The Convoluted Life of Gleaming Shield

“So, let me see if I have this correct,” Cadance said as she followed Gleaming inside her apartment. “You agreed to go play this game with the human… without knowing how to play it?” She shook her head. “I’m all for banging this colt, but won’t this make you look bad?”

Gleaming was halfway into the living room when she paused. Several large bags, bulging with her recent purchases, were held in her magic, along with over half a dozen hardcover books of various designs and thicknesses.

She gave Cadance a look. “I know the basics. I think. If I remember correctly, it’s basically just daydreaming with friends with a little math thrown in. How hard can it be to learn the rest?” Not waiting for an answer, she turned and dumped the contents of the bags onto the coffee table.

It was a nerd’s wet dream. There were boxes that had dice of various types and colors, from those that had three sides to some that had one hundred and twenty sides. Some were made of metal, while others were clear and would glow the same color as their roller’s magic.

And then came the miniatures. Small figures that depicted not only ponies of each tribe, but also zebras and donkeys and diamond dogs and minotaurs and kelpies and changelings and griffons (just to name a few). There was even a large dragon figure that was three times the size of the other ones.

Sorting through the mess, Gleaming continued. “The first thing I need to do is make a character. Or two. Maybe more. After that, I just have to learn the basics by Friday. If it gets more complicated, I can just say I’m rusty.” She placed the stack of books down in the spot she had cleared off. “I’ve done worse in less time. I’ve done an entire final overnight. This should be easy in comparison.” Grabbing the book labeled as ‘Core Rulebook #1’, she flipped it open to the first chapter and began to read.

As Gleaming nose became wedged firmly in the rulebook, Cadance floated over and eyed the miniature creatures with some interest. There were dozens of them, but a select few caught her eye. Like the minotaur cow berserker who was wielding twin battleaxes above her head, her muzzle opened wide in a silent roar of rage.

Then there was the unicorn stallion that was decked out in a set of heavy silver plate mail, his face hidden behind a gilded helmet in the shape of the sun. A large tower shield rested against his flank, and a greatsword was embedded in the ground next to him.

Then there was one that she thought was a unicorn in black glass armor until she looked closer. Instead, she found herself staring at a changeling legionnaire that was decked out in the thorn-like armor. Green magic gathered around its twisted horn as it reared up on its hind legs.

Giving the last figure an uneasy look, she floated to the other end of the table where Gleaming was. Face buried in the book, Gleaming had a piece of scrap paper beside it and the pencil in her magic was scratching out notes as she hummed to herself. “...so with that I need to carry the three over here and then add a one here. This goes here because I have sixteen there. Add an additional point in armor due to race. Or no? Wait, do I even get a racial bonus? Where’s that chart again?”

“What on Equestria are you talking about?” Leaning over Gleaming shoulder, Cadance peered down at the page. Charts and numbers dominated the paper, and the text was so small that she needed to squint in order to see what was written. Even then, it made no sense to her.

“You know… when you said that this was a roleplaying game, this wasn’t exactly what I was picturing,” Cadance pouted. “More like the lusty unicornian maid and stuff like that. This doesn’t seem as… fun.”

Gleaming didn’t respond. She just kept muttering, her eyes darting back and forth over the book as she flipped through the pages.

“Hey, are you listening?” Cadance asked.

“Not now. I’m busy,” Gleaming grunted, not looking up. Turning the page, she put a sticky note on the corner before continuing.

“Oh come on,” Cadance whined. “Surely there’s something more interesting you could do right now. I mean, if you said it was going to be easy, can’t you do this at a later time?” She pressed herself into Gleaming’s shoulder. “I’m still itchin’ from earlier. Let’s find a cute stallion to ride. Yeah?”

“Not now. I’m busy.” Annoyance crept into Gleaming’s voice and she shrugged Cadance off, but didn’t lift her head. Her horn glowed brighter as she pulled a second book over and cracked it open. “Now, what the heck is multiclassing?”

“Either you entertain me now, or I’ll make you regret it later,” Cadance growled in a dangerous purr. Reaching over, she put a hoof on Gleaming’s shoulder.

Her reaction was not one that Cadance was expecting.

Almost immediately, Gleaming aggressively slapped her hoof away. “I said not now, Twilight! I’m busy!” she growled. In a burst of magic, Cadance found herself on the couch across the room. Gleaming remained at the coffee table, crouched over the books while a cloud of paper slowly formed around her head, held in her magic. Muttering under her breath, she was lost in her own little world.

