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// Princess Luna: The Lunar Guard 
// Story: Memoirs: The Princesses of Equestria 
// by Nugget 
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Princess Luna
"The Lunar Guard"





The night is upon Equestria.

I stand here alone, on a balcony high above the once glistening, golden skyline of Canterlot. Now, it’s only a mere image of my imagination. As I look down upon same skyline as my sister does, the only features I could make out are the dark shapes of buildings below a thin a layer fog. Within those structures, candlelights could be seen slowly, and sparsely dying out with each individual flame. It constantly reminds me, each and every night, that the ponies are going into their peaceful slumbers, resting at ease while I stand ready to perform my duties as a quiet, yet alert nighttime sentinel.

Sigh…

I think I need to admit something personal. To call me a sentinel, a sort of guardian to those who rest when the sun dips below the horizon, feels wrong from my perspective. Those ponies all the time say the words “sentinel” or “guardian,” “protector,” and even “defender” as well, to me as if it was my job or rightful entitlement to be called as such. While I do understand their point of view completely, I believe that it’s further away from the truth of reality.

  In the citizen’s eye, I am the prime example of bravery and intelligence when it comes to dealing with the horror and griefs of life itself. When I invade nightmares, I stand firm and tall while ready to successfully fight off and clear the storm(s) within the mental state of one’s mind. Afterwards, I consult the aspiration of one’s own self like a wise mentor while trying to reach the root that caused their personal problem in the first place. Once discovered, I usually talk with them about how to fix or overcome it while leaving behind my thoughts and concerns.

Then I leave the dream and move on to another.

It’s a never ending dream job cycle for me; I find a dream, invade, take over, consult, and then leave them behind with a positive image of me since I was the one to solve their dilemma with my experience. Then that is when the praise would start from their end, thus the terms “guardian,” “protector,” “dream warrior,” and so on would be said to me. Again, while I am thankful for those compliments, I’m not any of those words they describe me as.

I’m just a pony.

I’m not greater than anypony else in Equestria. Sure, I am a princess, but that is just a title, or rank, that I hold along with the job I perform daily. Sure, I am an alicorn, but that doesn’t make me seem better than another pony, pegasus, or unicorn. And sure, I can invade dreams, put on a brave face, and conquer the terrors of nightmares and reality itself, but that doesn’t actually make me brave or be deemed worthy enough to called anything because I just have experience.

To explain, I have been doing this job for countless years. I have been repeating the dream job cycle for so long that nothing seems to faze me anymore when it comes to other pony’s fears. For every single thing you can think as scary, terrifying, alarming, or horrifying, I probably have dealt with it at some time or another in some pony’s mind. Do I hate my job? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I love what I do with a deep, everloving passion, but I just don’t want to be called those titles anymore.

Why? I have fears, terrors, and personal concerns myself. To say that I don’t is nothing but a lie.
That is what makes me a normal pony like them as well. In my mind, to be called something greater than that, like a “warrior,” is to be seen as not having those qualities that make you a normal pony. A “warrior” is fearless, brave, and willing to fight against even the darkest and scariest of adversaries to win and live another day. They are seen as truly being immortal.

That isn’t me.

While my lifespan is endless and magical abilities are above normal unicorns, I will say again that I am still just a pony. I have fears about those who live around me on a daily basis, terrors about my past, and concerns over the ponies of Equestria when I must make my decisions on-the-job. While they may weigh and lie in the back of my head, I know I must keep them there since there is something else I believe to be true.

“Other pony’s problems are always going to be bigger than yours.”

That is what my sister said to me when I was growing up and learning about how to deal with others. Their problems will always be bigger than yours because if they are addressing you about it, then they believe you are capable of solving it. You must be willing to put yourself, your fears, and your own problems away when it comes to helping others.

That is why I think ponies call me a “sentinel,” “guardian,” and or a “warrior” because I can be so selfless and put myself away for the sake of helping them. What I do creates a facade of they see as the true “protector” or “defender.” They believe in it, thinking it’s who I am as a strong princess. However, I know I’m not any of those titles. In reality, as long as I have my own concerns and fears, I will be just a pony like them.

    So as I stand here on this balcony, overlooking a sleeping Equestria, don’t think of it as a knight watching over her kingdom she protects with courage and bravery in her heart. Instead, it’s more like a mother making sure her colts and fillies are alright and able to carry on with their lives without troubles because that is how much I care about the ponies of Equestria. I’m just a pony who likes to help others.




“If we take the generally accepted definition of bravery as a quality which knows no fear, I have never seen a brave man. All men are frightened. The more intelligent they are, the more they are frightened.” - George S. Patton