"First non-unicorn knight of Trotingham... I suppose you filles know where Trotingham is? Yes, Sweetie Bell, it's city on the Braytish Isles, which belongs to the continent called by us, Equestrians, Euponia. You see, Euponia is place where three pony tribes lived before they found this wonderful land. How they reached and created Equestria is another story.
Braytish Isles were ruled by powerful union of kingdoms, together called Braytish Empire. And what can you say about weather on Braytish Isles? Yes, Scootaloo is it? Yes, that's correct. Rainy. Wild. Uncontrolled.
You see, it's tradition left after times when our story belongs. Back then on Brayton Islands lived only two pony tribes. Unicorns and Earth ponies. As legends tells us, unicorns navigated sun through sky and ruled over land as nobility. Being noble meant that you had ownership of land given by king. You see, land belonged to unicorns. Earth ponies were only users of said land, they grow crops on surface of it and dug ores or other minerals from it but it didn't belonged to them. Lord of land could just say that you have to leave his grounds. It created relationship between two tribes called feudalism. In theory it should worked that earth ponies were tending to the ground paying bills in Pounds, Pounds were a currency used on Braytish Islands, and goods to the unicorn lord, when unicorn lord should protect said earth ponies from any danger that could strike them. Every unicorn with title of lord had to be skilled in combat, both psychical and magic, and be always ready to fight with any monster what could danger his subjects.
These unicorns were called knights.
Knights! Brave warriors clad in powerful magic or metal armors, skilled in fight with any kind of weapon and magic, known for their bravery, honor, and glorious adventures. They were heroes, and stories about their bravery were widely told.
Hero of our story wished he could be one of them but there was one tiny problem.
He was an earth pony.
Even worse, he reached his adulthood without mark on his flanks. Yes, fillies, he was grown up AND still blank flank.
No wonder nopony treated his dreams seriously. His job was far from his dreams. He was mirror maker. It was good paid job, because his mirrors were highest quality, but he felt it wasn't his destiny. Everypony who saw his mirrors wondered why his cutie mark wasn't one of mirror. It was obviously his special talent, creation of perfect mirrors. Heck, even his parents, who were mirror makers too, named him Clear Reflection.
Yes, Sweetie Belle?
You see, making mirrors back then was not simple feat. Mirrors were made from various metals. Most popular was silver and bronze. To made metal reflect image you need polish it carefully hundreds and thousands of times with different materials. It was boring and hard work, but it let him live him at high level in city of Trotingham. Still, he was not happy. He was hoping for something what could bring him closer to his dream... and maybe cutie mark. Being blank flank was harsh back then, everypony believed that blank flanks were worse, not truly ponies, or that they are cursed. In some provinces they were even hunted or cast out.
But one day, in distant province of Braytish Islands monster appeared. A terrifying Cockatrice!
Oh, you know what cockatrice is?
You have met one?
But how did you...?
Fluttershy...?
I heard she can be persuasive but it seems impossible.
How do I know Fluttershy? Um... I'll explain after story.
So, cockatrice started to rampage through countryside of the kingdom. King ordered his best knight to resolve this situation. This unicorn was bravest, strongest, most loyal knight in the whole kingdom. He bested many others monsters, and saved many ponies in his previous adventures. Everyone excepted that he will came back with head of the monster. After all, he was greatest hero who lived back then.
He never came back.
King sent more and more knights, hoping one of them will slain cockatrice, and save their brothers in arms. No one came back and whole villages went silent. Many ponies started to run as far they could from where petrified ponies were found.
Cockatrice started to closing to Trottingham. Lord of city ran away when he heard the news. Not longer after that city militia ran away. They were sure that they couldn't harm cockatrice. How to fight with something that is turning you flesh to stone? How you could hope to win, if the most heroic knights failed?
City was abandoned, every pony with lick of common sense ran away. Every pony able to run, ran away. City militia even when choosing to run away didn't left their orders, to help and serve. They organized evacuation and kept order to prevent riots during escape from doomed city.
But there was two ponies who left behind. One of them was pony who had hope to stop it. Yes, it was Clear Reflection. When everypony started to run away, he stayed in his shop and tried to make best mirror ever made. He tried every material, every technique he knew. Day after day, night after night, he was working on his masterpiece. He made first glass based mirror. He spent every moment on polishing it to perfection. Everypony thought he went nuts and tried to force him to leave his shop but he didn't listen. He told them, time after time, that it's something he had to do.
Second one was a young guard who decided to stay behind and give signal when cockatrice will enter the city. He knew it equaled petrification from cockatrice sight. He believed in his duty to protect other ponies and he knew that his horn and flag will be warning to other ponies to stay away from the city. His name fitted him; He was called Valiant Stand.
Finally...
Cockatrice reached gates of the abandoned city. Valiant played alarming note on his horn... No, not unicorn horn, musical horn Sweetie.
Clear Reflection left his shop with package on his back when he heard signal. He was exhausted and hungry. He spent last two weeks trying to made perfect mirror. He was afraid, but he felt like he had to try.
He was closing to gate where he saw flag signalling that cockatrice is inside the city, but then...!
He tripped. His package landed on ground with loud CRUNCH!
With great fear in his heart, he started to rip open his package. Inside was his mirror made from glass. Broken to pieces. He saw thousands of flawed reflections. All his hopes, all his dreams - crushed like this mirror. He started to cry.
Worse, this loud sound attracted attention of cockatrice. Monster saw pony sitting with his back to it. It started to move closer...
Clear heard closing in monster. For a moment he thought about running or about turning to cockatrice and getting over with it...
But then he remembered why he stayed in his city. Why he made this mirror. Why he went out against cockatrice.
He wanted to be a knight. And true knight will never withdraw! Knight, real knight will do everything to protect others! Real knight will fight to end!
