Further Reading Was Required
The ticking of the clock on the wall filled the room as Flash Sentry sat patiently on a hard plastic seat, the muscles in his back crying out at him to find something more comfortable. He ignored the pain, focusing straight ahead at the door in front of him, behind which was the silhouette of his commanding officer.
The door opened, and the stallion motioned for Flash to enter; he immediately got off the chair and walked into the room, stopping only to fire off a quick salute before sitting on a chair that soon had his back muscles begging him to go back to the one he had been sitting on not five minutes previously.
The officer sat at his desk, on a chair that looked to be the epitome of comfort, then took a folder from a drawer and opened it. He read it wordlessly for a few moments, occasionally casting glances at a still rigid Flash, then finally put it down and cleared his throat.
"Well, Private," he said. "I must say that I am quite surprised somepony wanted to take this assignment. Being the personal guard of a Princess isn't as glamorous as you might think; there's a lot of stuff to deal with, and I want to make sure you're ready."
Flash nodded. "Yes, Sir, Captain Ironside," he replied. "I strongly believe that I am the right stallion for the job, and I will do whatever it takes to prove that to you."
The Captain leaned back in his chair. "I will be the judge of that, Private Sentry," he said. "I've been looking over your file, and so far I can't see anything that would prevent me from offering you the position. You've got a good service record, you don't have any infractions, you've seen plenty of action – particularly against those bandits – and the Princess seems to like you."
Flash was quick to suppress the small smile making its way onto his face, disguising the action with a cough. "I aim to please, Sir," he replied. "But, with all due respect, if my record is as good as you say, what is stopping me from taking the job?"
Ironside sighed. "The role of personal guard has a lot of things you need to take on board," he said. "Your top priority is, and always will be, the safety of your assigned Princess; you will be spending every waking moment with her, after all, to the point where you'll practically be sleeping with her."
"That will not be a concern, Sir," Flash said. "I think we can both agree that our Princesses are beautiful, but my duty would far outweigh any awkwardness that may arise from such a situation."
"That actually brings me onto my next point," Ironside said. "Yes, you will be sharing a room, maybe even a bed, with the Princess; after all, the closer you are, the quicker you can respond to any threats that may arise. However, there is a certain tradition involved with the role that needs to be adhered to, a tradition that led to the role of personal guard being withdrawn in the first place. But with all the threats we've faced recently, and especially after what happened with Tirek, it has been decided to revive the position and find ponies willing to volunteer for the job, instead of us picking somepony and practically ordering them to do it."
"I have read up on the job, Sir, and I am more than happy to adhere to any traditions," Flash replied. "I will do whatever it takes if it means I get the honour of keeping one of our Princesses safe."
Ironside's eyes lit up. "You read up on it?" he asked, to which Flash nodded. "Well, that's just perfect, Private Sentry; it sure as hell saves me a ton of awkward explanations. In that case, and because you're so eager, I would like to formally offer you the job."
Flash stood up and saluted. "I accept," he said. "For Equestria."
Ironside stood up, saluted him in return, and held out a forehoof for Flash to bump. "For Equestria, Private," he said. "Wait here, and I will inform the Princesses of your decision; they will no doubt want to thank you personally for making it."
"Yes, Sir." Flash sat down again and watched as Ironside left, leaving him with only the ticking of the clock for company. A few minutes passed before Ironside re-entered the room; he was accompanied by Celestia, Luna and Twilight, all of whom fixed Flash with warm smiles and expressions of adoration.
"Here we are, Your Majesties," Ironside said. "Private Sentry here has bravely offered to assume the role of personal guard." He bowed and turned to leave. "Please take as much time as you need to talk to him about what comes next, as he has assured me he is happy to adhere to the traditions of the role."
"Thank you, Captain," Celestia said as Ironside left. She then turned to Flash, who was as rigid as a statue. "And thank you, Private; your boldness and determination are a credit to the Guard. As the newest Princess, Luna and I both agree that Twilight is in the most need of a personal guard, especially given the fact her castle is in Ponyville. So, once you have recovered from your induction, you will be transferred there post-haste."
Twilight nodded. "With your record, I am confident that you will become a valued part of my life," she said. "I look forward to working with you, Flash; I cannot thank you enough for agreeing to go through with this."
"Not many stallions wanted to do this when it was being forced on them all those years ago," Luna added. "Many tried to get out of it by any means, including injuring themselves. So for you to volunteer yourself for it shows that you are a stallion who can be trusted, and is not afraid to do what it takes."
"Yes, Your Majesties," Flash said. "I will do my utmost to ensure I am worthy of the trust and respect you have placed within me. But, Princess Celestia, may I enquire as to what you meant when you said 'once you have recovered?'"
"Oh, yes, of course," Celestia replied. "The operation is simple enough, but it can take a lot out of you. In fact, I believe Twilight has created a pamphlet for you to take a look at..."
At the mention of the word 'pamphlet,' Twilight's horn lit up and the item popped into existence, floating a few inches in front of Flash's face. He took it from her aura and looked at it; within seconds, his eyes had widened as he took in the title.
ADJUSTING TO YOUR NEW LIFE AS A GELDING
"If you read that, it should answer most of the questions you may have," Twilight said. "Since personal guards are always in close proximity to their assigned Princess, it makes sense for them to be gelded. That's why we were asking for volunteers this time around; as you can imagine, your average stallion wouldn't be willing to volunteer for such a thing, but clearly you are above average."
Flash did not respond, choosing only to remain fixated on the pamphlet with his eyes still as wide as plates. Sweat ran down his brow, and he was mentally screaming at himself for failing to do his research properly before offering himself up for the job.
He knew that backing out now would win him no favours, but at the same time he could not bear to think of the alternative. The Princesses, taking his stunned silence for a sense of resolute duty, could only smile at the stallion as they approached him.
"We salute your bravery, Private Sentry," Luna said. "You will be remembered for your stalwart devotion to your Princesses."
"Yes, thank you for your sacrifice," Celestia added. "It's not every day we meet a guardspony of your calibre."
"This might be a tad unprofessional of me, but..." Twilight wrapped her wings around Flash. "I don't know how else to thank you."
Celestia and Luna quickly followed suit; as the three of them continued to pour out their adulations, Flash only had one thought running through his mind.
Oh, balls...
