Trix and see if she’s ready to go. It’ll be interesting to have somebody to travel with, aside from you. Might be fun.”

At this, Prism blinked tiredly. She took a minute to process what her father had said, but she smirked, and breathed in. But as she was about to speak, Maestro cut her off. “No, Prism. This doesn’t make her my girlfriend. I know that you’ve been pestering me about it, but I just don’t have time for that sort of relationship right now, if ever. I’m very busy with my tour of Equestria, not to mention my plans of touring other nations soon after. I know that you need a proper maternal figure in your life, but these things just can’t be forced.”

Prism pouted a bit, but she knew he was right. If he did end up with anyone, that would come in its own time. That didn’t stop her from hatching a scheme though. Maestro knew his daughter well though, and just shook his head. The two finished breakfast, and Maestro went to check on Trixie as Prism went about preparing the house for travel. Maestro greeted all those he met on his way, slightly surprising the residents of Ponyville. Maestro fully intended to keep it that way, which was why he was leaving for Hoofington. After all, if he stuck around, they’d get used to him eventually. He then approached Trixie’s wagon, and knocked on the door. She hollered out: “I’m almost ready!” This signalled to him that she had expected him to come check on her.  He didn’t like only conforming to expectations, but for this he supposed that he’d have to sacrifice a little unpredictability- or would he? Thinking on the fly, he used the polymorph magic that he’d learned from his adoptive family to transform himself much like a changeling would. He settled on becoming Princess Luna, and waiting for Trixie to come out. When she did, the look of surprise on her face was priceless. Whatever greeting that she had for him was caught in her throat for a moment before she gathered her wits- though by this time, Maestro had opted to change back, a smirk on his face. She did a double-take, but then shook her head. “Since when can you do that? I know that you borrowed some of my magic for a bit to scare off that ursa, but I thought that had ran out of your system by now…”

Maestro blinked, not having realized that the two things were that similar. He shook his head, and addressed the question. “Polymorph. My adoptive family taught it to me, a little after I saved you. I’ve been practicing since then- even though I don’t really have much use for it, honestly. Though, it is useful when I want to give the paparazzi the slip.”

He never ceased to amaze Trixie. He had so much to him, and every that she thought she had him figured out, she found out something new about him. Maybe that was… she dismissed that idea. Maestro was her friend, first and foremost. She nodded, and started to hook herself to her wagon. “I’ll be ready in a bit. Oh, and before I forget….” She hoofed over a few props that she had set aside so they wouldn’t weigh her down so much. “These are some of the heavier things from inside. You said you’d help me with them, right?”

Maestro took the props in his magic, and nodded. “Yeah, I remember. I’ll meet you on the edge of town in a few minutes.” He made his way back to his house, and found Prism outside. He spared no time, and placed the props inside carefully, then exited. He then lit his horn, and placed it against the locked door. The house then glowed with magic, and was shifted and contorted, eventually shrinking down to a surprisingly light black portfolio, which he then carefully slung across his shoulders. He smirked as Prism clapped. “You never get tired of seeing me do that, do you? Never change, Prism. Never change.” He then proceeded to make his way to the edge of town with Prism by his side, and they then waited for Trixie to arrive.

When Trixie arrived, she looked around a bit worriedly. “Where are my…?”

Maestro chuckled a bit, and opened his portfolio. He then showed the contents to Trixie, who was astounded the the props were inside, undamaged. “I told you that I’d carry them. Never said how, though.”

Awestruck, Trixie looked at Maestro incredulously. “How did you…?”

Smiling widely, Maestro explained. “I enchanted my house to shrink down and morph into this portfolio upon command. When the spell is activated, anything inside is rendered weightless then frozen in a perfect state as they are until I either change it back, or remove said object from it.” His face then turned a bit sour. “I haven’t tested it on anything living out of fear of what it might do to them. And frankly, I’d rather not ever find out.”

Blinking at the sudden shift in tone, Trixie considered what he had explained. From what she understood of the lost art of enchanting, what he had said was a rather impressive feat. Such a spell would not be feasible to be cast by just anyone- But Maestro had the rare gift required to make it work. She respected that he had misgivings about his magic, that he had things that he’d rather not test. It was rational to fear the applications of such magic. The odd moment passed, and the three of them headed off towards Hoofington, chatting along the way. A figure set down at the place that the trio had left from, letting out a feminine huff. “Who does that tramp think she is? Nopony gets that close to my Maestro! Nopony but me!” wings twitching in agitation, the pegasus mare zoomed off after them.
> Chapter The Seventh: The Jealous Dawn
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

As Maestro, Trixie, and Prism travelled towards Hoofington, Maestro couldn’t help but feel that somebody was following them. He looked back a few times, but nobody was ever there. This concerned Trixie, and she voiced as much. “Maestro, you’re looking back as if you think somebody’s following us. I know you’re famous and all, but nopony saw you come into town, right? You should be fine!”

Maestro wanted to believe her, but he just couldn’t shake the feeling. They reached Hoofington with little trouble, splitting up soon after they arrived. Trixie went to check in with the manager of the stage shows in town, while Maestro went on with Prism. The feeling did subside a bit, so maybe he had been a bit paranoid after all. He set his portfolio on the ground, and transformed it into his store. He went in, grabbed the props for Trixie, and came back out. He looked sternly at Prism. “Keep watch on the store. Don’t let anyone in until I return.” She nodded, and Maestro went off to give the props back to Trixie.

On his way, the feeling of being followed returned heavier than before. Somebody was there- he was sure of it. Yet, he didn’t know who would follow him quite like this. None of the paparazzi were this sneaky- they were more in his face, and bombastic. He tried to push down the feeling, and soon reached the stage where Trixie had set her wagon near. He approached, and handed over the props to her. “There you go. Pristine as the moment I acquired them from you.”

As Trixie started putting them away, one of the ponies working on the stage took notice. “Miss Lulamoon, you know Maestro Spectrum? Why didn’t you mention this sooner?”

Though a bit taken aback and nervous, Trixie kept herself together. “Well, he’s a friend. I didn’t want anypony getting the wrong idea.” She saved herself with that, and was dismissed until her curtain call later in the night.

She locked up her wagon, and was about to thank Maestro when a blur of burgundy yellow crashed between the two, scorching the ground a bit in the process. Her purple eyes were full of anger and desire, and her sunset orange mane and tail had an almost eerie look accentuated by the cinders that rose from the ground. Her Cutie Mark of a stylized sun with blocky rays of light coming off it was visible before her wings folded to cover it. She glared at Trixie angrily. “You stay away from Maestro! He’s mine!”

Maestro stared at the pegasus mare incredulously. “Um, who are you?”

The mare turned, blinking at the speaker before her eyes widened. She stumbled over herself a bit in her shock. “Maestro Spectrum! Wait, no that’s you! Um, hi! I’m a big fan, like the biggest! Wait, you were asking for my name, how silly of me!” She slapped herself lightly on the forehead with a wing, putting it to her side afterward. “I’m Brilliant Dawn, the most efficient weather captain this side of everywhere! I know how to best make it sunny every day, all day!”

Maestro looked at this mare, regarding her carefully. She was sneaky, a pegasus, had a talent for “sunny days” apparently, and if her demeanor was anything to go by, a bit bookish. He had an idea of what she wanted, but he had to make sure, just in case. “Right. So, why were you following my friend, my daughter, and I? It can’t have been to just say hello.”

A bit stunned, Brilliant turned a bit sheepish as one of her hooves circled in the dirt. “Um, well… y’see I… How do I…?” A blush started to grow on her face as her words became mutterings. “I was wondrinifmbyy’dgoutwit…”

Though Maestro had little experience with these things, he knew the signs. He sighed. “No.” Her eyes widened at this, and she looked like she was about to cry- But Maestro held up a hoof and continued to explain. “Really, I’m flattered that you like me. But… I just don’t have time for a relationship of that sort. I travel quite often, and I hardly do much outside of work on my art. You’d be better off with someone that has time for that sort of thing.”

Brilliant’s face was in shock for a moment. Maestro knew how she felt about him, and had just told her no. While his reasoning was sound, brilliant wasn’t one to give up that easily. Mustering her courage, she asked him one more time. “I-i know that you said you’re busy, b-but I just want one date! Tonight, I could accompany you to your friend’s show! O-or…. Maybe just a small dinner. Just give me this one, and I’ll leave you be.”

Having not expected that, Maestro blinked, then smirked. It took guts for her to do that, and that was something he could admire. Maybe just one date wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Shrugging his shoulders, he relented. “Fine, one. Dinner, and then we’ll go to Trixie’s show. If nothing comes of it, we part as friends. Alright?”

Gasping with excitement, Brilliant nodded her head rapidly. “Gotcha! I just need to go get ready!” in the blink of an eye, Brilliant Dawn was out of sight.

At that, Maestro shook his head. “What have I gotten myself into…?” He smiled at Trixie. “I’ll see you at the show tonight, alright?” Maestro then went off back to where he set down his house, glad to see Prism had kept to her promise. The line outside was rather long, so when he approached the door, he spoke to the customers. “Sorry about the wait. I was taking care of something.” He then went inside with his daughter, made a few preparations, and then opened the doors for business. The atmosphere of his shop  never failed to take his mind off troubling thoughts, or in this case- stressful ones. He’d never been on a date before, but he couldn’t call it off- that’d be rude. He would focus on that later, though- for now, his customers were top priority.

Time flew, and Maestro had to get the customers out of his shop so he could get ready for the date. Prism saw him getting  ready and complimented him. “Looking good, pops! So, who’s the lucky lady?”

At that, Maestro rolled his eyes. “It’s just a prospective, alright? A fan who just wanted a single date. I was originally against it- but she just wanted the one, so I see no harm in it.” He adjusted the collar on his midnight blue tux he had on, and straightened his mane a bit. “After this date is over, it’ll probably go nowhere anyway- She’s a fan. Probably wants me for my money.” He sighed. “Oh well. C’est la ville.” There was then a knock at the door. Maestro went to it, calm and confident- though he was a bit jitterish. He took a breath, and opened the door. Brilliant was at the doorstep, now in a simple black dress. Her mane was tied back in a bun, and she had light makeup to accentuate her features. Maestro blinked. There was no doubt that she looked stunning- but that was all there was. There was something missing. Maestro shook his head, and went out. He gestured to a restaurant, and spoke. “Shall we?”
Brilliant nodded, and the two went for dinner. They chatted a bit, and made small talk during the meal, but Maestro wasn’t invested. The more time he spent on this date, the more he felt as if he was doing something wrong. Brilliant was a nice mare, sure… but there was something wrong here. When they got to Trixie’s show, Trixie’s entrance drew Maestro’s attention. She announced herself, much like last time, but something was different about her when she came onto that stage. Maestro had always known that Trixie had talent- but then he saw it. There was a bolder confidence and power to her than before. He was lost in his enthusiasm for her show, so much so that he didn’t notice the look on Brilliant’s face.
The moment lasted as he cheered Trixie on with each trick, but he was honestly surprised he was being so enthusiastic. He hadn’t been this vocal during her first show. The feeling ended when her show did, and Maestro turned to Brilliant- only to find that she wasn’t there. He went after her, calling her name- and he soon found her. He called out. “Brilliant! There you are! I was worried, you know.”

He started to approach, but he stopped when she addressed him. “You don’t like me, do you? I’m not your girl.”

He gently laid a hoof on her, a strained look on his face. “Listen, Bril. I do like you- just not like that. It’s not you- it’s me.” He lifted his hoof away, then smiled lightly “Though, I must thank you. I never had considered myself on the table for the dating scene because of how busy I was- but now, with this first one out of the way, I think I might actually try and make time for this sort of thing. So no moping.” He lifted her chin. “I may not be the one to love you for who you are- but I promise you, you will find him. Just gotta keep looking. Alright?” she nodded, and Maestro smiled. “Knock their socks off, okay? And remember- I’ll always have advice if you need it.” For the second and last time that day, Brilliant Dawn flew off. Maestro however, had his own thoughts to sort out. Today had been long- so he opted to go to sleep on all that had happened that day.
> Chapter The Eighth: Advice to the Heart
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maestro awoke the next morning feeling refreshed, yet also worried. Yesterday’s little experiment with Brilliant Dawn opened up opportunities for many things that Maestro often felt that he was far too busy for. Dates, a wedding, perhaps even his own genetic children someday down the line. If he managed his time just right, maybe he could do all those things. Yet the personage to fill such a role as his wife would have to be somebody that was worth it. Somebody that looked past the fame and fortune, to the person he was. Sure, there were a few people that might fit that criteria, but he was pretty certain that all of them had somebody else that they were with. Maestro shook his head. He was still rather young; he had time to think on these things later. He would just keep a good portion of his schedule open if another opportunity arose, and adjust accordingly- Though he couldn’t exactly cancel the plans he had for today. He considered it again though as he got ready to move house again. Would it be so bad if he delayed it a bit? He was remarkable with his track record for scheduled events so far though, and a delay this close to the time he was planned to go was bad form. He sighed, and got himself and Prism out of the house before activating the spell again. Once done, he slung the portfolio over his shoulder, and made to leave.

Before he could, Trixie managed to catch up to him. She was a bit sad to see him go. “Leaving already? But I have another show today! I don’t know if I can pull it off without your support!”

Maestro smiled, chuckling a little. “You’ll be fine, Trix. I’ll always believe in you- even if I’m not there at the show. If you ever feel overwhelmed, just remember this- You have the power on your own. You’re a full bag of tricks, and you have the ability to wow the crowd.” He waved a bit. “Knock their socks off, okay? I’ll be rooting for you.” He then walked away from Hoofington, Prism in tow.

After they were a fair distance away from Hoofington, Prism spoke up. “So things didn’t pan out with that fan last night? Honestly dad, what will it take-”

Maestro cut her off abruptly. “Prism. Last night was an experiment. The date with Brilliant Dawn may not have worked out, but this is the start of a new way of thinking for me. I will make a conscious effort to make time for such opportunities in the future, but I have an expo in Manehattan to get to.” He offered his foreleg, and she linked her arm through it. “Hold on tight. It’s time to cut out.”

Maestro lit his horn, and focused really hard. He didn’t like doing this honestly, but any time saved was very much welcome. His magic aura encompassed himself and Prism, and in a flash, he teleported them to Manehattan. His horn’s light cooled down, revealing that they were in a back alley. He was a little light-headed, to be honest, but he would recover given time. He and Prism then proceeded to leave the alleyway, getting onto one of the main streets of the city. He went over to an empty lot that he had secured access to for the purpose of selling his wares. He set down his portfolio, and expanded it to become his store using his magic. As he was about to enter to ready the storefront more, he heard somebody come up to him. "Bro! I'm glad to see you! Just defended my title of Chess Champion again. How've you been?"

Maestro smirked at the sight of that aquamarine coat. “Hey, Chessmaster. I’ve been well. I’ve travelled all over, and I think that people really are starting to like me.” Maestro looked around a bit, trying to find something. “Say, is Janice here? It’s certainly been a while…”

Chessmaster shook his head, his red-orange mane swaying a bit. “Nah. She’s over in Las Pegasus. Quite the successful venture she has over there, selling her jewelry. When you get there, say hi for me, okay?”

Maestro nodded. “Sure. Always good to see you, Chess. If you have time later, perhaps you could drop by my shop? I want your opinion on something.”

