"Heavy Hoof, I can't wait! Tomorrow I'll be a guardian!" he shouted to the gray pelted unicorn know for his slow-but-steady hoofsteps. Snow was ecstatic and couldn't wait for his test.

     Heavy Hoof gave him a friendly grin, and his pale blue eyes twinkled like the Mirror Bay. "If you want to complete your test—"

     "Yes, I do!!" Snow jumped in.

     "—then you have to stop bouncing and focus," he concluded, letting out an amused snort. The two headed for the woods.

＊

     "Come here, Snow."

     Today was the day, and Snow nearly jumped out of his pelt as Queen Penny called him. He pushed down the urge to lift his head and tail high. Heavy Hoof had a proud look on his face, but Minty Swirl glared at him. That thorn in the hoof, thought Snow.

     The sun's reflection on Queen Penny made her blue-purple-and-yellow mane look glossier. "Do you promise to protect us to your best ability?"

     "I do."

     "Then you are officially a guardian of the unicorns on Sunbeam Island! Your new name is Snow Shine."

     Snow Snow Shine's heart burst with pride as everyone chanted his new name. But he felt a sudden pang of sadness when he realized he didn't have any parents cheering him on in the crowd. Ever since he was still a young colt in the nursery, he had an adopted mother: Rainbow Shine, who had an extraordinary pelt that often reflected rainbows in the sun.

     As Queen Penny concluded the meeting, many of the other guardians gathered around him. "Welcome, young Snow Shine," a stallion named Violet Leaf told him. Orange Blossom and Blueberry Swirl also came to say hello. As he went off to check out his new den, Snow Shine thought he couldn't be happier.