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// 8.Shining Armor 
// Story: Maremagnum 
// by The6thMaster 
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	Shining Armor had made a beeline for Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns once he'd cleared the palace gate. The academy wasn't too far once he'd walked down the slope and he passed by the gates with a fairly good idea of exactly where a meeting concerning a mission like this would be.

He'd guessed right by walking into the assembly room, seeing the majority of the his fellow officer candidates and professors talking amongst themselves. Ivory Tower was standing up at the front on a podium shuffling his notes. The professor's eyes immediately found their way to Shining, then motioned him to come over.

“Congratulations on not being late. I'd thought you might have gotten yourself lost with your new marefriend on purpose for the whole evening.” Shining couldn't help but give the other Unicorn a dirty look at what he'd insinuated.
Ivory Tower smirked at that. “Its not me you have to convince, the majority of your peer's here were at that banquet and saw you wander off with Princess Cadence for a whole night. Just what did you get up to by the way?” 

Shining Armor suddenly became aware of more than a few glares focused on him. “We didn't do anything besides talk...” He defended himself, but only to Ivory Tower who shrugged and returned to his notes.

“I said you didn't have to convince me. Though you may want to consider that almost half of the point of being here was to develop social contacts, not alienate all of your competition. Go find a seat and stop bothering me.” Dismissed, Shining Armor was all too happy to leave his supposed mentor. 

Finding a seat was a little harder then he'd anticipated. The hostility hadn't been there before, he'd mostly kept his head down and avoided talking to any of the officer candidates he didn't like. But now he was in the limelight regardless.
He settled for a seat on the opposite side of the most pronounced clique and waited until the explanation for what they'd be doing got under way. At least that was his plan until a pony from the main clique of high society goers that had been glaring at him broke free and cantered casually over to Shining.

He relaxed when he recognized Gentle August who nodded respectfully towards Shining Armor and found a seat next to him. “You are a more well connected pony then I thought Shining Armor.” He said, looking perfectly at ease with a casual tone to his voice, without an ounce of accusation.

Puzzled slightly at that, Shining gave a searching look and then spoke with a degree of caution, not knowing if he was being set up. “I knew Princess Cadence from when we were young, she foalsat for my little sister.” He explained, taking this as a chance to perhaps soothe some of the bruised egos of Cadence's supposed suitors.

“That's what I’ve heard, if there is one thing that we've become good at in Canterlot it's gossip.” Shining Armor was convinced that Gentle August had taken speaking classes, he managed to be dignified without being overly grating and he wasn't entirely sure if he should be checking his person for missing bits whenever he was done speaking to Gentle.

“Is that all you wanted to talk to me about? Something you already knew?” Shining asked him.

Gentle August sighed at that, looking over to the clique who feigned to ignore the two. “Thats what they wanted me to ask. I was more interested in why we were here. Professor Tower is apparently the head of this expedition and I was wondering if you kno-.”

Shining Armor cut him off with a shake of his head. “Ivory Tower doesn't tell me anything. Sorry, but I’m in the dark as much as you are.”

“What a pity, I don't envy your situation. On thinking about it I would have guessed you two would have gotten along pretty well, you know.” Gentle August commented, smiling as his silver eyes trailed there way to the Professor whom they were speaking about.

Shining couldn't help but take the bait. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well...” Gentle smiled, flicking some of his long purplish bangs out of his face. “I'm surprised you weren’t aware that Ivory Tower is from the more common sort. Not even from Canterlot. Rather remarkable really, I suppose the benefit of the meritocracy we have here in Equestria.”

That was news for Shining, the academic staff of this school was something of an old-stallions club and more then a few of these same officer candidates, if they couldn't find anything else, would find employment readily here in time. They weren’t entirely incapable of magic but Gentle August's use of the word 'meritocracy' was almost outright sarcastic. It was the little hints of self-deprecation that he used that didn't make Shining Armor completely dislike the other Unicorn.

“Why are you even telling me thi-” He'd started to say when Ivory Tower cleared his throat and the entire assembly quickly found their seats.

As if he was addressing a classroom of children, instead of grown adults, Professor waited until everyone was seated and entirely silent before he began, humming lightly and tapping a hoof against the podium he was standing up against. “I imagine we've all traded enough gossip and hearsay about the task Princess Celestia wishes accomplished.”

There were a few chuckles, namely from the seated professors in the audience who were off to Ivory Tower's right. He didn't spare them a glance as he walked over to a large chalk board set in the wall and levitated up a piece of chalk to begin drawing what appeared to be a scepter. He took the time and attention to inscribe a few symbols and words in a language that Shining didn't recognize around the object before placing the chalk down.

“This would be the rod of Lachesis. It is a matter of ancient mythology that this is an item used by fate itself to judge the destiny of any living being in the world.” That certainly managed to catch the attention of everyone assembled in the hall, all eyes switching between the drawing and Professor Tower.