A mix of mirth and curiosity flashed in Cessmater’s red-orange eyes. He smirked knowingly. “Sure, bro. I’ll stop by around lunchtime. See ya!”

Maestro sighed and shook his head. Even though they weren’t blood-related, Chessmaster still considered Maestro his brother- but Maestro didn’t quite think the same way. Chess was a friend, sure. But a brother? Maestro hadn’t really taken to considering any of them family, even though they had raised him. Some part of him just felt that his real family wouldn’t appreciate being replaced. He cast those thoughts aside as he got his store ready for the day, and opened up to the masses. Many came in to buy his art, and he was happy that they appreciated his work- though none of his old work from before he got his education would sell. It was good in his eyes, but most just didn’t see what he saw in it. He was knocked out of his thoughts when a thestral mare came into his store. Maestro blinked. Thestrals were known to be nocturnal, so seeing one in the daytime was rather rare. She removed her sunhat, glad to be out of the natural light. She had an indigo coat, and teal mane and tail. Her eyes were blue,  and her Cutie Mark was of a paintbrush with a seven-colored rainbow cloud coming off of it. Maestro’s eyebrows raised. A fellow artist? And judging form the mark, she excelled in sky art. He decided to treat her like any other customer, though. “Welcome! You interested in any of my wares?”

The thestral mare looked around a bit, and was about to make her way to the counter when one of the customers attacked her. “Out, bat scum!” the Thestral mare let out a yelp, covering herself with her wings.

Just as the customer was about to attack again, he was encased in a turquoise glow. The thestral mare opened her eyes to see that she was safe, and everyone in the store saw Maestro’s eyes full of rage. “Nobody and I mean Nobody is to attack my customers. If you do this again, I will premaban you from my store. Is that clear?” The customer nodded vigorously, and Maestro glared at him for a little while longer before setting him down. “Good. Now…” He turned to the thestral mare, and bowed his head. “I’m sorry about him.” He raised his head and had a sympathetic look on his face. “Are you alright, miss?”

A stunned look was on her face for a good while before the she got herself together. “Y-yes, I am alright. Thank you, Mr. Spectrum.”

Maestro scratched the back of his head bashfully. “Please, call me Maestro. Mr. Spectrum just makes me feel old!” He chuckled good-naturedly afterwards.

Blushing a bit, the thestral mare pawed at the ground a bit. “O-oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

Maestro shook his head. “No, no! It’s fine, really. I get it. No harm, no foul.” He smiled gently. “So miss, what would you like to buy?”

Gathering her facilities, the thestral mare approached the counter. She pointed to one of the older paintings in the back. “That one. It’s a beautiful piece, to be sure.”

When Maestro turned to see which one she was pointing at, his face lit with shock. He levitated it out from the back room, and set it on the counter. He then looked at her, a serious look on his face. “You really want this one? It’s never been sold, and is one-of-a-kind. It’s a pretty hefty price on this one.”

A bag full of bits landed on the counter, and the thestral mare smiled. “Will this be enough?”

Maestro took the bag in his magic, and ran the numbers. He sorted through the bag with a speed-counting spell that marked clearly which ones he’d counted before. Once done, he set the bag down. He looked to her, shocked. “You’re willing to pay 100,000 bits for it? I am flattered, miss. Nobody else has even given it a second glance. Out of curiosity, why do you want it?”

A bit startled at the question, she gathered her thoughts for a bit. “Well, those buildings of metal and glass feel taller than anypony has ever flown. It gives me this sense of freedom, and a bit of challenge, too. It makes me feel like I want to reach higher than ever before!”

Maestro never thought it would happen. Somebody gets it! She understands it like I do! Maybe… “Well, how would you like it signed? I’ll make this out to you alone. What’s your name?”

The thestral blinked, and the crowd gasped. Maestro only signed very special pieces, such as the stain glass window he provided when Luna was cured of Nightmare Moon’s influence. To hear him offer to sign a piece for somepony was unheard of. The thestral mare managed to respond after a while. “Sarah Von Stokenheimer. Um, do I have to pay extra, or…?”

Maestro shook his head. “Oh, heavens no! You well overpaid for the painting anyway. Think of it as getting your money’s worth.” He lit his horn, and carefully turned the painting over he then engraved on the back:

“To Sarah Von Strokenheimer,

May you always have the drive to create what you love, and never lose heart.

Sincerely,

Maestro Spectrum”

He hoofed it over to her, and she admired the message. “Do you like it?”

Sarah nodded vigorously. “Yes! I’ll treasure it always! I’ll become a famous sky artist one day, and I’ll thank you for your faith in me then!” She leaned in, and pecked him on the cheek. The crowd gasped, and Sarah withdrew. “Farewell!” She put on her sunhat, and left the store.

The crowd looked to Maestro, who was a bit in shock about that. Had she just…? He just couldn’t get his mind off of it. She certainly was a looker, he couldn’t deny that. But he was looking for more that just skin-deep beauty. Maybe she had that, but he wasn’t sure. If he saw her again, he might just ask her out. He regained his composure though, and asked that everyone leave the store- it was lunchtime. They grumbled a bit, but complied anyway.

Once they all had left, Chessmaster came in as the sign turned to “Closed for Lunch”. Chessmaster wandered over to the table that Maestro had dragged out, and was sitting at. Chess sat across from him, and saw the look on his face. “What has you deep in thought, Maestro? You seem troubled.”

Maestro sighed deeply. “Well, yesterday I went on a date with a fan. It didn’t pan out, but it’s opened many doors that I thought I’d never have time to open. And now, there’s another mare that popped into my store today that has caught my attention, but I don’t know if I should pursue. Then Prism is trying to set me up with mares, and… to say the least it’s been hectic.” He paused for a while, unsure how to proceed. After thinking for a while, he looked up at Chess. “Am I doing it right? Or is there something I’m missing? You have experience with the ladies, what’s your advice?”

For a good while, Chessmaster had a thoughtful look on his face. He nodded, and went in for it. “Brother, when it comes to finding who you love, there is something that you must consider. You have flaws, and so does the one who you might marry. If you expect perfection, you will be disappointed. You must find somebody that you love for who they are, flaws and all. I haven’t found who that is for me just yet, and it may take me years. But you must never quit. So my advice to you is… date around, and find who it is. It may take a while to figure out who it is, but you will find her.”

Maestro sighed, nodding slightly. “Thanks, Chess. Your advice means a lot to me. I wish you luck on your search, as you have confidence in mine.” Chessmaster left the store, and Maestro finished his lunch. He didn’t know exactly what was in store for his future, but no matter what, he would persevere. He took a breath, and faced the day. The rest of the day was rather uneventful, aside from Prism pestering him for details on this new mare. He did get a letter from Trix saying that her show went well. He responded that he knew that she could do it, and that he would always believe in her. Night came too quickly, it seemed, but he didn’t mind. He had a bit of free time before his next expo. He stayed up making new pieces, his mind on Sarah. Maybe he should pursue her. It wouldn’t hurt to try and see where that ended up. After all, he had said that he’d put himself out there. Nodding his head, he resolved to find her sometime tomorrow- he was rather tired. He turned off the lights in his house, and went to sleep for the night.
> Chapter The Ninth: Premonition
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maestro looked around, a void surrounding him. “Where is this?” He was confused. Wasn’t he just in Manehattan? Nothing around him looked familiar, at least not at first glance. He saw a ball of blue and green with splotches of white and brown on the horizon. This ball was not the world he was familiar with, and yet it seemed so familiar in its own right. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” He turned, and saw a shadow figure in the void. This figure was unlike any creature on Mytharia, and yet the shape looked familiar. The tall shadow spoke again. “You haven’t seen it in so long, but you still recognize her, don’t you?”

Some part of Maestro wanted to answer the figure, but he had a question of his own to ask. "Who are you? You seem so… familiar."

The figure seemed to ignore the question at first. "Remember, Observer Spectrum. You have a mission to accomplish. Focus on that."

Frustrated a little, Maestro stomped a hoof on the ground. "You haven't answered my question! Who are you?!"

The shadow figure seemed to have a melancholic look as it answered. "Oh, my son. How much have you forgotten? Oh well. Just remember the objective. Assess the Ponies' capabilities. We will need to have them in mind when we arrive. Farewell, for now."

Shock was written on Maestro’s face, and he lunged after the shadow. Yet, he couldn’t reach it as it disappeared. "Wait, don't go! Please! I have... so many questions..." Maestro looked down, distraught. "He's gone..." He woke in a cold sweat. Some part of him knew who that had been. His father. Somehow, his father had reached into his mind, to relay a message in his sleep. Maestro understood what had happened now, but something was still missing. Mission? He had a mission? He hadn’t recalled as such, but apparently he did. Assess the Ponies’ capabilities? He could only guess as to why his father would want that kind of information. He tried to calm himself. He had seen his father in a dream, but yet couldn’t make out the details. There were so many questions he had, but he pushed them back. For now, he would oblige. “I promise, father. I’ll carry out the mission…. Even if I’ve no idea what that entails.”

He cleaned up the area around his bed, knowing that he wouldn’t be getting back to sleep. There were many questions that the dream brought to his mind, yet asking them would give him no answers. He only had guesses to some of them, and the rest of them he had no idea as to where to begin with them. He got himself some breakfast, trying to get at least some semblance of calm. He was alerted to something off when Prism lumbered into the room, bleary-eyed. “Dad? I had a nightmare…” Maestro blinked. It wasn’t often that Prism came to him for those anymore; must have been quite the disturbing one. He gestured for her to sit down across from him, and she obliged. She paused for a bit before laying her concerns before him. “I dreamt about my birth parents coming to get me and hurting you in the process. I know that likely wouldn’t happen in reality, but I just can’t help worrying…”

Maestro grasped her hand from across the table, and smiled gently. “Listen, Prism. I won’t let that happen. If we ever do meet your parents, I will try and get them to understand as best as I can. You have to trust me on that, alright?”

Prism smiled, nuzzling Maestro slightly. “You always know what to say, dad.” She drew back a bit, and looked at Maestro. “What are you doing up this early, though? Getting an early start on the day?”

Maestro shook his head slowly. “No. I had a bit of a distressing dream… Now I can’t get back to sleep.”

Prism had never heard him say something like that before. Naturally, her curiosity ate at her, demanding an answer. “What was your dream about, dad?”

Maestro fiddled idly with his breakfast as he cast his mind back to his dream. “My father. I’ve thought on my true heritage briefly in the past, but… This ‘dream’ has me asking many more questions about it than I had prior. And, among those things is… what am I, really? I’m clearly not ‘normal’ for a pony, even considering those who raised me. Maybe… I’m not supposed to be a pony. Maybe, I’m meant to be something else entirely…”

Prism had never seen her father think this deeply about anything before. He was usually pretty carefree, not worrying too much about where he came from. But to see him like this was something unfamiliar to her. She hardly knew what to say, but she had to try something. She went to his side of the table, and leaned against him, startling him a bit. “It’s alright, dad. Even if you’re some crazy alien trapped in a pony body, you’re still you. That’s all that matters. You are who you make yourself to be- It’s what you’ve always told me, and now it’s you that needs to hear it most.” She stood, and looked him in the eye. “So stop worrying about it. Just focus on the now- and the future will fall into place.”

Maestro smirked, then chuckled lightly. “When did you get so brilliant? I must’ve taught you better than I thought if you’re the one lecturing me.” He shook himself, and smiled. “Thanks, Prism. I really don’t deserve a daughter like you, but you’re mine. You really are too good for me.” Prism was flattered, to be sure. She was about to reply when the doorbell rang. Maestro got up from the table. “Now who could that be at this hour?” He made his way to the door, and opened it. He blinked, a bit surprised. “Sarah! What brings you here? My store doesn’t open today.” However, she remained silent, shifting from side to side. Maestro looked concerned. He stepped aside, and opened the door wider. “Would you like to come in?” She only nodded, and stepped inside. He shut the door behind her, and he followed her into the living room. She sat on a couch across from him, silent as the night. “So, what troubles you?” She remained silent, tears trickling down her muzzle. Seeing this, Maestro approached carefully. “What’s wrong? Please, tell me.” As he drew close, she broke down. She let the tears flow, and he did his best to to comfort the distraught mare. He had no idea what she was going through at the moment, but the least he could do was be there for her. He sat there comforting her until she had no more tears to cry, falling asleep in his arms. He looked upon her visage, now at peace. A stark difference from a moment ago. He carefully pried himself away, and set a blanket upon her. She’d clearly been through something rough. So, he decided to let her stay until she woke- and maybe then, he could get some answers from her.
> Chapter The Tenth: Emotions Stir
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Sarah had been sleeping on his couch for a few hours, Maestro smiled at her patiently when she awoke. Daylight was starting to shine through the window, causing her to wince at the light a little before Maestro closed the blinds with magic. She thanked him wordlessly, and Maestro then addressed the elephant in the room. “So… you want to tell me why you came to my place, or…?”

Sarah was silent for a few minutes, but Maestro respected that she might want to gather herself before telling him. After she had, she let the burden off of her shoulders. “It’s my bo- er, Ex-boyfriend now, I guess. He… dumped me. I thought we had something, but when I told him what you’d done by standing up for me… He lost it. He ranted about how I should disregard what you did; seeing as you’re not a thestral like us. That got under my coat, and one thing led to another… and he called us off. He wanted nothing to do with a… with a…! ‘Normie-lover’!”

At this she started to tear-up again, and her hysterics were starting to rise. Maestro acted quickly, comforting her. “Shh… It’s alright, it’s alright. Honestly, I had no idea how bad the vices betwixt the main tribes and uncommon tribes got… and to think, it goes both ways…” He shook his head. “It’ll be alright, Sarah. One day, everyone will get along despite of tribe or race… or, at least I hope so.” It hurt Maestro to see her like this, so he had to ensure she wasn’t hurt like that again… yet, he wasn’t sure if he should broach that subject, seeing as she’d just been dumped. It would probably not be received well, that much was for sure.

But her response to him was a bit surprising, to say the least. “M-maybe you could… help me get over this with a-a date? You’re pretty dashing, so…”

Maestro pulled back in surprise. She was asking him out? After just getting dumped? He wasn’t sure if she was being genuine about this, but he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt on this. He smiled. “Sure. To be honest, I was thinking of asking you out, so this works out swimmingly. Where would like to go? I’ll be buying.”

She had to think for a moment, considering where she would like to go. After immense consideration, she had her answer. “How about that pizza place nearby? I’m not really in the mood for anything too fancy right now.”

Maestro smirked. “A mare that can appreciate a more casual venue, eh? Alright, then.” He stood, and called out to Prism. “Prism! Mind the shop for me, would you? I’ve got a date to get to.”

Snickering a bit, Prism peeked into the living room. “Okay, dad! Have fun~!”

Maestro led Sarah to the door, and sighed. “She can be such a handful sometimes.” He opened the door, and stepped aside. “After you, Sarah.” Sarah nodded slightly, put on her sunhat, and went through the door. Maestro followed soon after, closing the door behind them. He decided to broker a little conversation on their way to the pizza place. “So, Sarah. How long have you been here in Manehattan?”

Sarah blushed slightly and turned away. “Not too long, really. I only visit for a few months at a time each year. I am only familiar with the place because of how often those visits are.”

