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Dark Horse

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  1. Dark Horse

    Nova Nightstar

    By Dark Horse,

    Age: 19
    Gender: Male
    Species: Pegasus
    Appearance: Nova is a purple coated Pegasus with a light orange mane accented with darker streaks of golden-brown, and bright golden eyes. As a Wonderbolt, he is often seen wearing the iconic blue and cream flight suit of the squad, but typically dons a more casual hoodie when on his own time.
    Cutie Mark: Nova's Cutie Mark is a white, blue and purple shooting star; signifying both his love of free-flying speed and, more subtly, his desire to burn brightest of all Pegasi.
    --
    Personality:
    Nova could be described as carrying some of the best and worst traits to any Wonderbolt. An expert athlete and accomplished flyer, he strives to become the pinnacle Wonderbolt in all of Equestria, and is constantly driven by an ambition to succeed. To this end, he is always setting himself new challenges and reaching for greater heights, and is ever encouraging others to do the same, to be the very best that they can be. He cannot stand those who try to "cheat" or fabricate their way to success, considering it a sign of cowardice, and will spare no expense in exposing the incompetence of those who attempt to do so if given the chance. There is rarely a situation that he will back down from, and is often a voice of motivation towards others, insisting that they should face their fears and overcome their weaknesses.
    In spite of this, Nova has little patience for teamwork, instead believing that everypony should trust only in their own ability and not have to rely on others for support, though he has tried, albeit with difficulty, to become more open to the idea since his lesson in humility at the hoofs of the Wonderbolts. Though he does begrudgingly hold respect for some of his fellow squadmates, as well as ponies who prove themselves to be particularly resourceful, he will generally show only cold abrasiveness to the well-being of others around him. He is not completely without heart, but any acts of altruism on his part are typically done only for pragmatic reasons, rather than out of good will.
    Above all else, Nova's pride is his greatest weakness, though he lacks the insight and maturity to understand this. He is often an unaware prisoner of his own drive, and his desire to succeed coupled with a prideful nature has slowly festered a darker side to his personality over time, causing him view all others in a condescending light and rivals toward his own "destiny", or stepping stones to be used in furthering his goals. Since being brought to the Wonderbolt's main squad, however, he has begun a slow realization to the importance of tempering that pride, but is a long way still from turning a new leaf.
    Despite his attitude towards fraudulent behavior, he is not above using cunning and underhanded methods to get the upper hand if he sees an opportunity present itself. Vulnerabilities are to be exploited, and Nova will carefully analyze every option that could give him an edge. A superior mind is just as important to him as having superior physical skill, and he will not waste any opportunity he can to prove his dominance over another.
    --
    Backstory:
    Even from a young age, Nova was already a natural flyer. As a colt, he idolized his heroes in the Wonderbolts, including their then-Captain Wind Rider, and frequently attended sky shows to watch the legendary squad perform, in awe of their abilities and record-breaking skills. Nova promised to himself that he would one day join their ranks and create his own legend within the group.
    Nova was present on the faithful day in one Summer Flight Camp where Rainbow Dash performed the Sonic Rainboom. Whilst shocked and amazed, he also felt bitter and envious that another young Pegasus, even younger than he was, had managed to perform such a feat that many had considered impossible. He could not bear the thought of being left in somepony else's shadow whilst his own 'legend' faded into oblivion, and thus from that day forward he vowed that he would not rest until he was considered the number one flyer; the most famous and accomplished Pegasus in all of Equestria.
    Nova continued to train for many years under this mindset, and rapidly built his reputation as one of the most promising and skilled young flyers in the land. His work paid off when he was finally accepted into the Wonderbolts reserve squad, and he begun advanced training at Wonderbolts Academy. By this time, his personal goals had become twisted to the point where simply being a part of the group was no longer enough for him. He now desired to create his own pedestal above even the legendary squad themselves, and saw his fellow peers as nothing more than rivals to be stamped out on his way to achieving what he believed was his destiny. Whilst praised for his strong flying ability, his arrogance and disinterest in working as part of a team impeded his progress. Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts, often reprimanded his selfish and egocentric behavior during training sessions, and argued that he did not yet understand the true meanings behind being a Wonderbolt, the most important lessons of which were the bonds they shared with one other.
