The Convoluted Life of Gleaming Shield

“Royal Guard! Open the door!” came a thunderous voice from outside.

Mug still in her magic, Gleaming crept towards the door, even as Cadance shook her head frantically, mouthing ‘no no no’ over and over again. She gave the she-demon one last look over her shoulder before, with a sigh, she unlocked the bent deadbolts and pulled the door open only to immediately come face-to-chest plate with the biggest mare she had ever seen.

Gleaming’s head lifted up slowly.

The mare was twice her size and decked out in white-and-gold full-plated armor that had to weigh the same as three full-grown stallions, easily. With no wings and no horn visible, it was probably a wise assessment that there was nothing but pure muscle beneath the shell of whitened steel. A pair of bright orange eyes stared down at her from the darkness of the visored helmet, black hair emerging from the crest.

So big was the mare that she had to bow her head slightly to stop her helmet from scraping against the ceiling.

Gleaming’s neck began to cramp as she continued to stare up at the massive mountain of mare meat in front of her. Woof...

“Private Shield?”

A loud voice coming from below her caused Gleaming to jump in surprise. Up until then, she had been oblivious to the second guard standing to the side and slightly in front of the behemoth.

Unlike the first mare, the second guard barely came up to Gleaming’s chest. She was decked out in a much lighter set of armor that still matched the color scheme of the first mare: white-and-gold with red stole accents. Her crest was pale yellow, and a pink horn emerged from a hole in the helmet. A pair of green eyes stared angrily up at Gleaming.

If the sight of the strange pair wasn’t enough of a hint as to who they were, then the symbol etched onto their cuirasses was: a large stylized sun with a horn and closed wings in front of it.

Royal Inquisitors, Lilyhammer the Gavel, and Daisychain the Biltz.

“Well?” the small mare—Daisychain—barked. Despite her size, she had a voice that would make a drill sergeant cry with pride.

Gleaming blinked. “I-I’m sorry?”

Daisychain snorted in annoyance, her teeth bared. “Are you Private Shield?”

“Oh. Y-yes. Yes, I am,” Gleaming stammered. “Why? W-what do you want?” Her eyes darted back and forth between the two mares. If they were here, things were serious. Only one pony had the authority to send forth the Inquisitors…

Daisychain’s next words confirmed her fears. “The Empress has requested your presence. Immediately.”

Although she remained calm on the outside, Gleaming’s heart nearly exploded in her chest. Her mind raced, trying to figure out why Empress Celestia would be calling on her by name. She was a nopony, nothing special to look at, nopony to keep an eye on (something she had been reminded of regularly for many years).

There was only one thing she could think of that might earn her the Empress’s attention, and it was currently in the private pouch of her armor. She knows. Oh, sweet Celestia’s winking clit, Celestia knows!

Swallowing down the lump forming in her throat, she looked back to the diminutive unicorn.

“And why exactly does Empress Celestia want to see me?” she asked, trying to appear nonchalant.

Daisychain’s eyes narrowed.

“Such impudence!” she hissed. “Hold thy tongue, knave! It is not our place to question the divine Will of our Majesty! We just do as she instructs, and right now she is instructing you to present yourself before her!” Small sparks of green lightning danced up and down her horn, and Gleaming could feel her fur starting to stand on end.

It took all of Gleaming’s self-control to not let her coffee mug tremble as she brought it up to her lips. She took a long swig, wincing internally as the coffee slipped down her throat. Buck me. Why is it cold already?

Trying to buy herself some time to think, she lowered the mug and leveled a bemused stare towards Daisychain. “Look, I’m not one to tell you how to do your job, but are you sure you have the right sister? I think the one you are looking for is shorter, chunkier, purple, and most likely has her face shoved so deep into a book that she should buy it dinner afterward.”

“Insolent mare!” Daisychain snarled. In a flash, all the sparks jumped to the tip of her horn. A moment later, an explosive thunderclap erupted throughout the hall as a bolt of lightning struck the floor in front of Gleaming.

Gleaming’s mane stood on end, and she braced herself for the second bolt that was sure to follow. Instead of the feeling of electricity coursing through her body however, there came a shrill squeal from down the hall. Out of the corner of her eye, Gleaming caught sight of a plump, homely-looking mare with a mulberry coat standing by the open stairwell door.

Upon seeing her, both armored guards shifted their stances as if preparing to lunge forward. Lilyhammer pawed at the floor while Daisychain’s horn glowed brighter.

Buck buck buck buck buck! Swearing silently, Gleaming’s own horn flared to life as she prepared to cast her shield spell. It probably wouldn’t be able to hold out beneath the onslaught of both Inquisitors, but hopefully it’d be strong enough to buy the mare enough time to escape.

“What’s going on down here?!” the new mare yelped.

Daisychain opened her mouth, but Gleaming beat her to it.

“Nothing, Mrs. Wine,” she called out, not taking her eyes off of the two guards who had returned their attention back to her. The tension in the air was almost palpable.

Wine Fondue took in the scene before her with wide, terrified eyes. “We… we heard a lot of commotion. And crashing. And shouting. Through the floor.” She gave the massive form of Lilyhammer the same look a lamb might give a salivating dragon. “Do… do you need any help, Gleaming dear?”

“No, Mrs. Wine. I’m just having a… friendly discussion with some coworkers.”

Wine’s eyes darted from the charred floor at Gleaming’s hooves to the cracked and warped door behind her. “...are you sure, hon?”

“Yes, Mrs. Wine. You can go back upstairs. We’ll try and be quieter. Sorry for disturbing you and your herd.” She paused before adding as an afterthought. “Congratulations on the pregnancy.”

Wine paused and gave her a confused look, but when Lilyhammer shifted her weight a little—her orange eyes locked on the mulberry mare—she turned and raced back up the stairs, her tail tucked firmly between her legs.

Gleaming waited until Wine was gone before letting out the breath she was holding.

“Enough of these games and distractions,” Daisychain growled. “The Empress is waiting. Please stop wasting her time. Her patience is not infinite.”

Gleaming huffed.

“And if I don’t want to come with you two?” she asked, unsure of where her misplaced courage was coming from.

The whole building shook as Lilyhammer dropped a war hammer in front of Gleaming. A shriek of alarm echoed down the stairwell, accompanied by the sound of running hooves coming from the floor above and the sound of a door slamming.

Gleaming stared down at the war hammer in fascinated horror. The handle was almost as thick as a small tree trunk, and the head of the hammer was replaced with an actual anvil which was wrapped in thick, silver chains.

“You make a very good argument,” she squeaked. “P-please, lead on!”

Daisychain smirked. “Good choice, Private.”

Lilyhammer lifted the anvil-hammer with ease, placing it in a sling on her back as though it weighed no more than a few pounds.

Stepping inside her apartment long enough to drop off her mug and grab a sweater, Gleaming followed the two Inquisitors. Doors along the hallways were cracked open, her neighbors peeking timidly out from behind chains and deadbolts. Upon seeing the two armor-clad ponies, many doors were shut quickly and locks were reinforced.

As Gleaming trotted down the stairs, there came a soft whisper in her ear.

“Whatever you do, don’t react!” Cadance hissed. “Look, I know that nopony can see or hear me, but I… I’m not going to follow you. I’m… I’m just not ready to face her again already. I’m sorry, but… you have to go on your own. I’ll… I’ll just wait here for you to get back.”

Alright, Gleaming thought, flicking an ear in response. She felt a brief nuzzle on the back of her neck, but then the next moment the warm presence faded, leaving an empty, hollow feeling in its wake.

Trying to not let her fear consume her, Gleaming headed off to meet the Sun.