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#Post#: 3299--------------------------------------------------
Head Instructor Gleam
By: Gleam Date: September 25, 2017, 11:11 am
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Name: Head Instructor Gleam
Race: Unicorn
Gender: Stallion
Age: Old
Physical Description: Gleam is a very stern and serious fellow
that wears a wrinkled and seemingly permanent scowl of
disapproving judgement when dealing with others. His coat is
silver and his mane and tail while once black are now white with
flecks of gray. His eyes, stoic and harsh, are a faded shade of
yellow, his physique pretty healthy and strong for his age and
his clothing and robes always neat, tidy and organized. Cutie
mark is a shine like that off of polished metal.
Special Talent: Magic
Bio: Life for Gleam didn’t start until his enrollment within
Arkon Academy. Or, at least, that’s how he tells it if ever
asked about his past. He surely had a family and a childhood but
it wasn’t until he was allowed to rub shoulders with some of the
brightest burning potential Equestria had to offer in his day
that he truly started to live. Alkaline, Qual, Faculty, Adjutant
(“Volunteer” to his friends) pick up a book sometime and chances
are you will see at least one or two names from his generation
still quoted or referenced as a source of wisdom or expertise.
Many of them he’d known, several he’d called allies and friends,
and a few others he could angrily rant about to this day. Arkon
may not have been as prestigious and well known as Celestia’s
School for Gifted Unicorns, but it was far from lagging when it
came to its talent pool.
Gleam would shine brightly as he studied and quickly excelled in
most forms of magic allowed within the Academy. In only a few
years he’d go far beyond what was considered above average for
its students even to this day, most classes being mastered
incredibly quickly as his thirst for knowledge and mastery over
his own magic was never satiated. Few could keep up and in the
end only one other student truly matched his talents which
sparked a long rivalry between the two that would eventually
become a friendship that would continue beyond the halls of
Arkon as they would work together to end a burgeoning threat to
Equestria that most today don’t even remember.
In Gleam’s younger days the biggest threat around was an
abomination that had the ability to warp reality to his desired
image. Large, powerful and in control of his own confusing land
that made no sense, he had been dormant for centuries before
finally re-emerging and attempting to take over everything Gleam
knew. Along with his former rival that was now one of his best
friends, Gleam was able to work with a handful of other mages
and specialists to combat the threat over the course of several
months. Their solution was complex and would require a long
explanation that Gleam does not have the patience to explain.
According to him he wrote a book about it a few decades ago but
he can’t remember the title.
Anyway, the dealing with that threat acted only as a kicking off
point for Gleam and the rest of his crew. Surprisingly effective
together and having formed bonds through he crises, the group
would stay together for years afterwards working as a sort of
special unit that would cooperate with the Crown to deal with
strange, unique or particularly mysterious and dangerous
assignments. Never actually an official part of the military or
guards, nor a mercenary band that was paid to do whatever the
Crown wanted, Gleam and his people would have a very odd but
welcome relationship with the countries ruling body and would be
given many opportunities to travel and help at every corner of
the land. They called themselves the Cortoza, and Gleam could
have sworn there was a statue of at least three of them
somewhere. These were the glory days for Gleam, time spent
leading his small band of problem solvers and putting his
training and knowledge to good use while being recognized and
applauded by the people as they swooped in to save the day.
It was a shame then that it would not last nearly long enough.
After some time, Gleams best friend and former rival – the
co-founder and trusted partner in commanding their little group
– would allow himself to be corrupted in his pursuits of
forbidden magics that had always fascinated him. Once too far
gone he turned against the Cortoza when they refused to follow
his line of reasoning and from there launched his own campaign
to change the lives of the population without their consent.
Handling this took longer than it should have, primarily because
of Gleam’s rare instance of hesitation and the fact that most
within Cortoza wished for their fallen friend to see reason
rather than be flat out defeated. Some died, others walked and
most of the rest dealt with doubt. In the end they were able to
stop him and Gleam personally walked him into Tartarus to serve
his sentence. When Gleam left there were no Cortoza for him to
lead.
Gleam was aimless for years after his friend’s betrayal and the
disbanding of his crew. He went wherever and did whatever to
keep his mind busy and to try and do some kind of good while he
still had the strength. Time would wear on him to the point
where he would lose his adventurous spark and become
increasingly impatient and grumpy with others as history moved
on without him. Eventually he was invited to join the Canterlot
Castle staff as a magical advisor to which he accepted as he no
longer had the will to wander. This lead to him becoming court
mage for a time and eventually being offered his current
position when Princess Celestia began looking for a new Head
Instructor for her school.
Gleam never saw himself as a teacher, but when given the
opportunity to run things at Celestia’s School for Gifted
Unicorns whenever she was away, he found the idea amusing enough
to give it a go. He’s been there ever since, telling students to
straighten up, organizing the faculty and pursuing his personal
studies and projects in his spare time.
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