From: Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard

To: The High Council of the Conclave

In fulfillment of the Guard’s duty, under Our Great Rulers, Princesses Celestia and Luna, to protect Equestria from all dangers and threats, I, Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard, request immediate support from the Conclave. I form this inquiry in the face of the latest event that occurred while performing the Guard’s aforementioned task, bearing in mind the seriousness of such an action and accepting all the consequences of it. While I leave the choice of the course of action to the organization, trusting and submitting to the judgment of the High Council, somepony of specific talents deems appropriate to deal with the situation present. Details of the occurrence in need of firm and urgent action I would prefer not to share over letter. I shall patiently await response.

Captain of the Royal Guard

Shining Armor

---

Shining Armor took some papers from one of his desk’s drawers and put them in front of himself. The silent crackling of the fireplace accompanied the sound of him searching through the sheets. The light of the fire was playfully dancing over the walls, ornamented with coats of arms, maps and portraits of former Royal Guard leaders.

‘We have been tracking some recent activity amongst Canterlot residents, most notably those of the lowest class. There were reports of a figure wandering around, spreading word about inequality amongst the nation, unicorn dominance and a new hope for pegasi and earth ponies,’ the Captain read out from the documents. ‘We have decided to detain the troublemaker.’

Another unicorn, to whom those words were directed turned his gaze away from the chamber window. The night has already silently fallen and the Moon, shining and royal, was slowly raising towards the dark sky, making itself visible through the glass. The pony that was admiring this beautiful phenomenon now looked at the Royal Guard Captain.

‘Sounds like a typical problem of racial hatred, Captain,’ he sighed. ‘Lowly case, if you ask me, not worthy the attention of mine and the organization’s,’ he stated and nonchalantly removed a hair from the collar of his cape.

‘I wouldn’t contact the Conclave if it was just that,’ Shining Armor firmly answered to which the other pony just shrugged. ‘During the interrogation,’ the white stallion checked the papers again, ‘she said that she wants to speak personally to me, since I “will surely understand”,’ he quoted.

‘As much as I admire story tension build-ups, Captain, I would prefer to hear something justifying your decision,’ the caped unicorn cut in, with his gaze once more escaping towards the moonlit sky.

‘Then look at this fact she mentioned,’ the white stallion passed one of the sheets through the wooden desk at which they were both sitting. The other pony, not bothering to look away from the pale circle on the sky, pinned the paper down with his hoof just as it came close enough to read and only then gazed down. There was a visibly underlined quote by the interrogated suspect.

‘Star Swirl the Bearded,’ he read out loud, ‘has returned.’

Shining Armor was observing his guest. Aside from a risen eyebrow, he could not tell if there was another reaction to the fruits of the interrogation. The time that the Conclave’s agent was spending on reading also gave the Captain a chance of having a better look at him. Dark grey coated. Mane black with some white stripes, combed. Pair of silvery eyes, now quickly moving through the document. And a black cape, with a standing collar, covering the flank and cutie mark. It all corresponded nicely with this unicorn’s name.

‘So, how do you find it, agent Moonwarden?’

‘Only to a degree intriguing, I have to say,’ the operative was still skipping through the sentences. ‘Are you absolutely certain about her mental condition, Captain?’

The sound of the fire filled the while that Shining Armor took to answer this question. All this time, a pair of piercing eyes was focused on him and his expression, like judging, checking.

‘She did not appear mad, if that’s what you are asking about.’

‘Appearances are usually deceiving, Captain,’ the grey stallion returned the paper and joint his front hooves on the desk. ‘Did it never occur to you that it is but a delusion that mare is suffering from?’ Moonwarden smiled politely.

‘It did, but her conviction...’ the white unicorn began, but got interrupted.

‘... is boringly typical for such a state. I am afraid you might have summoned the Conclave’s support for naught, Captain,’ the caped pony looked around, like readying to get up and leave.

‘Princess Luna encouraged me to turn to the Conclave whenever I would need assistance in my duty,’ Shining Armor responded.

