The Convoluted Life of Gleaming Shield

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies.

But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night.

One fateful day, the younger unicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one’s heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon. She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night.

Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Element of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister and banished her permanently in the moon. The elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon and harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since.

That… is a load of horseapples.

Glancing up from the open tome, String Board gave Gleaming an inquisitive look. “Okay, so, before I continue… I’m assuming we both know the supposed history of Equestria, correct?”

“Vaguely.” Gleaming scratched her neck. “I didn’t have any history electives while at school, but I took general ed history. The basics. Sooo…”

“What about the major points? You know those, right? The Pre-History era, back when we ran wild through the world in the Great Herds of Antiquity. The plainponies who first started creating tools and fire and fanned the sparks of intelligence within ponykind. The Ancient Tribes and the Great Freeze, before the Great Unification that brought all of ponydom together. The dark times of the Discordian Era, before Discord’s defeat and the rise of House Empyrean and Equestria. We’re good though most of that, right?”

Gleaming nodded.

“Okay, good. Now, listen up.” String Board tapped the page with a hoof. “This isn’t how it happened. This is biased records brought about by the fact that history is written by the victor. It’s propaganda to make the current government look benevolent and kind. It’s a lie.” Closing the book, she yeeted it across the room where it slapped into the wall and slid down into a heap.

“Now,” String continued as she pulled out a thoroughly used and abused notebook. The pages were dog-eared and crumpled, and the cover was falling apart. “It took some time for me to accumulate this, but I double and triple checked everything through unbiased sources. It’s one-hundred percent accurate. So, here’s how it really went down.”

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there was a Great House, House Empyrean, blessed be its name (in case you can’t tell, Gleaming, I’m being sarcastic). However, said House was composed of two branches: the Solar Branch, led by the eldest of two sisters, and the Lunar Branch, led by the younger. Together, both ruled over Equestria, controlling the sun and moon respectively while maintaining harmony for their kingdom, blah blah blah.

That part isn’t important. However, this next part is.

Now, as time went on, the two Branches began to clash over their ideology. You see, the Solar Branch focused on the Arts, inspiring bards and artisans and composers, while the Lunar Branch focused on academia, which inspired inventors and innovators and industrialization. Naturally, this caused some tension between the two Branches. Due to the old-fashioned nature of ponies during the time, the elder sister was the more favorable of the two.

Eventually, a schism happened. The country was teetering closer and closer to a full-blown civil war between the supporters of the two Branches.

And that’s…. where Primae Noctis comes in.

“So, what?” Gleaming asked. “The cult was established to help bring about Nighttime Eternal?”

“No!” String gave an exasperated snort. “We’ve been over this! That was propaganda developed by the Solar Branch in order to make them look better. The Lunar Branch was based around academics, Gleaming. Academics. They were thinkers and builders. That meant that they would be well aware of the consequences neverending night would have for life in Equestria. No, Primae Noctis was not about Nighttime Eternal. They were formed for a much simpler reason.”

“And that reason would be…?” Gleaming asked.

Primae Noctis, the First Night, was formed with only one goal in mind. Not the end of daytime, but the deposition of the Solar Branch, thus leaving the Lunar Branch as the sole ruler of the nation.”

“Oh.” Gleaming blinked. “Oooh!”

“Exactly,” String said with a nod. “Now, as you can no doubt tell, they failed. Instead of ending the Solar Branch, the exact opposite happened. The Lunar Branch was erased from history and the Solar Branch gained all the power henceforth. And Empress Celestia has ruled over us ever since.”

For a moment, Gleaming just sat there, taking in what she had just heard. Stroking her chin, she hummed softly before saying slowly. “Okay, but sooo… what? The cult just disappeared when the younger sister vanished only to reemerge now, centuries later?”

“Oh good heavens, no,” String said. Picking up a second notebook that was in a similar state to the first, she began flipping through it to various pages marked by sticky notes. “They didn’t necessarily ‘vanish’, per se. They went underground, yes, hiding, but never inactive. In fact, most ponies know of their activity to some degree.”

Gleaming cocked an eyebrow. “Really? Cause this is the first I’m hearing about them.”

“Not by name,” String said, rolling her eyes. “They aren’t going to be on the front lines. You have to read between the lines. Here, let me show you.” Stopping on a particular page, she tapped the paper. “The Griffon Invasions I, II, and III. All failed, yet all started because of starvation due to loss of crops because of weather. In the years before each invasion, Griffonstone received very little rain. Almost as if a group of pegasi was stopping the clouds from reaching their destination.”

“Or,” Gleaming deadpanned, “they just happened to have a drought those particular years.”