Maestro smirked. “Interesting. I myself have only been here once before, a few years back.” He scratched his head in slight embarrassment. “That was back before I got the massive following I have now. Things were certainly quite different back then…” His musings were cut off when they arrived at the Pizza Palace. Mastro looked to Sarah with a quizzical look. “You sure about this? What if they…”

Sarah raised a hoof to silence him. “Relax, Hot Platter’s pretty chill. Just don’t irk him, and he’ll be fine with you.” Before Maestro could respond, Sarah led them inside. The place was rather plain, the only thing really of much note being the floor looking like a cheese pizza. At the counter was a thestral stallion with a dark orange coat. From what could be seen, his mane was yellow with small red streaks in it. His eyes were green, and he had a rather relaxed demeanor. He took a look at Sarah, and waved her over. Sarah obliged, Maestro following close behind.

The stallion- with a name tag saying “Hot Platter” attached to his white striped shirt- smiled. “Sarah! Been a while since your last visit!” He looked over to Maestro, eyes widening in shock. “Is that Maestro Spectrum?” His face was aglow with a large smile. “It’s an honor, sir! What you did for Sarah here is quite inspiring!”

Maestro chuckled awkwardly. “It’s nothing, really. I would do so for any of my customers if they were harassed; It’s just who I am.” He smiled lightly. “Besides, she kinda… asked me out. So…”

At that comment, Hot Platter turned to Sarah with a quizzical look on his muzzle. “Did Stormcloud dump you?” He only had to see Sarah’s dejected look to understand. “I see. Good riddance, I say. I honestly don’t know how the two of you stayed together so long…” He got out from behind the counter, and started to lead them to an empty table.

Curious, Maestro broached the topic. “What do you have against her ex? His personality, his attitude, what?”

Hot Platter shook his head.  “Storm was always a bit of a difficult one. He was quite pushy, and quite unpleasant to be around.” His description of Stormcloud drifted off as Sarah and Maestro sat down at the table. Hot Platter shook his head. “Let’s not dwell on that, though.” His demeanor changed quickly as a smile spread across his face. “So, what will you be ordering today?”

Maestro looked over the menu, considering his options. “Hm, it all looks pretty good to me…” He turned to Sarah to ask her opinion. “What do you think? Any suggestions?”

Scouring the menu for a bit, Sarah eventually pointed at a particular one on the menu. “How about the Jalepeño Jalopy? I’m in the mood for something spicy.”

Shrugging, Maestro set down his menu. “One large Jalepeño Jalopy, then.”

Hot Platter wrote that down, and then asked them another question. “Would you like a drink with that? Milk, perhaps?”

Sarah responded immediately. “Sure, I’ll take a milk. Maestro, what about you?”

Maestro considered it for a moment. Should he? He’d had spicy things before, and he supposed he had built up somewhat of a tolerance… He decided to er on the side of caution. “One for me, just in case.”

Hot Platter wrote that down, and asked one final question. “Is that all?” At their collective nod, Hot Platter gathered his writing pad, and left into the back.

Sarah turned to Maestro, a bit surprised. “You hesitated when asking for milk. Why?”

Maestro chuckled slightly. “Well, I’ve some experience with spicy things. I have a decent level of ‘tolerance’ to it, but I reasoned that it was better to be safe than sorry.”

Just as Sarah was about to reply, a familiar voice entered Maestro’s ear. "Maestro?” He turned to see Trixie just standing there in shock. “Maestro, you're... dating somepony?"

Maestro raised an eyebrow. He spoke rather casually. “First date with her, actually. Hard to say where it’ll go from here, but...” he shrugged his shoulders. “Might as well try, right? Maybe it’ll wind up better than my date with that other mare...”

At this revelation, Sarah turned to Maestro in shock. “I’m not the first to try and date you? Who had that privilege?”

Sighing, Maestro shook his head. “I thought it’d be plastered over the paper by now… Oh well. It was a pegasus mare named Brilliant Dawn. She and I weren’t quite right for each other, so it didn’t work out.”

Trixie had remained silent during the exchange, only after they were done did she decide to speak. “Maestro…” Hearing his name, he turned to face her. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d been dating?”

Maestro considered why this might concern her, and a few reasons did come to mind. But it couldn’t be that simple, could it? “You never asked. I would’ve told you had you asked. Listen, can we talk about this later? I’ll find you when my date is done.”

For a little while, Trixie remained silent. She then nodded her head. “Okay. Have fun on your… date.” With nary another word, Trixie left into the overcast city..

Maestro sighed as he turned back to Sarah. “Sorry about that. Trix is my best friend. She worries sometimes.”

Sarah wasn’t so sure about that, but held her piece. The food came soon enough, and They had a bit of small talk during the meal. Yet as it dragged on, Sarah couldn’t help but notice that Maestro was starting to act a little odd. He was glancing out the window, tapping the table, and acting all sorts of antsy. Then she understood, and grabbed his hoof. He yelped slightly in surprise, and was about to apologize. But Sarah cut him off with a smile. “You’re worried about her, aren’t you?” At his nod, Sarah nodded in kind. “Find her. It’s clear we weren’t connecting as well as I thought we were.”

Maestro smiled, laid the payment on the table, and bolted out into the now pouring rain. Hot Platter returned, and spoke to her. “Do you regret it? Letting him go?”

A single tear strolled down her muzzle. “A bit, yes.But it’s clear to me that his heart lies with another… Even if it’s not quite clear to him just yet.” She turned to Hot Platter and buried herself in his white striped shirt as her tears started to overflow.

Hot Platter looked out into the rain outside. “Find her, Maestro. And when you do… don’t let her go.”





He had searched all over. The rain was pouring, far more than ever. If Trixie was caught in this, she’d catch a cold! Worry beyond description had him on edge. He tried asking the police, but they were of no help. He scoured every corner, and just when he thought he’d searched everywhere- *sniffle* That sound. He bolted towards it. Deep inside his soul, he knew. It was Trixie. He ran faster than he ever had in his entire life. He found her eventually, curled up in a ball in an alleyway. He went up to her, and helped her up- but she tried to push him away. “Go… away… run back… to your girlfriend…” Trixie then collapsed with high fever.

Maestro pulled her up, and helped her stand. He walked her to his place, for it was closer to where they were than the hospital was. He entered, startling the customers. Before anyone could say anything, he spoke. “Shop’s closed. Good day.” They knew better than to argue with him, so they scrambled for their umbrellas and left. He sighed as he laid Trixie on the couch. Prism was one step ahead as she brought him a warm blanket and some soup. He placed the blanket over Trixie, and set himself near the fire. He then drifted off to sleep.
> Chapter The Eleventh: Questions and Confessions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maestro awoke a few hours later, in the afternoon. He checked on Trixie, and it seemed her fever had gone down. He sighed with relief. He didn’t know what he’d do if Trixie died on his account. He shook such dark thoughts away, for they wouldn’t help the situation. All he could do now was wait for her to wake up. In the meantime, he’d some thinking to do.
Many thoughts ran through his head. He was slightly enjoying his time with Sarah, but when Trixie showed up he couldn’t stop worrying once she left into the storm. He stopped enjoying the date, only really being concerned about how Trixie was doing. His panic during his search for her in the rain was understandable, she was his best friend after all.
But that didn’t answer his bigger question. His focus was solely on her well being as soon as she’d gone out into the rain. He hadn’t thought of much else! Why was that? Could his friendship with her really be the end-all reason of why? Or maybe… his eyes widened slightly. Did he… like her as more than a friend? He hadn’t really thought of that before. It would certainly explain a few things, that was for sure. He looked over Trixie as she recovered, and thought about it some more. If he did like her as more than a friend, how much did he like her? What did he like about her? Was there anything he disliked about her? He didn’t really have much time to think it over as Trixie finally awoke. He smiled. “It’s good to see that you’re awake, Trix. I was… worried about you when you left into the rain, so… I brought you back here so you could recover. It’s good to see that your fever’s gone.”

Trixie blinked a bit, and adjusted to the light in the room. She then asked the question on her mind. “So, what happened with that thestral? Is she your soulmate?”

Maestro shook his head. “I didn’t stay to find out. Once you went out in the rain, I couldn’t stop worrying. I ended up leaving before the date was done to try and find you.” He sighed. “I’m glad that I found you when I did. Otherwise, you could’ve been in far worse condition.” A smile spread across his face. “It’s a weight off my mind that you’re alright. Prism helped me get you situated for recovery, so I owe her. She’ll certainly have a special treat tonight.”

Trixie processed that for a moment. He’d gone out of his way to help her. He’d tossed away a date with a mare to save her life. He’s just so… perfect. She knew what her problem was, but she didn’t want to admit it. She turned away, and started to give him the silent treatment.

Maestro’d expected her to respond, possibly thank him, but not this. He put a hoof on her shoulder. “Trix, talk to me, please. I ran out in the rain after you because I got worried. I… care about you. You’re my best friend. I know when you’re hurting, and I can’t help but think I’m to blame. Please. Tell me what’s bothering you. I want to help you. Please. Let me in.”

The wall crumbled at that look in his eyes. She couldn’t hold it back anymore. “Maestro…” She sighed. “I like you as more than a friend. I have for some time. When I saw you with her, I…” Tears started to come in full force down her muzzle.

Maestro grasped her in a hug, patting her on the back. “I get it now. All those looks my way, the strange way you acted around me at times… I had my suspicions, but… I’m glad you told me yourself.” Maestro pulled back a bit, and dried her tears. He looked away. “I… I don’t know if I reciprocate. I mean, I like you, sure. Maybe even as more than a friend, but… I’m uncertain. I only recently considered it, given that the way I chased after you without much thought to my own health can’t quite be explained fully by just friendship. I’m also… afraid of ruining what we already have, Trix. I… don’t know if I can risk something like that. You’re my friend, and if I end up hurting you like that… I’d never forgive myself.”

Trixie hung her head and sighed. She knew this might happen. Maestro was afraid of hurting her, now that she’d told him. He didn’t want to risk their friendship over feelings he was unsure about. She understood. Tears rolled down her face. “So you’re not going to try? I get that you don’t want to hurt me, but… I want you to try.” She clung to him, as if he was the last thing keeping her afloat in a wide ocean. “Show me how much you care… by granting my request. One date. That’s all I ask. After that, we can go back to how things were, alright?”

Maestro’s face was unreadable. He didn’t know what to say, what to do. He liked her, but how much? Prism seemed fond of her, so that was in her favor. But should he? Trixie was his best friend. Could he really risk ruining that forever? He took a deep breath, and nodded. “Sure. But… not today. It’s been a long day. Plus, I have to leave for Los Pegasus tonight. If you can wait a while for that date, I’ll appreciate it.”

At that, Trixie sighed and nodded. “I’ll wait, I suppose. I’ll be working a show here tomorrow, so maybe we can meet up when your done with the expo?”

Maestro did a few motions. “Cross my heart. Hope to die. Stick a needle in my eye.” He nodded. “I’ll be there, even if I have to push back a few things.” the deal was then set in stone as they parted ways that night.
> Chapter The Twelfth: Compications
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day in Los Pegasus had flown by, mostly due to Maestro’s nerves. He closed for lunch, and sighed as he looked to Prism. “What am I to do? I’m nervous about my date with Trixie. What if I mess things up? This could end very badly…”

Prism understood her father’s thought process quite well at this point, having been around him her whole life. She knew that he treasured his friendship with Trixie, more than most connections he had. She also saw how much he cared for Trixie, and saw something there that Maestro might not. So, she tried to calm him down. “Relax, dad. You care for Trixie, and she cares about your friendship too. If things don’t work out, she will understand, trust me. So just take it easy, and be yourself, and it’ll all work out.”

Maestro chuckled heartily. “When did you get so smart with relationships? You’re not even dating that dragon you’ve got a crush on… Spike, was it?”

Prism blushed. “Th-this isn’t about me! It’s about you! Besides… I’m just… not ready for that yet.”

Just as Maestro was going to tease his daughter a bit more, he heard the chime to his door. He shot up, and readily replied. “Sorry, we’re closed for lunch hour. Please come back later.”

He then noticed just who it was. Lavender and cyan mane and tail. Blue coated unicorn mare with indigo eyes. A Cutie Mark that looked like a shooting star with gems off-shooting from its tail. She giggled lightly. “Hey, bro! Did you miss me?”

Maestro blinked. “Janice?” He collected himself, smiling. “Ah yes, Chess said you were in the area. He says hello, by the way.”

Janice went up to the table he was sitting at, and sat across from him. “So, what’s eating you, bro? Certainly not your art; you’re a runaway success now!”

Maestro sighed deeply. “You remember my friend Trixie, right?” At her nod, Maestro scratched the back of his head. “Well, she recently told me that she likes me as more than a friend.” Janice gasped, and was about to interject, but Maestro held up a hoof, and continued. “I’d had my suspicions, but I didn’t expect her to approach me about it quite this soon. Now, I’m worried about our date later tonight. My feelings towards her are uncertain at this point, and I don’t want to hurt her feelings. But she insisted, and I promised her that I’d go. I know I should be myself, but… What happens if she still has feelings for me, and I find that I don’t reciprocate? Things’ll certainly be awkward after that…” He sighed, shaking his head. “What should I do, Janice?”

For a moment, Janice thought on Maestro’s conundrum. He had already agreed to the date, and promised even. So backing out was out of the question, considering how Maestro was with promises. He had likely already pushed some plans aside to make room for this night, so he couldn’t really put it off without possibly hurting Trixie’s feelings. Eventually, she sighed, and smiled. “Just relax. Let whatever happens, happen. If your relationship should evolve, you should let it. If it returns to the way it once was, embrace the awkward jokes you two will likely have at this phase. You cannot let fear get you down. So just go, and make the most of it.”

A smile stretched across Maestro’s face. “Thanks, Janice. I needed that.” They bade farewell to one another, and Prism went into the back.

Just then, a new unicorn stallion came inside. He was bronze in all colorations, which was extremely odd. His Cutie Mark was strange as well, just being black rectangle with a bronze poker club symbol on it. Maestro was about to speak to him, but he cut him off with his gruff voice. “I’m here to talk to you about an important personal matter. If you would cast a silence field spell, it would be greatly appreciated.”

His tone brokered no argument, so Maestro complied readily. Once that was taken care of, he spoke to the figure. “So, what did you want to speak about sir? I don’t have much time before I have to get back to selling my work, so if you could make it brief…”

The bronze unicorn sighed. “Observer Spectrum. What have you learned so far about the ponies?”

At the mention of that name, Maestro shot up. This was one of his supervisors, then? He supposed he should answer. “They are friendly people, once you gain their trust. Their tech is sort of lacking, compared to the visions I’ve had of our home, but I’ve seen evidence that an Industrial Revolution is not long off.” The figure took some notes, and then I asked a question. “Sir, if I may be so bold, how are you here?”

The figure shook his head. “I’m not. This’s a mere projection using a pony base as a reference. It took some time to figure out how to project an avatar of this sort into this world, but now we can. I know that this seems strange to you, but you can trust us. You probably don’t even remember me based on my voice alone… truly, a sad state of affairs.” He shook his head. “I must be off. We’re making preparations to arrive in this world, but it’s slow going. May you have success in your endeavors.” He stood, and was about to leave before he turned back to face Maestro. “Oh, I almost forgot. If you need to contact me, please send a message through the dream channels and ask for Supervisor Bronze. Now, until we meet again, farewell.” with nary another word, he vanished.