“To some degree we all accept the idea of fate, that we are all destined for something. Each of us bears a special mark signifying what we are meant for.” Ivory Tower spoke, leaning up against the Podium against in a upright manner that allowed him to look taller. “How much we are guided by our cutie marks, our destinies is a matter for the field of Causality.  Myth and legend held that if a pony were to try and use the rod of Lachesis they could view destiny, not only of themselves but of events at large in the world.”

At that, Prince Blueblood spoke up, looking less then impressed. “Professor, the way you keep using 'myth and legend' makes me think that this rod doesn't actually exist. If something that were real wouldn't somepony have found it and kept it?” There were more then a few mumbles of agreement, finding the idea of something so fantastical certainly hard to believe.

Ivory Tower met the gaze of Blueblood, saying nothing for a moment while the murmurs ran their course. “Naturally, we wouldn't be looking for something if it was already found. Princess Celestia has assured me herself that such an item does exist and she is very certain of its location.”

“Then why doesn't she get it herself? No disrespect to the Princess but isn't she a whole lot more powerful and knowledgeable then any of us?” A voice said from the back.

With another question interrupting him Ivory Tower rubbed his face. “I would appreciate it if that was the last question until the end. I was just about to get to that. The rod of Lachesis is powerful, yes, but all records of it give a very dire warning for any who would go looking for it. If a pony with a special destiny, one that impacts many lives, were to find and try and use it they would be confronted by everything they were to ever do. A quality of casuality is that finding and hoisting the rod can itself be a special act and a sort of feedback loop is possible. The consequences are supposed to drive any such unlucky soul mad. As Princess Celestia is an immensely important pony she knows far better then to try and use it herself. It must be a unimportant pony that uses it, to view what Princess Celestia wishes to know about the future.”

There were going to be other questions but Ivory Tower held up a hoof to cut them off and gave a stern look. “Do not ask me what she wishes to know, she wishes that to be confidential. The pony who will view the future has already been decided and knows what they are to do and look for.” There were still murmurs, slight unease at the notion that there was something coming which Princess Celestia was concerned about enough to not want to wait.

“Now that we've had the introductory notion of what we're all going to be doing for the next few days and weeks on our little adventure let me tell you how you're all going to risk death and injury on the way.” Ivory Tower said with a touch of cheerfulness and amusement at the topic. “We'll be passing nearby Tartarus itself, I think everypony can remember the tales their mothers and nannies might have told them about the things that go bump in the night. Most of it is  true and even more horrible then you can imagine. Hopefully you'll remember enough about what I’m about to tell you to not get eaten right away....”

It went on like that for a few hours, Ivory Tower was very thorough with the suspected dangers and obstacles. The provisions were already well packed and they would have an accompaniment of hand picked regular guards. Ivory Tower, having gotten a glass of water, took a sip before finishing up. “Of course, we can't march all of us out there, Princess Celestia intends to have this mission succeed one way or the other. This expedition will only include six of us, three professors and their apprentices. If we fail, the next three will follow and hopefully you will remember what I’ve said.”

There was something of a relieved sigh at that. Namely that most of them would not be going out on the mission. Shining Armor already knew that he was going, by virtue of Ivory Tower going, and was only idly curious who would be with him. Ivory Tower saved him from thinking about when he spoke up next. “Among us going will by Shining Armor and myself, Professor Puppet Strings and Prince Blueblood, Professor Lucid Dream and Gentle August. We'll be heading out early tomorrow morning at sunrise. Do not be late. Have a nice day.”

And with that they were allowed to go. Apparently Prince Blueblood was not at all happy with the assignment, not that Shining Armor was either if it meant being with him for a week or more, and stomped his way up towards Ivory Tower to trade words. Shining Armor was amused to see Ivory Tower looking less then happy to talk to the arrogant prat who Shining Armor thought rivaled the Professor in terms of jerkiness. 

He was distracted by the light chuckles of Gentle August, who was still sitting next to him. “I had asked for this mission. I can't help but wonder if that was an entirely wise decision, its starting to sound a little dangerous.”

Shining Armor turned to look at the other pony and tried to make sense of that. “You volunteered? Why?”

“There is only so much that one can accomplish by commenting on the taste of wine and trading gossip here in Canterlot.” Gentle August replied, rising from the seat. “I'd hate to see you get yourself killed Shining Armor, I’ve always thought you were something of a refreshing change up to the old humdrum around here.”

“Thank you?” He replied, sometimes not exactly able to figure out what the particularly clever high society ponies were getting at when they spoke. 'Palace Intrigue' as it was called, had never sat well with Shining Armor and would have rather preferred more direct, to the point, discussions instead of double and hidden meanings behind words.