//------------------------------//
// Worries 
// Story: Excerpts from the Luna War 
// by Sapare 
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A warm spring breeth flowed through my coat and mane, feeling refreshing and relaxing as I trot through the palace gardens. They were splenderous and beautiful, how they grew so well all the way up here was a question that probably only practiced scholars of magic could answer. Not that it matter to me, it was nice and that was all that mattered right now.

No matter how many times I had to do it, guarding a door most of your day never became a very entertaining job, certainly not the excitment that joining the royal guards implied. Though, I guess I should not complain about a lack of action, peace in Equestria is good. And it is n---

My thoughts come to a hault as turning a corner left me staring at the most beautiful sight my eyes had ever behold, and I quickly bowed my head low in sign of respect. After a moments of silence I dared to dart an eye upward and found that the sun goddes infront of me had not even taken notice of me. Feeling very awkward and a little embarrassed I return to my normal stance and look over at the sight that had her so enthralled. 

Celestia was beholding the land below her, the garden area here build as a plateau that looked off the mountain and gave view over a wide area of nothern Eqeuestria. The view was indeed rather impressive to behold, though I assumed that it had been here for a long time and would not come a surprise to my queen. And at this point she took notice of me, turning her head toward me and smiling warmly, and yet I believed to see a faint sign of pain bothering her.

"Sir Starshine, yes? I apologize if that is the wrong name... I fear that sometimes there are too many to keep track off."

It was obvious in her voice that the alicorn was speaking sincerely, always trying to show her subjects as much respect as she recieved from them. For me however it just caused me to feel unworthy of the respect, shifting slightly awkward before saluting to her. My words were somewhat flustered, it was not the first time I had beheld my princess as I had guarded her halls for many cycles, but never had I talked to her off my post.

"Ye—yes my highness. And... thank you. I apologize if I... interupted your thoughts or otherwhise disturbed the peace."

I fall sillent, and Celestia's eyes stay on me, as if studying me and my words. Then she flashes another rather pained smille and looks back out over her land.

"I know how information spreads throughout the ranks, you have heard of it... what are your thoughts on the news? Do you have any family in the affected areas?"

At this point I was frozen in place, from being the first time I had talked to the princess off duty it had quickly become the first time, and probably the last, that my princess would ask me of my opinion on a matter of such scale. Breathing somewhat nervously I turn to look over the below landscape more naturally and speak with carefully picked words.

"I do... not wish to imply that I dable in rumors your highness... but if there really was---"

The sun princess suddenly interupted, her voice still warm, but with a hint of annoyance.

"There was, just answer my question."

A moment of silence as I did not even dare to draw a breath, then suddenly Celestia sighs heavily, her voice no longer ringing with warms.
"From everywhere come in reports that my own subjects are rising against my rule, and now sources imply that they are forming under the age old banner of my own sister. Ponies are looking for me to tell them what to do, for me to fix this as soon as possilbe." Letting out another heavy sigh the alicorn pony drops her head in shame "I do not know what to tell them. Th..the fact that it has come this far is prove that I am not capable of solving this."

To some ponies this might have been a curious or even interseting sight to behold, the princess of the sun so at a lack of answers. To me it was a life shattering view, I had become a royal guard in admiration for those I would proect and serve. Celestia who had always been regarded as the wisest and kindest of ponies the world had ever seen, the one who could solve any problem in a day. And Luna, the beauty of the night who always watched over and guared her subjects, a militarist mind with the heart of a peace dove.

Now Celestia was standing beside me, at a lack of answers and as lost as every other pony in her empire. And Luna was considered to the cause of this uprise, having abondened her sisters side and called for her own empire to form from her seat in Hoofington. The events had shaken the natural peace of Equestria and it did not take long for the first messagers from varius cities and towns to arrive, wishing to inquire on the goverments actions to restore this peace.

It had now been a week since the first of those messagers arrived and since then Celestia had refused to speak on the matter, leaving the nation to grow uneasy and impatiant. No one yet dared to draw her rule into question, but some rumors about her disgruntled advisors had come to my ears. With the best thoughtful voice I could muster I tried to answer her earlier question.

"L..Luna broke her oath to her nation, her subjects, and to you. I do not see how she could be in the right doing so. An..and there is not a single pony in Equestria who would question your judgment... you are the wisest pony to have ever lived."