Maestro sighed. Things were starting to get hectic, but he’d to keep his composure. He switched the sign on his shop back to open, and let himself get absorbed in his work until he closed early. Time to get ready for his date...
> Chapter The Thirteenth: Connection Tested
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Maestro got ready for the date, he packed up his store and teleported with Prism back to Manehattan He told Prism to go and wait for him elsewhere as he took Trixie on their date. He found his way to where she had placed her wagon, and Maestro adjusted his vest absentmindedly as he stood in front of the front door. It was now or never. He took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. It wasn’t long before Trixie opened the door, and Maestro took a double-take. She wore a silky light teal dress, and her mane was styled to be slightly curvier than he had seen it before. He gathered himself, and stepped aside. “Where to?”

Trixie stepped out into the night air, and looked to Maestro. He certainly looked as good as ever. She smiled. “Surprise me.”

Maestro raised an eyebrow. She was leaving the decision up to him, then? That was doable. He escorted her to one of the more middle-tier restaurants. He wasn’t quite sure why he was going there, but… somehow he felt if he did, he might get some kind of answer as to his troubles. He pulled up to the counter and rang the bell. A mauve unicorn waiter came up to the front, and his neon blue eyes widened. “Monsieur Spectrum! An honor it is to see you here again. A table for you and the lady, I presume?”

Maestro smiled and nodded. “Give us your best one available, Fastrack Serve.” The waiter bowed, then led Maestro and Trixie to a table near a window on the second floor of the restaurant that had an amazing panoramic view that included the famous Mare Of Liberty.

Fastrack levitated the menus to Maestro and Trixie, and bowed as he left. Trixie spoke as she admired this place. “This all looks very nice. Are you sure about all of this, Maestro?”

Maestro snapped himself out of his thoughts to reply to her. “It’s fine, Trix. Fastrack is a personal friend. Best service in Manehattan.” However, Maestro looked distant after saying that.

Concerned, Trixie asked him a question. "Maestro, what's wrong? You look very stressed out..."

He sighed deeply. “I’ve had a lot on my mind recently. Let’s just try and enjoy ourselves tonight, alright?”

Trixie looked worried, but she knew that Maestro was likely to not budge on the issue. The waiter came back and took their orders, and went to prepare them. Trixie attempted to take Maestro’s mind off his troubles. “Say, you want to hear something hilarious?” Intrigued, Maestro motioned for her to continue. “Okay, so the other day in one of my performances, there was a pony that tried to upstage me. We had a little magician’s spat, but I came out on top when one of his tricks backfired and tied him up like a hog!” She had been keeping back her laughter, but let it all out.

Maestro chuckled. “That is pretty funny. Serves him right for trying to take the spotlight from a superior stage magician.” Maestro sighed. “You really do know how to cheer me up better than anyone else.” He paused for a moment, and smiled. “I think I should return the favor. Since you cheered me up, I think you should know what’s been on my mind lately.” He then nodded as he set up a silence field. “It’s not something I thought would happen, but… recently I got in contact with my birth father.” surprise strewn across Trixie’s face, and Maestro smiled. “I was pretty shocked too, when he spoke to me through my dream.”

This caused Trixie to blink a bit. “He talked to you in your dream? How?”

They were interrupted when Fastrack came back. “Have you decided on your orders?”

Nodding, Maestro spoke. “I’m feeling adventurous tonight. Give me the Shrimp Mix Salad and a glass of Strawberry frappé.”

Fastrack wrote that down, with a small quirk of his eyebrow. He turned to Trixie, who shook off the surprise of what Maestro had ordered. “Uh, I’ll have a Caesar Salad and a glass of Rosenberry cider.” Fastrack wrote that down, and went off to the kitchen.

Maestro chuckled. “Rosenberry, huh? Bold choice. As to answer your previous question, though… He used some sort of tech, as I understand it. Apparently my home is far ahead of the technology curve when compared to Equestria. I’m not entirely certain why dad sent me here, but I have to trust him.”

Trixie tilted her head in confusion. “Why tell me all this? Just because I asked, or…?”

Maestro paused as Fastrack came back with their food. Once it was on the table and Fastrack had left, Maestro responded. “I’m not certain myself, really. Something about you… it just feels as if I can trust you with just about anything. I can’t really explain it much better than that.” He chuckled to himself. “Maybe there is something to it, though. Something… deeper.”

A pause settled upon the conversation, though it was warm and light. Trixie was glad that Maestro trusted her as much as he did. She sighed. Part of her wanted the reason to be a hidden feeling of love, but that was probably a bit much to ask for. Maestro was still figuring things out, and that was fine. She decided to change the subject. “So, how are your artworks selling?”

Maestro took a moment to calculate that as he concentrated on his food. Once he had finished, he smirked. “Pretty well, compared to how they used to back when I was first starting out. Some of my old work has actually started to sell too, after Sarah led the charge. She’s a good friend like that.”

Trixie smiled. “That’s good.” She paused, considering something. She noticed that Maestro was looking at her with concern upon his face, and she brought her concerns to light. “I’m boring you, aren’t I? You-”

Maestro shook his head. “You couldn’t bore me. You…” He sighed. “I may not understand how I feel about you, but I’d like us to do this again sometime. It’s been nice.”

Trixie smiled. “I’d like that.”

The night passed rather quickly, as the air grew more jovial. Maestro eventually asked her a question that she hadn’t seen coming. “What do you like about me, Trixie? Please, be honest.”

She thought it over for a while, going over everything. Kind, honest, trustworthy, charming, talented, handsome, persistent, dependable, the list went on. She blushed. “It’d be a shorter list if you asked what I didn’t like, ‘cause there’s nothing on it.”

Maestro’s face went red. Did she really like him that much? As for how he felt towards her, he still was unsure. He knew that he liked her, at least as a friend. But recently, things had begun to change between them. The way she smiled… the occasional slip into third person…. Her projected confidence, even if deep down she had doubts… Did he like her as… more than a friend? He… didn’t know. But he would like to.

Something powerful came over him that he couldn’t quite explain. He leaned forward, and… kissed her. Shock displayed on her face, but it soon melted away. As for him, he felt something he hadn’t before. Electricity ran through him, a powerful feeling unlike any other. The world fell away, and all seemed to feel… right. He did like her. Perhaps even love her. She was a talented showmare, and he a talented artist. Was this the universe saying they should be together? It didn’t matter if that was the case. He pulled away, and they both gasped for air. He had an open smile on his face, and he spoke. “I… don’t know what came over me. I just… had to know. I think I understand better now.”

Trixie touched her mouth with her hoof, and lifted it away. She looked at Maestro. “Wow. That was… Trixie’s never felt like that before ...” She cleared her throat, and sighed airily. “So, does this mean that we are a couple, then? ‘Cause, I’d really like that…”

Maestro smirked. “I’ve never had a girlfriend before… I mean, I’ve dated other mares, but…” He shook his head. “Let me start over. Yes. I like you a lot, Trix. I think I always have, but I didn’t realize it until now.”

Trixie smiled with a slight blush. “So, next saturday good, or?”

Maestro teleported his schedule to him, and looked over it. “Hm. I have a lot of work to do that day… Let’s see… no… no… no… ah! I can move a few things around, and fit you in on the following Tuesday.” At her slightly disappointed look, Maestro sighed. “I know, okay? I’ll try and keep my schedule not so cluttered. I’ll just have to give different answers when given projects to work on.”

Trixie sighed. “I guess that’s the best you can do. It’ll be a bit of work, but I think it’ll be worth it.”

It wasn’t much longer before they finished their meals, and Fasttrack came to the table. He smiled. “Ah, Monsieur Spectrum! I see that you and the lady have finished.” he looked between the two, and his smile spread. “I see the two friends have become something more this night.” At their mutual blush, Fastrack chuckled. “Ah, young love.” He shook his head. “Will that be all, or...?”

Maestro looked at his watch. “Yes, that’s all. I have to be somewhere in the morning, so…”

Fastrack nodded, and went off to the register real quick. He came back in a flash, and placed a slip on the table. “Your bill.”

He left, and Maestro took a look at it. He smirked. “Well, spending that kind of money is nothing, now that I know how I feel about you.” Trixie giggled a bit and batted a hoof at the air. Maestro shook his head. She could be silly too? Was there no end to the surprises she held? He levitated his wallet out from his ves, and placed the bits on the table plus a small tip. He stood, and Trixie followed not long after. They exited together, a warm air about them.

Maestro took her back to her wagon, and she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “Tonight was magical. I can hardly wait for our next date, Maestro.”

He smiled, and kissed her quickly on the cheek. “I look forward to it. I’ll be seeing you, okay?”

They waved at each other, and Maestro sighed as he walked away. It was on an impulse that he had kissed her earlier, but he wouldn’t change what he did for the world. He arrived home and collapsed on the couch inside and sighed. He soon fell asleep.
> Chapter The Fourteenth: Confrontation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maestro awoke bright and early in the morning as he helped Prism get out so they could be on their way. His mood was about as jubilant as she had ever seen it as he lightly twirled his portfolio, and a smirk grew on her face as realization of what occured last night dawned on her. She giggled a bit as she gently elbowed her dad as they walked. “So it went well, I take it? Come on, give me the details!”

Maestro shook his head and sighed as they continued to make their way out of the city towards the outskirts. “Yes, it went well. It was a very nice date. However, near the end… I kissed her on impulse alone after she enlightened me as to how much she liked me. A choice that I will not soon regret.”

Prism had been a bit shocked, but a sly grin grew on her face as the shock ebbed away. “So, when can I expect a younger sibling?”

Maestro coughed in surprise as they reached a prime part of the next city over. “Wh-what!? N-now, Prism that’s a bit too fast, don’t you think? Sure, I do like Trixie as more than a friend. But… I’m not ready for that kind of relationship.” He shook his head and sighed. “I don’t have time for it, either. At least, not yet. A girlfriend is one thing, but a wife and more children is quite another. I’d need to think on how to properly balance it with my current life first before going ahead with such a thing.” He set down his portfolio in an empty slot between buildings and changed it into his shop.

Though disappointment was clear on Prism’s face, it seemed that she did understand. “Sorry dad. I know that I’ve been a bit… anxious… for getting a mom in my life, but I think that I can respect that you don’t want to rush it.”

Maestro smiled and tousled Prism’s spines a bit as they went inside. “That’s my girl. I knew that you would understand.” It was then that a knock was heard at the door. Maestro turned in confusion. “Now, who could that be?” He paused and turned back towards the door. He took a quick look through the observation lens in the door, and gasped. He quickly opened the door, and let Supervisor Bronze in. He looked towards Prism. “Prism, I have some things to discuss in private with Mr. Bronze here. If you don’t mind?” She gave a small sigh, and sauntered off as Maestro took Supervisor Bronze into the living room. Once there, Maestro set up the silence field as he sat on the couch. He gestured to the  chair across from him. “Would you like to sit down?”

Supervisor Bronze shook his head. “No, I’m not here for pleasantries, I fear.” He gave a deep sigh and looked towards Maestro. “Are you aware of the risk to the mission that you are inducing? The way things are going, I am afraid that you are losing sight of what is important.”

Maestro quirked his head. “And just what are you implying? I’m doing my part to the best of my ability, given what I can remember of the directive. As far as I’m concerned, I am allowed a little down time. What I choose to do with the time I don’t gather intel is my business.” 

Supervisor Bronze huffed irritably. "That’s quite enough. Listen, and listen well, Observer Spectrum. There are things at play that you do not seem to understand. We cannot afford you to get too close to the locals. You aren’t like them! It was fine back when you were just making the idle friend here or there. But this… relationship of yours? It will not last, once the truth comes out. Your father understands that you don’t yet understand our situation- But even he insists as I do. Let this… Trixie… down gently. Explain that it would never work, or whatever you have to do to end it. Just, for the sake of what’s at stake here… let her go."

Maestro was stunned silent for a good while, but by the time he had gathered himself, Supervisor Bronze had left. How was he supposed to do that to Trixie? He liked her a lot, perhaps even loved her. How could they ask this of him? Maestro let down the silence field and sunk a bit deeper into the couch. What was he supposed to do? Could he risk defying his father for love? Could he live with himself crushing Trixie’s feelings to satisfy his father? He stood up, and pushed the thought away. He could not do that to Trixie.

The more that he heard about what his father wanted, the less he liked it. Something started to boil to the surface of his very being. Something… primal. He would not blindly follow, if that was what his father expected. He would bring the ponies up to speed, induce a technological revolution. It would take time, sure. But Maestro would not sit back and watch, not after this. But he would have to be careful, more so than ever. He lit his horn, and he focused his mana. He had never used an enchantment of this complexity before, and it was rather straining. But with a few ebbs of the magical flow, he etched a new enchantment upon his person. It made him wince slightly, due to the sheer intensity, but it would be worth it to keep his dad’s goons from prying too much. He immediately tested his new enchantment, as he focused his energy. With a thought, he became invisible, and presumably undetectable by other means.

Maestro nodded, and cut the power to the enchantment. This was only the first part of his plan, but the rest would have to wait. He converted his front room into the storefront, and opened shop for the day. It was time to lay the groundwork for the second part of his plan. He was a good judge of character, so he could tell if somebody was putting on airs. He used this knowledge to give out pamphlets to those geniuses that felt stifled, and those that wanted things to change. A summons for a secret seminar, one that he would host to bolster on the revolution. It was a risky move for sure, given that Celestia already had some misgivings about him, especially after he endorsed letting Discord free to “reform” his chaos to be more benevolent. Still, it would be worth it, if it was to protect the ponies from what Maestro feared his father might do. The first meeting was tonight, and he sent a pamphlet off to Trixie, in hopes that she would attend and support his endeavour. He had seen in her a desire to make the world better, but it was a bit of a leap to think that she’d be on board with this.

Regardless, he had to try. The day wound on, and Maestro had invited about one percent of the town to the meeting. The time would soon come…


To Be Continued...

> Chapter The Fifteenth: Ambition For Change
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After closing up shop for the day, Maestro took Prism out of there before shrinking down his portfolio. Prism looked concerned. “Dad, wh-” She was quieted by a hoof to her mouth.

He turned towards her after checking thoroughly for if they were being watched. He whispered to her. “Listen. We’re going to have to be a bit more careful now. Brace yourself.” He worked his magic, and Prism was inlaid with the enchantment that he had put on himself earlier. He spoke again. “Keep your voice down. We don’t want to draw undue attention.” He activated the invisibility as he took his daughter’s claw. He led her to an out-of the way location that he had listed on the pamphlets, out of the sight of prying eyes.

He set pown his portfolio, and worked a different spell, one that he had made only for emergencies. It transformed into a plain house with the correct address listed. He took Prism inside, and closed the door. He let the enchantment down, and explained himself. “I never told you about the other mode of my portfolio. This- is a sound-proof bunker. None can hear us from outside. This is where I’ve called our revolutionaries to, for the first meeting. It’s time to start moving.”

Prism looked confused. “Dad… what’s going on?”

Before he could reply, he heard the doorbell that he had installed. He donned a royal blue cloak, and tossed her one. “Put that on, I’ll explain later.” he drew up his hood, and went to answer the door. All the ponies he had hoofed the pamphlets to in his shop filed in, two by two. He greeted each in turn. “Welcome to the Conglomerate of Progress. Please, take a seat.” after he addressed each one, a chair would magically appear for them to sit upon. He kept greeting them like this, until the last one. It was Trixie, and he gave a smile as he let her in. “You made it. I knew that you would come. Welcome to the Conglomerate of Progress, Trixie. I think that you’ll like it.” He shut the door behind her, and locked it.

