"M-my friends your highness? I've never really had any friends and those bullies in school certainly don't count!" my heart hammered at the thought of those colts being here with me and I shuddered a bit.
"Oh my young colt, you have so much to learn. They aren't you friends, yet. But they are nine other ponies, like you, who have extraordinary talents from birth, and who one day, the fate of Equestria will rest upon your shoulders."
The look on my face couldn't be more dumbfounded for she then said reassuringly, "Don't worry young one, that time is far enough off that you will be readily prepared for it. You have been chosen for qualities I have seen in you from birth, as well as your knack for being... Different."
That hit home as I saw all those moments flash through my mind where being "different" got me into all sorts of trouble, maybe being different isn't such a great thing. Hay, things would be a lot easier if I was just born a normal pegasi or unicorn.
I jumped when she said again, "No my young colt, you are perfect the way you are, better in fact. You are like me, an alicorn, and much responsibility rests on you, even if you aren't aware of it yet."
She can read minds! Maybe we are alike... I've always sensed other peoples thoughts, which is one of the reasons why I always thought I was so good at fighting.
Again startling me, she said, "We are alike, in more ways than you think. All alicorns have the innate ability with magic, flying and mind reading. Which is one of the reasons you were brought here. There are almost no alicorns left, most of us have died due to aggressiveness from other types of ponies. You and the others are the exceptions, the ones who did survive." She said the last with a smirk, and as if on cue, I heard the sound of bark on bark, which could only mean that the "door" was being opened again.
I sat looking over my shoulder, eagerly awaiting whatever was going to come through those steps. My eyes were glued to entrance as the hoofsteps neared and it was all I could do to keep my heart from bursting out of my chest. The first thing I saw was two more Royal Guards, but when they moved to join my own guards at the princesses side, my jaw almost fell off.
She was the most beautiful... Alicorn! She was an alicorn too! Her coat was a deep black like the sky on a moonless night, while her own mane was a crimson red, they way it moved when she walked made me go breathless. Almost immediately she caught me staring at her and we both blushed. She moved to sit next to me, of all the places, looking askance at the princess when Celestia addressed her much the same as she had addressed me, but not without a glance between the two of us.
"Shadow, it is a pleasure to see you here and that you accepted my invitation to join us here today." she paused, looking at the both of us again, "as I have explained to Aces here..." she then went on to explain all that was previously explained to me, to which her reaction was akin to my own.
So, her name's Shadow... I had only eyes for her, and I barely noticed when I heard the "door" to this place open and close several more times. When I finally came to, there were nine other ponies surrounding me, five fillies, and five colts including me. They were all ranges of coat and mane colors, from reds to blues to even one colt who's coat was grey. But the one thing I noticed above all else was... They were ALL alicorns!!! This is what Celestia must have meant when she said we were alike!
Princess Celestia's voice went right through us all when she spoke, "Fillies and Colts, I have gathered all of you here for a special reason. First and foremost, you all, including myself, are the last of a race known as the alicorns. You all are from far and wide around Equestria, separated by circumstance and distance. But today, I have brought you all together, for you all have special talents and inborn skills with both magic and flying."
"If you all didn't already know, you can also mind read. Many of you may have felt it before now, but hadn't know what it was or what to do with it. That is just one of the reasons why you are so special. One of the most important reasons you all are here though is," she paused, surveying all of our faces, "because each and every one of you is a born fighter. From birth you all have fought tooth and hoof for survival and you all have made it."
I surveyed the group and saw a few nods to what she said, "What you all are here for is the future protection of Equestria and the ponies with it. What will become of you all is something that has never before been seen, and shall not been seen ever again, is a special group of alicorns, who's abilities will protect Equestria from those who would do harm to it."
"What I am proposing, is a secret force of you ponies, that will not be known to the public. You will be the unseen heroes of the people, those that do deeds without ever getting recognition. You will be integrated into everyday life of ponies, none of which will know your true capabilities, or jobs. You will be the ones who stop the darkness from invading our land, you will be the peacekeepers, and most importantly, you will do all of this, without anypony ever knowing. You will be the Celestian Special Forces."
All of the other alicorns, including myself, looked on with wide-eyed stares. I got this feeling in my chest, this feeling like I finally know who I am, what my purpose is. I finally knew what my role in this world was, and from the deepest part of me, I cheered. Shadow soon followed, along with the rest of the fillies and colts in the room.