From source:

It has to have been tough for Shining Armor to share his workplace with both the princess he was crushing on and his little sister as well, especially when he was just starting out. Still, I see him being a loyal BBBFF through it all, despite the fact that his image as a tough and stoic young guard was probably regularly compromised. Good thing that Celestia is quite fond of both objects of his affection, as I wonder if his own guard Captain would have found it quite so charming.

This remains one of my favorite bits of the show’s backstory for the sheer potential it has, as well as the involvement of so many of my favorite characters. Canterlot must have been a very interesting place with overpowered filly Twilight with control issues having just been discovered, which apparently happened relatively on the heels of the appearance of a new alicorn princess (Especially if Equestria had been making do with the solar princess alone for the past 990 years or so.) This would have also been around the time of Sunset Shimmer’s fall from grace, and the mounting pressure on Celestia of her sister’s return (prior to the discovery of Twilight and her Cutie Mark, she may have been nearing despair.) And of course there’s also the infant Spike in the mix. I’d love some official exploration of this time, but in the meantime I’m satisfied with the various excellent fanworks that delve into this time period.

I wanted to add a quick word of thanks for all of the birthday wishes! I apologize for my absence recently, and I hope to be more active around here soon!