He looked at his broken mirror. He knew that cockatrice was few meters behind him. Some broken shards of mirror were still giving perfect images... Few of them were still usable.
Cockatrice was confused. It was sure that pony knew that it was close. Ponies usually ran or try to fight and this pony was ignoring it. Even more, he was doing something with... rocks? ...water? ...with something on the ground. Did he ate something...?! Cockatrice was very confused.
Suddenly earth pony turned back. He had closed eyes. Cockatrice instinctively used its glare to turn pony to stone. For a moment it saw another cockatrice. When it understood what was happening it was too late. Cockatrice was hit by it own glare.
Clear Reflection spat out shard of mirror he was holding in his mouth and started to breathing again. He was exhausted, tired, sleepy, wounded... but he was happy. He proved something himself and defeated cockatrice with its own weapon. He went up a tower where he heard guard signalling that cockatrice entered the city. He took horn from the stoned guard pony and started to play victory fanfare. Then he put alarming flag down and raised up normal city flags again.
Ponies who were hiding around Trottingham turned their hands toward said city in confusion. Someone slain invincible monster? But how? It was impossible...
Nopony had enough courage to approach to the city... But when King heard that somepony may or may not won over wretched beast, he decided to investigate personally. Next day after hearing such news he and his party were at gates of Trottingham. City was silent. Main gates were closed. It seemed to be absolutely abandoned but then he heard fanfare he was told about. Somepony was in city! King asked his servant to play royal fanfare. After a few minutes main gate started to open.
Behind main gate, on little square was statue of cockatrice with expression of shock. It was too real to be a normal statue.
He ordered his mages to confirm his suspicions. After few spells they told him that it was cockatrice who turned to stone his knights.
And then one earth pony with bandaged mouth approached the king and his party. He bowed and pointed with hoof to monster and then to shard of mirror in his saddlebags.
King instantly understood.
"Did you defeated this monster?"
Earth pony nodded.
"How?"
Earth pony took a shard from his saddlebags. He pointed to eyes of the cockatrice then to his mirror and then to the cockatrice again.
King was silent.
Earth pony started to take off bandage from his mouth. King gestured him to stop but he continued anyway.
"How did you know that cockatrice will smite itself with glare?" King asked. His court started to surround Clear Reflection. Young earth pony was getting afraid. They were nobles after all and they were observing him, judging him.
"I didn't know that, my highness. I hoped it'll work. I thought that... If cockatrice turns to stone with its stare... then mirroring this stare to itself eyes should turn it in stone too..."
"How long you spent on creating this mirror?"
"Two weeks, my highness. All time of the day and most of the night."
"I suppose your weapon wasn't broken when you made it." Company of King started laughing but he stopped them with lift of his hoof.
"It wasn't joke." He looked at them sternly and then at earth pony.
"I tripped and broke it..."
"Why you didn't run when you only hope was crushed?"
"I, I wanted to be like knight... I couldn't run. I had to defeat this monster or be defeated. Running away was not an option."
King watched carefully earth pony. He started to circle around slayer of cockatrice.
"You will be a knight."
For moment everypony was silent; statement of king dumbfounded them.
Impossible happened and then everypony at once started to talk.
"What?!" Clear asked with happiness in his voice.
"What?!" yelled outraged unicorns in party of King.
"He will be the knight."
"But... But he's not even from nobility!" shouted one unicorn.
"He showed more courage, sacrifice and devotion than most of us! He spent more time on mastering his weapon, than most of us on celebration of sword! He charged against enemy who won over the best of the best! He wasn't even sure that will work but he did try anyway and when he lost his weapon, his only hope against this beast, he didn't run! He decided to stay and fight with remains of his mastership! And he took it into his mouth, even if it could maim his ability to talk! To eat! He could have been killed by that! He risked losing one of most precious thing to pony! If he's not worthy this title... most of us aren't. I for one I'm not!" Roared King.
Everypony was silent. Most of them from shock and shame and others from fear of king's retribution.
"And look at mark on his flank." King added after taking few deep breaths.
On flank of Clear Reflection was picture of mirror but shield shaped. You see, fillies, shield, sword or crowns were very rare cutie mark. And usually it appeared on flank of someone very high in nobility. It was looked as prophecy that pony with such cutie mark will be great hero or leader.
"What's your name, young colt?"
"Clear Reflection, my highness."
"You will be known as Reflective Shield, Cockatrice slayer, young one." King reached his sword with magic. "And I believe I have land for you."
"...yes?"
"I think Lord of Trottingham proved his uselessness, and should be stripped of title, and maybe executed... What do you think? I suppose you should rule there, as you saved this land.."
For our young hero it didn't felt right. He looked a sword, saw his reflection in metal. His tired, bloodshot, but proud eyes.
He made his mind.
"Sir, I don't agree. You should spare him and let him rule over Trottingham."
"Why you say so?"
"Because, my king, you are no better than him... You run from cockatrice too and sent your ponies to stop it."
King raised his sword higher in menacing way. In crowd angry whispers were heard.
"I have sword in my grasp. I can kill you with one blow, and you insult me?"
"No, my king. I'm only telling the truth."
"You are not afraid I will kill you for this words?"
"I am."
"Why then are you telling me this?"
"Because you asked, my king." Clear looked straight in king's eyes; his words were sincere.
Sword fell down... on shoulder of young earth pony, to everypony shock.
"Integrity and honesty. Very rare blessing and curse, young knight."
And so, Clear Reflection, known now as Reflecting Shield, became first earth pony knight of Trottingham, wide known cockatrice slayer and honest royal adviser. After his ascension into nobility precedent was made and till then any pony with great merits to Braytish Empire can became a nobility. But this is for another stories..."