She learned in, and gasped. “Maestro?! What are you doing here?”

He chuckled. “It’s my house. It just… looks different. Come, sit. All will be explained.”

A chair near the front of the audience was summoned, and she went to sit. He summoned a stage, and he took his daughter’s claw. “Showtime. Let’s do this.” They then were teleported behind the curtain, and a silence went upon the audience. The curtains parted, and He spoke from the podium. “Brothers. Sisters. Welcome, to the future. You may be wondering who I am, but some of you might already have some kind of idea.” He looked across the audience briefly before addressing them. “Before I reveal who I am to you all, I must stress this- anything discussed or revealed within these walls is strictly confidential. All of you must promise to not speak of anything that happens here, no matter what.” They all gave a Pinkie Promise, aside from Trixie, who opted for the promise that Maestro had taught her.

Maestro gave a nod. “That will be sufficient for now. Allow myself and my confidant to reveal ourselves to you.” Prism and I pulled down our hoods, and much of the crowd were surprised for a split second, that was until they realized that the stories in the news about Celestia and Maestro not seeing eye-to-eye must be true. He held up a hoof, and calmed them. “Yes, it is I. the one that gave you the pamphlets earlier today. I come before you today to enlighten you about Equestria’s situation.

He paused to let that sink in before continuing. “Equestria is in danger, my fellows. As we are now, we will not withstand the war that is potentially coming. To protect this world we love, we must change it, make it better.”

He let one in the audience speak. “How? What can we do?”

Maestro smiled. “I’m glad that you asked that. My fellows, we have been granted gifts. From immense brain power regarding certain matters, to a grand talent with some medium of entertainment. We have the means to convince the people of Equestria that the incoming revolution is not to be feared, but embraced. We shall encourage them subtly to swing in to embracing the improvements that I plan to set into motion. If we are to survive what might come, we must rapidly accelerate the rate of technological growth.”

Trixie stood, and asked a question of her own. “I’m all for getting Equestria out of a stagnate state, as are many here, I believe. But what’s coming?”

Maestro paused to gather himself. “Beings unlike any of you have seen before. I was once among them, long ago. But I am lucky to have forgotten that time when I became a pony. It allowed me to see the beauty of this world, to see that what he might be planning would come at a cost to weighty to bear. Maestro looked across the crowd before continuing. "To stave this off, we must work together. If we do, a new future will be on the horizon for ponykind! Now go, and find those that agree. Find them, and encourage them to take the plunge towards making that future real! As for me... I'll lead the charge from the shadows, until the time is right."

The crowd cheered, and took to chatting about ideas they had as to how to pull this off. Trixie came up onto the stage and followed Maestro as the curtains closed. She spoke with concern. “You’ve heard from him then? Your father?”

Prism looked slightly startled, but Maestro sighed. “Sorta. He sent Supervisor Bronze to me today, one I had met before. I didn’t like the sound of the plans, so…” he gestured to the crowd. “Revolution.” Maestro smiled. “Now the future changes.”


To Be Continued...

> Chapter The Sixteenth: The Double-Sided Play Begins
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days later, all seemed normal. Maestro moved on to another town, this time Appaloosa. He set up his shop, and got to work. Although, halfway through his daily shift, he got a surprise visit from Princess Celestia. She stormed right up to his counter, and slammed her hoof down. “What is the meaning of this, Maestro? Why are ponies going around talking about a technological revolution? Did you have something to do with this?”

Maestro raised an eyebrow, and played it cool. “Me? Heh. You see one thing change… and you immediately jump to thinking that I’m behind it? Even if I was, there really wouldn’t be much that you could do about it. After all, I’m an icon. If I were to... say… be axed off… you’d find yourself dealing with a much worse problem than ponies talking about some revolution.” Maestro gave a shrug at her irritated look. “Besides. It’s about time that Equestria took a plunge into the future, if you ask me. Too cozy, too… easy. That’s what Equestria is now.”

Celestia huffed. “Of course you would support this malarkey.” She pointed a hoof at Maestro. “Don’t think that I’m not watching you, Maestro. You’re on thin ice. One wrong move…”

Maestro rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever. If you’re not here to buy something, then kindly remove yourself from my shop.”

Celestia looked around for a moment, then shook her head. “To think that a former student of mine would ever talk back to me like this…” She gave one last glare at Maestro. “Farewell, Maestro. Just know… You could’ve had a bright future.”

I smiled and waved. “And I still will! Good day!” The instant that she left and was out of sight, Maestro sighed. He looked to his customers. “Sorry that you had to see that. Celly’s a bit of a stick in the mud, if you couldn’t tell.”

Laughter roared through the shop, and Maestro smiled. His customers were warming to him, faster now than ever. His little gambit was paying off! It wasn’t much longer into his shift that he shut down for lunch. No sooner had he escorted the last customer out, that he saw a pony that had features all of silver outside of his door. A bit concerned, he opened it cautiously. “Are you who I think you are? One of dad’s Supervisors?”

He gave a nod and smile. “I see that you’re seeing the pattern, Observer Spectrum. Are you alone?”

Maestro poked back into the shop, and gave a look around. He came back to the door, and allowed the silver pony in. “Prism’s out doing grocery shopping, and no customers are around. What do you want to talk about?”

The pony paused as the door shut behind them, then spoke. “We have a problem. It’s about the ponies.”

Maestro raised an eyebrow. So they weren’t onto him? That was a relief, but the Supervisor’s tone was quite serious. “What’s wrong? I told you guys that an industrial revolution was imminent, and now they’re starting to show it. I don’t see a problem here, Supervisor Silver.”

At Maestro’s remembrance of his name, Silver raiser an eyebrow. He dismissed it, and proceeded to explain. “It’s too fast. Over a few nights, they’re jumping into having an automotive industry, among other things. Why is this happening, Spectrum? They should still be in the state that they were a few days back!”

At his anger, Maestro tried to explain without revealing his hand. “Well, maybe the ponies just felt ready to advance. By my research, they’ve been unnaturally stagnant for far too long. This is just progress catching up to them.”

Silver gave a sigh, and nodded reluctantly. “Perhaps you are right. But now we need to move up our time-table. And for that…” He turned to face Maestro. “For you cooperation in ditching the mare and complying thus far; I award you the position of Searcher Spectrum.”

Maestro inwardly winced. That’s right. He’d made it look like he’d broken off with Trixie in the view of his father’s surveillance. He could sense where it all was, perhaps his memory on the placements of the invisible cameras coming back. He also had to pay off some newspapers to not publish anything about his relationship with Trixie. Pricey, but it was worth it in order to pull this off. He made sure to keep a certain air about him though. “A Promotion? Why am I being made into a Searcher?”

Supervisor Siver sighed. “It seems that even though some things have returned to you, you have yet to retain knowledge of our situation back home. In other words, the reason that we sent you here.”

A raised eyebrow crept onto Maestro’s face. He vaguely remembered something of the sort, but he didn’t recall the details. He tried his best guess. “Some sort of crazy disease, right? One we need a cure for?”

A smile graced Supervisor Silver’s face. “Ah. So you remember that much.” His face fell. “If their industrialization is kicking off, we don’t have the luxury of wasted time, Searcher Spectrum. We need to find the source of the strange energy of this world that kills the disease when it comes in contact with it. We just need a large enough sample harvested so that we can study it, and then we can synthesize it. Then, we can leave this world alone.”

It was the first time that Maestro had heard of this, but it didn’t seem like the full truth. Despite this, he was walking a fine line now. He couldn’t mess this up. He nodded. “Where do I start?”

Silver pointed to a few locations on the map that Maestro kept on the wall. “Here. Here. Here. and here. Somewhere in the midst of those four points is the source. Find it, harvest part of it. And store it until we come to get you.”

Maestro gulped. It was a big thing, balancing this with what his plans were. He gave a nod. “Right. I’ll be seeing you, then.”

Supervisor Silver left, and Maestro exhaled. He soon saw a note appear in front of his face. It was from Trixie. It read:

“Maestro. Meet me at the abandoned diner. Ensure that you aren’t followed. <3 Trixie.”

He gave a small chuckle, and turned on the invisibility enchantment. He walked out for a while until he found the place that Trixie had mentioned. It was out of sight from the invisible cameras, so after going inside he powered off the invisibility. Trixie approached from the corner, and Maestro smiled as she hugged him tightly. “Hey, Trix. Sorry that we have to meet in private like this now. It’s a necessary evil until I figure out what Dad really wants.”

At the mention of that, Trixie pulled away with a concerned look on her face. “Maestro, are you sure that you can pull this off? Being the ‘perfect son’ in the sight of your father, and yet going behind his back to push the work forward?”

Maestro shrugged with a grin. “I sure hope so. At this point, I cannot ignore the gut feeling that I have.” He then explained. “Another Supervisor came today. Silver. He told me the ‘why’ of why I’m here… but I don’t think that he’s being honest with me. At least… maybe not completely.”

Trixie tilted her head. “So what did he ask of you to do now?”

He gave a sigh. “He wants me to search for the source of this world’s magic. Apparently, harvesting some of it to study it is supposed to help with whatever’s wrong back home. But… I think that’s only part of it. I think… they intend to know the weaknesses of it, possibly so they can subdue Equestria.” Trixie gasped at that ascertain, and Maestro held up a hoof. “I know. It’s a bold claim, but… I just can’t shake this feeling.”

Trixie grasped his hoof. “It’ll be alright. You can figure this out, Maestro. You can find a way to stop this!”

He smiled. “You always know what to say.” He gave her a quick peck on the lips. “I know that it’s been rough… but we’ll get through this. And when it’s all over… my race and yours will be friends… at least, that’s what I hope to achieve…”

Trixie gave a small nod. “If anyone can figure this mess out, it’s you. I’ll stick by you, no matter what happens.” She kissed him deeply for a little bit before pulling away. “I best be off. I’ve got a show in Hoffington.”

Maestro waved. “See you later, Trix. I best be getting ready for my trip. First stop… the place where we first met. The Everfree forest.”

Trixie waved back as she left the diner. “Good luck, sweetheart. You can do it.”

A firm nod came from Maestro as he went invisible again. He made his way back to his shop…


To Be Continued...

> Chapter The Seventeenth: The Search, Part One
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning, Maestro woke early. He considered something. Should his daughter be involved in this? Though Supervisor Silver hadn’t said anything against it, but… Maestro let out a sigh. This was harder than he thought. He made himself busy ads he got ready to move the house again. Just as dawn cracked, Prism came down the stairs with a yawn. “Dad, what’s a ll the racket about?”

A pained look graced Maestro’s face. He took a breath and put up the silence field, and told her the truth. “It’s an assignment from my father, Prism. I have to go on a search for a while. I don’t think you should come with me.”

Shocked awake, she asked the question hanging in the air. “But… Who will take care of me while you’re gone?”

Thinking on it for a time, Maestro lit his horn. “I’m sending you to stay with Janice for a while. Just tell her that I have to follow a muse. I’ll see you again, Prism. I don’t know when I’ll finish with this search, but…” He gave a smile. “Hopefully it doesn’t take all that long. Be good for Janice, okay?”

She nodded as tears welled up. She gave me a quick hug. “I’ll miss you, dad. Be safe.”

Maestro pulled away with a smirk. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Farewell for now, my little gem.” He then forced forward the teleportation spell, and Prism was gone in a flash. Maestro sighed. He didn’t want to do that, but… it was necessary. He went out the front door and cast the spell to transform the house into his portfolio. He picked it up once it was done changing and secured it to his back. He then cast a teleport for himself, saving on time for getting to the Everfree.

Once the light died down, he found himself near one of the edges of the Everfree. He took out his map and compared it, and then gave a nod as he put it away. He made his way into the forest, taking care to not disturb the wildlife. It took a good few minutes’ journey for the spell he’d prepared to start reacting. He turned to where it felt it was pulling him. It was pulling him towards the rickety bridge that went towards the ruined Castle of the Pony Sisters. He let out an amused chuckle. "So this is the first point of interest… Alright then. I’ve been here before, won’t be too bad."

He made his way to the bridge and took a calming breath. He steadied himself as he slowly made his way across. He couldn’t afford to break the bridge, so care was of the utmost importance. Once he made his way across, he looked at the ruined building. His searching spell was reacting wildly to the massive magic energy in the area. Somewhere in that castle was a  mana pool, and it was his job to find it. He then went inside. The spell’s reaction to the magic was starting to peak already, which was quite interesting. He hadn’t expected that until he was closer to the source… unless he already was.

He made a few experimental movements. First towards the halls. As he expected, the spell started to cool off. He then re-centered himself in the doorway. He tested going to the old throne room, but once again the spell started to cool down. Maestro wasn’t left with many other options, so he decided to check the area where the Elements had been kept. As he went towards the room, the spell’s reaction reached peak performance. Once inside, he could almost feel the mana pool. How had the girls not noticed it when they were here? He shook his head. He could ask them that later. As he approached the mechanism that had held the dormant e
Elements, he felt a strange calming presence fill the room. He looked around, and called out. “Hello? Is somebody there?”

He was on edge for a while, concerned that somebody had followed. But the presence melted away his worry when it spoke. “Peace, child. I mean you no harm.”

Maestro looked around, confused. “Who are you? Where are you?”

The presence seemed surprised when it replied. “You can hear me? Most ponies cannot hear my voice. I will tell you who I am, if you will grant me the same courtesy.”

For whatever reason, Maestro felt that he could trust this voice. For some reason… he felt like he’d heard it before. He decided to answer the voice’s question. “They call me Maestro Spectrum. Although, it’s not my real name… I… don’t remember what that is, so…”

The presence gasped. “Wait a minute. It’s you! The child from afar that was sent here! The child I saved from the malfunction of your craft!”

Maestro blinked. “Say what now? I…” All of a sudden, Maestro gripped his head. “Ah! My head! What’s…?”

The presence seemed sad. “You’re recalling. Remembering the night that you first came here. Recalling what I did to save you. I’m… sorry.”

Pressure built in Maestro’s head, and in a flash he recalled...





Twenty years ago…

Observer Spectrum sighed. This was an important mission. He had a goal, to observe the life of this world that they were sending him to. He wasn’t sure why. All he knew was that they needed data to curb the Grand Virus. He was on his way to the planet when an alarm sounded. He started panicking, sending out a call of distress. Yet none could hear. He was going to die. He prayed, desperate for something to save his life. He then felt a strange presence shoot up from the planet below, and he felt a voice speak to him. “Peace, child. You will be safe. You will become a pony, to save your life. This won’t hurt a bit…” Observer Spectrum looked at his form as he changed, the shock making him go unconscious.
> Chapter The Eighteenth: The Search, Part Two
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maestro regained his composure once the memories had stopped flowing back. He looked around, and he was still within the Castle of the Pony Sisters. He sighed as he addressed the presence once more. "I remember now. No wonder your voice sounded so familiar..." A puzzled look then graced his face. "But I must ask... just who are you?"

For a moment, he thought that the presence had somehow left, but she soon answered after much deliberation. “I am the spirit of this world’s magic. You may call me Aetheria.”