I tried to sound smart, but my words felt hollow. Not because they were lies or that I did not believe them, but because they felt like the exact same words any other pony in Canterlot would speak. By Celestia's soft sigh I could hear that she agreed, looking once more toward me and speaking with her once more warm but still sad voice.

"And what if we are wrong and Luna had a reason for her actions? I just can not believe that any of my or her subjects would follow her if they did not see righteousness in her cause. Even if I was the whisest of ponies, I am being asked to pass judgments over ponies I have never met, far away from this place."

To my surprise I find myself nodding in curious agreement, hoping deeply that she did not see my action. I try to speak, but suddenly another voice cuts me off.

"My highness, I beg my pardon to interupt your moment of peace from the matters at hoof but the council is assembled and ready to hear your decision."

There was another short silence, and I believed to hear the sun princess let out a soft sigh before turning herself around and greeting the pony that had interupted us with her normal warm voice.

"Yes, of course. I have no intent on keeping the ever so busy ponies of the council waiting." There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice but she did indeed move toward the pony, which  by turning around I could now see was one of Celestia's chief advisors. He was a dark grey unicorn of middle age and wore his violet clothring over the front of his chest, it had the pin signaling his rank on it. 

Knowing the value of that simple position I could not help but look down at my own plate armor, well smithed metal plate with a thin layer of gold and held together with a blue star. The design was old, dating back to the pre Equestrian times and a heritage of the pegasi empire, but still one of the best the world had ever seen. Or at least that is what we are told, and hope to be true, considering they even stuff earthponies and unicorns into it.

Seemingly having been compleetly lost in my thoughts about armor and the origin of them I get withdrawn to the real world by a loud "ahhem". Looking up my eyes meet a friendly smile from Celestia and I quickly feel inclined to bow once more, before I can though she speaks.

"I thank you for the discussion we had, but now I have to take my leave to pass judment over ponies I have never met."

There was a moment of awkward silence as her rather blatant wording was clear to me, and that advisor pony. But just as Celestia turns away from me I find words, not very smart words, but words.

"W..would... I be allowed to... be present? At... the discusion. I don't--"

Why I would ask such a thing I was not sure, whatever decision was be made would come to my ears soon eitherway, and I had no place in a room full with the most powerful ponies of Equestria. Semingly the advisor agreed, his frown telling me what I need to know before he turns away from me and toward the garden exit. Celestia however does not move yet, once more studying me with her old and wise eyes.

"What do you hope to achieve by being present at such a meeting?"

That was indeed a good question, and one I did not really have the answer to. But not wanting to keep my princess waiting I open my mouth anyway, and let free the first words that would come.

"I... I wish to learn more about the way our nation is run and makes decisions. The way you... talked about it made me curious."

It was impossible for me to tell if I was lying or not, but if I was I would have shuned myself, to lie to my queen was never an intent I had. The next pony to speak was not Celestia but instead the advisor, who had now returned to the plateau.

"My queen, no offense to this fine pony but he is a guard and not an scholar of politics. If we let him listen to our discussions he will tell his fellow ponies about them and rumors and false information will spread."

It was a reasonable argument I thought, and probably the reason why such meetings were at all held behind closed doors, but to my suprise Celestia seemed unaffected by it.

"Rumors and false information already spread like wildfire, no matter what we try to do to stop them. Having one more pony present at such a meeting will not make this any worse. And as for his position as a guard, I believe a royal guard has the right to know how those that decide his life make those decisions."

Her statments were clear, and it was obvious to both me and the advisor that it was not a point to be further argued, and as such another short silence passed. Before the queen motioned a hoof for me to follow her and she turned back toward the advisor once more. 
"Take me and sir Starshine to the council."And then she turned her head toward me "However, I ask you to not interefer with the councils discussions. You can be present and listen in with my goodwill, but I doubt any of these ponies would stand for taking advice from a royal guard."

The queen let out another soft sigh and I nodded, having had no intention to speak so much as a word at the meeting.

"Yes, my highness."

The walk was quiet and uneventful, if not counting in some of my friends from the guard who would bow to Celestia as we pass, and then give me the most questioning of stare. It was also a rather short walk, ending with a small double door that looked to be made out of pure gold, the two guards standing duty on it opened the doors for us and we entered.