Days like this weren't supposed to happen.
Shining Armor had got it. His happy ending. He worked hard all of his life in the Royal Guard and he finally made it, he was the captain. He had married the girl he crushed on since he was a teenager, (though he had to blow apart a Changeling army to finally get there). His sister had been elevated to ROYALTY. His family was set for life. He and Cadence were trying to have a foal. He thought he would make a good Dad, even if he didn't his wife would DEFINITELY be a good mom.......
So why? Why did he feel this uneasy?
He was alone in the Crystal Palace's throne room. He had no one to talk to. Cadence had left the Empire to visit his sister.
You're BORED Shine He thought to himself. You are bored out of your skull. Just take a walk outside. Clear your head.
The Crystal Empire's courtyard was usually very peaceful. Shining Armor liked to take a walk every so often clear his head. Keep himself calm. He liked those moments where he could just enjoy the silence.
That silence was broken in less than a minute.
"COME ON!"
"What in Tartarus dude?"
"No one? No one had Ponyville for the medal count?!"
Sentry.
"Sorry guys but that's where it stands. The pot remains where it is. Sudden death round is on the Wonderbolts training race next week, and the betting opens now."
Lieutenant Flash Sentry was standing in a ring of other guards. At their hooves was a bag that had to have contained over 50,000 bits.
Flash had only been in the Guard about a year. Shining armor liked him.... for the most part.
Shining had always kept things informal, allowed a certain amount of insubordination, but Sentry seemed determined to push Shining's tolerance to it's limit. Whether it was paying other guards to take his shifts for him, fraternizing with some of the female nobility that came to visit....
Or indeed running an illegal betting pool on the outcome of the Equestria Games.
But Shining Armor knew that if it ever came down to it, Flash would take an arrow for him. And really that's all that mattered.
"SENTRY!" Shining Armor barked.
Flash leaped with a start. "AH!" He turned around to face his commander. "Oh Cap! Hi, were just-"
"I shouldn't have to remind you soldier that taking part in a gambling ring is against regulations, right maggot?" Shining Armor was directly in his lieutenant's face now.
"That was in no way what we were doing, SIR!" An idea slowly dawned on Flash. "Unless, you know, you want in?"
"SENTRY" Shining Barked again. That was Flash's cue to stop. He was about to cross the line.
Shining Armor turned to face the other Guards. "I'm glad I caught you guys together. See if I caught Mr. Sentry ALONE I would have demanded that he divvy the pot up and returning it the people who bet. Since I now know that you all ALSO took part in this pool, however, I'm confiscating the pot for myself. I'd like to thank all of you for contributing. I really don't buy Princess Cadence enough nice things."
There was a general groan of discontent from the Guards.
"Dismissed! Sentry, you're with me. Help, me lug this bag to my office."
Flash hefted the bag onto his back and kept pace with his commander. When the other guards were out of earshot, Flash asked the question he asked all too often.
"Am I court marshaled?"
A familiar defeated look ran across his captain's face, "No, Flash, but honestly what am I going to do with you? The pranks around base are bad enough, but it's like you have no respect for me or the uniform."
"You know that's not true sir. I do respect you." This was true. To Flash, if you weren't worthy of respect, you weren't worth screwing with.
"Your oh so subtle backhanded insults to the Aristocracy don't go unnoticed."
"Most of them are too stupid to realize what happened and ALL of them deserve it"
"Agreed, but there is a way to these things. Do it behind their backs, like servants have done for centuries."
"Who says I don't?"
Shining Armor stopped outside his office and gave Flash an earnest look. "You're a good soldier, Flash. There's a reason I haven't busted your flank down to Sergeant yet. I just need you to-"
He was cut off. A guard was running in a panic toward Flash and Shining.
"Flash! We need to get to the-
The guard screeched to a halt in front of the Captain.
"Too late, man." Flash said, "We've been busted. All bets are off."
The Guard was out of breath. "That's not- Captain, Flash, we need you at the Town Square as soon as possible!"
"Slow down, private." Shining armor said. "What in Celestia's name is going on?"