    The prideful Pegasus was only angered by this response. To him, being a Wonderbolt simply meant being one of the best, that you should be revered and envied by those 'lesser' to you. Boldly, he challenged the entire squadron to a race, furiously intent on proving that he could beat all of them on his own. Though at first reluctant, Spitfire eventually agreed on the sole condition that Nova would resign from the Reserve squad if he lost.
    Though Nova was able to hold his own, the Wonderbolts maintained a decisive advantage by supporting each other throughout the race, whilst Nova eventually lost his composure and made several critical mistakes, his arrogance ultimately becoming his undoing. In a rare display of insecurity, the Pegasus broke down after the race and begged the legendary squadron to help him understand what he had done wrong, but Spitfire simply revoked his Reserve squadron status, before announcing that he was instead being promoted to the Primary squadron, explaining to the shocked and confused Pegasus that it would be a waste for somepony of his skill and talents to remain on the Reserve team, though she warned that pure skill alone would no longer be sufficient enough to remain at this level.
    Spitfire also clarified that, in his blind obsession to win and prove only to himself that he was superior, he had lost sight of why he started flying in the first place. The Wonderbolt's captain simply asked that Nova take this opportunity to reflect on what his overzealous pride had really done for him, and hoped that this small lesson in humility would take root and teach him the value of teamwork.
    Nova has since continued to serve on the Wonderbolts within the Primary squadron, still hoping to one day reach the peak Division of the squad and fly alongside Spitfire, Soarin, Fleetfoot and (to his slight annoyance) Rainbow Dash. Although his pride still largely dominates his behavior; the sting of defeat combined with the unexpected faith Spitfire placed in him has created seeds of doubt in his mind about how he sees his future. Though for now he continues along with his goal of becoming the greatest flyer in Equestria, he is on occasion been plagued by a crisis of conscience. Only time will tell if he will elect to take a different path, or if his pride will once again overcome him.
    --
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  2. Dark Horse
    Age: 26
    Gender: Male
    Species: Unicorn
    Appearance: Dark Horse sports a naturally colored brown-gray coat with an averagely styled black mane. He has saffron colored eyes, alluding to his stage name, though which can sometimes appear a darker red under low-light conditions. Dark is known for often donning a gray stage cloak when working, and despite rarely wearing it outside of his performances, has become a kind of signature outfit in his public image.
    Cutie Mark: Dark's cutie mark is a ponified version of the classic theater masks, representing his love of performance and acting. On a deeper, more personal scale, it also betrays that the 'real' Dark Horse is often hidden behind the mask of a character.
    Likes: Performing Arts, Storytelling, Traveling, History, Archeology, Reading, Deep thought.
    Dislikes: Talking about himself, Intrusive Ponies, Elitism, Stubbornness, Heavy noise or crowds.
    --
    Personality:
    As an entertainer who has performed a variety of roles in venues all across the world, Dark often adopts an exaggerated personality based upon different aspects of the characters he has portrayed in the past. As such, he often comes across as a confident and suave stereotypical actor when interacting with others.
    This is, however, merely a façade. In truth; Dark has struggled with emotional insecurity and a lack of self-confidence since being a young colt. His inability to come to terms with and even accept all that he is has left him with a deep underlying fear of being judged or dismissed by his peers should, as he feels, they ever get to know the real him. The only time he truly feels comfortable interacting with others is when he is on stage, hidden behind the mask of a character. As such, Dark Horse rarely shows his true face to the public, instead preferring to be somepony he is not. This pretense often allows him to act with great confidence and knowledge in an area he truthfully knows little about or has no real interest in, but he feels that this is the only way he can portray himself to others without ridicule. Ultimately, Dark's greatest flaw is that he simply lacks faith in himself, for whom he really is, and is overly worried about what others may think about him.
