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.