‘If the Most Revered Lady of the Night,’ the grey stallion bowed his head quite visibly after those words, ‘encouraged you to acquire our services to your liking, I will grant you the necessary assistance, Captain. Still, I fail to capture the essence of your logic.’ Moonwarden gave the other pony a highly inquisitive look.

‘Could you believe that this pegasus troublemaker would spread those rumors, even delusionary, without somepony’s inspiration?’ the white stallion clarified.

‘Considering the information you gathered on her, very unlikely. Most unicorns have no idea about Star Swirl, not to mention ponies not of our kind,’ the agent judged. ‘A mare from the working class, without higher education…’ he murmured to himself, like in a conversation. ‘Delusions are extremely rarely that random,’ he locked himself in thought. ‘You do make a valid point, Captain,’ the grey stallion finally concluded.

‘Then will you aid the Royal Guard in this matter?’ Shining Armor smiled with a relief.

‘Even if this is to be somepony behind the mare, wanting to cause unrest in Canterlot, Captain,’ Moonwarden raised his hoof like wanting to stop this suddenly present enthusiasm and stared firmly at the other pony, ‘the Conclave is to protect the magical balance of Equestria. Mending with political, or even criminal cases is but a secondary role.’

‘I understand that fully,’ the white unicorn nodded. ‘But I requested the assistance also for the sake of you having in your organization ponies capable of... information extraction,’ he hesitated with those last words.

‘As you put it in the letter “specific talents”,’ the grey stallion quoted. ‘Yet the way you formed your last sentence is more intriguing to me then the words you used in your letter. Tell me, Captain, what hides in your mind?’

Moonwarden observed Shining Armor while he was formulating the answer. As the leader of the Royal Guard, the stallion had a pretty impressive physique, but without the muscles making him appear grotesque. He was known for his stout heart, unmovable loyalty, bravery and noble nature. Treats that, even if admired by many ponies, did not really matter for the grey unicorn.

‘I asked for assistance because I don’t wish to force any kind of physical harm for getting the information she might possess,’ Shining Armor looked away from the agent, making the fireplace behind him bring more shade to his, visible for the other stallion, profile.

‘That is not the answer to my question, Captain,’ Moonwarden pointed out. He straightened up on his chair with a firm expression. ‘Hiding it will not work. I can nearly see your distrust...’

The white unicorn looked back at the operative. His face hardened and he had an expression that could be described as a mixture of distaste and yet a dosage of respect.

‘I can’t say that I appreciate your school of magic.’ Shining Armor finally said.

‘But you cannot deny its potential, can you,’ the grey unicorn made it sound more like a statement than a, even hypothetical, question.

‘I know it to be dangerously meddling with the dark arts,’ the white pony said with conviction. ‘And as much as you might try to convince me otherwise, agent Moonwarden, I am not going to change my mind.’

‘I will not waste my words then, Captain,’ the grey stallion’s voice resembled a winter chill right now, even in the warmly lightened chamber that was Shining Armor’s office. ‘I did believe you to be a pony capable of rising above superstitions and pettiness. Sad to see I was mistaken.’

‘Don’t try to insult me, Moonwarden,’ the white unicorn raised from his chair, holding his front hooves on his desk. ‘Feel lucky that the Conclave is already keeping you in check, for I would not hesitate to detain you. Equestria would be better without shady individuals of your kind.’

The grey stallion raised his eyebrow at this display of emotions. He got up, slowly, and stood firmly at the other side of the desk, gazing straight into Shining Armor’s eyes.

‘Those “shady individuals”, as you so truly poetically put it, do not let moral codes stop them from assuring the safety of our land,’ Moonwarden was speaking slowly, not even an ounce of anger in his tone.

‘I expect you to do your job and be gone as fast as possible,’ the Captain put his hooves down on the ground and approached the operative. ‘Am I clear?’ Shining Armor said when he stood right in front of the grey pony in a pose of authority. The other stallion, however, did not move even a muscle in response to that, nor had his expression changed.

‘Naturally, Captain...’

Moonwarden trotted towards the door, his cape swishing, and put his hoof on the knob. He looked back at the white stallion.

‘Expect an envoy contacting you within the next two days,’ he said and afterwards started whispering. ‘Do not make an enemy out of me, Shining Armor... After all, even the Conclave cannot see everything...’