    Ironically, to those who are able to break down his barriers and earn his trust, one discovers a stallion who is both extremely loyal to his friends and confidently able to interact with them, revealing a number of interests and hobbies one would never learn from his 'pseudo' personalities. Dark is a well read, well cultured Pony who enjoys deep thought and study. He often delves into the deeper meanings behind things many would find mundane, and studies with great enthusiasm over topics of life and the supernatural. Dark is also keen on Equestrian history, and frequently visits ancient historical sights all across Equestria to gain inspiration for his performances.
    While he cannot stand snobbish elitism such as that displayed by many in Canterlot, he appreciates higher class culture and mannerisms, but believes that respect should be unanimous between all ponies regardless of their background or social standing. Dark has true fondness for Ponyville, believing it to be the perfect retreat from the bustling noise of Manehattan, and vacations there regularly.
    Above all, Dark deeply cherishes those he calls his friends, the only individuals he feels he can truly be himself around, and would go to great lengths to ensure their well being and happiness, displaying great selflessness and loyalty. While he chooses his friends very carefully, those who earn his trust and friendship will attest to having a Pony who is kind, reassuring and always there for them when needed.
    --
    Backstory:
    Born in the bustling streets of Manehattan, Dark's father was a renowned unicorn magician who first introduced him to the magic of the stage. Dark idolized him and regularly went to see him perform with his earth pony Mother, who took care of Dark in place of his frequently absent father.
    During one performance, He asked for Dark to volunteer as his assistant, giving him his first real taste of the stage. The audience adored the young colt and he quickly became the star of the moment, gaining his cutie mark in the process.
    Following this, Dark was propelled into Manehattan's celebrity circle, and quickly became known as the young co-star of his father, traveling with him all over Equestria to accompany his magician acts. It was during this time that Dark began to discover and delve into the history of Equestria, as well as the different cultures of its various inhabitants and lands.
    As Dark grew, he eventually began taking his own career to the stage, and soon expanded out to become known as one of Manehattan's foremost performers. Dark deeply loved researching and studying his various roles and characters, building their personalities and creating histories for them, utilizing his experiences and knowledge gained from the various cultures he had encountered as a Colt to apply to his characters. As a result, his performances were often praised as being highly convincing and appealing.
    However, as time went on Dark began finding it difficult to separate his professional life from his personal. Anytime Dark attempted to be himself around others, he was continually pressured to change the subject back towards his acting. All most ponies ever wanted to hear about were his characters, and how they believed the real Dark Horse was just like them. It was because of these experiences that Dark slowly but surely became extremely self-conscious of himself around others. Before long, he would not speak to anypony else in public, and started to shut himself away in his Manehattan home, ever fearful of being judged for who he really was.
    However, he soon discovered a solution for his conundrum: If his fans wanted to know only his characters, he would simply have to BECOME his characters! As such, Dark began utilizing an exaggerated personality in public built upon and based around the numerous roles he had portrayed in the past. Recalling a character he had once portrayed, he adopted the stage name "Saffron Shadow" and soon had created a completely new public image for himself. Dark now truly plays the part both on stage and in his everyday life. The real Dark Horse only showing his face when he is alone or in the company of those he calls his friends.
    Secretly however, Dark knows the facade cannot last forever, and is beginning to tire of living out the life a fictional character. Only time will tell if he will ever build up the courage to shed his false personality and truly learn to be himself around others.
    Dark Horse almost never uses his true name in public, instead going by his adopted stage name "Saffron Shadow", with only his closest friends and associates knowing and calling him by his real name.
    His "persona" is not foolproof, and he will sometimes slip up or even drop the charade entirely on circumstance.
    --
    Additional imagery:
     
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