Ignoring her, String flipped to another page. “The Fall of Roam. Despite decades of flourishing, the great city began to fall on hard times as the lands surrounding it started to become waterlogged. This goes on for years until the city was practically surrounded by swamplands, and ponies were being sucked into bogs left and right. Unable to continue the upkeep of the city, ponies were forced to abandon the area. The resulting exodus left the door wide open for the kelpies and merponies to take over the new waterlands. Result: loss of land to Equestria, and the diminishing of the Empress’s foothold. Almost like a group of earth ponies were causing the earth and plant life to erode the land away, making way for marshes.”

“Or it’s a natural phenomenon caused by rising sea levels and natural erosion of the lands around the sea,” Gleaming offered. “I hardly see how any of this can be attributed to Primae Noctis.”

“The Sinking of Marelantis.” Turning to the correct page, String Board also pulled out a third notebook, whose cover was a deep-sea blue. “One of the most magically advanced civilizations in history, and considered old before even Equestria was founded. It was from the Marelantians that Empress Celestia received most of the rare materials used to build the foundation for her Empire. Canterlot Castle, the Solaritarium, the Crystal Spire. All those were made possible through Marelantis. They were one of, if not the only, major trade hub for Equestria. And then, out of the blue, the city just one day sunk beneath the waves, never to be seen again. The most magically advanced civilization in the world and they were wiped out in a single night because the runes keeping their city afloat failed.”

“Let me guess,” Gleaming sighed. “Almost like a group of unicorns messed with the runes, causing them to fail.”

String Board spread her forelegs wide. “If the horseshoe fits.”

Gleaming stared at her for a moment before laughing. “I’m sorry, it’s just… really hard to believe.”

“Believing it or not doesn’t matter,” String Board said as she placed the notebooks down on her desk. “Whether you believe it or not, the signs are there that Primae Noctis is behind all those disasters. After all, they all have something in common. Every single one of them caused trouble for the Solar Branch.”

“The only Branch,” Gleaming said. “You’re only saying that because both Branches aren’t present. If the Lunar Branch was present, they’d be suffering setbacks too.”

String snorted. “If the Lunar Branch was present, who’s to say the disasters would have happened?”

“And who’s to say they wouldn’t have,” Gleaming countered. “Look, okay. Fine. Say for a moment I believed you. Let’s say Primae Noctis is behind all of that. And they’ve surfaced again. Why now? And for what purpose?”

“Well, their original purpose was the fall of the Solar Branch,” String Board said. “Maybe Primae Noctis has grown tired of hiding in the shadows and decided it was time to strike the very heart of the Solar Branch’s power. Canterlot. It has been one thousand years since the Lunar Branch fell, after all. A kind of anniversary thing?” She sighed. “I don’t know. Anyways, it doesn’t really matter. Whatever they were planning, they needed the amulet. Luckily though, they didn’t get it.”

Gleaming winced, something that didn’t go unnoticed by String.

“Or… they do have it?” she asked slowly. Her eyes narrowed as Gleaming refused to look at her. All of a sudden, they snapped open wide as she inhaled sharply. “You have it!?”

“I put it in my armor during the fight,” Gleaming said quickly. “It’s in the pocket that’s enchanted to block scanning magic. I haven’t had a chance to retrieve it yet!”

“You took the amulet?” String Board’s voice rose a few octaves. “You took the amulet out of the Royal Vaults. You… took the amulet… that Primae Noctis wants… out of the Royal Vaults. The amulet that Empress Celestia is currently tearing apart Canterlot to find?” Her pupils were mere pinpricks. “That amulet? And then you came here, to my house?! What are you, stupi—”

“I AM NOT STUPID!” A loud crack echoed around the room as Gleaming stomped her hoof down hard, cracking the floorboard beneath her. Smoke rose from her mane. She gritted her teeth, her nostrils flaring wide as she snorted. Pure anger was in her eyes as she glared at String Board, her horn coursing with unstable magic.

“Right! Sorry!” String Board squawked, holding up her hooves to protect herself. “I forgot! Didn’t mean it! Stop! Cease! Desist!”

Gleaming closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing. Slowly, the magic around her horn died out. An uncomfortable silence filled the room (String Board not even daring to breathe) before Gleaming opened her eyes again.

“I might not be my sister,” she said softly. “I may not have finished school. But I am not—not—stupid.”

“Okay,” String Board squeaked. “Okay. You’re right. I forgot who I was speaking to. Won’t happen again.” Unconsciously, she rubbed at the right side of her barrel, just under the hem of her sweater, where the fur was noticeably shorter. “Won’t happen again,” she repeated.

“Not stupid,” Gleaming muttered darkly.