‘Is that a threat, scum?’ the white stallion took a step forward and lowered his head with an angered expression.

‘Of course not, Captain. It is but a sad state of things,’ Moonwarden smiled faintly. ’Even the Conclave cannot protect everypony from... unpredictable misfortunes...’

‘... get out.’ Shining Armor hissed through his exposed teeth.

‘How is your fiancée, Princess Cadance, by the way?’

‘GET OUT!’ the Captain screamed, taking another step forward, to which Moonwarden chuckled silently and exited, the echo of the slamming door lingering in ears like a grim invocation.

---

‘That concludes my report, honored Council.’ Moonwarden bowed his head down slightly, having described the events that occurred just an hour ago. He, naturally, carefully omitted his confrontation with the guard Captain.

The three ponies in dark blue robes, who were hearing out his words, were seated on three, quite comfortable and ornamented chairs, positioned in equal distance from the center of this semicircle room that served as the Conclave’s High Council seat. The whole room was done in marble, the stained glass in the windows showing important ponies from the magical history of Equestria and their achievements. When the sun was shining through them the place was filled with light and colors. Now, however, in the midst of night, a large chandelier with candles was providing the illumination.

‘How do you find it, Firehoof?’ the greyish-blue unicorn on the center chair turned and asked the maroon mare on his left. She flicked her red-orange mane, its movement visibly imitating raging flames.

‘I am not certain, Stormcoat,’ she responded. ‘Agent, are you vouching for this case being worth of our attention?’ her dark-crimson eyes followed the question pointed at Moonwarden.

‘Councilor, I am intrigued in the situation. As far as my knowledge goes,’ the stallion took a step forward, ‘imaginings of mind have always a visible connection to outer stimuli. Since Star Swirl the Bearded,’ the agent pointed at one of the windows, to the right of the chamber, which shapes were forming into the silhouette of the greatest unicorn magician of the pre-classical era and the founder of the Conclave, ‘is a figure quite enigmatic and overlooked by the society. I see a chance close to impossibility that this suspected mare heard about him coincidentally and developed a mental autosuggestion of him coming back from the dead,’ the unicorn looked at all members of the Council.

Stormcoat was staring at him curiously while stroking his long, whitening beard. Firehoof rested her muzzle on her front right hoof, thinking. Only the light blue mare sitting on the left from Moonwarden didn’t look particularly moved by his statements. She just leaned forward, letting her long, white, combed mane reflect the candlelight.

‘You propose...?’ her voice was calm, like collective, resembling an echo amongst frigid glaciers.

‘Interrogations, Councilor Icemane,’ the agent’s response was straightforward. ‘We use gathered information for the sake of preserving public stability. She might provide us with leads on other ponies trying to cause unrest. As well as helping us find possible reasons for society’s unhappiness,’ the stallion firmly presented his arguments.

‘Do you insist on performing those questionings yourself, agent Moonwarden?’ Councilor Stormcoat stopped messing up his beard and addressed the grey pony calmly, even with his eyebrows, connected in a grimace, resembling gathering thunderous clouds.

‘Yes, honored Council,’ the stallion bowed slightly. ‘My sentry assignment is calm right now. My connections in Canterlot have not reported any activity requiring action since the Royal Library incident two months ago,’ the pony reported.

‘Commendable work on this case, agent.’ Firehoof reacted, her mane once more trying to set the chamber ablaze with its mimicry. ‘You saved a lot of precious tomes that night. But those fifteen lost, though...’ her tone changed.

‘If not for Moonwarden,’ Icemane turned to her colleague, ‘we would potentially lose a whole wing of the library. Hundreds of books were endangered.’

‘Did we finally found out the reason for that stallion’s assault?’ Stormcoat addressed the caped unicorn.

‘Unfortunately, no, Councilor. It appears it was a case of stress and mental disorder causing a nervous breakdown, since after I stopped the perpetrator, he fell into a torpor,’ the agent explained. ‘He ended up in the Canterlot hospital, the doctors claim that it still might be a long time before he will be able to give explanations for his maddened actions,’ Moonwarden accentuated the adjective visibly. ‘I still ache over the loss of those precious annals though. Some of them treated about truly wondrous, if dangerous spells,’ the stallion said with sadness in his voice.

