“They’ll be fine. They’re each the best at what they do. You know that.”
“I’m not worried about them, Tia. I’m more concerned with my role in all of this.”
“I thought we had agreed that it was for the best that I oversaw the Vigilant, and that you would take oversight of the Wayfarers?”
“It was more like I decided to go along with your plan.”
“This is good for you, Luna. I want you to become more visible—not just in Equestria, but abroad. You’re a fine leader now, and I want the other lands around us to learn that, just as everypony here has.”
“It seems a little ambitious to me…”
“Well, it was a little symbolic in nature, to be fair.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, whenever I look at the sun, I can’t help but think of our home here. Equestria and all it has become. But for centuries, pilgrims and sojourners (especially sailors) have travelled by night using the stars. They relied upon the lights of the night to know where they were going when travelling abroad. It seemed appropriate that the Princess of the Night should watch over a group with the name of ‘The Wayfarers.’”
“That’s cheesy.”
“Perhaps so. But I still maintain that it is good for everypony involved. You still get to work directly with Sky Streak. I don’t think he would have taken it too well if another princess had been appointed over him instead of you.”
“I am blessed to have one such as Sky. He does so much, not for self-recognition, but out of love. How did we manage to be so fortunate?”
“It is more than Sky, Luna. Each member of the Sentinels is a pony that I would trust in the most dire of circumstances with the safety of the entire realm at stake. But Sky has borne that burden multiple times already.”
“He will again.”
“How do you know? A vision?”
“No. It is just a feeling. I cannot say much more for certain—only that I believe that Sky will have to stand in the gap for us all.”
“Will he succeed?”
“I do not know, but…he does have a pretty good track record.”
“He certainly does. Well, I think the time has come. Shall we?”
The large palace doors opened, and the Alicorn Sisters stepped out from the hallway onto the raised platform overlooking the courtyard. Before them, a collection of eighteen ponies stood at attention, wearing the ceremonial garb of the Royal Guards. They stood in two separate lines, one on the left and one on the right. On the right, donned in bright golden armor, stood nine familiar ponies—members of the now-disbanded Alicorn Guard: Trucker, Boulder, Ace, Scope, Hobo, Nova, Rimshot, Cubic, and Buckle. On the other side, decked out in the less-familiar silver armor of the Guard, stood another nine: Nighthawk, Blitz, Riptide, Keeper, Razor, Sprocket, Juggles, Tread, and a new pony—their newest addition, Phase.
He was a slender unicorn stallion with a light orange coat. His mane and tail seemed to shift in hues of gray and black, depending upon how the light fell upon him. But that was far from odd…for a crystal pony.
Phase had been invited to join the newly-formed Sentinels of Harmony based upon the recommendations of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. In the wake of learning of the existence of the Alicorn Guard, the leaders of the Crystal Empire had agreed to show their support for Celestia and Luna. And when they learned that there was space for another member in the Sentinels, they quickly informed the Princesses that they knew just the pony. It was more than simply filling a position—it was an expression of unity between all the lands of Equestria.
So here they stood: the eighteen new guardians of Equestria. Celestia looked over to Luna, who stared down at the nine ponies on her left. She took a quick glance down to the group just in time to see Sky Streak (whose familiar blue shoulder wrap had not been left behind today) wink up at the two of them. She snorted in mild amusement. If it wasn’t for Lily, sometimes I’d swear he was flirting with us.
She cleared her throat and took a step forward. “Today, my good stallions and mares, we begin a new age in the safety of our homeland. The Alicorn Guard, after faithfully defending all of Equestria for nearly a thousand years, ultimately came to an end because it was not accountable to anypony. So when corruption crept in, we failed to detect it. And were it not for the actions of many of you who stand here today, Equestria may be a far different place than it is today.”
Ponies in each line couldn’t hold back the smiles of pride they felt for Celestia’s kind words. She allowed herself to smile softly in acknowledgement. “The elimination of the Alicorn Guard left a void in the empire; a sudden vulnerability in our defenses that had secretly existed for hundreds of years. It quickly became evident that this void could not be ignored. But two changes needed to be made. Firstly, we needed this new organization to be visible. The secrecy and covert nature of the Alicorn Guard, when revealed, sowed a sense of distrust and instability throughout Equestria. Secondly, we realized that if we were truly focused upon harmony and friendship as much as we say we are, then we needed to show it: we needed to extend our blessings and prosperity, as well as our friendship, to those around us who may not enjoy the same luxuries that we do.
“And, with those things in mind, we assembled a team of eighteen of the bravest, most upstanding, and most noble ponies we could find to serve in place of the Alicorn Guard. And we could not be more pleased,” she said, pausing to lock eyes with each pony before her. “Today, we retrain our focus upon harmony.”
Celestia turned to the ponies on her right. “Trucker, you are hereby placed in command of these ponies that stand with you. You will be known as ‘The Vigilant,’ as your task will be to remain here within Equestria, serving its citizens and promoting the peace and companionship that have blossomed here over the last millennium. You will report to me on each of your tasks, and I will assign to each of you your missions as I deem you best qualified to undertake them.”
Luna opened her wings, gliding over the stairs and lighting upon the ground in front of the nine ponies on the left. “And you shall be known as ‘The Wayfarers,’ because your journeys will take you beyond the borders of Equestria…sometimes, quite far. Nighthawk will serve as your commander,” she said, nodding at the fiery orange pegasus. “I will be overseeing your moves, but I ask that you not be afraid to bring up any concerns you have with me. This is a new step forward for each one of us, and none of us should act as if we know what to expect of the coming days.”
“That goes for both of us,” Celestia added, gently descending down beside her sister. “These next few months will certainly be full of questions and uncertainty, but we have no doubt that you will handle everything with the humility, grace, and diligence that you impressed us with in the first place. Remember: there is no need for secrecy anymore. Openness promotes honesty, which promotes friendship and love. You do not stand alone. Every pony in Equestria is your brother or sister. Treat them as such, and they will do the same in return.”
Retreating to the base of the stairs leading up to the platform, Celestia and Luna turned again to face the two lines of ponies. Celestia raised her head, and in the Royal Canterlot Voice, stated, “A new age begins! This day, you go forth…as the Sentinels of Harmony!”