Questions upon questions boiled inside Maestro’s mind, but one in particular fought its way to the surface. “Aetheria, it is not that I do not appreciate what you did, but… Why? Why did you save me? Frankly, it does not make much sense to me…”

Once more the aura of Aetheria filled the room, calming Maestro. “Peace, child. I will explain.” She paused until the effect of her aura had calmed Maestro completely, and then continued. “You are not the first of your kind to find your way to Equestria, you know. Many others from your world have wound up in this world by accident several times. In those cases, I would haze their recollection of this place, and send them back to their home. But some time before you came here, I started to notice that your kind were attempting to come here on purpose. I could feel that their intentions were not pure, so I frustrated their attempts at every turn. But when your craft shot from the sky, I could feel that you were different from the rest of them. So young, so caring and pure… I thought maybe that you could help me. It was not until I felt your panic setting in that I knew that something was wrong. And so, I reached out to you, and did what I had to do in order to save your life.”

It took awhile for Maestro to process all of what he had heard. After it fully sunk in, he took a deep breath and sighed. “I see. So you want my help, then? That is why you saved me? What could I possibly do that would help you? You seem pretty strong, if your story is to be believed… Why would you need help, anyway?”

Silence prevailed for some time before Aetheria answered. “I need your help because I have no physical form of my own. If your people were to come to harvest the source of this world’s magic, there is little that I could do to stop them. I could feasibly hinder them for some time, but…”

With understanding clear upon his visage, Maestro gave a nod. “I think I know what you are getting at. Ever since my dad contacted me in my dreams, I have had some misgivings about his goals. I will do what I can to help, but I do not know how I will pull this all off. I am already playing a variety of roles already… It is quite a lot of pressure.”

For some reason he felt as if Aetheria was smiling. “I know that you can do this. You are special, Maestro. I am sure that you will find a solution for the situation that we find ourselves in.”

After letting out a dry chuckle, Maestro shook his head. “I am not so sure about that, but… if you think that I can, what do I have to lose?” He then shut off his searching spell that he had forgotten about. He took a look at the map, and gave a nod. “Well, this map was right about the forest hotspot, so I should follow it to the next point.” He paused though, and turned to the center of the room. The place where the Elements had once been kept was exactly on the spot where the strongest reading from his spell had come from.

Before leaving, he just had to know what it would feel like to tap into that kind of magic. He made his way over to the center of the empty display and laid a hoof upon the giant sphere in the middle. He felt the magic surging through like a heartbeat, and he heard Aetheria speak up again. “Protect it, Maestro. The plans they have for it go beyond what they have told you. Please. I am counting on your aid.”

Uncertainty still plagued Maestro, but… as he reached out to tap into the magic, his thoughts became more certain. He was on mostly the right track, he just had to adjust the trajectory slightly. He knew now that it was no accident that he could hear Aetheria. He had never heard of any other pony speaking of such things, not even the Princesses. He was not sure who he could trust with this kind of secret, though. This revelation would likely either be brushed off as heresy by most. As much as it hurt him… He felt that he had to keep this knowledge to himself, for now.

He lifted his hoof away from the sphere, and saw that a bit of the magic had latched to him. He was a bit startled at first until Aetheria assured him it was a gift of trust. Knowing this, he stored it in a small jar that he teleported in from his house. After securing it, he sent it back to his house. He then made his way out of the castle, and looked at the map again. “There are three more hotspots for me to find. Alright, the next one apparently is in… The badlands. Looks like I am going off into Changeling territory. Alright map, don’t fail me now.”

After lighting his horn, Maestro focused. After all, he had not been to the badlands before, so the teleport required more focus. After a few minutes of intense focus, he popped out of the Everfree in a flash of turquoise magic.
> Chapter The Nineteenth: The Search, Part Three
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maestro looked around to see that he had indeed reached his intended destination. With a nod to himself he made his way through the vast wasteland that surrounded the area. As he made his way, he could feel eyes upon him. He kept pushing towards the changeling hive, until he could feel himself being followed. He stopped, and spoke. “I know that you’re there! Now why don’t you save all of us some trouble and come on out!”

The wait for a response was agonizing, but soon enough he saw changeling drones come out from behind the rock formations. One of them was a bit different from an average drone, but not quite the queen. He spoke in an intimidating tone. “What do we have here? A pony has ventured far from Equestria… This is most unusual.”

Maestro didn’t like the way they were eying him, like he was some kind of battery. He understood, sure. The changelings were in desperate need of love to feast on. Maestro decided to try and calm down, though. He’d been in tough spots before and made it work. This’d be no different… he hoped. He steeled his nerves, and tried to negotiate. “Hey, I’m just passing through. I only intend to stay for a short time. Surely your people aren’t entirely heartless so as to prohibit such a benign request, right?”

The guard (that’s what Maestro had inferred the one who spoke earlier to be) spoke up again after some deliberation. “I’ll have to appraise your case with Queen Chrysalis.” He turned his back back towards Maestro and barked out orders to the drones. “Come on, you nitwits! Let’s get this captive to the Queen!”

Maestro was about to object to that comment when the drones surrounded him on all sides. Realizing his position, he decided to just comply for now. The group started moving and Maestro fell in step as he felt his magic sensor’s reaction slowly build. As they approached, there was no longer any doubt in Maestro’s mind. One of the mana pools was inside the changeling hive. Although, this one felt… different. It was strangely dormant from what his spell was relaying. Maybe this was why the changelings were always so antagonistic? Probably not, but it still was his job to awaken the pool somehow.

It wasn’t much longer before he was brought before Queen Chrysalis. She was taller than all the other changelings, that much was expected. However, she looked far less rugged than the others. Less holes in her chitin and overall less unruly hair. She was the Queen, so it made sense that she was the best cared for of the hive. Her piercing green eyes leered at her guardsman. “Why has a pony found their way to us, Gossamer? I thought that we were concealed…”

He sighed. “Pardon me, my Queen. But… this pony says he is only passing through. What should be done with him?”

For an uncomfortable amount of time, Queen Chrysalis stared at him. Maestro wasn’t sure why, either. He did his best to not shrink, though. After a few minutes, she spoke. “What have you come here for? Be honest. You didn’t come to just ‘pass through’. I can tell.”

Maestro was a bit surprised, but not entirely. She was the Queen of the Changelings! Who could possibly hope to hide something from her? Well, Maestro decided to try his luck by only telling her what he absolutely had to in order to escape the fate of being a love battery. “Well, you’re correct. I do intend to spend more time here than ‘passing through’ would normally imply. But I promise you, I won’t do anything heinous to your hive. I’m just going to check this place’s mana flow, and be out of your manes in no time.” He stopped talking, thinking that he’d said too much.

Chrysalis regarded Maestro for a while longer, until she sighed. “Release him. He speaks truthfully.” The guard was appalled at first, but followed orders nonetheless. After Maestro was released, Chrysalis continued. “Find what you came to find, and then leave. If you outstay your welcome…”

Maestro gave a nod, knowing what she implied. After she dismissed him, he went on his way through the corridors of the hive until his spell reacted better to the source that he’d come looking for. He started running in order to find it faster, and soon went deep into the catacombs of the hive. It took a few minutes, but he soon found the spot that reacted the strongest. It was a decrepit throne that was made of marble. It was built on top of the source, so he had to move it aside. It took a bit of doing, since he wasn’t an Earth Pony, but he did manage.

He felt the ground while trying to figure out how he was supposed to “activate” this mana pool. He then had an idea. He focused his magic and began to reach out carefully with his magic to the mana pool. He then focused so he could connect the pool to the spark he was lending it. With a flux of will he ignited it and the mana pool started to flow outward, beginning to refurbish the mana-drained walls. Maestro looked at the display of ambient magic reclaiming the walls in awe. It was like an aurora, with many colors seamlessly seeping into each other. He left the chamber after collecting the sample, and made his exit from the hive.

Before leaving, Chrysalis came out to meet him. She bore a strange unreadable expression on her face as she spoke. “Our home’s magic hasn’t fed us in generations… What you’ve done has changed everything… Now, we no longer starve. We’ll give back to our home, so as to not dry it up again.” She gave a small nod. “You have my thanks.”

Maestro gave a nod of his own and was on his way. His next target was waiting...
> Chapter The Twentieth: The Search, Part Four
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maestro had travelled for quite some distance until his spell started reacting again. He was near the East Sea, which was a bit perplexing. Though faintly, the signal was clearly coming from the water. He decided to get this over with. The sooner that he got this done, the sooner he could investigate the final point- Cloudsdale. The only trouble was getting up there, but he’d address that problem when it was more relevant. He focused on the task before him, and took off his vest. He didn’t like the idea of it getting wet, so he summoned his portfolio and quickly put it inside. He felt so weird without it on, like a part of him had been separated from him. He decided not to dwell on it as he sent his portfolio back to the point he’d summoned it from.

Maestro took a stride forward into the sea, and began to wade further out. Like second nature, he began to swim. Had he done this before coming to Equestria, then? Certainly felt familiar, that was certain. He shook off the distracting thought as he swam further from shore. The spell was guiding him, but he started to notice that it was starting to feel as if the signal was coming from a more downward direction. He was mildly surprised at first, but then recalled about the hippocampi that once dwelled below. He braced himself as he channeled a magical air pocket to surround him, following with another spell to abate the pressures of diving deep. Once finished with that one, he finally started to dive down.

As he dove towards the source, thoughts played through his head. He knew more about himself than he’d ever hoped or concerned himself with in the past. This business with Aetheria, though… who could he trust with this secret? Trixie and Prism came to mind, of course. Then there was his adopted family, who seemed to know a lot more about Equestria than most even thought about on a regular basis. It certainly would be beneficial to have somebody to confide in.

But then there was the issue of his father- Head Supervisor Platinum, he recalled. He had invisible cameras all over, with scant few blind spots. In order to avoid suspicion, Maestro had to be careful who he talked to. He knew that the Supervisors hadn't heard his conversation with Aetheria, though. There weren’t any cameras in the old castle. Maestro was walking a very delicate path, one that would cause a lesser person to either balk and run, or collapse from the stress and pressure.

He remembered some of the structure of how things worked back home. His father was the leader of what was called the Grand Project. Under him were three Supervisors: Supervisor Bronze, Supervisor Silver, and Supervisor Gold. The Supervisors ran most systems, only deferring to the Head Supervisor when necessary. Under the Supervisors were the Seekers, of which he could now consider himself a member. Their job was to scour worlds and obtain data for the benefit of the home world. At the bottom were the Observers, the ranks of which he used to belong to. Their objective was simple- take notes on planets that might prove useful for later scouring.

As far as Maestro could recall, Mytharia was only the latest in a long line of targets for the Grand Project. He couldn’t recall how long it had been going on, but it was definitely longer than he’d been alive. He shook himself out of his musings as he found himself on the seafloor, outside a sunken palace. It looked to be made of decaying marble. In its prime, it could feasibly have rivaled Canterlot Castle in its majesty. He swam closer, looking around at the ruins of the capital city. According to his adoptive family, this place used to be a flourishing city. Alas, its grandness was only an echo lost to time. However, the hippocampi were nowhere to be seen- aside from some colorful statues here and there. He swam towards the palace ruins, where the spell was reacting to the “strongest”, which was still pretty weak.

He found himself swimming towards the throne room, and entered. The throne room was accented with silver and gold, though most of it was missing. There was a hole in the ceiling, casting light upon the throne. Upon it appeared to be a statue of the hippocampi’s last King- just as colorful as the status outside. In the center of the room was a circle that weakly emanated magic- this was the mana pool.

Maestro swam closer to the dormant pool and set himself down at its edge. Carefully, he once again put his horn near the pool and lit it. He attempted to “spark it”, much like the one in the Badlands. It took a lot more injected magic, but it started to hum. Veins of energy webbed across the room, and spread beyond. To Maestro’s surprise, the statue of the last Hippocampi King started to move. Maestro stepped back as he realized- That was no statue!

As the Hippocampi King came to, Maestro processed what was going on. Apparently, if a mana pool goes dormant it starts to consume magic in order to stay remotely online. Left alone for too long, the mana pools could consume all the magic and make it “disappear” forever. He was knocked out of his musings when the Hippocampi King addressed him. “You there! Are you the one that reignited the Mana Engine?”

A bit nervously, Maestro nodded. “Yes, I did. I’ve been going around and checking on them, sir.”

The Hippocampi King regarded Maestro for a moment before smiling. “Thank you. It may take time for magic to fully return to us, but we will not forget to feed it ever again. Please, tell me your name, surface dweller.”

With relief, Maestro relaxed. “People call me Maestro Spectrum, sir.”

For a good while, the Hippocampi King paused. Then, realization dawned upon his visage. “You are not from this world, are you?” Seeing Maestro’s shock, the King chuckled. “Do not worry, I won’t tell. After all, such a thing is no longer common, I take it.”

Judging by those words, Maestro wasn't the first off-worlder that the King had met. However, Maestro really had to get going. “While your statement intrigues, I must depart. I might visit someday, though. Adieu.” With that, Maestro quick-charged a teleportation spell and popped out of there.



When the spell popped Maestro back to the beach, he released the spells that helped him dive. As he dried off, He was approached by somebody with a booming voice. “Seeker Spectrum, report.”

As he looked over, he found himself looking at a pony that had golden features. He shook the rest of the wetness off and addressed the pony. “Supervisor Gold, I’ve only got one point left to investigate. Though, getting there will be a small issue...”

With a raised eyebrow, Supervisor Gold responded. “I see. But that is not why I’m here, sonny. I’m here to ask you what you know about this unnatural Technological boom within pony society. Do you know where it came from, boy?”

A bit surprised at the change in subject, Maestro gathered himself before responding. “I can only guess. Like I told Supervisor Silver, I presume that a group of ponies just felt that the stagnation of things had been going on for too long.”

Supervisor Gold leered at Maestro, trying to see… something. Maestro didn't falter, though. “I see…” A sigh escaped his avatar’s lips. “If we’re not careful, this ‘revolution’ could catch them up with us technology-wise.” He looked Maestro in the eye. ”I need you to snuff it out. I’m giving you a special designation of Disruptor.”

Aghast, Maestro stomped his right forehoof. “Absolutely not! Artificially holding them back is wrong! Searching their world for a solution to our problem is one thing, but actively suppressing their progress is a whole other ballpark! I won’t do it!”

A chill ran down Maestro’s spine as he’d realized what he’d done. He looked upon Supervisor Gold’s face to see pure, unadulterated rage upon his visage. He spoke with venom in his voice. "Best be careful of your actions, sonny. We wouldn't want Head Supervisor Platinum to think that you're a traitor, now do we?" With a shake of his head, he continued. “I tried advising him to send you when you were older, but he didn’t listen… Now look at what it got us! A Seeker that insubordinates against us!” He glared at Maestro. “Listen, boy. It’s imperative that you follow this directive. If you don’t there will be dire consequences. I suggest you reconsider your position on this, sonny. As of now, you’re on thin ice. Let me know through the dream channels if you’ve come to your senses.” With that, Supervisor Gold disappeared.

Silence fell upon the beachfront as Maestro digested that. He had his suspicions that his father’s goals with Mytharia weren’t as pure as he claimed. But this… this sickened him. What else was he supposed to do, though!? He couldn’t do that to the ponies, especially after he helped snowball the tech revolution. What else was he supposed to do!? Indecision ate at Maestro, a feeling that he rarely felt. But as he was ruminating upon what he heard, he was enveloped in a white light, and teleported away.



