To Guard The Sun

I - Accepted.

My aptitude it went well now the results are are in this envelope I'm carrying under my wing. I'm tempted to look like the rest of the guards did. I was ordered not to share what got with anypony during the one-on-one with Captain Armor. I suppose that doesn't mean I can't look. I lift my wing and open the envelope making sure nopony is looking over my shoulder I scan my surrounding area. After confirming that I was at least a yard from everypony I opened the letter.

Dear SunLight,
I am pleased to inform you of your position (as/the new) Personal Guard to Princess Celestia. I hope you are pleased with your positioning if not please say so before Celestia approves or denies you of the position. If you dislike the position you will be capable of retaking the aptitude test however whatever you receive that time will be your job and if Celestia denies you that job you will be removed from the guard. If Celestia denies you the first job given to you, you will be appointed to a job by myself.

Best of luck,
Shining Armor.

Now I could feel my heart racing, what if I screw up? No even worse like that time in school where I accidentally lit my wings on fire and made the teacher faint. Well It really wasn't me who lit them on fire I just told the teacher that so nopony else would get in trouble. After that my friends started calling me Phoenix. I had no idea what a phoenix was at the time but when I found out I guess it made sense. That was the day I got my cutie mark though. It was the single best and worst day of my life. I just hope that somepony won't be anywhere near me with fire. I found out I have a rare oil on my feathers that allows them to be well on fire and they stay that way for quite a long while or until dipped in water. I haven't told anypony this and now only my home town knows and their pretty quiet about it.

Now I just kept myself at attention put that note back in the envelope and prepare for the spiteful glares from the other guards. Then Shining Armor trotted in and lined us up aphlabetically by first name. That put me in the middle-endish in between Silver Quill and Talon Wing.

I listened as names were call that pony stepped forward and it was read aloud what job they had obtained and upto about the H's I heard one guard say he didn't like his job straight out to Princess Celestia and I couldn't hear the rest. The rest went by without a single no. Well at least until the guy before me, Silver Quill. He was told no that that job's positions were to all taken. Or at least that's what he told me as he walked past another guard was with him as he walked away. I wondered where he was going for a moment until...

"SunLight! Please step forward into the room." I glanced back at Talon Wing and she nodded to me like as if to say 'go get'em!' I nodded back and I walked into the room and it wasn't what I expected at all there were a huge number of guards lining the walls of the thrown room and up on the thrown Princess Celestia who sat with perfect posture with a smile on her face. I stood silently as a guard walked up to me. The same guard that called me in. "Envelope please." I opened and extended my wing to him with the envelop resting on my feathers. Using magic the unicorn guard levitated the envelope to Celestia and when it was withing range the unicorn's bright brown magic was replaced by yellow golden magic.

I snapped my wing back to attention and looked around the room ready for anything. That was until a heard somepony clear her throat. Coming from a ways across the room I turn my eyes forward to see Celestia had read the contents of the envelope and is looking at me with a neutral look. I gulp quietly as I try not to move or even breathe.

"SunLight, has taken the aptitude test like you all have and he has received a most important job, my personal guard." I could feel the eyes of all the accepted guards and all the guards just here on duty just glaring. "However, this is a very heavy responsibility so it will come down to a single question." A question? Well here goes nothin. "SunLight, the sun and moon move when me and my sister move them but which of the two are more important?

The room was silent now as I thought about the question. It's a trick question I know it because I read it in a book once but what was the answer? I'll just give it my best guess. "The sun and moon are not more important than each other they are of equal importance. What they are important about is a different question but one is not better than the other they are equal just like you princess and your sister. You both are princesses neither of you holds the title of queen. So you are equal."

The room fell silent again as I finished and I looked up from my attention at Celestia who was smiling her signature smile and she nodded. "Yes... that is correct. You, SunLight are the first to answer this question correctly for such a very long time. SunLight I hear by name you my personal guard. Now come up here and stand to my right." My body just moved subconsciously and a stood next to her seat. I never thought I'd be accepted like this... that is, in this way anyway. I always thought I'd end up as a nameless wall guard or at least somewhere along those lines. I stood there as the last 10 names were read and only 7 were accepted. "SunLight..." I immediately turned my head to Celestia. "Please tell me how many did I say no to today."

"I believe you said no to 4 today..." I reply after a moment of thought. She smiled again and nodded. "Princess, may I ask why you've asked that question?"

"You may and I wanted to see if you'd been paying attention. For the first task of my personal guard is to pay attention to detail and specifics that I tell you to and sometimes not tell you to. Understand?" I nod my head with agreement and continue to look her in the eyes. "Very good as you were SunLight."

"Yes Celestia." I turn my head back forward and from the corner of my eye I saw Celestia standing. She started to make her way towards the door. Am I to follow her or stay here? I am her personal guard and it would make sense, but she said as I was so does that mean I stay here?

"SunLight come with me. I would like to get to know you." Celestia cut through my agreement in my head and I made my way to her with a bit of speed in my step. "Oh and SunLight, where I go you go unless ordered otherwise. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am." I replied immediately without thinking about it. My reply made Celestia raise an eyebrow. I just stood still until she started walking and I followed at her side. "Princess? I understand that you wanted to know me? Might I ask why?"

Celestia smiled and nodded. "Please call me Celestia, SunLight. You may ask and I will give you the answer. I want to know you because as my guard I need to know how you stand and confront everyday. Who you are and what you did before the guard. SunLight the more I know you the more I can let you know about me. Thus, you can do your job better."

That did make sense, and I'm more than willing to tell Celestia about myself but in exchange she tells me about herself. I can understand it might be important to know that but her life isn't my business.

"So why don't we go to my room and talk, do that sound good to you?" I froze, did she just say her room? I could think of anything to say so I just nodded my head and she continued to speak. "Good this way SunLight." She headed off to her room and I followed in tow thinking on what to tell her.