‘Considering the forbidden knowledge stored in these tomes, I am somewhat glad they perished,’ the bearded unicorn made himself more comfortable in his chair. 'But that doesn't change the fact they are gone now and you are making assumptions, not giving us answers, Moonwarden.'

'I... understand, Councilor,' the caped unicorn bowed his head, ashamed.

‘A loss of knowledge is a loss of knowledge, it being forbidden or not, Stormcoat, do not be content with it like that.’ Icemane pointed out. Moonwarden nodded to those words, visibly agreeing. 'Yet you make a point. We lost fifteen irreplacable positions,' the mare looked at the agent, but not in a chastising way.

‘Better for it to be gone than used by unwanted individuals,’ Firehoof cut in and the caped pony could swear she said the two last words slightly slower. By just a little manner, yet still.

Stormcoat waved his hoof in irritation.

‘I think we can decide,’ he looked at the other two Council members, who nodded back at him, ‘to grant you this assignment, for the sake of gathering useful information and deciphering this case.’

Moonwarden smiled faintly.

‘But, we shall also grant you another task at the same time,’ the Councilor added. 'As a reprimand.'

‘Councilor?’ the agent looked, puzzled and somewhat shaken, at the oldest Council member.

‘We are issuing you an apprentice, Moonwarden,’ the bearded unicorn stated. ‘We know you prefer working on your own, hence why this time you shall have an initiate as your partner.’

The caped stallion just barely stopped himself from opening his mouth in surprise and protest together. His silvery eyes flickered. He looked down and something of a shudder went through his body, barely noticeable. Then he stared back at Stormcoat, regaining his composure.

‘Honored Council, if I may,’ he took a slow step forward, his voice slightly softer. ‘Interrogations are delicate work, requiring experience and focus. I would not want this tutorship to affect their outcome,’ he bowed his head again.

‘You are not getting out of this one...' Firehoof said firmly. 'But, also, we have every ounce of trust that you can manage it. Your service proves you can work successfully even under extreme pressure, this initiate won’t cause you problems even remotely close to that level,’ the crimson mare said somewhat enthusiastically, although Moonwarden could swear she was mocking him. ‘She is talented an eager to learn.’

‘Even with this being a reprimand, I can think of no better teacher in information acquiring than you, Moonwarden, so do not take it so harshly,’ Icemane was staring right into the agent’s eyes. ‘You are effecient and practical. And your methods...’ she began, but stopped because of the reactions that occurred. Hearing her words, Stormcoat’s expression suddenly hardened even more and Firehoof gave a, quite non-corresponding with her nature, cold look to the other mare and the caped pony. The agent gazed back at each of the Councilors, understanding in a whim the situation.

‘I shall comply, as you wish, honored Council,’ Moonwarden bowed his head humbly, seeing as he should not try to convince them to change their minds and wanting to turn their attention away from this sudden tension. ‘When shall I meet her?’

‘She is just waiting outside,’ Stormcoat said and raised his hoof. ‘Enter!’ he exclaimed.

The chamber’s door opened slowly and the sound of somepony approaching was heard. The caped unicorn turned his head to spot the newcomer. It was a mare, her coat in the color of a cornflower and with two-colored mane, bluish-grey and shell. She appeared quite nervous, giving uncertain looks to both the High Council and Moonwarden. And her trot was just a bit non-firm. She stood right near Moonwarden and was trying to appear calm, without too much of success. But one thing that made the grey stallion raise his eyebrow was the expression on her muzzle. She was constantly smiling and, even with all of her anxiety, that smile was sincere.

‘Agent Moonwarden, meet our most promising initiate,’ Stormcoat pointed at the young mare. ‘Her name is...’

‘Hi!’ the mare that was about to get introduced interrupted the Councilor, most likely out of stress, turning right to the caped stallion. ‘My name is Colgate!’ she had a clear voice, filled with a melodious tone, youthfulness and joy. And her teeth were gleaning brightly. ‘What’s your name?’

Oh... wonderful...