As he came to, he looked around. This place was unlike any that he’d seen so far. As far as the eye could see, the ground was a solid plane of starry night. The sky was a scene of perpetual dusk, maybe dawn. It was hard to tell. He could see rivers of strange liquid that glowed a luminescent violet. He then heard a familiar voice. “Welcome to my domain, Maestro.”

He turned to see quite a sight. There was an ethereal form attached to Aetheria’s voice now. It looked like a mix of all the races of Mytharia. A pony’s head, attached to a catfolk body. A diamond dog arm on one side, a minotaur’s on the other. Dragon leg on one side, griffon talon on the other. Changeling wings sprouted from its back. Upon the forehead was a singular horn that was apparently made of polished onyx. The body was a pearl white, and the eyes were a stark violet. Maestro addressed her. “Lady Aetheria, why bring me here? I don’t feel worthy.”

A smile graced her face. “Au contraire, Maestro. You’ve made me feel stronger than I have in quite some time. If it weren’t for you, I might’ve wound up going completely dormant in a few centuries. So I owe you my thanks.” Her smile fell slightly as she saw Maestro’s look. Understanding consumed her visage as the smile disappeared. “Ah, yes. The outburst against ‘Supervisor Gold’ as you called him. You’re wondering what you should do.”

With a nod, Maestro replied. “I just can’t go through with his request! Now I'm far more concerned with what they’re doing! But if I don’t…”

A chuckle escaped Aetheria’s lips. “Why do you think I’ve been giving you mana shards from the pools? You’ve a hefty task before you, when you openly defy your father’s plan.”

He hadn’t noticed before, but Maestro did feel more powerful. But was violence the answer? Wasn’t there another way? A sigh escaped him as he resolved to do what was necessary to stop what nefarious plans his father may have. He smiled as he looked back to Aetheria. “Thank you, for helping me realize what I should do.”

Aetheria nodded, and teleported Maestro back to the beach.



Maestro looked to the horizon, and set his gaze upon the city upon the clouds. He knew now what was required. He’d play along until he finished searching. Then, he’d prepare for the day where he confronted his father. He nodded determinedly, and set off in the direction of Cloudsdale...
> Chapter The Twenty-First: The Search, Part Five- Conclusion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anticipation welled within Maestro as he stood in the hot air balloon that he'd rented. He knew that after he activated Cloudsdale's mana pool he would have to get ready for facing his father. But honestly, he wanted to decompress by going on a nice date with Trixie after dealing with this. He smiled as he thought about the letters that he'd received. She really had taken well to taking care of Prism, not to mention the effort to galvanize Equestria's tech sector. Maybe once this was all over... He shook his head and re-focused as Cloudsdale came into view.

He knew that a lot was riding on the line for this mission. Once he did this, he could start phase two of Industrializing Equestria- Magitech. He’d been ruminating on it for a while. Technology that worked in harmony with magic- Whatever form it ultimately took, the prospect thrilled him. Though once more his thoughts turned towards his father’s goals. He certainly understood what his father hoped to accomplish. The subjugation of Mytharia to mine magic in order to solve the problems that The Empire was facing. Maestro shivered with revulsion at the mere thought of it. One worry he had was if his father could be resonated with. If not, could he do what needed to be done? Maestro wasn’t really sure.

He pushed the thoughts aside as he summoned his cloud-walking enchanted boots from within his portfolio. He was still a bit surprised at how easily he managed that. Before, he would have to summon the portfolio then extract the item. It really was true about him growing more powerful. The thought concerned him though. Was it safe for a normal pony to have this much power? He wasn’t experiencing any adverse effects yet, but that could always change. He sighed after putting on the boots. Thinking like this certainly wouldn’t help. He could always book an appointment with Dr. Spellbound later to assuage or confirm his worries. He stepped out onto the clouds and started walking.

It wasn’t long after he’d activated the searching spell that he heard a familiar voice. "Hey Maestro! It's been a while, huh?"

He turned to see Brilliant Dawn, the fan that had asked him out that one time. He recalled how sad she was back when he rejected her, but she seemed happier now. “It certainly has, Bril. How’ve you been?”

She batted a hoof playfully. “Oh, you know. Pining for you daily.” At Maestro’s look of shock, she giggled. “I’m only teasing, silly! I’ve got a boyfriend now.” She wore a small smile. “Honestly, you rejecting me might’ve been the best thing to happen to me.”

Maestro shook his head. “You’re certainly a strange one.” He started to turn away. “Listen, while I’d love to catch up, I’m actually here on business. So, if you’ll excuse me…”

A sigh escaped Brilliant as she shook her head. “You never stop, do you? If you’re not careful, you might end up all alone.”

Maestro let out a derisive chuckle as he started to walk off. If she only knew, he mused. While it was nice seeing her again, he had a more pressing issue at the moment. He walked through the outskirts of the city, in an attempt to avoid too much attention. He was doing well so far, but as he continued forward he noticed something about the direction the spell was leading him. It was leading him in the direction of the Cloudsdale weather factory. It made a modicum of sense, he supposed. After all, the mana pools had all been located in rather old locations. He pushed the thought aside as he continued on. After a few minutes of sneaking around, he found himself within close proximity to his goal. The only problem was finding a good way to get inside.

He was knocked out of his thoughts as he heard another familiar voice- though this one, he was far less happy to hear. “Maestro. What do you think you’re doing?” He turned to see an unfamiliar white pegasus mare. However, he was not fooled- That was Celestia, albeit in disguise. She had cast an illusion to make herself look like a normal pony, most likely to remain low-profile.

Maestro sighed. “Celestia. I was wondering when you might get around to checking on me. Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t do so sooner.” He looked right at where her eyes were really, and glared. “As for what I’m doing, I’m reigniting the mana pools. Aetheria sends her regards.”

A look of shock appeared upon Celestia’s disguise. “Aetheria? But she’s supposed to be a mere myth! Nopony’s talked about her since the days before unification. Are you sure that you’re well?”

He pushed her aside before she could reach him. “I’m quite sane, thank you. Really, you should be thanking me. If nothing was done, magic would have disappeared in a mere 300 years! To ponies, it might be a long time. But to you? It’s practically no time at all.”

Celestia noticed something about the way Maestro had said that. She looked at him. “You’re not a pony, are you? What are you?”

Maestro sighed while shaking his head. “I really don’t have time for this. Time is running out. Can you let me finish what I came here to do?”

For a while, silence reigned betwixt the two. After the moment had matured, Celestia let out a sigh. “Maestro, do you truly understand what you’re trying to do? Proving that some ancient god is real is no easy feat. Do you intend to tell the ponies to pray to her?”

Maestro shook his head. “Aetheria doesn’t seem like the type to demand such a thing. All she wants is for ponies to remember her for what she is- the Mother of Magic. Not all ancient powers have to have some kind of ulterior motive, you know.”

With that, Celestia decided to relent. “Very well, Maestro. You may go.” As she turned to leave, she looked back over her shoulder. “I sincerely hope you know what you’re doing. Perhaps I was wrong to judge you so harshly. If you pull this off…: She let herself smile. “Well, we’ll just have to see how this pans out.”

Celestia teleported away, and Maestro re-focused his attention towards the weather factory. He steeled himself and walked right up to the entrance. Another familiar face greeted him at the door. “Maestro? What brings you to the weather factory?”

Maestro smiled. “Hey Rai, I’m just here to look around. As an artist, it behooves me that I’ve yet to see how this place works.”

A look of surprise found its way onto Rainbow Dash’s face, but it soon passed as she shrugged. “I suppose it’s not really my business. Just don’t break anything.”

As Rainbow stood aside, Maestro rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll be careful.” He started off towards the source of the pull from his spell. However, he could feel Rainbow following him. After tolerating it for a brief canter, he stopped. “Do you really have to follow me? I can find my way around just fine- I’ve got the map memorized.”

Rainbow let out a scoff. “That’s not important. It’s policy to accompany guests, you know. If I didn't I could get in trouble.”

While it was tempting to do a doppelganger shuffle using his newfound proficiency, it seemed like an abuse of his new gift. He sighed. “Fine. I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble. Come on then, there’s something specific that I’m here for.”

He started to canter again as Rainbow followed. This wasn’t something that he’d expected, but it wasn’t the worst thing in the world. They were friends… at least, he liked to think so. It really wouldn't do to get on the bad side of one of the heroes that had saved Equestria thrice over. He pushed the thought aside as he noticed that Rainbow was attempting to break the awkward silence. “So, uh… what do you do in your spare time?”

Maestro sighed. “You mean, aside from working on my art?” He could tell she gave a quick nod. He continued to answer. “Well, keeping in shape is important for my occupation. Hiking is most effective, but I can’t do that all that often. I find running through the forest to be almost as effective.”

He could hear Rainbow’s confusion in her next question. “Why is that so important?”

He chuckled. “Trix gets it, seeing as she’s a fellow artist. Rares’d likely understand, too. But I suppose not everyone would understand.” He took a quick pause before really answering. “As much as it feels stupid, people connect one’s artistic ability with how they look. They judge you by your looks, and if you don’t look the part… Well, you won’t get much business.”

As Rainbow was about to reply, Maestro stopped in front of a cellar door. He approached it with caution. He felt the spell react more instantly as he approached, “Ah yes, here it is.” He lit his horn and tried the door- but it was locked. “Tch. I’m so close…” He turned to face Rainbow. “I guess it was actually fortuitous that you tagged along. Do you mind opening this for me? That area is what I need to see.”

The look on Rainbow’s face shifted from surprise to anger to disappointment in quick succession. “Almost nopony’s allowed down there, Maestro. It’s been that way for centuries. Only the boss of the factory can go into the cellar.” She shook her head. “I may be the bearer of an Element, but that doesn’t give me special privileges in this case.”

As Maestro was about to retort, he heard Aetheria’s voice within his head. There is another way, Maestro. My gifts of shards to you can let you manipulate your magic to be recognized as Earth Pony or Pegasai magic temporarily. You just need to focus all of your magic, and channel it throughout your body. You need to have well in mind which kind you wish to emulate as you cast the spell. It will temporarily change you physically into a pony of that tribe. Once that is finished, you need to touch the cellar door. It will recognize you as someone worthy, and unlock itself for you.

Noticing that Rainbow was looking at him funny, he regained his composure. He turned back to the cellar door, and he started casting the spell. He tuned out whatever was going on as he focused on re-directing his magic throughout his body. As it engulfed every inch of his physique, he chuckled. “Now you’ll see that I’m not exactly a typical pony.”

He would rather her not see this, but he was more concerned with getting beyond that door. Using the polymorph spell to aid in the spell made the strain easier to bear. He then cast it, and focused on Pegasus magic. He felt his magic realign itself in two points on his back and in his hooves. He could feel immense pain as his horn started to retreat into his skull as wings started to protrude from his back. He grit his teeth as he focused his attention on the spell working, rather than the pain it was currently causing him. After a while, his horn had completely vanished from his head. He could feel his new wings finish filling themselves out, and once it finished he let out a sigh.

He took great pleasure in seeing Rainbow’s shock, but he returned his attention to the cellar door. He walked closer and removed one of his boots instinctively with his wings. His surprise at this would have to wait, as he had more pressing matters at hand. He placed the hoof upon the door, and a sigil of a stylized version of Aetheria’s face lit up. The door audibly unlocked, and swung down to open. He then sighed as the spell that changed him quickly- and painlessly?- reversed itself. He pushed aside his questions for now, and started to descend into the cellar.

After he reached the bottom, Rainbow seemed to have recovered. She had quickly zoomed down to catch-up. “What in the world is going on with you? Are you crazy? I gotta get you out of here!”

Maestro trudged forward, shrugging off Rainbow’s attempts to get him to leave. Irritated that she wouldn’t leave him be, he telekinetically lifted her off of him. She squirmed, which was only a minor nuisance. He glanced back as he heard the cellar door lock itself as it shut. He set her down. “Well, you’re stuck down here, at least for now. I’m not leaving until I’ve found what I came here for.” He saw Rainbow zoom off in an attempt to get the door open. Maestro released a breath he didn’t realize that he had been holding. He galloped with excitement towards the last mana pool. With this, his mission would finally enter its next phase. He stopped at the edge of the pool, noting that it looked like it could at any time start a downward spiral that would inevitably cause Cloudsdale’s buildings to lose their magic and crash to the surface. Knowing this, he wasted no time in channeling his magic. He was running a little low, seeing how much he had exerted himself for the transformation spell. 

He shook the dark thoughts away as he touched his horn to the pool. He focused, hoping what remained within him was plenty. He started sweating at some point, just trying to avoid over-channeling. After a little more time, the pool glowed with immense luminance. Maestro attempted to pull away, but he soon found himself being pulled into the pool. The last thing he heard before he was dragged under was Rainbow shouting his name.


To Be Continued…

> Chapter The Twenty-Second: The Choice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For what seemed like forever, Maestro found himself sinking through the raw mana around him. Much to his surprise, he could breathe in this environment. He wondered about this for a moment, but he soon felt something stir within him as he fell. A distant memory started to dust off in his mind, one he had recalled pieces of before. He could feel his memories reigniting…

Maestro looked around at the scene he was recalling. It seemed to be some kind of secret high-end facility in an undisclosed location. The floor was made of polished linoleum, and the walls were a sterile white. In a closed off chamber, there was a young human boy in a capsule. Maestro recognized the young boy with chestnut brown hair as his former body. He stared for a moment, coming to grips with what he was seeing. The boy in front of him was who he was before coming to Equestria. An innocent child, not knowing the dark intentions of his father. He recalled only wishing for one thing- to make his father proud of him. That was why he had been so eager to sign up for the “Observer” position, not knowing the true extent of what that entailed, or any of the implications.

He turned his attention to those watching in the room outside. This room had concrete floors and tall blue walls. Four figures stood in the room, and he knew them well. The portly figure in a bronze colored pinstripe suit was a balding man known as Supervisor Bronze. Maestro found it sad that Bronze had conjured hair for his pony avatar to compensate. The next in line was a lanky fellow with spiky gray hair in a silver colored dress suit. This was the one known as Supervisor Silver. Maestro recalled how often he used to annoy him, and it still drew a small smile to his face.

The one after him was a perfect image of a snobbish rich man, dressed in a full gold colored suit. He even had golden blonde hair. This was the most serious of the three, Supervisor Gold. He was the only one that Maestro had never crossed, aside from his father. Speaking of, Head Supervisor Platinum stood ad the head of the group, his imposing figure more intimidating than the others. His scarlet hair contrasted harshly with his black suit. He looked as if he could easily bench press a bull. He spoke into a microphone on the desk in front of him, so Maestro’s past self could hear him.. “Observer Spectrum. Are you certain that you want to take on this job? This could be quite a dangerous mission. You can back out, and we will not think less of you. You can always wait until you’re older, son.”

Maestro watched on helplessly as his past self shook his head with determination. “With all due respect, father, I’ve made my choice! I’m not reneging on this.” The boy took a deep breath to steady himself before he called back through the microphone again. “Alright, I’m ready to do this! Send me over, Head Supervisor Platinum!”