Cadance’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve chosen poorly.” Jumping down off the couch, she prowled over to Gleaming like a cat hunting its prey. She licked her lips hungrily before putting her muzzle against the distracted unicorn’s ear. “Tonight, you are going to pay. Tonight… you are mine.”

With that, she stalked away. Leaving Gleaming to her weird game and its weird math, Cadance instead began to explore the apartment.

She glanced back and forth between the two tubs.

One seemed to be the correct size. A pony could lie down inside of it with ease, and have plenty of room to spare. There was even a pair of handles next to something that looked like a spout. Some kind of modern water pump system no doubt. This tub was clearly designed to allow a pony to bathe.

But then…

She peered curiously at the smaller tub. It was a lot smaller than the first tub, so much so that she wasn’t sure she could fit in it even if she tried. In fact, based on the size and shape, if she were to try and sit down, her flank would rest around the lip. The smaller tub was also designed differently than the larger one. Instead of a spigot system, there appeared to be only one handle and it was attached to a tank of water on the back of the tub.

“If that’s for bathing…” Cadance said to herself as she glanced at the larger tub. “Then what is this for?” She studied the smaller tub closely, but no matter what angle she observed it from, it did not give up its secrets.

“This makes no sense!” she said after a few minutes. “It’s not big enough to wash in! You’d have to be the size of a foal in order… to… fit…” Dawning realization washed over her, followed quickly by wonder. “Wow. Things certainly have progressed since in the last few centuries. A large tub for adult ponies, and a separate smaller tub for foals? My goodness, who would have thought?”

Now, if she could only figure out why the smaller tub had a roll of thin paper next to it instead of a proper towel.

Phasing her head through the refrigerator door, Cadance lit up her horn to illuminate the darkness within, only to find herself staring into the abyss.

The abyss stared back.

Slowly, a smile spread across Cadance’s face.

“...kinky.”

The room was uninteresting at first glance. Dozens of boxes were scattered everywhere, some full and some empty. A few had some labels on them such as ‘KITCHEN’ and ‘BATHROOM’ and ‘HEARTH’S WARMING’ written in black marker. A thick layer of dust covered everything, and cobwebs claimed the corners.

Thankfully, none of it clung to Cadance as she floated through the wall. One of the few perks that came with being incorporeal.

Drifting from box to box, she peered inside the ones that were open. One held a bunch of old textbooks, binders full of faded notes, and a box of broken quills. A second box contained a couple of wrinkled dresses and an old stitched-together doll. It was the last box though that gave Cadance pause.

The box was mostly empty save for a couple of old photo albums resting at the bottom. And while she couldn’t interact with them, she didn’t have to, for on top of the albums were several picture frames that had been thrown haphazardly on top. The glass in one of the frames had shattered, thus rendering the photo inside unviewable. Luckily, the others were still intact, and while a layer of dust covered them, it wasn’t enough to obscure the pictures inside.

Leaning down into the box, Cadance took a closer look.

The first photo that stood out was one depicting two unicorns. A clearly younger Gleaming was on the right, a smile on her muzzle and braces visible on her teeth. To the left was a smaller blank-flanked lavender unicorn whose grin couldn’t be bigger if she tried. They both sat together, hugging each other closely, almost lovingly.

Her eyes drifted to the next picture. It depicted the same two unicorns, although it seemed a few years had passed since the first photo had been taken. The two were seated at a picnic table, sandwiches laid out before them. The lavender unicorn had a cutie mark in this picture, and a stack of boxes rested on the table beside her sandwich. Gleaming’s smile was more strained than before, and the first faint signs of black bags under her eyes were starting to show.

The final picture had the biggest chance. It was a living room decorated for some festivity. Lights and garland hung from the walls and ceilings. Gleaming and the lavender unicorn were both present again, but neither seemed to take notice of the other. The lavender unicorn was seated on a couch, her face buried in a book, while several more taking up space on the cushion beside her. Gleaming was seated on a chair beside the couch, on the opposite end as the lavender unicorn. The dark bags under her eyes were clearly visible against her white fur, as was the bruise that was spread across the top of her muzzle. She wasn’t looking at the pony taking the picture but instead was staring off to the side with a look of annoyance on her face.

Cadance studied the three pictures with a small frown. She didn’t have to be the demigoddess of love in order to see that the two unicorns were once close. The love the two once shared was clear in their smile, their body language, and in their aura.

The later photos though… there was no love. At least, none that she could see in a still image alone.

What happened here? Cadance thought as she stared down into the memories. What heartbreak caused this? If the pictures knew, they offered no answers.

Only more questions.