“You’re not stupid,” String Board agreed. She paused for a moment before cautiously adding. “But then, pray tell, why haven’t you told somepony about the amulet? One of your superiors? Somepony? Last I checked, Celestia has the entire Guard out looking for the amulet, and yet one of her own guardponies has it.”

Gleaming was silent a moment before speaking.

“Do you know how hard it is to break into the Royal Vault?” she asked. “There’s a reason it’s never been done before. In order to get in, you have to bypass three separate barriers, each one charmed to a different frequency which changes weekly. It took Lieutenant White Out twenty minutes to get me inside the Vault for my shift. And that’s just the Vault itself. There’s also the security inside the castle, the patrolling guards, the labyrinth-like hallways. The Vault is buried deep within Canterlot Castle. It’s nigh impossible for a single pony to do all of that without getting caught.”

String Board blinked. “So, what you’re saying is…?”

“What I’m saying,” Gleaming grunted, “is that the only way that the intruder could possibly have gotten inside the Vault without setting off every single alarm in the palace, is if somepony on the inside helped them.” She glanced at String Board, who was giving her a wide-eyed look of dawning realization. “You’re big on the ‘reading between the lines’ thing, right? Isn’t it a little strange that on the night of the break-in, no guards were originally posted in the Vault? I was only present because Lieutenant White Out posted me there at the last second. If she hadn’t…” Gleaming shrugged.

“I… I hadn’t thought of that,” String Board muttered. “That’s… that’s just… oh boy.”

“I can’t be one-hundred percent certain,” Gleaming said, “but if what you are saying is correct, it sounds like Primae Noctis might have infiltrated the Guard already.”

String Board stared off into the distance, a glazed look in her eyes. “Who’s in charge of the schedules?”

“Captain Firestorm,” Gleaming answered, “but I highly doubt it’s him.”

“Never doubt anything,” String Board said quickly. Horn lighting up, she grabbed a fresh notebook out of a crate beside her desk. Flipping it open, she began scribbling on the first page frantically. “Anything is possible, anypony is a suspect,” she continued as she worked. “Unless you are the pony in question, nopony is free of suspicion.” Pausing in her writings, she glanced over her shoulder at Gleaming. “I’ll start poking around the castle for you. Checking records, comparing paperwork, finding clues. Talk to my informants. Get some insider information.” She motioned towards Gleaming stomach with the end of the pen. “And I’ll see about looking into that further as well. I’m sure I can find something on that mark eventually.”

“Um, okay,” Gleaming said lamely. “Thanks… I guess?” As she watched String Board work, a single thought crossed her mind. What have I gotten myself into?

Nighttime in Canterlot was peaceful. When the plethora of street lights turned on, it was as if the city transformed into another. The chaotic hustle and bustle of the daytime crowd gave way to a calm and relaxed murmur. Faint music drifted on the air as a gentle breeze strolled through the streets. Couples dined outside on the restaurants’ patios, and the marketplace was transformed into a public gathering ground. The stands and stalls were packed up, and instead, musicians and performers entertained foals and parents alike.

It was peaceful.

Walking down the street, Gleaming couldn’t help but look up. It was hard to see the night sky through the glow of the streetlights, but she could still make out the moon against the vast, inky backdrop. And there emblazoned upon the lunar surface, was the Mare in the Moon.

As she gazed up at the dark unicorn head above, Gleaming mulled over everything she had learned today. A frown slowly spread across her muzzle as her thoughts bounced around her head. Eventually, she just gave up and hung her head with a sigh.

“I’ll worry about this tomorrow,” she mumbled. “For now, let’s just get home and get some sleep.”

Turning down her street, she headed for her apartment. As she put a hoof on the bottom rung of the fire escape, she froze when she realized she had forgotten to pick up some oil while she was out. Staring up at her stuck window, she sighed heavily. “Why can’t my life be easy for once?”

Grumbling under her breath, she began pulling herself up.

Gleaming stared at her reflection as she brushed her teeth. Foam gathered in the corners of her mouth as she worked on getting her back molars. The spearmint flavor tickled her tongue and she had to resist the urge to swallow.

Were the bags under my eyes always that bad? she mused as she moved the brush from one side of her mouth to the other. Right. Not setting an alarm tonight. We’ll wake up when we wake up tomorrow. See if that helps at all.

Giving her teeth one last once-over with the toothbrush, Gleaming got a mouthful of water and gargled. She swished the water around her mouth, making sure to coat as much surface area as possible before bending down and spewing the toothpaste-tainted water into the sink. She spat a few more times for good measure. Making sure her toothbrush was thoroughly washed off, she put it back in its cup, turned off the water, and glanced up at her reflection.

A pink face with a large grin stared back. “Hiya~~~!”