The Soldier looked bewildered. "I don't know....."
The Mirror had risen from the ground in town square. Six feet tall, four feet wide. Taller than the average pony. The dirt it dug up around it was smoldering like hot coals. It seemed to be made of pure gold. The frame was covered in insignia. On the top was the Image of a male Alicorn raising the sun. On the side were two female Alicorns moving toward the bottom, where a group of ponies were cowering from the images above them.
It was a miracle that Shining Armor could work out that much, the light reflecting of the glass was oppressive.
Squinting in the light. Shining asked the pony who came across it some routine questions. The Mare had a grey coat, a blonde mane and...... interesting eyes.
"So Miss......" Shining Armor felt awkward not knowing which eye to focus on.
"Hooves" the Pegasus responded. "Derpy Hooves."
Shining Armor couldn't believe his ears. "So miss. How did you come across this artifact?"
"It was shining a bright light into my hotel room! Darn thing lit it up like a Hearth's Warming tree! I'll tell you this has been SOME vacation. First I'm insulted by the bellhop, crosseyed, pah, then I almost lose my Equestria Games ticket because some jerk tries steal my saddlebag, when I GET to the event I'm almost killed by a falling hunk of ice- it's been a mess. Honestly if my boss didn't force me to take my vacation days at the end of each quarter I wouldn't even BOTHER with-"
"Miss Hooves!" Shining Armor realized that if he didn't cut her off they could be here all week. "What prompted you to call for the Guard?"
"Well of course I tried to move the stupid thing MYSELF but when I touched it it was scalding hot! Thought it was going to burn my hoof right off. So I let out a scream. That called you boys over. The guards here are very efficient. I let out a little yelp and all of the sudden there's four armed stallions surrounding me! It made me feel safe. Though I think it was a bit of an exaggeration when he said 'bloodcurdling'-"
"Captain Armor!" Flash Sentry called from behind the golden mirror.
A wave of relief washed over Shining Armor. He could kiss Flash right now.
"What did you get out of her?" Flash asked his commander.
"Nothing that we didn't guess by looking at the thing." Shining sighed. "What about you?"
"Something I noticed." Flash said "Cap, where are we in relation to the mirrors lens?"
Shining Armor looked at his Lieutenant. "Behind it."
Flash Sentry pointed at the sky "And what's that right above us?"
Shining Armor squinted in the light of the sun. "Wait a minute...."
"You get it too, right?" Flash asked, "What light is the mirror reflecting? There's no source."
Shining Armor was all of a sudden very nervous. Something about this seemed familiar.
He and flash walked back towards the palace. "Contact Canterlot. Tell them what's going on. We're not going to call this an emergency situation yet, but keep watch on it. Don't let anyone touch it. See if Celestia can spare some Magic experts to help us identify this thing. Get some unicorns down here to see if a focused shroud spell can shade this thing so everypony can get some sleep tonight."
"Yes sir," Flash squinted in the light of the mirror. "No one will be able to sleep with this glare"
The word seemed to make Shining Armor stop in his tracks.
"What Did you just say?"
Flash paused, unsure of what he did wrong. "Nopony will get any rest because of the glare from the mirror?"
There was that word again. It all clicked at that moment. A campfire. A story he used to impress his girlfriend. A story he used to terrify his sister. An old mare's tale.
A look of horror came over Shining Armor's face. "Lockdown. No one comes near that mirror. No one uses magic on it. I want at least six guards around it at all times."
"Okay, what did I say?" Flash asked confused.
"Sentry, you tell my wife what's going on when she gets back, and make sure that you get my parents out of here."
"You got it chief," Flash said. "What are YOU going to do?"
"What we always do in this kind of scenario!" Shining Armor yelled as he sprinted toward the palace. "Call Twily!"
He had gotten his happily ever after. He was trying to become a father.
Days like this weren't supposed to happen
Miles away, in the Golden Oak Library in Ponyville Twilight Sparkle was reading three fillies a horror story her brother used to scare her with. It was about a golden mirror......
and a blinding glare.