Platinum sighed with resignation, shaking his head. The other three men went to their stations, and waited for the procedure to begin. They produced keys matching their color coding from their pockets, and waited for further instructions.  Platinum then called out to them one by one. “Supervisor Bronze! Turn your key!” On que, Bronze inserted the key into the console on his desk, and gave it a quarter turn to the right. The capsule’s thrusters started to hum with life. “Supervisor Silver! Turn your key!” Silver turned his key a half turn to the right, and the gate behind the capsule started charging energy. “Supervisor Gold! Turn your key!” Gold turned his key a whole turn to the right, and the capsule locked, the life support jumping online. A glass lid slid back from covering a key card slot on Platinum’s desk. Then, Platinum took out a card key from his suit pocket, and inserted it into the open slot on his desk. He then followed the prompt for voice recognition, and spoke the password. “Platinum Purity.” A green checkmark was holographically projected mid-air, and the gate behind the capsule opened wide, displaying a view of Mytharia. A quiet forest that knew not the touch of man, and the first entry point for Maestro’s past self. The thrusters of the mini-rocket were ready at last. Before sending his son off, Platinum spoke with him one last time. “Observer Spectrum. I wish you the best of luck on your mission. We’ll be in touch once you’ve set up base on Planet Omega. And remember…” Platinum paused for a moment, then let himself smile. “I love you, son.”

The capsule shot off just after Maestro’s past self replied to his father, tears in his eyes. “I love you too, dad.” Then the capsule was out of sight.

Maestro pulled himself out of the flashback and wondered. He’d had snippets in his dreams before. But now, he had recalled the correct order of things. He was a bit surprised it had taken so long to recall the exact details, but that was something he could worry about later. He was knocked out of his reverie as he felt his hooves touch the ground. He looked around and saw a massive temple in the distance. Pillars of marble and obsidian towered high in a checkerboard pattern. The roof was much like something he had seen before, but not from Equestria. It was a wide, triangular roof made with marble and obsidian mixed together. Etched into the face of the roof was a depiction of Aetheria herself in the center, and all sorts of races from around Mytharia surrounding her as her arms outstretched. Amethyst beams emanated from her, and bathed the crowd around her. Clearly, it was depicting Aetheria giving magic to the races of Mytharia.

Maestro hadn’t realized that he had drawn closer to the temple, but he soon stood at the entrance. Upon entering in he was met with Aetheria herself, and she turned and smiled at him. “So you’ve finally come. We finally get to meet in person. You’ve opened enough of the Mana Pools for the rest around our world to open as a ‘domino effect’, if you will.” She waved her right hand, and a show of other locations outside of Equestria lighting up with beams of pure mana shooting into the sky was before his eyes. The beams though, were not of light, but liquid mana. They crashed down, and washed over the face of Mytharia. However, nobody was harmed.

After seeing this, Maestro looked at Aetheria with curiosity in his eyes. “So what happens now? Will you let me go? All the globe should realize that you’re awake, right? So is my role in this over?”

A look of sad sympathy fell upon Aetheria’s face. “I’m sorry, but it’s not over quite yet.” She turned away, and walked over to an alter. Maestro followed her, uncertain what was about to happen. “Our world still needs your help, Maestro. During your journey down here, several things have changed. Twilight’s ascension has happened already, even though it was supposed to happen later. Time is running out. The Planet itself feels the looming danger, and has acted by accelerating a few developments. But there is something I should tell you.” She looked back to Maestro, a serious look on her face. "I am bound by an ancient Magic Promise to not interfere in warfare. So, it falls to you. Maestro, you have a choice to make. I will not pressure you to answer now, but time is ticking. You have helped me greatly, but the time table has moved up. You don't have long until your father declares war. Think carefully on what you do from here."

Maestro had an itching feeling deep in his gut. He saw the waves of mana abate and soak into the land through the vision Aetheria had shown him. He had suspicions about what he was being offered, but he wasn’t sure that it was necessary. He still had a small hope that his father could be reasoned with, but that was a hope that was likely in vain. He remembered much of his life before Equestria now, and he now recognized the red flags. His father always had ambition, ever since he could remember. Sure, his planet was suffering, but that was merely a cover. The issue was easily solvable with things his homeworld already had, but he only saw that now. His father had fooled many of his subordinates, save for the big three. Maestro had a feeling that those three were in on the scam. It made Maestro sick to his stomach to think about anyone doing such a thing. He had a feeling that if there was any good in his father, it might just have died out years ago. With a deep sigh of reluctance, Maestro nodded his head. “I don’t like it, but I might not really have a choice if I want to defeat my father. Just… Let me see Trixie after this okay? She’s probably worried sick.”

With a nod, Aetheria lifted Maestro into the air with her magic. “Very well, Maestro. Just know that there is no going back. Once we do this, you’re locked in. Do you think that you can handle it? The responsibility has crushed many in the past, and I wish that there were another way. But this is a risk that needs to be taken. Are you ready?”

For a split second, hesitation came upon Maestro’s features. He still had a few misgivings about it, but what other way was there? If he didn’t do this, Equestria would surely fall, and the other nations would only end up holding out for a few months at best. Maestro steadied himself with a deep breath. He could do this. He was the one that broke the chains on the mana pools, and he was in the unique position of knowing the full extent of what was coming. His hesitation had abated, and he gave a nod. “I’m ready. I have to do this, for the security of Mytharia’s future. Go ahead.”

After Maestro finished speaking, Aetheria channeled her magic throughout her body. She glowed like a newborn star, and she cast a chant as Maestro was still in her telekinetic grip. “I call upon the ambient mana, to give this worthy one a new form. Strength, Power, and Flight. Sturdiness, Capacity, and Speed. Give this worthy soul a form to challenge the Planet’s Crisis! By the authority vested in me, I command you! Ascend Maestro Spectrum to a higher state!”

After the chant ended, Maestro could feel his body burning. Mana flooded into him and seeped into every pore. His eyes widened as he hissed through his clenched teeth. He felt his body grow taller, his bones lengthening to fill the gaps. He could feel his build grow bulkier, but not overly so. He could feel the wings sprout from his back, but these were different. He felt the leathery film fill in, and almost smiled. Wings like his adopted mother’s… He supposed that was better than the alternative. He felt more powerful than ever before, but he had to be careful with that power. He didn’t want to accidentally hurt anyone, after all.

The process ended as abruptly as it started, and Maestro was set down. He spread his new wings. Much to his surprise, he was given an innate knowledge on how to use them. He flapped them a few times before lifting off the ground. He bowed his head slightly and thanked Aetheria. He turned around in the air and flew off. He thought about whether he’d made the right choice. He shook off his doubts and sped away to the surface.


To Be Continued…

> Chapter The Twenty-Third: Escalation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the sacred bunker under Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash was pacing back and forth. She looked over to Celestia and Twilight, who had let themselves in. She had explained to them what had occurred, and was about to ask them to pull him out when a bubbling sound was heard. They all turned to see the mana pool rumbling like something was coming out. They all stepped back as a dark teal blur shot out and caused the pool to slash outwards. The blur stopped suddenly, and the three of them stood with shock at the sight before them.

It was Maestro Spectrum, but he looked taller with a bit of a bulkier frame. The most surprising thing though, were the thestral wings on his back. Celestia recovered first. “A male Alicorn… I never thought I’d see the day. I presume that… Aetheria… ascended you?”

Maestro lightly glided down and landed in front of the trio. He Looked at Celestia and Twilight for a moment before giving a nod. "Yes, she did. However! This doesn’t make me a Prince or whatnot. I may be like you now, but I refuse to have a Royal Title. It's not my style."

As Twilight was about to refute, but she was stopped by Celestia. “It's his choice, Twilight. You and I have certain obligations to uphold, he doesn't. He made his own destiny, and he chose this path. It may not have been meant to happen, but it happened all the same. This, and your early ascension, proves that destiny is not set in stone. We must respect his wishes, Twilight.”

After processing that for a moment, Twilight let out an irritated sigh. “ I suppose that’s true. But what happens now? He’s ignited all the mana pools, right?”

Maestro looked away. “It’s not quite that simple, Twilight. That was only the first step. My father is coming, and he is bringing war upon Equestria. We need to prepare for it as best we can.”

Tilting her head in confusion, Rainbow asked the inevitable question. “Your dad? But I thought that Tempered Steel was dead?”

A deep sigh escaped Maestro’s lips. “I’m adopted, Dash. My real dad is going to declare war the instant he arrives. Also, just so you know… He’s not a pony, and neither am I, really.” Maestro paused. “Though I suppose with the ascension I might now be one permanently, which isn’t really so bad.”

A light smile graced Celestia’s face. “Well, I think your acceptance of that possibility is understandable. You’ve lived most of your life as a pony, so it makes a lot of sense. Though what of your father? Pardon my rudeness, but what is he?”

Looking Celestia dead in the eye, Maestro replied. “Human. I don’t suppose you’ve ever seen one, correct?” Seeing that the three of them shook their heads, he chuckled lightly. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Humans come from another world far from Mytharia. I’d be more surprised if you had seen one before.”

It was at that moment that Trixie and Prism came into the room. “Sweetheart, I came as soon as I felt the shift in the local mana.” Trixie paused to take in Maestro’s new appearance. She then smiled. “Well, I guess this gives us the leg up that we need. Might take some getting used to…”

In a split second, Maestro appeared at Trixie’s side, grabbing her and Prism in a big hug. “Oh, how I missed you two!” He paused as he looked up at Prism. She had grown bigger than he last saw her. Not only that, but wings stretched out from her back. “I guess you’re not so little anymore…” He let out a chuckle as he reached up to ruffle her back spines. “Though, you’ll always be my little gem, no matter what.”

As Prism pouted a little, Twilight cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “Sorry to break up the happy reunion, but why is your father’s war such a threat that you had to kick start an industrial revolution? Isn’t that a bit much?”

With a shake of his head, Maestro explained. “I’m afraid that it’s quite necessary, Twilight. My people are far more advanced than any race on Mytharia. Magic will not be enough on its own to defeat them, even at its peak power. So in order to stand a chance against his army, we need every advantage that we can get.”

Before Twilight could try and think up a counter-argument, Celestia spoke up. “He’s your father, so I suppose you would have an instinct about it. I’ll send some diplomats to our allies to see if they will support us when the time comes.” She looked at Twilight and Rainbow. “You and your friends should keep the morale high across Equestria. Look for friendship problems, too. Tirek is out there, and we need you to use the Tree of Harmony’s magic to stop him so he doesn’t complicate things further.” She then turned her attention to Maestro and Trixie. “As for you, I think you deserve a little break. “You two have done the most to get us ready for this, so a little time off is in order.”

At that, relief washed over Maestro’s face. “You have no idea how much I appreciate that.” He turned to face Trixie and Prism , and lit up his horn. “Are you ready to get out of here?” The two nodded, and braced themselves. The light from Maestro’s horn expanded to encompass the trio, and with a loud pop, they all teleported away from the scene.

Twilight stared at the singe mark on the floor  with a bit of amazement. She’d never teleported more than just herself before… She looked at Rainbow, and Rainbow backed away. “Nuh-uh, no way! I don’t think so! I’m not doing that until you practice teleporting more than one object first!” Disappointed, Twilight let out a sigh as she lit up her horn. She teleported away soon after.  





Location: Manehattan

With a loud pop of magic Maestro, Trixie and Prism found themselves in the middle of Manehattan. With little hesitation, the three of them found their way to an empty lot. Maestro teleported his portfolio to him, and set it down. With a channel of his magic, the portfolio expanded into the form of his house. He then realized something. The doors were a bit small for Prism to be able to fit through. So, Maestro channeled his magic once more. He took the time to not only expand all the doors,  but also the space inside to accommodate Prism’s new size. After he let the spell go, he let out a bit of a sigh. “Well, there we go. The enchantment’s been adjusted so that this is the default look of the house now.” He walked up to the door and opened it, holding it with a smile. “After you, my lovely Bag of Tricks.”

A deep blush adorned Trixie’s face, causing her to stammer a bit. It had been a while since she first heard him call her that, so it made her heart flutter just to hear it again. She let herself smile as she walked up to him. She gave him a kiss on  the lips as she passed, and smirked. “Thanks, my Picturesque Stud. I hope we get to spend a little more quality time together now.”

As Trixie went into the house, Maestro stood there, stunned. He’d never seen her be so forward. His heart was beating quite a bit faster than normal, to say the least. He tried to calm down. After all, they had only had a few dates. It was unthinkable for her to want something more this soon… right? As he thought that, He noticed Prism standing near him. She gave him a strong embrace. “Don’t worry about it, dad. I think she’d make a great mom for me.” Maestro’s face went crimson, and Prism giggled. “Oh don’t be like that! I won’t rush you. Just go at your own pace, dad.”

After she left, Maestro let out a deep sigh. “What have I gotten myself into now? Am I really ready for something like this?” He paused at the door as he thought about something. He had the ring pretty much ready, sure. But he wasn’t quite ready to take that plunge just yet. He shook his head. He steeled himself, and was about to head inside when he heard a familiar voice. “So you’ve gone and betrayed us. To think that you would give up your place in the Empire for this…”

Maestro turned, and glared. Standing before him was a projected form of his father. He was taller than Celestia, and he was wearing the same suit from the flashback. He had adorned his black hair with streaks of Platinum metal, giving off a more intimidating vibe than before. Maestro spoke with venom in his voice. “I remember your sick plan, father. You and I both know that your little ploy is only for selfish means. You sicken me.”

The hologram glared back, arms crossed. “You were destined for great things, my son. You were to be this backwater planet’s ruler if all went according to plan.” He sighed with agitation. “I see now the error of sending you as a child. You’ve grown far too attached to the natives. I should’ve ensured that you wer more thoroughly loyal to our cause before sending you through.” He shook his head. “Alas, one cannot change the past. My own son has decided to side against me, therefore I must do what is necessary. For the good of the Empire, I will bring you in to be tried by His Majesty himself.”

As the apparition was about to disappear, Maestro barked back. “I see now that you are far too gone. I thought that maybe, some light would still be in you. But when I look into your eyes, all I see are dark, soulless voids. You are not the father I knew anymore. When you come here, don’t expect me to hold back.”

Scoffing, Head Supervisor Platinum responded. “I suppose that we’ve both made up our minds, then. But, in the spirit of fairness, I will give you a little more time. One month from now, my army will storm this pathetic little planet. You have exactly 31 days, Percival. Make them count.”

The hologram disappeared, and Maestro scowled. 31 days was hardly enough time to get ready unless he did something drastic. Maestro telekinetically grabbed a nearby Sequoia tree and uprooted it in anger. He rarely let his anger get to him, but he was hard pressed this time. He had just gotten back, too. He let out a deep breath as he carefully replaced the tree and dirt. He knew that his anger wouldn’t help matters.

What he needed was a plan. He thought about something. Discord could give him a hand, he supposed. Just to speed things along, of course. He wasn’t sure if Discord was bound by a similar Ancient Promise to Aetheria, but he didn’t want to risk finding out that he was. Just asking him to help them prepare should be enough.

He pushed that aside for later. He at least wanted a break before going to find Discord, and taking Trixie out on a date seemed like the perfect thing to get his troubling thoughts off his mind. He went inside, and soon found Trixie getting ready. He quirked his eyebrow. “Can you read me that easily, despite us having been separated for a while?”

A smirk grew on Trixie’s face. “Of course I can. Don’t forget, we were friends for quite a while before we became a couple. I can read your face pretty well at this point.” After smoothing out her sleek purple dress, she linked her forehoof with his. “So, shall we?” Maestro let himself smile, and they set off into the night.


To be continued…