//------------------------------// // The Ceremony // Story: Zero Point // by GJT_Productions //------------------------------// "Oh gosh, I'm so nervous..." "Easy, Shining, you've been through this kind of thing before..." "Yeah, but not anything this elaborate!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Looking out on the arrayed guards in fulldress, it was hard to blame the nerves the Acting Captain Shining Armor had at the moment. The majority of the command he was assuming - rows of stallions in starched uniforms and gleaming insignia - were lined up in the castle's great hall, as was normal for the "passing the torch" ceremony. The three princess were all there as well - a tweak from the previous ceremonies which had only been attended by Princess Celestia. He nervously looks down at the small velvet box he was levitating with his magic, hoping that the nerves weren't being expressed as a visible shaking of the box. It wasn't long before Shining noticed that the retiring Captain Gibraltar beside him noticed the box as well, considering Gibraltar's next words: "Shining, I don't remember putting the insignia in that box..." "Please, sir, don't make this harder than it needs to be." Shining comments, his tone immediately tipping off Gibraltar that his replacement had other things on his mind beside the ceremony. "Of course, Shining. I think we're on next. Just put that box in the sidebag until you need it for whatever you need it for." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shining only pauses for just long enough to slip the levitating box into his saddlebag before following Gibraltar in parallel out onto the stage. Both stallions approach and bow before each princess in turn, then face the arrayed stallions in the great hall. Gibraltar starts his short speech, his voice echoing in the hall as he does so: "As you all know, today's ceremony is a very special one. For the thousand years of the exile of Princess Luna, 173 officers came and went as Captains of the Guard serving Princess Celestia alone. When the torch was passed to me as the 174th officer to serve in that capacity, I was warned by Princess Celestia that the prophecies surrounding Nightmare Moon would likely be fulfilled in my time. Indeed that turned out to be case, and although it would be of little merit to restate those earth-shaking events here, it is still of merit to mention them, both because of Princess Luna's very presence here today and the fact that the one chosen to pass the torch to is a blood relation of the student of magic central to how those events unfolded." At this point, Shining dares a sidelong glance at the princesses, and the modest smiles on all three tell him all he needs to know - his years of personal sacrifice for both country and family would allow him admittance into the ranks of Equestria's royalty. The anxious butterflies finally begin to settle down, although with the princess moving beside him as part of the ceremony they wouldn't entirely go away. "Present the honor guard!" Gibraltar booms out, and the ranks of stallions at attention switch to saluting. A moment later, the great doors leading into the castle hall are pulled open by a pair of Lower Classes and a quartet of officers in their best uniforms begin marching through, movements in lockstep with each other. Shining Armor recognized the stallions in the quartet - one representative of each of the main pony races that served in the E.U.P. Guard at the castle, as was tradition for the passing of the torch ceremonies. The four stallions of the honor guard stop and bow before the princesses when they reach the end of the middle aisle, and Celestia begins the ritual questioning of each of the stallions as part of the ceremony, each one answering as required as they are asked: "Speak representative of the unicorns; do you recognize Shining Armor as the Captain of the Guard, the legitimate successor to Commander Hurricane?" "I, Lieutenant Captain Fidelitas of the unicorns, do recognize and accept Shining Armor as the Captain of the Guard and legitimate successor to Commander Hurricane." "Speak representative of the pegasi; do you recognize Shining Armor as the Captain of the Guard, the legitimate successor to Commander Hurricane?" "I, Lieutenant Captain Stratocumulus of the pegasi, do recognize and accept Shining Armor as the Captain of the Guard and legitimate successor to Commander Hurricane." "Speak representative of the earth ponies; do you recognize Shining Armor as the Captain of the Guard, the legitimate successor to Commander Hurricane?" "I, Lieutenant Meadow Song of the earth ponies, do recognize and accept Shining Armor as the Captain of the Guard and legitimate successor to Commander Hurricane." "Speak representative of the bat ponies; do you recognize Shining Armor as the Captain of the Guard, the legitimate successor to Commander Hurricane?" "I, Lieutenant Captain Vesper of the bat ponies, do recognize and accept Shining Armor as the Captain of the Guard and legitimate successor to Commander Hurricane." "The representatives are in agreement, then. From this moment forward, Shining Armor shall be considered now and forevermore a Captain of the Guard, to serve in the same role and responsibility Commander Hurricane held at the founding of the unified Equestrian state. Hail to the Captain of the Guard!" "HAIL TO THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD!" the entire contingent of the Royal Guard booms out, the voices echoing in the hall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Meanwhile, tucked away in a shadowy corner of the hall, two unicorns talk to each other in hushed voices, both of them levitating notepads with pencils furiously scribbling away notes as they speak: "I would've thought at least one of them would've objected..." "Same here, would make this story juicy..." "Don't think it would matter, boss wants to bury it no matter what, the 'chaos virus' lead is going to sell more regardless..." "Yeah, I guess, I mean, everypony's seen this coming for a while and... wait, is there something else going on up there?"